To quote Gene:

“I know this is jumping on the trend wagon but had to blog about Susan Boyle…”

By now, I’m sure most of you have come across last week’s pop-culture spark Susan Boyle. If you haven’t, she’s a fairly eccentric lady who rocked socks on the American Idolesque Britain’s Got Talent. You can watch the wildly popular Youtube clip (currently at: 36,786,444 views) here.

Why is this story so compelling? Because she takes preconceived notions – what is expected going into this – and punches them right in the face. She surprises. Watch everyone’s eyes light up as her first few notes fall on the crowd. Twenty seconds later, she’s brought the whole auditorium to its feet.

When it comes to money, and the idea of how a financial institution behaves, this industry is littered with preconceived notions. “I’ll be stuck in debt forever.” “My only option is to default.” “I can never afford to own a home.” The groundwork for financial exasperation is thick.

Your movement began with this idea: the existing behavior of financial institutions is broken and destructive. It’s up to us to change everything.

Groups like Bucky Sebastian’s GTE Federal Credit Union are carrying the torch that burns, “we’re a brand new idea.”

There is no hope in never being surprised or surprising. If anyone can punch those tired ideas in the face, it’s you.