SPEAKER_00 0:00

Anything that I say yes to, I want to give an 100%.

SPEAKER_02 0:03

I want to do it well. You being CEO of this big bank, 400 employee, how does how does faith get integrated into Red River Bank?

SPEAKER_00 0:11

In this phase of life, that I've got to be much more intentional about my faith.

SPEAKER_02 0:16

And so what does that look like for me? What would you say to those various guys out there to how they need to finish strong? Welcome to Finish Strong. Today I'm honored to have Blake Shotlane join us. Blake is the president, chief executive officer of one and one of the founders of Red River Bank based here in Alexandria. Blake had, prior to that, he had 14 years of experience with the Louisiana banking organizations. But then he had a chance to form Red River Bank in 1999. Hard to believe it's been that long ago now. But today, Red River Bank has 28 locations in the Northwest, Central, and South Louisiana, and it's one of the top five banks in Louisiana with over $3 billion in total assets, and it's now publicly traded on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. Blake is a native of Monkey, Louisiana, started his college career at LSU Alexandria before transferring and graduating from LSU and Baton Rouge with the BS in Finance. He's been married to Bell for the past 37 years, and together they have four young men, and I know lots of grandkids as well. But Blake's very active in civic organizations, both past and present. He served on the LSU Board of Supervisors for 12 years in numerous leadership roles. He's currently serves as the chairman of Louisiana Central. It's a regional economic development enterprise here in Central Louisiana. He's a member of C-100, and he's on the board of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. He has served on the Rapids Foundation, the Rotary, United Way, and Red Cross. He's also a deacon here at Calvary Baptist Church. So when you hear Blake's story, you may think this guy just has it made. He's just cruising through life. Well, just like everyone, he's had his bumps along the way. But it's not how you start, it's how you finish. And Blake definitely has a plan for finishing strong. Welcome, Blake Shotane.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

Thank you, Jeff. Great to have you here today. Well, no, no. Thank you for asking me. And let me lower expectations. Well, well, don't expect much, but appreciate the opportunity.

SPEAKER_02 2:29

Well, absolutely, Blake. And this is our 15th episode. And from the first episode, I've been knowing that I want to get you on this podcast. We've been friends for a really long time. And uh I wanted others to kind of hear your story, hear your faith story, hear your business story. So I've just really, really been looking forward to that. So but as I said in the bio, you know, incredible amount of success with Red River Bank, incredible amount of success in our community, around the state of Louisiana, really around the southeast region uh is is reflective of your life. And so let's just kind of start from the very beginning. So so you grew up in in Bunky in the central Louisiana area. Tell us about your growing up here.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

You know, I I say Bunky, I claim Bunky because Bunky was our address. Really, we lived out in the middle of nowhere. So if you if you're kind of familiar with that area, out towards the St. Landry area. Yes. Grew up on a farm. My dad worked for Cleco, my mother was a teacher, my uncle and my grandfather formed, and so uh just kind of grew up in a very rural environment, very close with family. Yeah. Just had a uh a really nice idealistic life uh as as a child.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

Surrounded by friends or mainly by family and cousins and so were you surrounded by a family of faith growing up, your mom and dad in church? Did you grow up going to church and and all that?

SPEAKER_00 3:48

You know, we did. We actually went to the St. Landry Baptist Church. Uh there was a pastor, Dr. R. H. Whittington, who uh taught at LC for years, and he was our pastor. We it was not a full-time pastor. He just came in on the weekends. Uh-huh. And but, you know, everybody in my family, I mean, we're talking about a church that on a good Sunday had 75 people. Uh and so everybody in the family was involved in something. You know, my grandfather would go open the church in the mornings, and my mother was a Sunday school teacher. Everybody was involved. Wow, wow. Very, very close-knit, great little church that I grew up in.

SPEAKER_02 4:25

Yes, well, well, that's been a common thing. I mean, it's amazing after the uh the 15 guys I've interviewed, almost every guy to the person grew up in a small church uh just growing up. So it's just uh it's amazing seeing these big leaders come out of these small little churches, and you have no idea.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

You know, I think, you know, I I think for me, you know, it took a little while to get adjusted to a church like Calvary because it was so big. Yes. But uh I think that's where you know it it was kind of indoctrinated on me that hey, you need to be involved and serve because it just depended on anybody being involved in something.

SPEAKER_02 5:01

So and what about your personal faith story? So did you come to Christ at a young age or did it take a little time, or how did that be?

SPEAKER_00 5:08

You know, Jeff, if as I think about that, there was something about growing up in the country, I tend to connect with God in nature. And and so as a you know, growing up on a farm, spent a lot of time outside, spent a lot of time on a tractor by myself, and but but it to me there was always this connection in nature of of knowing that there was a God out there. Uh and then probably when I was about seven or eight, it was a revival at St. Landry Baptist Church and a visiting pastor that I felt called and walked the aisle and accepted accepted Christ at that age. And so a very early on experience for me.

SPEAKER_02 5:42

Yes, yes. So so that journey started at a very young age and kind of lived throughout your young adult life and and all that as you went off to college. And yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:51

Yeah, and and you know, as we talk about a faith journey, it's there's been times where I've been very strong in the faith walk, and then times where I got distracted. Yes. Um, but it started early on and it gave me such a grounding that always drew me back. Um so it's just kind of been uh I've just you know from an early age, it just knew and and felt God's presence in my life. And anytime I was not where I needed to be, I just felt that pull back. Yes, and I'm grateful for that pull. Yes, yes. And you know, I I pray all the time that Lord convict me when I'm not and draw me back. And never quit pursuing me.

SPEAKER_02 6:27

Yes, well. And that's so encouraging to hear because you know, we talk a lot of times about I think these huge statistics are given that once a child leaves home and leaves the church family at home and they go out on their own, I think it's like 85 percent of kids never return to the church. Well, I have to think that some of those will be and are being pulled back to the church if they have that good foundation and back in relationship with God. So we hope so. So uh so great family, faith, background and so what about business? So I know you you graduated in finance, so I've you know I assume you went to college and saying, okay, I want to be in some sort of financial business industry. Did you know it was banking in the beginning?

SPEAKER_00 7:07

No, I I I didn't, Jeff. I you know, I I knew I wanted to be in business uh and and so kind of got a degree and started out at LSUA, and kind of that's where Belle and I met at LSUA. And uh then we both went on because it was two years at the time, so we went on to LSU and both finished at LSU and you know, just kind of started out looking in the business and ended up in kind of a finance major and uh you know not sure where that was gonna take me. Yeah. Uh and and so not a lot of direction, but finished in finance and uh really as I interviewed on campus, I I think back about it, you know, to the college placement and interviewing with their various companies. Uh and and I had an offer from Piccadilly or an offer offer from Hibernian, and and it's probably disappointing anybody. You know, it it's at the end of the day, I think so much of my fear is embedded in that. Yes. I want to be the person that I'm called to be, that I know God expects me to be. And and you know, trying probably my biggest fear is letting people down. Yep. Uh but started my banking career, uh going through the training program in New Orleans, yes, spent a few months there, then they transferred me to Alexandria. And I you know, kind of worked here for a while, then moved to Monroe, then got recruited by another bank to to come back to Alexandria, uh, which was a bank called First Commerce that owned Rapids Bank here. Okay, yes. And so remember that. Came back to Rap Heats Bank and was here until we got bought out and started Red River.

SPEAKER_02 8:38

Yes, yes. I remember that well. So this guy, so I hope you're hearing that. Red River Bank would not exist if Blake would have chosen Piccadilly. So he would have been the Piccadilly line instead of starting Red River Bank.

SPEAKER_00 8:51

So I'm a big Piccadilly fan.

SPEAKER_02 8:56

I love it, athletes. Absolutely. Yeah. So what what a difference? And I was talking to somebody about this recently. You know, you think about the decisions we make as as kids. I mean, when you're right out of college. Some of the biggest decisions you make are going to be career and who you marry and all that. And just think about just one little turn in there without God's intervention, probably in some ways, how our lives would look completely different.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

And because look, Jeff, I'd love to tell you that I had this master plan and I, you know, had this finance career mapped out. It just really was that simple. Yeah. I just knew I needed a job. You know, I needed to go to work.

SPEAKER_02 9:32

Yes. Yes. Wow. So yeah. Well, let's go back to those days. And I remember having the conversation with you. It was 27 years ago, I guess, now, 1999, that the bank started. And I remember you were leaving, uh, I guess JP Morgan Chase at the time, or was it?

SPEAKER_00 9:46

We got no, it was Bank One. So we were appointed by Bank One. Yes. And then it was really as we went through those kind of uh integration processes, and I knew how we operated as Rapheats Bank and how it was going to operate as this very large bank from Ohio. Yes. Um and and I could just see that it wasn't gonna be a fit here. Uh and and for me, th they really wanted me to move elsewhere. You know, Bella and I were married and raising kids, and this is where we'd wanted to live. And so it was kind of like, do I move or or do I do something different?

SPEAKER_02 10:17

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

Uh but I knew that really staying with with Bank One, which has now become chase, yes, uh was not what I wanted to do. Yes. So thankfully uh kind of uh a few of us started talking about you know other options and and started exploring what it would take to start a bank. And uh thankfully everything fell together.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

And let's talk about that decision-making process. So, you know, obviously we're both men of faith and we're gonna take it to God first and be praying over those kind of decisions. And you know, often it get asked as working with men is you know, how do you make these faith-based decisions and how do you decide this over this? And how do you know God's will over this over this? So talk about that process way back if you remember from that far back. Remember kind of where you were in that process uh of making those decisions.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Yeah, yeah, you well, you know, as I as I think about that, I mean, one, I was always tell people, I mean, at the time I was 34 years old, so I I didn't know what I didn't know. I didn't know what I should be scared of. So there was some amount of ignorance that that helped me to take that leap of faith. But but I mean, I I can remember literally one of the first people that I went to see was John Alley and then David Brooks to talk to them and ask them to start praying about it. Um and and I knew that this look, I'm uh one of my biggest challenges in life is I'm a warrior. That probably makes me a good risk manager. Good banker, yes. Yeah, but I'm a warrior. And so uh, you know, quickly I was intimidated by what it was gonna take and the process, but but it felt like it was the right thing and felt like things would come together, but I knew that it was gonna take God and God's uh intervention and God's guidance, and so quickly I went to to my pastor and said, Hey, please start praying for me. So before anybody else knew my pastor. Yes, yes. And and so it it probably nothing deepened my faith and my prayer life like that process because uh you know, outwardly I had to act like I was in control and knew what I was doing. Inwardly, Belle would tell you I was uh, you know, not sleeping a whole lot and worried. Um but uh you know, I I can remember before we opened the doors for that on that first day, you know, we had uh John Alley come in and and bless everything. And we've continued that process over the years. We don't open a new bank branch without the morning of or the night before having a dedication, you know, to dedicate the work and and pray for God's protection. So it's really been I mean, that in in my life is deepened my faith as much as anything because I knew that I was tackling and trying to tackle something that was much bigger than my capabilities were, and that I needed to lean hard on God.

SPEAKER_02 13:03

Wow. Isn't that a God-sized dream, right? Something bigger than ourselves we can't even imagine. So yeah. Uh so have you gotten less nervous over the years or more nervous as the years have gone by?

SPEAKER_00 13:16

Well, you know, again, it is if I think about you know, Paul had his thorn in the flesh, that you know, all of us have issues that we are born with, and and for me, kind of worrying and it tends to be in my DNA more than I wish it was. And yeah, and I constantly uh stru struggle to overcome and not let fear uh take hold in my life. And so I've learned to control it better. And I've learned tools that help me when I start falling prey to too much worry or too much anxiety. Uh, but it is one of those things that I have to work on constantly because it's just like I said, it's how I'm blind. And then to your point, it's probably made me a pretty good risk manager, a pretty good banker, because you know, bankers are always thinking what could go wrong.

SPEAKER_02 14:00

Yes, yes. It's kind of my job has exactly, exactly. Uh well, I hope guys are hearing that. You know, guys, I hope you're hearing that. That's you know, you look at somebody and says, Man, this guy has it all together, he has everything. You know, look at what you've built, look at what's happened, and you see a guy that's yes, we all have fear and anxieties. We all wake up every day with if you're in business of any sort, well, every time you unlock the door, you're wondering what uh what the new day holds. But uh, but you hear a guy here that says, Hey, I've depended on God, I've depend on guide to help with that anxiety and that fear. And that's common to me as well. Yeah, I have a lot of fear and anxiety about a lot of things, most things I can't control is the things that I worry about the most. Right. Uh, but uh I know guys are gonna be encouraged by hearing that.

SPEAKER_00 14:42

No, and and you know, Jeff, I I think that you know what you and I have the the interesting thing of being in the business of finance and working with people, uh you know, you and I know so many people and and know their stories because I think one of the interesting things about the financial industry is if you're gonna bear your financial picture to people, then you tend to develop this relationship that uh becomes a uh a trusted an advisor. Yes. And you know, what you and I both know is nobody's got it all figured out. Everybody struggles with something exactly and so we all see celebrities, you know, very successful people, whoever. Nobody's got it.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

Yeah, absolutely all figured out. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 15:23

Everybody's searching for something that gives them true fulfillment. And thankfully for you and I, it's been it's been our faith.

SPEAKER_02 15:30

Absolutely, absolutely. It's that ever-elusive ring that people chase that you're just never it's never gonna be enough. No, it's never gonna be enough. So uh well, it's incredible. I know you're a humble guy, but it's been incredible, Blake, just watching you over the years and just watching the development of Red River Bank over the years, just been this incredible rise from uh from the guy that leaves the comfort of a of a national bank to go start Red River Bank. And so it's been incredible to watch. And so I just I was thinking about before this interview, you know, one thing that I hear about Red River Bank that anywhere you go is the people. The people that y'all have brought on board with you guys and that work with you guys, and uh you hear it all over the place that y'all are just good people. So so now you have, I'm sure, several thousand employees now, something uh No, that's about four hundred. Okay. So so those four hundred employees. So what's the secret sauce? What's the secret sauce to to hiring good employees, people that are gonna do the right thing, people that are gonna trade treat people the fair way? What's the secret sauce of that?

SPEAKER_00 16:32

So Jeff, you know, it's it's hard to define a secret sauce, but I think what we have learned is is one, you have to you have to have people that like to serve, you know, and uh people that care about others, care about their community, want to make a difference, and genuinely just like working with other people. Because you can have somebody that's got the best technical skills in the world, uh, but if they don't really like serving others, yeah, serving people, because we are in the service industry and I remind our team all the time that at the end of the day, every bank's accounts are about the same, everybody's money is green. You know, what sets us apart as an organization is how do customers feel when we interact with them and when they walk in our door. How do we make them feel as an individual? What is that experience? Do they really trust us and think that we care? Absolutely. And you can't really teach that. Absolutely. You've got to you've got to hire people that that is the type of person that they are. And so oftentimes it's it's people that come from non-traditional backgrounds that have been in the service industry and just like being, you know, I'm always looking. If we're at a restaurant and I've got a a great waitress or waiter, you know, I'll give my car and say, hey, if you want to make a career change, come talk to us. Yeah. So just finding people that like serving others. Absolutely. And can, you know, be there to help others.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Yes. Well, mission accomplished. Because I thank you. Whether it be Alexandria, I have friends in Shreeport that work with you guys in Baton Rouge, and they all talk about the people. They say the people at River Bank are what make the difference.

SPEAKER_00 18:01

No, well, I appreciate you saying that. I think that one of the things that I'm most proud of, because when we, you know, when we started out here, we knew we were doing okay. And and but as we started venturing into other markets, we asked ourselves, can we take what we've done here and export it to other markets? And you know, one of the things that pleases me the most is if I have a Alexandria customer that shows up in a branch in Lafayette and says, gosh, I felt like I was in Alexandria. Yes that does my heart.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

Yes, absolutely. Well, well, mission accomplished. Great, great, great job by you and your team. I mean, just incredible, incredible what what y'all have done. And uh so I know you're a big student of leadership. As long as I've known you, I've known that you're always reading a book about leadership. We talked earlier about some AI books that you and I are reading, but just uh So how do you just get better at your craft? Is that part of it? Just reading leadership? Is it is it reading industry books? Is it reading history? Kind of give us some insights on what you're what you look at there. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

No, I think it, you know, I tend to read I tend to read autobiographies, I tend to read about great men that have accomplished things, and and and one that helps me realize that they all had their struggles too, but how they overcame their struggles. And so reading about you know, uh about men and and what they've accomplished and what they've been through helps me on the big picture side. Certainly some key leadership and and management books trickled in there. The good thing about our the banking industry is it's real easy to compare ourselves to all the other, you know, thousands of banks that are out there. And so everybody's numbers are public, and so you know, we can create scorecards that say how are we doing and measuring up against our competition and and find out where is it we need to to to do a better job on, where are we lagging behind, or or at least understanding why we're different. Yeah, and so there's a lot of good information out there like that. So we are constantly, I think, measuring ourselves and and creating these benchmarks and setting goals, and you know, what we know is what we measure gets improved. And so when we're not measuring up, let's dig in and find out why we're not. So wow, um so so I mean we I'm I'm fortunate that we're in an industry that there's a lot of good data out there. Yes, yes. And so trying to uh you know network, and I've got some bankers from across the country uh that uh that that I've connected with over the years that we'll have you know maybe a quarterly call just to since we're not competitors, we just share ideas. Exactly. Um so uh it's a lot of a lot of different things that I do to try and make sure that I'm not getting left behind.

SPEAKER_02 20:33

Yeah, I love that. And I hope y'all picked up on that. You know, what gets measured gets improved. Right. You know, that's so essential in our own personal life and business to look at our own lives and say, okay, where can I improve? And let me get some other guys around me, you know, even from a personal standpoint. Hey, let me get a board of directors around me that are gonna personally coach me in business and in life and ministry and and all the different areas. So much wise for that.

SPEAKER_00 20:58

I mean you start to I think the the the benefit as we get older that we start to see is there's so many parallels between our business life and our personal life. Yes. So if it's working in business, we probably ought to think about it.

SPEAKER_02 21:10

Exactly. Exactly. So I won't say your age, uh, but you looking back on your younger yourself, uh, what would you tell your younger self? Would you say, just keep doing what you're doing? Would you say, man, I could have improved some stuff growing up? What would the older Blake say to the younger Blake? So Well, the the older Blake is 62.

SPEAKER_00 21:32

You know, Jeff, that's a hard I asked myself that. I mean, certainly I I you know, if I were doing it over again, I would probably have been a little more disciplined on education and thinking a little bit, you know, uh more about some background information that I wish I had and maybe been you know a little I won't we won't share GPUs, but I could have been a better student. I as well. You know, I I I think you know I would also just probably Never truly understood until later in life the power of networking and just building those network relationships. Again, came out of a very small town. I mean, most of my network was my family. Went to a very small high school. There were 32 of us in a graduating class. You know, I look at some of so many other bank CEOs that have come out of the high school, the college, the networks. And so, yeah, you know, I'd love to have built bigger networks earlier on. But again, I God who knows how that would have turned out if I had done that. Yes. So I I don't spend a whole lot of time on regrets or things that I wish had happened.

SPEAKER_02 22:41

Yes. I I have nothing to complain about. Well, and this this new generation coming up. I mean, the Gen Gen Zers, you know, they get a bad rap, you know, and they get a bad rap about they don't work as hard, they're on their phones all the time, all those sort of things. And you know, I've kind of taken an opposite view of that. You know, what they're passionate about, they're very, very passionate about it. And yes, they grew up looking at their phone many much of the time. But so what do you see coming up through the next generation? Do you see that kind of passion that we're talking about? Do you see challenges related with their use of technology or harnessing that technology? So how do you view Gen Z right now?

SPEAKER_00 23:19

You know, I I I I think what I see is that we just were quick to label things and and generalize, generalize everybody in that class. And and the reality is, I mean, I probably prided myself early on for not being as smart or was well prepared, but I was going to outwork everybody, and and that's kind of what I learned growing up on a farm is you just worked. Yes. And so, you know, I I had a strong work ethic that was taught to me, and I think that carried me through.

SPEAKER_03 23:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 23:48

What I find with the younger generation also a lot of times is they don't have to work as hard because they're smarter, they're better at technology. They can do things a lot quicker than I can. And you know, we see it, you see it with your grandkids. I mean, they can embrace and figure out a phone when they're three years old.

SPEAKER_02 24:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 24:04

And in the workplace, I I I I think that there's a lot that we can learn from the younger generation on how to use that technology and to be more efficient, but to also help connect more and and keep them connected more. So I I I think it's uh I I'm I'm very optimistic about the generation that's coming up behind us. Yes. They do things differently, but that's okay. Yes. Uh and what about AI?

SPEAKER_02 24:29

Well, you know, how's that going to affect uh crystal ball here? But you know, looking down the road, how's that change banking? How does that change the banking world with all the AI that's coming aboard? I mean, I know a lot of AI has already been used for the last 10 or 15 years that a lot of people don't know about. But what's your views on that?

SPEAKER_00 24:46

Yeah, i well one I would say I I think if we if we think about banking, I think you know, the challenge that I struggle with, or or that I think the industry struggles with, is trying to find that right blend of technology and personal relationships. And because banking used to be all just about people. Now sometimes there are some banking institutions that want to make it all about technology. And at the end of the day, I think people want a little bit of both. They want to use the technology when they need it, but then there are some things that they just want to sit down and talk to somebody about. And so I think for in our industry, it's trying to find that right blend of, you know, kind of the the personal side and the technology side. I think AI is gonna ramp all that up even more. It's gonna let people do a lot more themselves, it's gonna let them, you know, use tools and and make us all more efficient. Uh, but at the end of the day, I still think it's gonna all be about relationships. And you know, you and I were talking earlier. Uh there I'm I'm trying to reign and understand AI and and there's the spectrum of you know, it's gonna solve all the problems in the world, and the other spectrum that it's gonna doom us all and and blow the world up. And and as we were saying, the reality is it's somewhere probably in the middle. Yes. You know, if I and I'm giving you a very long answer, I'll apologize for that. But you know, if I if I think back, you know, in the mid 80s, a three billion dollar bank probably would have had 4,000 employees. Today a bank our size has 400 employees. And that's because technology has changed how the business is done.

SPEAKER_02 26:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 26:22

I think that's gonna continue to accelerate. Uh and and and so you'll be I I like I don't see it eliminating a lot of jobs in our industry, but I do think it's gonna allow the average employee to do more than they historically have to agree with that. It's gonna make us more efficient. Uh absolutely and sometimes that's good and sometimes it's tough on us as individuals.

SPEAKER_02 26:42

Yes. It could rack up the pressure as well sometimes. More as expected. Exactly. But uh I mean I think you hit the nail on the head earlier when you said that it's the way people are made that made they feel when they they walk into your banking centers, meaning AI is not gonna give that feeling of somebody cares for me, somebody is taking care of me, I can trust them to do this for me. You don't get that with AI. No, that's true. And so that's not gonna be replaceable. But some of the minor functions may be, but that personal relationship I don't think will ever be replaced.

SPEAKER_00 27:12

No, I I agree. I think it's gonna be a in in one, I think in the financial industry it's gonna be a slower adoption than in some industries because we are regulated, and you know, just because AI may tell us this is the answer, our expectations as management and and as regulators are gonna say, well, who double checked? Exactly. So it's gonna be a long time before you can just rely on AI to give you that answer. And so for that reason, I think it'll I mean, it's already being used in a lot of things like fraud detection and fraud prevention. But you know, I think it's gonna be a long time before somebody's gonna say, Hey, I'm gonna do this because ChatGBT told me to do that with my finances.

SPEAKER_02 27:53

Uh at least a major decision. A major decision. That's right. Yeah. You know, absolutely. Uh okay. So shifting gears a little bit, and I'm just gonna ask you a question because I'm just curious for my own benefit. But you know, you're a guy that's in high demand. I mean, you've been on you know, LSU Board of Supervisors, numerous boards, chairmans of chairman of numerous boards currently. Right. Um how do you say no? Like how do you get to a point where you're like, hey, I'm just maxed out, I just can't take on anything else right now. Just a busy guy like yourself, I'm sure you get plenty of asked to do things, to be places, to do things. How do you just learn that simple answer of no? And thank you for not saying no to this podcast. Sure. But how do you say no?

SPEAKER_00 28:35

Well, yeah. You you you sound like you've been talking to my wife, to my assistant. Um you know, I I think it it's look, I I I told my boys as they were growing up, I told them two main things that I think they would say stand out in their life. Is one, I told them, hey, you you know, be a good, godly man. The world needs good godly men. And second, that one of the key to life is finding that right balance. How do you balance your your work life, your spiritual life, your family? And for me, uh I'm I'm constantly having to rebalance myself. Yeah. Because sometimes I get out of balance, sometimes I say yes too much, uh, and and and I get out of balance somewhere. And so I find that part of the challenge in my life is is just finding that right balance and recalibrating it sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 29:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:22

And and so I mean, I have learned. I mean, when I rolled off the LSU board, I said I'm gonna take my time before I start saying yes to anything else. And when I was on the LSU board, I said no to a lot of things. So I I've just tried, I I think, to be much more strategic about the things that I do say yes to. Because you know, you can get there's so many good causes, there are so many good things that we can do, but anything that I say yes to, I want to give it 100%. Yeah. I want to do it well. Yes. I don't want to do it just so I can list it on my resume somewhere. Yes, yes. And so if I say yes, it's because it's gonna be because it's something I believe in, and I feel like I can say I can give it my all.

SPEAKER_02 30:01

Yes, yes. So so well, I think we need you back on the LSU Board of Supervisors because you when you are the chairman of the athletic committee, we won a couple of national championships in football. So I think we need you back on there, by the way. So if they ask, please say yes. So uh so thinking about the yeses and no's, we talk about all the time. I mean, every time you say yes to something, it's a thousand no's to something that was right. So it's that priorities that we're trying to just hammer into the next generation and this generation to say, hey, say yes to the right things at where God's calling you to be.

SPEAKER_00 30:32

So and occasionally you've got to say yes to the wrong things to learn to say yes to the right. Yes, you're exactly right. I mean, you I've been on boards before that I'm thinking, eh, I wish I hadn't said yes.

SPEAKER_02 30:43

So that's you know, you you you learn from your mistakes. Exactly. Right. Exactly. So uh okay, so growing up, uh so what um what guys influenced you the most? What guys were around you that really influenced you on your faith walk and your journey through life? Who were the guys that impacted you?

SPEAKER_00 31:01

Well, I mean, you know, like I said, growing up, uh mainly I grew up with family and my cousins and my, you know, my brother and sister and and my my parents and grandparents. Uh so you know, certainly the the male figures in my life, uh you know, were those, you know, kind of spiritual guys that kind of I think helped me stay on the right path. You know, I think about you know, my dad. And then you know, my dad was, you know, kind of demonstrated to me the kind of the sacrificial giving that a father does, that he's gonna deny himself so that we were prepared and he was gonna work two or three jobs if he needed to, so that we were well taken care of. Uh yeah, and you know, I just saw my whether it's my uncle or my grandfather constantly serving others and and and living out I I think the Christian principles and and the gospel that we all believe in, living that out. And so, you know, I probably was more influenced by the older men in my life that were family members than than than friends and peers, because I didn't really like I said, we were out in the middle of nowhere. So and then what about currently?

SPEAKER_02 32:10

So so currently do you have some men in your life that kind of pour into your life on a weekly, monthly, quarterly basis that uh that really, like you said earlier from the banking standpoint, but do you have somebody kind of your spiritual board of directors per se that you you have in your life? Aaron Ross Powell, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 32:26

Well, I do. And it's I mean I can't say that there's just this group here that as I look at my life. I mean, one, I would say that I'm fortunate at the bank that a lot of our leadership team have deep faith in it. Yeah, that we kind of hold each other accountable. And then I I I think just like we taught our kids that who you hang around with and spend most of your time with is important. You know, I as I look at at my life and the people and the men that I associate with in business, I've been fortunate to connect with across the state some really good men that have helped me and that I can I can ask myself or I can call on them and we can pray together.

SPEAKER_02 33:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 33:05

And so I've got those resources that I can go to and and when I need and just bear my soul. Yes. And so I do have a good group of of men across the state that I'm able to do that. And a lot of that too is here at Calvary. I mean, I think about I mentioned uh, you know, uh uh John Alley and David Brooks. And I think about my Sunday school teachers now Gene and Kevin and Slaith over the years, and and the and the group in our small groups that have uh, you know, over the years, we've you know kind of just been there for one another and that have helped hold me accountable. So I think it's very important to have men that you know you don't want to disappoint and hold you accountable.

SPEAKER_02 33:48

Absolutely. So what's what's been a bump in the road? So along the way, what's been a bump either personally or business wise that that you'd say, hey, that was definitely a bump in the road that God got my attention and and I had to move on from and he got me through. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:03

Well, you know, I I mean look, the bumps in the road, I mean, I I like I said, I really can't say much, you know, there was a a a big uh issue in my childhood other than well one, I would I would say, you know, my grandfather lost his farm in the 80s in the bank in the in the uh farming crisis, and and that kind of shook up your your confidence when you saw something like that happen. It probably made me more worried and risk averse. Uh, you know, and then you know, like I said, for me starting the bank, you know, what was when when first commerce was acquired by Bank One, I thought this is horrible. You know, this is rocking my world. I had my career on on track, and and but what I thought was uh gonna be uh a problem turned into an opportunity. Yes. Uh certainly as I I've thought about the banking careers and and the years in banking, you know, we seem to see seem to see these once-in-a-lifetime events pretty often, whether it was Y2K or the 2008 financial meltdown or or or 9-11. You know, there's these big shocks to the system that uh, you know, are challenging, you know, from to to navigate a business through, but also emotionally, you know, taxing as well. You know, probably you know, the biggest challenge in our life really came a few years ago when Bell was diagnosed with lung cancer, just kind of out of the blue, not a smoker, randomly found it on a uh on a uh on a checkup, and uh, you know, and and that for us was was just such a shock. And it kind of puts a lot of things into perspective very quick. Certainly we were glad that we had a strong faith to fall back on. Absolutely. And and again, you know, Jeff is is that was in 2022, and she's been through chemo and surgery and radiation and all the things that uh that she's had to go through. Uh, but in many ways, I think she and I would say that it's been one of the biggest blessings that we've had in our life because it did put things in perspective. And it did draw us closer. And she's she's used that experience to minister to others. Yeah. And so, you know, God just has a way of showing us that one if we lean on him, he'll carry us through. Yes. And then we'll learn from it. Yes, yes. And you know, uh look, I pray all the time that Lord, I'm sorry that it's taken me 62 years to learn some of these lessons that your Bible we are all slow learners, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 36:32

Absolutely. Uh well, it was amazing to see y'all walk through that with with Bell's illness. And uh so how did the how did the church family come assault? So talking to a guy that maybe not connected to a church out there that's listening, talk about just how your church family came alongside y'all in that process.

SPEAKER_00 36:48

Yeah, you know, I look, I don't know how people that don't have that community of of faith believers that, you know, we we just knew every day that, hey, uh, you know, people are praying for us, people are there if we need anything. Uh you know, I mean the small groups are just so important because that lets us build that community and those personal connections. But you know, look through through as as I think about the people that we've gone to church with over the years, uh it's just always uh I think such a defining moment of you know the Christian faith in our church when people are struggling and people step up to say you're not a woman.

SPEAKER_02 37:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:29

And and so no, throughout that whole process, our our Calvary family was was just there for us and praying for us constantly and and and and still to this day are constantly reaching out to see how pal's doing.

SPEAKER_02 37:43

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 37:43

And that that makes going through those tough times a whole lot easier.

SPEAKER_02 37:47

Exactly. And I know that from my personal experience when the church reaches out like that, it encourages me to reach out to others when they're going through something too that I never would have thought about it before. Right. And now you're more apt to do it.

SPEAKER_00 37:58

No, because like like we were saying earlier, we all put on these strong faces and act like we've got everything under control, but all of us are going home with something on our mind and worried and it's just comforting to know that others are going through it as well and that others are there to help you when you need it.

SPEAKER_02 38:16

Trevor Burrus, Jr. Absolutely. Uh switching back to the to kind of the banking part, uh so how how have you integrated your faith into the workplace? You know, a lot I know a lot of guys struggle with that. They go to work and they kind of put God in a box. Okay, I'm going to work, so God's in this box over here on Sundays, uh, or maybe Sundays and Wednesdays, but hey, this is my work box, so there's really no place for faith in my workplace. Right. Uh maybe guys are listening that own a business or run a business. So you being the CEO of this big bank, 400 employees, uh, how do you do you do it that intentionally? Is it just kind of happen? How does how does faith get integrated into Red River Bank?

SPEAKER_00 38:54

Yeah, I uh Jeff, that's a that's a good question. I think that, you know, one, uh especially being a public company, I I think you know, it's it's a little bit different than if it were just totally Blake's bank. Yes. You know, it's a public company and and and you know, with a lot of different stockholders and a lot of employees. You know, uh now we weren't always that away, but that's where we are today. Then I I have to probably be a little more cautious, you know, to not offend anybody.

SPEAKER_02 39:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 39:21

Uh but I think since day one, one, uh I think from day one, there are uh several of us in the bank that said, you know what, this can be our mission field. Because if we can help somebody who's gone through financial difficulties, if we can help someone who's struggling, and and we can live our life uh day in and day out uh in in a way that uh uh demonstrates what Jesus called us to do, then that's the best example that that opens up in uh a relationship that we can make an impact. Absolutely. And so, you know, I I think you know, I've always prayed that you know we would run the bank in a way that demonstrated daily Christian principles at work. Yes. And that that others could see that and and could know that we've been sincere about it, and that hopefully, hopefully that opens up conversations. Oh, absolutely. And and so I think we've always tried to run the bank with that kind of mindset. And if you're doing that right, hopefully you don't have to advertise it and say that, hey, I'm a Christian organization. And live it out in a way that inspires people to come to you. And and look, I I can if I think about some of our key leadership at the bank, I mean, the when when somebody at the bank is going through a trouble, they're gonna seek out the Tammy Salazar and say, Hey, can you help me? Because they've seen that she cares. And I've got a lot of employees like that that again, if we're living out what Christ has called us to every day, it's gonna open up those opportunities to minister. Absolutely. And so, you know, I try to be fairly open about my faith, but not lecture about it.

SPEAKER_02 40:57

Yes, yes, yes. Live it. Yes, and and you've done a great job of earning that right to speak into people's lives because when you treat them well and when you treat them with respect and all that, you've earned the right to kind of speak into their life. And so uh that that's incredible. And so I love that. I love that. Because just so many businesses advertise that we're a Christian-owned business or we're a Christian-run business, but at the end of the day, they people ought to know without you advertising.

SPEAKER_00 41:23

Exactly. And if you got it, and I'm not knocking those who advertise. I understand.

SPEAKER_02 41:28

Our goal should be that people know. Absolutely like we operate. Absolutely like totally agree. Um there's lots of guys listening to this podcast, uh, different areas of their faith. Some of them are just starting out new in their faith, some of them have been in their faith for a long time, and obviously the the title of this podcast is finished strong. Uh-huh. So what would you say to the guy out there that maybe just not real strong in his faith right now, maybe he's falling away, he's trying to get back on track, uh, andor the guy that's doing well in his faith? What what what are the secrets to finishing strong? Uh, you know, when we talk about finish strong in a race, you know, you start it and may start out great, but you got to finish the race. So this is all about the faith. So what would you say to those various guys out there to how they need to finish strong? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:16

Jeff, as I think about that, I think that, you know, one, as I reflect on my life, I I realize that every season of your life, that faith walk is a little bit different challenge and requires something different. Yes. So, you know, as we talked, I was, you know, at a very early age, came to Christ. But you know, as I think about those years from eight to twenty, I'm still trying to figure out who I am and and and what is my where is my faith and what do I need to to grow that faith. Uh yeah, and so that was one set of challenges in my faith walk there. Then then you get to the next phase where you're getting married and you're having kids and and you're trying to start a career and you're trying to accumulate stuff, you know, build that life or are busy. And that faith walk is is a a different challenge. And I think that's for me, that's where being involved in church and starting to build those relationships and those those networks were so important. But again, it it's a different set of variables and tools that you needed in those two phases of life than where I find myself today. And so, you know, now as we think about finishing strong, and I'm not sure if we're calling if I'm in the fourth quarter or halftime. Uh but but since it's World Cup year, let's let's go with halftime, and it sounds better. But but you know, for me, what I have found is it is it it's a different set of challenges for me today. And uh I I think that for me, I I find that I need to be very intentional today. Yes, yes. Because the on my life choices, my life is is so much different. And look, I I think about I've mentioned John Alley several times, but he he used to say that his prayer was as he got older. Lord, don't let me get old and better. And I think what he was telling us is that as we grow older and and life has maybe worn us down, it it's easy if we're not careful to get pessimistic and and kind of lose our optimism and stray from our faith. Absolutely. And and so for me, I have learned that in this phase of life that I've got to be much more intentional about my faith. And so what does that look like for me? I think it's much more disciplined on waking up and starting my day in the Word, reading the Bible, doing devotions, um and getting my day off to that right start. Exactly. And and then the other thing that that I do is there's a if you were sitting at my desk, you'd see sticky notes everywhere, you'd see files that I'm working on. I'm a visual guy. I need reminders. And so for me, it's a Bible on the back of my credenza that it may not pick up, but when I see it there, it's a reminder to me that okay, I'm saying I'm a Christian and I'll live in a Christian. And then it's and and then I've got a book of little journals that I keep good quotes and I inspirational sayings or key Bible verses that again, if I feel like I'm off track a little bit, I can reflect and get myself back on track. Yes. And then I've I've also it's kind of a weird thing, but I've also got a folder of uh, you know, over the years of men that I've encountered uh that have made an impression on me, lived a life that I want to aspire to, uh, and and and that I keep that handy and from time to time reflect on some of them still around, some of them have gone on. But it's just I need those visual reminders to help keep me on track.

SPEAKER_02 45:37

Absolutely, absolutely. Well, and if you've listened to all 15 of these podcasts, you'll know that all 15 guys that have sat in that chair said the same thing about spending time alone with the Lord. That that was a foundational thing for them. Yeah. And so so encouraging to hear. I knew that about you, but so encouraging to hear that and some of the things that you do. You know, I've just I've long admired you, looked up to you for your faith and your strength and business and just your community involvement. Uh, but behind the scenes, this is a guy that's grounded in his faith. And so that's that's evidence of that.

SPEAKER_00 46:09

You you know, Jeff, I was as I think about that question, I I I learned to fly a few years ago, don't fly as much anymore. But I remember when I was learning to fly, the the instructor was telling me that look, the key thing you have to do as a pilot is never quit flying the plane. From the time you start the engine to you turn it off, you need to be in control, hands on the wheel, hands on the stick, and because things can get out of control real quick. And uh the the point was there is no autopilot on an airplane that's gonna take you from start to finish. You better be paying attention. And I think the same is true with our faith walk. There is no autopilot. You can never say, hey, I've been I've been good for 50 years. Yes. I'm gonna flick on the faith autopilot. You gotta work at it.

SPEAKER_02 46:53

Absolutely. Absolutely. As we often talk about on this podcast, I mean the list of pastors and business people and just regular day people that fall off, right? Fall out of their faith, leave their families, all these things. And it's the guardrails that Blake just talked about. I mean, it's the guardrails of having wise men around you, wise men that are pouring into you, spending time alone with the Lord, continue to be just committed every day to finishing strong. And so let's say that you passed away today, uh, you uh passed away today, we'd probably have a funeral here, probably. Let's see, today's uh Tuesday, we'd probably have a funeral around Friday or Saturday, something like that. And uh they probably won't have a new name on the on your door at the office yet. They'll probably wait until next week or so. But uh so what do you want them saying about Blake Shotline? What what do you want him to say uh about your life? Uh if they're if you're summarizing your life, what what would you say you'd want to hear?

SPEAKER_00 47:47

You know, Jeff, I I I think I'd I would like people to look back at at me and and my life and say, hey, he was a good, godly man who never forgot where he came from and and never, regardless of whatever success he may have achieved, never let that change who he was. And and you know, I I think that at the end of the day, as I look at what I want to leave, my kids and my family is is a good legacy and that they can be proud of the man that I was and and and that can help them as they think about how to navigate their life.

SPEAKER_02 48:20

Absolutely. Well, from the outside looking in. Absolutely. Outside looking in, I think mission accomplished, if that was today. So uh thank you. Um let's we'll we'll have a little fun now, just go quick lightning round. So who are three people, living or dead, that you'd love to have dinner with tonight?

SPEAKER_00 48:41

Ronald Reagan, Neil Armstrong, uh and then just for fun, Elvis Presley. Oh wow, so that'd be a great man. Is that right? Is it all together? Yeah, all together. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 48:55

Well, Elvis may still be here. We don't know that yet. According to the inquiry. Yeah, that's a great answer. So uh Okay, who's your favorite athlete of all time? I know you love sports. Who's your favorite athlete?

SPEAKER_00 49:07

Going back to the 2019 championship greatest year in in LSU hit football. I gotta say Joe Burrow.

SPEAKER_02 49:15

Yes, I'm right there with you. He's on my list as well. Uh okay, so what about movies? What kind of movies do you like? What would you pin as your favorite movie?

SPEAKER_00 49:24

Favorite movie would probably I'll I'll give you two. It'd probably be a tie. Uh uh, I think Saving Private Ryan had to be one of the best pieces of cinema ever done. Uh and and and I love World War II history. I love history. So Saving Private Ryan and Jerry Maguire. Yeah. Jerry Jerry Maguire is an inspirational story to me. And I just think there's so many good messages in that movie. So those those two would be tied.

SPEAKER_02 49:51

Absolutely. Love it. Love it. It's kind of the rom-com, you know, thing on the Jerry Maguire thing. You know, you had me in hello, you know, and all that stuff.

SPEAKER_00 49:59

So I guess mine was more to show me the mic.

SPEAKER_02 50:03

There you go. There you go. So great, great. Um and then I think we've talked about fear. You know, what what is your what is your biggest fear? No, are we talking about snake fear or just anything that you say you're probably the most fearful of. If you know this guy great guy that everybody's looking to, what would you say that that is?

SPEAKER_00 50:21

You know, Jeff, I I think it for me really is probably disappointing. I mean, I am I am a people pleaser and and it's probably disappointing anybody. You know, it it's at the end of the day, I think so much of my fear is embedded in that. Yes. I I I want to be the person that I'm called to be, that I know God expects me to be. And and you know, trying to probably my biggest fear is letting people down.

SPEAKER_02 50:45

Yeah, we have that in common, but that's exactly mine as well. And uh so it's just uh you know, it's a tough thing. And I know people on this listen of this podcast probably struggle with that as well. Right. You know, I kind of have had the terms God, you know, is is pleasing people become my idol. You know, is it been so I struggle with that of do I idolize people's words, do I idolize people's right, you know, adulations and things like that. Is that the root of it? But that's a I think that's a common thing for a lot of people, you know.

SPEAKER_00 51:13

No, you know, I think about it. Oh, look, when we started the bank, I used to, you know, my my goal was I wanted every customer to be totally happy, every employee to be happy, and and it would crush me when we would disappoint somebody. And you do realize over time that there are just some things you can't control and some people you can't make happy. But um I think you know it it's both a a blessing to want to you know help and and and please people, but it it's a burden too.

SPEAKER_02 51:41

Yeah, it is it is, no doubt, no doubt. Well, well, Blake, like I said at the very beginning, uh you were just really one of the top people on the list that I wanted to interview for this podcast. And uh now I know why, because I just uh continue to be blessed by your life, can put continue to be inspired by your life. And uh so I'm just so glad that everybody else has gotten to know you a little bit here today, and and just a little bit about what makes you tick and and what God's done in your life. So so proud to know you. Thank you for all that you do for Calvary, for our community, for the business community. I just thank you for all that you do. It does not go unnoticed. And uh there are so many people that are walking in your shadow and uh trying to emulate who you are. So thank you for who you are.

SPEAKER_00 52:23

So Jeff, thank you for saying that. Uh look, I could say all the same things about you, but I think it's you know, I I think that you know, you and I are both fortunate to be in this community and and doing what we do at this point in time. Yes. Um and and again, it's guys like you uh that help me to be a better person. Wow. Yeah, you asked the other thing I'll just say, you know, you you asked a question about people that that have helped shape my life. And I'll I'll say, I mean, my wife is is probably the the one of the uh the most impactful people. But you know, I'm gonna tell you that Belle is is a person who is has the most servant heart and loving spirit uh of anybody that I've ever encountered. And so God yoked us properly together. Absolutely. Uh and she I think we make each other stronger. Absolutely. Um thank you for letting me spend some time with you. It's been it's been fun.

SPEAKER_02 53:14

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 53:15

Hopefully, there's a few tidbits in it.

SPEAKER_02 53:17

Absolutely. And we'll be sure and clip that little part that you said about Bell, and we'll send that to her so she'll uh you'll be on a good side for at least a few minutes. Absolutely. Yeah. Thank you, Blake. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 53:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 53:27

In 2 Timothy 4 7, the apostle Paul's in prison. He's facing his impending death, and he says these words as a final reflection on his life and ministry. I've fought the good fight, I've finished the race, and I've remained faithful. So, needless to say, Paul's life didn't start out strong. Persecuting and killing Christians isn't exactly the blueprint that God has for a guy's life. But God had other plans for Paul. He said, I want that man. So Paul switched jerseys and made it his life's mission to spread the gospel no matter the circumstances. He made the decision that he would never give up, he would never back down, and he made the decision that he would finish strong. So as you just heard from Blake, life's not easy, but if you're a follower of Jesus, God has said the same thing about you, men. I want that man. So how will you respond? Uh, the purpose of this podcast is not to give you some other to-do list or to heap guilt or shame on you from how you started or where you've been. The purpose of this podcast is to inspire you to action by hearing how godly men like Blake don't just make lofty goals, they make commitments. Because I believe the commitments are greater than goals. Finish strong is a daily decision that requires a daily commitment because it's not how you start, it's how you finish.