Despite Impossible
I am Tansley Stearns, and this is Despite Impossible. I am a long-time credit union executive leading Community Financial as president & ceo. I have always admired and been inspired by people whose passion is boundless and who don't comprehend the word impossible. This show focuses on their stories.
Episodes
Some days hit different. You wake up and something’s off, maybe it’s you, maybe it’s the air. The inbox feels louder, the faces in meetings blur together, and your usual spark is just… missing. We all have experienced them. Sometimes it’s work, sometimes it’s life, sometimes it’s both tangled up together. What matters isn’t pretending you’re fine, it’s learning how to move through it without dropping what makes you, you.
Ryan shares...
Removing Spinach from Our Teeth: From Potential to Human Impact
To access this article, and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit Tansley Stearns' Curiously Driven Newsletter page.
Today’s guest is Julia Lindahl. Julia is driven, passionate, and empathetic. She is also a forward for the University of Michigan Women's Ice Hockey team. She’ll be graduating as an architect as part of the 2026 class. This is Julia’s story.
Today’s guest is Lauren Hood. Lauren is an expander of boundaries, someone who elevates what’s possible, and is always trying to maximize her potential. She is also an educator, a writer, a city planner, and a community developer with a focus on the imaginative capabilities of the arts. In 2021, she founded the Institute for AfroUrbanism (IAU), a research organization dedicated to strategic development and the ideation and enrichme...
Behind the title and the resume is a human being stepping into new territory.
Behind the title and the resume is a human being stepping into new territory. Culture is felt in the little things: an intentional lunch invite, a personal story about values, or a structured check-in from a peer. This episode of Third Fork highlights the art of onboarding leaders with heart. Ryan poses the question of what those first 90 days should look ...
Today’s guest is Jesse Thistle, who is a dedicated father and swimming cheerleader to his daughter Rose, a skilled pancake chef, and an avid writer. Jesse is also the author of “From the Ashes,” the winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Nonfiction, Indigenous Voices Award, and High Plains Book Award, and a finalist for CBC Canada Reads, and an assistant professor in Humanities at York University in Toronto. Jesse won a Gover...
Today’s guest is MacKenzie Isabelle Stearns. MacKenzie is an adventurer, a dedicated athlete, someone who deeply enjoys music, she is full of energy, and her friends describe her as someone incredibly fun to be around. MacKenzie is a first-year high school student, where she is deeply committed to walking with people going through stuff. She is also my kind, generous, creative, courageous, disciplined, and bold daughter. This is Ma...
In this episode of Third Fork, Ryan and Tansley break down what it truly takes to connect across generations at work.
From legacy systems that challenge even the most tech-savvy new hires to the courage it takes to admit when you don’t know the latest slang, they remind us: stay curious, be open, and leave assumptions at the door.
Plus, they share the personal moments that shaped how we show up across generations.
Making the Last Mile Count: Strategic Execution at its Finest
To access this article, and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit Tansley Stearns' Curiously Driven Newsletter page.
Today’s guest is Dr. Aimee Daily. Aimee is committed to helping ensure that kids get the care they need to reach their full potential. Aimee is also the president and chief executive officer at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals where she focuses on leading with authenticity, accessibility, and responsiveness and on building connections with team members, hospital leaders, and CMN Hospitals’ dedicated network of corporate, media,...
In this episode of Third Fork, hosts Tansley and Ryan dive into the art of small talk at work. This is an underrated skill that can make or break your office experience.
They explore practical strategies for young professionals looking to build connections in a new workplace, from confidently introducing yourself to a colleague, to balancing openness with healthy boundaries.
Whether you’re navigating a new office environment or try...
Today’s guest is Missy Testerman. Missy is a passionate joy-seeker, a gardener, a teacher at heart and professionally, and someone deeply committed to education. She is also the 2024 National Teacher of the Year in the K-8th grade category, an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher who is a staunch advocate for her students, their families, and her fellow teachers. This is Missy’s story.
In this heartfelt episode of Third Fork, Tansley and Ryan explore the bittersweet reality of saying goodbye to a beloved leader when they move on to a new opportunity.
Tansley reflects on the importance of celebrating a colleague’s departure as a graduation, a recognition that their growth and success are something to cheer for. She reflects on a quote from the movie Elizabethtown to cope, embrace, and look forward to what's ne...
Today’s guest is Kelley Cusmano. Kelley is a charismatic educator, energetic, outgoing, a mother of two fantastic children, and a twin sister. Kelley is also the 2025 Michigan Teacher of the Year, an ELA and Leadership teacher who believes all students can achieve their potential. She is skilled in bridging the gap between teacher voice, curriculum design, and state education policy. This is Kelley’s story.
Today’s guest is Dr. Amy Hillman, a giver, a lifelong learner, someone who is never afraid of trying new things, resilient, and a human capable of redrawing her future. She is also the Rusty Lyon Chair of Strategy, former Dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, and the fellow leading Filene’s Center of Excellence for Leadership, Strategy, and Governance. This is Amy’s story.
In this episode of Third Fork, Tansley and Ryan dive into the all-too-familiar feeling of vacation guilt. That anxious voice that whispers you’re falling behind, even when you’re supposed to be resting.
Tansley opens up with a personal story from her childhood, recalling how she could feel the tension and guilt building at home in the days leading up to family vacations, and how that same mindset can follow us into adulthood. She sh...
The Gift of Experience: Five Ways Credit Unions Can Leverage the Post-Service Era
To access this article, and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit Tansley Stearns' Curiously Driven Newsletter page.
Today’s guest is Lamont Black. He is an educator, thinker, dreamer, speaker, an author with a focus on financial innovation, and a futurist. He’s inspiring our credit union movement to test, invest, and strategize to embrace Artificial Intelligence. Lamont is also the Associate Professor of Finance at DePaul University in Chicago and a former economist at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C. This is Lamont’s story.
We’re rewinding one of our most popular and insightful episodes from the Third Fork archive: Curiosity Over Criticism.
In this conversation, Tansley Stearns and Ryan Brown explore the delicate art of navigating unsolicited advice. Tansley shares how leading with questions rather than statements fosters openness and curiosity, while Ryan encourages listeners to assume positive intent, creating space for healthier dialogue. Together,...
Our Future's Playlist: Your Strategy Plays Here (Tansley Stearns originally published this article on December 6, 2024)
To access this article and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit Tansley Stearns' Curiously Driven Newsletter page.
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