Let's Roar
Reflecting on the pride and excitement of CFCU's partnership with the Detroit Lions, inspired by the team's leadership and grit to fuel the credit union's mission of helping Michiganders achieve their impossible dreams.
As the Lions prepare for the NFC Championship game, I vacillate between nervous energy in preparation to cheer our team on and reflection about what incredible pride we feel at Community Financial Credit Union as an official Proud Partner of the Detroit Lions. Similarly, the decision to partner with an organization as iconic as the Lions was thrilling and nerve-racking. The scarcity of having only 32 football teams in the country, the millions of fans each team has, the emotional connection of being part of a team, its identity, the communities it represents, and the loyalty through the many ups and downs. It is so primal.
Humans have always craved a sense of belonging. We are conditioned to discover and become part of a tribe. Our energy ignites as the fire in our bellies rises, and we root for those we love. It manifests joy so deeply that many of us nearly burst to tell the world about it. In the last 12 months, I’ve reconnected with some of my tribes. I enjoyed the thrill of participating in a sensational year for my alma mater's football season, culminating in a National Championship (Go Blue!), I met Dave Matthews for the very first time, and I experienced the electrifying energy of a Ford Field stadium that recorded its loudest decibels ever three times this season! (Last week's game against Tampa recorded 134.3 decibels, roughly the sound of a 747-jet engine, according to the Center for Disease Control).
At Community Financial Credit Union, we admire and aspire to the kind of leadership Dan Campbell demonstrates. In a short three-year span, Campbell went from a 3-13-1 record in his first year as the head coach of the Detroit Lions, finished his second year with a winning record of 9-8, barely missing the playoffs, and in the current season, he has achieved many Michiganders' impossible dream of hosting two playoff games at Ford Field, and now being one game away from the Superbowl. The team’s tenacious, determined, and passionate approach fueled the decision to partner with the Lions. Each individual at CFCU puts the hustle and grind resembling the “grit” coach Campbell elicits from his team. And through our partnership, our team has brought hundreds of impossible dreams to life at each game and well beyond. We are entering year two of a three-year strategy. We built the structure in year one; in year two, we'll continue to optimize the machine; and year three? We’ll leave that as a curiosity gap…
We are a Proud Partner of the Detroit Lions. Tying our Community Financial Credit Union brand affinity to the Lions fills our hearts with pride. It creates joy. And that is the essence of our purpose to create joy and ignite Michiganders' Impossible dreams.
Go Lions! Huzzah!