For Heather Ristow, there's much to be gained by being weird. From a young age, her family, particularly her sister, taught her to live without regrets by being herself.

“My sister always knew I was different but she embraced my quirks and helped me find a way to channel them into my true passion which has always been to make a unique difference in people's lives,” Ristow, vice president of sales and development at the Madison, Wis.-based $275 million Heritage Credit Union, said. Ristow was selected at CU Times' latest Women to Watch.

That self-confidence fostered early on has helped shape her positive, squeeze-the-most-out-of-every experience approach in both her personal and professional lives.

“I enjoy the feeling of being an unpredictable, open-minded yet highly professional woman,” Ristow said. “Life is what you make it, so I try to make it awesome for myself and the people around me.”

According to Ristow, much of Heritage's success has been the direct result of a culture that embraces innovation, education, commitment and fun. In 2012, when she joined the credit union, a “Fun Committee” was created to ensure the sprinkling of random fun at headquarters and in branches would be the norm.

“My team and I work extremely hard, everyday, but we need to mix in humor and craziness as often as possible,” Ristow said. “It keeps us happy, innovative and energized.”

Recognizing the importance of attitude, there has been a shift in hiring and looking beyond the résumé for the right cultural fit.

“Every branch, team, committee, employee and member is different. Figure out what people are motivated by and a way to provide them with whatever that is,” Ristow suggested. “Half of the fun in developing people is watching them respond to challenges and reporting back on their successes. This can be practiced in any workplace and really, with any individual.”

In terms of team development, Ristow has always believed in helping others build and play to their strengths. She's found that the most effective teams are made up of individuals who bring different talents and perspectives.

“Being surrounded by go-getters makes a huge difference,” Ristow said. “We're lucky that there are so many talented people here who constantly challenge themselves and each other to keep improving.”

Ristow has an understanding of that drive to push the boundaries to improve upon the status quo. Since first being introduced to the credit union industry 11 years ago, she has pursued every opportunity to learn, do more and be an advocate.

Every activity, from serving on the Wisconsin Credit Union League's Young Professional Advisory Board and participating in the state governmental affairs conference, to attending CUNA Management School, has only reinforced Ristow's love of being a part of the good work cooperatives do. She has no doubt that credit unions could be the Zappos or Southwest Airline equivalent in the financial services sector.

“Weird sells in most markets,” Ristow said. “So many companies outside of the credit union industry are not afraid of being unique. As credit unions, we need to get comfortable with differentiating from traditional banking approaches that many financial institutions grow complacent in.”

Credit unions with clearly defined core values through which they've delivered relevant services, ultimately can build deeper relationships that add more value to members' lives.

“I'm a big believer in the fact that you make your own luck,” Ristow said. “Every day, something at work motivates me to do more and be different. At Heritage, it's about being proactive, standing out and living by our mission.”

Finding unique ways to better serve members has been an ongoing priority at Heritage The credit union drew upon its origins as Oscar Mayer's Credit Union and launched the Bacon credit card. Not only did the new credit card program pay tribute to the cooperative's roots in serving Oscar Meyer's employees when it was founded 80 years ago, but it has also created opportunities to explain the credit union difference in a tasty and fun way. The card itself features sizzling strips of bacon and in three months, the program has grown by 29.3%.

Heritage has also hosted Random Acts of Bacon, where members can enjoy tasty bacon treats at area branches. In addition, other bacon themed contests have been shared among members via social media using the #HeritageBacon tag and responses to a Pass the Bacon member referral program have been overwhelmingly positive.

More importantly, bacon has helped open the door and ease the way for conversations about the who and what of Heritage and why it's different than other financial institutions in the area.

“Members ask us, 'what's with the bacon,' and from there, it's easy to share our story,” Ristow said.

That awareness continues to be one of the biggest hurdles all credit unions face, she added. The industry can benefit from greater collaboration and being nimble enough to adapt, offer services and communicate in ways that are aligned with current consumer expectations, particularly the younger generation.

“If we can connect and engage our future members at a young age, we can literally change consumer behavior and help a generation become financially savvy,” Ristow said. “As a [credit union] movement, we need to bust outside of our branches and collaboratively impact the youth to become intelligent borrowers, savvy savers and ultimately better providers.”

She added, “Young consumers are like sponges when it comes to learning valuable lessons in life, credit unions just need to find a way to be the intoxicating and lasting liquid they're all willing to soak up.”