An established member of the south Texas business community, Ken Raymie held leadership roles with Generations Federal Credit Union from 2014 to 2024. Joining the firm as vice president of commercial services, he oversaw a buildout of the newly created commercial services group spanning workforce hiring and implementation of infrastructure and system. Ken Raymie next took on responsibilities as chief risk officer, coordinating with regulators on operational and strategic issues. He took on asset recovery group executive oversight responsibilities after credit quality issues arose.
As Generations’ CEO for five years, Mr. Raymie achieved 50 percent asset growth and substantially expanded investment advisory services and mortgage offerings. He introduced buy now pay later and 24/7 instant loan funding products and undertook a consolidation from 15 locations and branches to seven full-service locations. Mr. Raymie also set in place a charitable foundation that boosted community investment activities.
Ken Raymie’s background includes leadership roles with Broadway National Bank, where he gained early experience as an examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency at the US Treasury. He has served on the boards of the American Heart Association and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Foundation.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
On an ideal/typical day, I wake up early for coffee and some quality time with my wife & 11-year-old. After school drop-off, I try to get a workout in before starting my day. With consulting, every day is different, but it allows me flexibility to get other things/errands done when not “working.” School pickup in the afternoon, followed by dinner and some downtime with family, usually with TV or a movie.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I typically spend a lot of time on the front end of analysis/vetting, and contemplating different scenarios and outcomes. I typically like to find other “sets of eyes” for other perspectives and to “poke holes.” Lots of pre-planning and regular assessment once launched.
What’s one trend that excites you?
This is not a unique answer, but the advent/expansion of AI is something that excites me and pushes me to expand my way of thinking. While also intimidating, AI brings countless possibilities for application in our daily work & professional lives, and I enjoy the seemingly constant developments in this area.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Staying organized in how I plan my short/intermediate/long-term objectives and maintaining discipline in my daily priorities. Regular reassessment and recalibration also help tremendously.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Beyond technical skills, your success will largely depend on developing social/people skills, empathy, resiliency, and the ability to deploy your energy and emotional capital to the “right” things.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
While I enjoy the convenience of advanced communication technology (smartphones, text/chat/email, etc), I believe it often reduces the effectiveness of communication and can hamper the ability to develop/maintain true connections with people and limit the quality of relationships developed.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
In both work and life, plan ahead, constantly monitor progress and results, and consistently recalibrate/adjust as necessary.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Step back/step away and try to clear my mind. Take a break and find a nice distraction to use the mind in a different way. Sometimes a physical activity like a workout is helpful.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Understanding, if not expecting, that things may not go as planned/envisioned, and therefore planning for different scenarios and what your action plan would be… plans B, C, etc.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
I twice chose to join organizations that claimed to be in “growth mode,” when in reality, “cleanup mode” was needed. I overcame it by choosing to find my own professional growth opportunities within these settings and redefining success. Lessons learned – beyond the need for more diligence when making such decisions, also the need to be flexible and resilient.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
“Adulting 101” – a program/package/tutorial that prepares individuals for adulthood. The countless specific “how tos”, FAQs, etc that would be helpful as they embark on their own and find jobs, housing, transportation, etc.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
ChatGPT is increasingly becoming my “go to” for all things, including things I think I already know/understand. Getting a fast/direct answer to my questions/curiosities, or at a minimum getting a great start, has vastly improved my personal & professional productivity.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
There are two podcasts that have provided tremendous value, in different ways. The Monday Morning Podcast from comedian Bill Burr has provided a humorous/distracting escape from the stresses of life & career for more than 15 years now. Tell Me Something Good by Clint Swindall has helped tremendously with my mindset and keeping proper perspective through life’s twists and turns.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I’ve enjoyed The Bear, as I enjoy stories about “rebuilding” and/or “finding our way”. I enjoy the multiple storylines within the context of the overall story, and I enjoy the “raw” interactions between the characters.
Key learnings
- Life is always unpredictable to some degree – be prepared.
- Find your “go to” distractions and approaches to dealing with stress.
- We’re all a constant work in progress – accept that perfection is not attainable and find ways to redefine success for yourself.