Hair slicked back, the CEO of a local community bank surveyed the influential people having lunch at the Center Club in Tampa, as I picked nervously at my salad. He was not concerned about me, my business plan, or my dreams. He was concerned about ‘networking’ with the who’s who of the city, and I was, at best, a transaction. The message was simple. Just the numbers please. He shot a quick glance at my budget and thought my home would make excellent collateral. I remember telling him that my family and home was off limits.
I walked away from the meeting disappointed that my dreams may go unrealized and I remember making a personal commitment to never give up, and never work with this individual again. And then, I met the good folks at Platinum Bank, and the rest has been a ride for the ages over the past 15 years.
I learned that banking is not about interest rates and loans. It is not about regulation and managing accounts. Those are a given and part of a minimum level of expected performance. Banking is about the dreams and aspirations of the customer. It is about a partnership and a relationship that is based on trust, empathy, and an additional shoulder of support when the chips are down.
The art of banking is not about debits and credits — it is about a passion for helping people, touching lives in positive ways, and enabling people to make their dreams come true.
About Hemant Rustogi