Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned business owner, or simply interested in how local banking can catalyze growth, this conversation is packed with real-world insight and actionable advice for anyone looking to bring their financial story to life.

Hosts Brett Johnson and Carol Ventresca sit down with Ashley Dick, Chief Retail and Community Development Officer at Fortuna Bank.

Based in Columbus, Fortuna is a women-owned institution reshaping how entrepreneurs and communities access financial resources and support.

Together, they discuss Fortuna's inspiring origin story, the challenges and triumphs of building a women-led bank, and the unique services that set Fortuna apart—from mentorship and financial literacy events to hands-on support for small businesses and nonprofits.

If you like this episode, please let us know. We appreciate the feed back, and your support of offset costs of producing the podcast!

Episode Highlights

Building Fortuna Bank: A Story of Resilience and Purpose

Ashley Dick shares how founder Lisa Berger’s dream to create meaningful change became a reality after discovering just how underserved women were in banking—not just as customers, but as leaders and investors.

Empowering Women and Entrepreneurs

Fortuna isn’t just a bank; it’s a community. Monthly events, mentorship, and hands-on financial literacy programs are central to empowering clients—especially women business owners.

Safe Spaces and Real Support

One standout moment? A client, burdened by debt, found immediate empathy and guidance from the Fortuna team—no judgment, just support. Fortuna is intentional about creating a safe space, where asking questions and seeking help is always encouraged.

Practical Solutions for Modern Banking

Switching banks can be a hassle, but Fortuna promises to walk clients through every step—making transitions seamless and stress-free.

Support for Nonprofits and Small Businesses

Fortuna offers fee-free, interest-bearing accounts for nonprofits and even provides board training and consulting. For entrepreneurs, Fortuna’s personalized guidance—business planning, financial projections, and a network of mentors—means you’re never alone in your journey.

Moments

00:00 Empowering Women in Finance

03:58 "2008 Banking Career Start"

10:04 Empowering Women Entrepreneurs

11:15 "First Day, First Story"

14:01 "Seamless Banking, Genuine Support"

18:23 "Enhanced Deposit Protection Service"

22:46 "Tailored Banking for Nonprofits"

25:03 "Nonprofit Funding Made Easier"

28:29 Banking Simplified Through Technology

31:08 Empowering Confident Business Owners

36:17 Women Entrepreneurs: Own Your Strength

39:41 Building Community, Empowering Businesses

40:48 Podcast Recap: Expert Insights

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And of course, everything can be found on our website, Looking Forward Our Way.

Recorded in Studio C at 511 Studios. A production of Circle 270 Media® Podcast Consultants.

Copyright 2026 Carol Ventresca and Brett Johnson

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed by the experts interviewed on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations. The information provided in these interviews is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified professionals for specific advice or information related to their individual circumstances. The podcast host and producers do not endorse or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information provided by the experts interviewed. Listener discretion is advised.

We are Looking Forward Our Way. Hi, this is Brett. In today's economy, many are denied the resources and support needed to create their own destiny. Regardless of gender, experience or even location. An individual may wish to create small business or grow individual savings, but who will cater to their special specific needs? I mean, today we are going to explore a new path to financial support of the entrepreneurial spirit. Fortuna bank is a women owned institution here in Columbus, Ohio. Let's welcome our expert guest, Ashley Dick, Fortuna's Chief Retail and Community Development Officer. Ashley, thanks so much for joining us today.

Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me. It's so great to be here in this conversation.

It's so nice to meet you and we really thank you for your time and your expertise. It's going to mean a lot to so many of our listeners and audience. We will make sure that you have all of the information, contact information for Fortuna bank and any resour as we talk about. So Ashley, this is an amazing feat in Columbus, Ohio to talk about a female owned banking venture. Central Ohio is a hub of successful entrepreneurship, but we're sure that this podcast is going to provide critical information to people searching for that financial means to reach their goals. Before we start that though, we want to hear more about you, your background and how you became part of the Fortuna family.

Of course, I would love to share that. My path into banking has always been about people. Very much a people person. When I started my career in banking, I actually didn't know that it was going to be a career. But at the time that I was able to jump in into the banking industry was during a time of really an economic crisis, 2008. Not a fun time, but it exposed me to conversations that I was able to witness and understanding how banking really can make a positive impact and can really be a support avenue for a lot of people and the building the trust, helping the clients. So I just became very passionate about what a bank can do for someone. And I also was in a unique position where I was at a bank where I had insight into all the different avenues of banking.

You know, wealth management, financial planning, private banking, mortgage trust. Just so many different avenues that I mean, I don't know if everyone really knows what goes into creating a really great bank, but I just, I knew I had to learn more, I knew I had to stay, I knew I had to discover everything there is to know about banking. And then over time I came to have a passion around female and female in the financial space and being able to help Guide through conversations, encouraging women to have a handle on their finances, of having a seat at the table, being a part of conversations around long term financial planning. And then I also took that empowerment and mentorship into career driven women. How do you negotiate a salary? How do you get a seat at the table? How are you a part of the meetings? How do you stand up in meetings and feel confident in what you're doing? And so when Fortuna bank, the concept of Fortuna bank came about and I was made aware of that, I immediately thought, great, gosh, this is exactly where my career was meant to go. So without question, joined the Fortuna bank team, the Fortuna bank family. And it immediately did feel like home. The culture, the people, the purpose, all aligned with what I care most about.

Just creating relationships that matter. So that's what brought me here and that's what keeps me excited every day.

You know, 2008 was quite a year for those who forgot there were long lines of people looking for jobs. Banking was one area that still needed to have staff, but the competition was out of this world for every position. And so talk about fate. Putting you in the best place at that point in time, and even had it not worked that you thought of banking as your long term career, a great place to start a career in terms of the information and knowledge that you gain financially to go into any business. So, yeah, good for you. That was great, great story.

Yeah. You know, at times it feels like financial institutions may be more concerned about bottom lines than serving customers. And of course, we feel that frontline customer service some days is good, some days it's not, you know, But Fortuna's motto is built to bring your story to life. There has to be a very interesting backstory on why a group of women came together to create Fortuna. The planning, how funding was obtained, and the challenges they faced.

Yeah, that's such a great point, such a great question. And you're right. The story behind Fortuna really is something special. Our founder, Lisa Berger, she didn't set out knowing she was going to start a bank. She just knew she wanted to build something meaningful, something that would make a difference. When she started looking at the data, what stood out was how dramatically underserved women are in the financial industry. Not just customers, but as leaders, decision makers and investors. The realization sparked the idea for Fortuna Bank.

Starting a bank, especially one built by women, is no small feat. As you said, the early days were all about finding the right organizers who believed in the vision and were willing to financially back those Initial stages. Then came the regulatory hurdles.

You could say horrors. I'm sure it worked too. I'm sure there's a Freudian slub, but I can imagine that with all horror.

Yes, exactly.

Well.

And yeah. So our application process took 17 attempts before finally being approved. So it's an incredibly detailed, heavily regulated process. And, and every revision tested resilience and determination. So raising capital was another major challenge. We were intentional about wanting at least 50% of our investors to be women. But many potential investors, especially women, hadn't been presented with an opportunity like this before. Some viewed it as a donation, really, not as an investment with real returns.

They thought, okay, I can help out.

A donation without the tax benefit.

Right, right, Interesting.

So just shifting that mindse mindset and helping women see themselves as investors and owners was a powerful part of the journey from the very first idea to opening our doors. It took roughly three years. And every bit of that time was spent, was spent building something that truly reflects our mission. Fortuna was founded on the belief that banking can be both financially strong and serve people in a way that uplifts communities. And I think that's exactly what our story and our purpose is about. Just built to bring your story to life. It's inspiring.

That's interesting. You got that feedback from women that they thought it was an ask for a donation. Yeah. Wow. And then turning the story around going, no, we're asking you to invest. And this, I can imagine that their eyes were going, oh, I've never been asked this before.

Exactly.

Well, or at least at that level of dollars.

Right.

I mean, you're not talking about donation level dollars, you're talking business investment dollars, which is huge compared. And there aren't that many women in the Columbus community that even have that financial size strength to be part of it.

Right. I mean that, that's, that's the reason why Fortuna bank you wanted to develop this is to help them get more of share of the pie, basically. Yeah, exactly.

And there are, there are nonprofits in central Ohio that do support female entrepreneurs. But that really is a true charity.

Correct.

You're not. Those are small dollars, gifts, grants to an entrepreneur compared to a business loan.

Correct.

Fortuna has developed as what I think is called Community bank in Columbus. We're used to the Chases, the Huntingtons, the big numbers like big box stores and so Community bank, you wonder what this is and, or credit unions. We've gone through those conversations about credit unions. How is it different? But you have a strong hands on approach to create successful businesses. That community connection includes mentorships for entrepreneurs, providing financial literacy and networking. Tell us about those specialized services that Fortuna has created that provide their customers with really the information they need to reach those dreams.

Yeah, absolutely. That's really at the heart of what makes Fortuna bank so special. I get really excited to speak about this. When we say we're a community bank, we mean it in every sense. We're not just here to open accounts and process loans. We're here to build a community around clients and help them grow with confidence. So a big part of what we do is provide resources beyond traditional banking, as you stated. So every month we host events that vary on different topics from financial literacy, business planning, personal growth, and leadership.

But at the core, it's all about creating opportunities for connection and education. We have a strong focus on supporting women business owners, an even stronger focus on supporting female business owners. We know that women entrepreneurs often face unique challenges. So we've made it our mission to help create confident, empowered leaders in our communities. So it's really important to us is that Fortuna is a safe space. A place where you can ask questions without judgment, where you'll be heard and understood. Whether someone's just starting their business or looking to scale it, we're walking alongside them or mentoring, connecting, and really helping them to reach their dreams in a truly hands on way.

I love that notion of a safe space.

Yeah.

How many times do we go into a financial planner or to a bank or to a tax person and start asking questions and you get the glazed look like, oh, this woman doesn't know what she's talking about. Why is she asking me these stupid questions? Blah, blah, you know, so somebody can go into Fortuna and not be afraid to ask the basic questions.

Yeah. One of our favorite stories is one of the first days that our doors were open, we had a woman walk in and without even taking this person to a private office, she stood in our lobby and of course we surrounded her. There were probably five of us women. We were so excited to be helping and to have our doors open. And she just started sharing. And at one point there were tears. But what she was sharing was about a lot of debt that she had. And typically, yeah, that's.

That's a conversation that most people want to have in private. Sometimes it takes several visits to earn that trust, to be able to get them to open up, to talk about that and be vulnerable. And this woman just, again, I believe it's because we created this space and we listened without judgment, of course. And we, we were there to provide solutions. And so, yeah, it truly is a safe space.

Well, she knew also probably that she's going to be amongst women who aren't fixers. Guys want to fix. Yeah, true, they do, you know, so they're going to be offering, well, you should have done this, you should have done that. And all you did probably was stood there and listened. Empathized.

Correct.

Been there, done that, know exactly what your journey, you know, that sort of thing. She did not need to hear a fixing moment.

Correct.

She did not. So that made a big difference too. And I can say that as a guy, I'm sure guys would have wanted to fix it. Okay, we can help you do this. Come on in. No, that's not what she wanted.

And your team is literally in the same spot she was. You went through three years of trying to create a business with a whole lot of challenge, and so the empathy must have been huge. So, yes, absolutely.

Well, we've all gone through the change of banks or to a new credit union. It can be messy and very time consuming. How do you differentiate your services? Why would a business or individual choose Fortuna and, you know, do that heavy lift of moving their accounts?

Yeah, you're right. Changing banks can really feel like a hassle. It can. We understand that. But what we found is that people choose Fortuna bank because they know they're getting so much more than just a banking relationship. When someone moves their accounts to us, they're truly joining a community. They're stepping into a network of support, mentorship, education, connection. We're intentional about creating spaces through our monthly events, workshops, and one on one conversations where clients can learn and grow and build relationships that go far beyond just their banking.

But on the practical side, you know, we make the transition as smooth as possible. Our team handles the details, we help with the setup, we walk clients through each step. So it doesn't feel overwhelming that Fortuna is not just about accounts and transactions. It's about being part of something bigger. Our clients know that when they bank with us, they have a partner who believes in them, supports their dreams, and is genuinely invested in their success. So, yes, moving banks can really be messy. But when you move it to Fortuna, you're not doing it alone. We walk with you every step of the way because our goal isn't just to hold your account, it's to truly help our clients thrive.

And that means so much more.

It sounds as though if you're looking to move. This sounds really interesting. To really set up an appointment with you guys and sit down and kind of talk out. This is what I'm thinking. Can you help me come in with questions and figure out is this the right move for you with the support that you are specifically looking for to justify the heavy lift of sitting down with you and talking?

Yes, absolutely. And we truly do we make it easy because we have then a good understanding of what does your banking look like. Sometimes it's really interesting to sit with someone and um, the concerns that they might have around switching banks. When we talk through it, it's really not something to be concerned about. Um, but it does take that conversation and asking questions. Um, and we have a process. You know, we like to look at past few months of bank statements, ensure we're grabbing everything and just really helping them with every step. As I said, just really holding holding hands, basically because it can, it can feel overwhelming, but at the end of the day it's really not.

And the way banking is today, some of the things we switch over, it's a matter of just plugging in a different account number and routing number. You might think it's a really big deal, but when you go in to do that, you're like, oh, that was easy.

You would think it would be. I mean, given the level of electronic technology and banking, it shouldn't be that big a deal. But I mentioned to you before we started the taping that I moved a HELOC recently because the bank where all of my accounts were compared to the heloc, the HELOC bank would not take an electronic transfer from my regular bank. And I'm like, okay, I don't want to spend time going in there every month to pay on an equity line of credit. Make no sense.

Yeah, you're exactly right. And we all at Fortuna bank truly believe banking should be simple. Banking should be simple, it should be easy. The experience that you had, the transactional piece to that should have been so simple that the conversation around your purpose and intentions for your equity line of credit should have really came first.

Right.

And at the end of the day, that ended up needing to be an after fact because. Or an afterthought. I'm sorry, because we were thinking about the transaction that, that, that practical piece of how do we get that over?

Right, exactly. And I have to say, my home bank tried twice and they were even sending me messages like, well, we've tried this, we've tried that, we're not sure it's working, we're not getting anything back. And I literally had to go to the HELOC bank and figure it out. And they just kind of looked at me like I was crazy. At that point, I knew I was moving that HELOC because I didn't want to deal with them anymore, so. So that worked out. Going through all of the bits and pieces on your website, the account types are pretty similar to what other banks do. They need a checking account, you need a savings, you need a cd, loans, whatever.

There was one thing that hit me that I had never heard of before called an Intra fi. And so it was a method to protect large accounts. Now, I had a friend who was in the middle of that issue of the FDIC guaranteed safety on account of 250,000 or above. So I had some personal experience with this happening. You have a way of fixing that without people having to have accounts in various banks?

Yes, it's really a neat service that we offer. So Entrafy is one of those tools that really sets Fortuna apart when it comes to serving clients with larger account balances and businesses and corporations. At its core, it's a way to protect deposits beyond the standard FDIC insurance limit, which is 250,000, without the client having to split money across multiple banks themselves. So I guess here's how it works. When a client has a deposit that exceeds the typical FDIC insurance coverage, 250,000. And we've done what we need to do with naming different beneficiaries and structuring that, but we're still above the 250,000. Fortuna can use Intrafi to place portions of that deposit into other banks within the network. So all while keeping the client fully in control, earning interest and fully protected.

From the client's perspective, it's seamless. It still feels like it's one relationship with one bank, but their funds have coverage that goes well beyond the usual limits. So our team coordinates the entire process, handling the placement, monitoring accounts, ensuring everything stays within regulatory guidelines. For clients, it's not just about the logistics. It's really peace of mind. They can feel confident knowing that their funds are safe, protected, working for them without the stress of juggling multiple accounts or banks. So the confidence that this allows them, it allows them to focus on what really matters, growing their business, pursuing their goals, and feeling secure in their financial decisions along the way.

This sounds like common sense almost, but once you hear that, kind of like, why wouldn't banks offer that already? Because it's one person dealing with okay, rather than going across town to five different banks because you've got that limit to worry About. Yeah.

And it's not out of the realm of possibilities.

No.

250,000 still sounds like a lot of money. For many, but especially for a business, 250,000 could go in and out of accounts pretty quickly. And I worked for the state of Ohio when the small charter banks were dying and people were losing money in their accounts. So it is a possibility that you could lose dollars in your accounts if it's not federally guaranteed. So I just. I'm fascinated by this. Wish I had $250,000 in an account, but, you know. But is that something that.

I guess my question is, I'd never heard of it before. Is this something new that Fortuna created, or was it there and you were just able to take advantage?

It's not. It's not new. It's been around for quite some time. I think there was more light shown on it during some of the bank failures that took place a couple of years ago. Clients became a little more interested in, okay, I am above that 250,000. What does that mean for me? Does that mean for my deposits? There are people from those bank failures that have stories to tell that I. My funds weren't safe. So.

So it's something that Fortuna was aware of. And we knew we wanted to. To be able to make banking easy for clients. We knew that we wanted to be able to allow clients to bank with us without limits. And this was a service, a network that we really pursued and decided to join and make that available to our clients.

I mean, it doesn't have to take many people on a payroll to push to over $200,000 at a payroll week. So that is. Those are not big. Those aren't big dollars for companies. It could be big dollars for individuals. But. Yeah, interesting.

That makes sense.

Good for you. Yeah.

We've been involved with nonprofit organizations and know there can be specialized issues that a charity may face. How does Fortuna serve the nonprofit organizations in central Ohio?

Yeah, that's. That's a great question. Nonprofits are such a vital part of our community, Fortuna. We understand that they do often face unique financial needs and challenges. Serving a nonprofit is not just about providing standard banking services. It's about understanding their mission, their cash flow cycles, and the ways that they fund and grow their programs. We provide solutions that are tailored to nonprofits. So from managing multiple revenue streams and setting up accounts for grants and for donations, to guidance on budgeting and cash management, all of our deposit accounts for nonprofits are fee free, and they earn competitive interest rates.

So helping Organizations make the most of the funds they've worked really hard to raise. But beyond the accounts themselves, we offer resources, we offer education and opportunities for connection to help nonprofits strengthen their operations and maximize the impact that they have. And at Fortuna, we do take a hands on approach with our nonprofits. We listen, we advise, we support our nonprofit partners. Truly, when they succeed, our entire community is really thriving.

Yeah, well, a nonprofit has a lot of touch points that, yes, you're helping the nonprofit, but there's also people involved in the nonprofit, board members and volunteers that get to hear about Fortuna bank just by being there. So you know you're doing the right thing for the right reasons. And sometimes you have some wins beyond that too, that, you know, you get the word out because you've done the right thing. Yes. For the right people.

Right, Absolutely. And a unique thing that Fortuna is doing. We will be offering a consulting firm that will assist with training board members of nonprofits.

That's huge.

And how to identify the right board for you. Yes, yes, yes, Big time.

My gosh. Wow.

So again, we listen, we hear what some of the struggles are and how can we help. And again, that's through connections through the network.

Well, Brett and I have been through the wars of nonprofit management, and as a former director, I would have loved to have had Fortuna in my back pocket because it's. The cycle of funding is so strange in a nonprofit because grants are on cycles. If you're doing events, it's very much a periodic influx and outflux time periods with your budget. And it was really hard for us to grab hold of that information. Took a while to really get a good handle on what we were doing. So that's wonderful. So. And we'll make sure that we get all this information out to all the nonprofit folks that we know to let them know that Fortuna is out there.

Because again, board, even if the director kind of knows what's going on, the board is difficult for the board to get that kind of information. So that's wonderful. When Fortuna was being created, I would guess there were a lot of challenges in creating a structure. As we mentioned, you're looking at clients who are not necessarily tempted to move their accounts because it's messy. You had to find experienced banking executives who are willing to take this leap. This was huge for, I'm sure, for your folks. You also had to deal with lots of cost facilities and technology. How can Fortuna meet customer needs with just your one location? And in today's world of Ever changing technology.

And how are you keeping those folks on your team?

Like any new bank, starting a new bank is not something very common though. Right. But like any new bank, Fortuna does still face our share of challenges. And in the beginning, you're right. Building the right team. How do we build the right team? So I, while I personally was not involved in choosing our initial team, what's amazing is that it was relatively easy to find people who were not only experienced many decades in the banking industry, but who also felt genuinely passionate about our mission. So these were individuals who knew how to do banking in a meaningful, relationship driven way. And Fortuna gives us the space now to do exactly that.

So yes, there are practical challenges like setting up facilities and technology to support. And then yes, with one location, we've designed banking in a way that's convenient for today's world. So for example, we don't have an ATM on site. Instead, our clients can use any atmosphere anywhere at no cost. We believe that that's the most convenient way to bank. And it's just one of the ways that we really set ourselves apart. So even with, with a single location, our combination of hands on personalized service and thoughtful technology allows us to meet client needs seamlessly while staying true to our mission of supporting and empowering our community.

So really, I mean, utilizing technology sort of at its best, I mean, there's nothing worse than looking around for an ATM machine even in today's world.

Well, to your point earlier, the hassle of having to go into that financial institution that you referenced, we don't want our clients to have to come in. We want to give them every way possible to be in control of their banking through being able to use online banking, the mobile app, take a picture of your deposit, electronic transfers, online, bill pay, any atm, anywhere. It's just giving the the client the ability to not have to make banking a chore. Something that they have to do. We want it to be something that they get to do. And the parts that they get to do is come into our space for a networking event or come into our space because they're here for one of our lecture series. Those are the things that we want to utilize our space for. So while we do only have the one location, our technology allows the client to not have to care that there's only one location.

They can do their banking anywhere.

So it really is empowering your clients as opposed to them being dependent on you. The bank is a tool that's easy for them to use.

Absolutely. You nailed it.

Well, as an entrepreneur. I know there's a lot to be done in creating a small business. When a customer comes to you, what is the most important advice you can provide? Can Fortuna staff assist with creating business plans and financial projections? Can somebody walk in going, I want to start this. I don't know where I need to go as an LLC in my future. You know, those sorts of things that really you learn as you go. But it's kind of nice to have that inside track that gives you maybe almost a jump into a year that you didn't have to go through the roughness of it, I guess.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, first of all, starting and running a small business is no small task. And we see firsthand how much entrepreneurs juggle. The most important advice I give is to be intentional about planning and understanding your financial picture from day one. So knowing your numbers, your cash flow, your expenses, your growth projections gives you the confidence to make informed decisions and then pivot when needed. So, yes, Fortuna, our team is here to help every step of the way. To an extent, we do work with business owners to create business plans, to develop financial projections and provide guidance that's tailored to their unique goals. So it's not just about banking.

It's about giving our clients the tools, mentorship, and support they need to build strong, confident businesses. We want them to feel empowered, to chase their dreams, knowing that they have a partner in us who understands both the challenges and the opportunities. An example to your LLC question, you know, am I structured properly? I will have clients in my office that ask those exact questions. And While we aren't CPAs by trade, what we were able to do is put together a CPA panel. And we brought all of our business owners in to engage in this panel discussion to be able to not just get answers, but to be able to have conversation with like minded people that are also in that same position. You know, we will have clients that walk in our doors and say, I just got my ein number. What do I do now? And we find the best tool is to connect them again using our network and our connections and our resources. Connect them with a successful business owner right here in Columbus that has said, gosh, there's so much I wish I would have known when I first started.

So making that connection, creating that mentorship program for that new business owner to be paired with that really experienced, seasoned business owner, that means so much more than sitting down with their banker. Right? Like, we can help them from a financial perspective, of course, but providing them with some real life lived Experience can really impact how they set themselves up.

Yeah. Because I've heard numerous. It's not personal stories that I've heard, but you hear numerous stories of female business owners who have maxed out credit cards to do what they want to do. And your story of that, come in. We'll help you with the financial planning and stuff. Looks like that would stop that immediately. I can't even imagine. And I'm not saying it was a dumb move at all.

At all. Because you're desperate for money, you want to get things going, and that plastic is sitting in your wallet or your pocketbook. Okay, I'll just start spending money against it. That's really not a great choice. But if you're not advised of different opportunities like you're talking about, that may be the only thing you're thinking about.

Yeah. And Brett, that's such a great point that you made. And we do find this so often with our female business owners that they do just turn to their personal credit to fund the business. And. And we find that for various reasons, again, we'll go back to. The bank can be an intimidating space. So they don't have a commercial banker. They don't have a business banker in work.

They don't know what questions to ask. They don't know where to start. So they. To your point, that plastic in their wallet is really easy, and it avoids having to ask any stupid questions. I mean, air quotes, right? Stupid questions. They're not stupid questions. They're great questions. And we want to get in front of our business owners at the beginning when they start saying, I think I want to expand or I think I'm going to need, you know, XYZ for.

For the business. We want to have those conversations then to educate them. We have an amazing chief lending officer. Her name is Michelle Haslinger, and she sits down with numerous business owners that are either just starting or they want to scale their business. And she has those conversations before they can get to a place where they've set themselves up to maybe not be lendable per se, but, yeah, that's a really great point.

I can imagine. The conversation starts, okay, open your pocketbook and give me all your plan plastic right now, and then we'll talk. Don't touch these.

And what you said was they don't know what questions to ask. It's amazing, not only not having the person to ask the questions, but not even knowing how to formulate the issues to get their concerns across. So it's not that you haven't educated yourself. It's not that you're not smart enough to do it, but if you haven't done it before, where do you start?

So, yeah, but again, that's where I will say the network, the connections that they're able to get when joining the Fortuna bank community, they're in rooms, then they're around tables, then with people that have done this, that are asking questions that that other business owner can say, oh, I never thought of that, or oh, I'm supposed to do that. So just providing, again, this safe space for our everyday consumer, but also our business owners to be able to be in conversation, to get those, to know those questions to ask.

Do you think that women are at a greater disadvantage because they've not had success talking to other bankers and thinking, I don't have, there's nobody who's going to support me. So the only support I have is my own, and my own happens to be my plastic credit cards?

I think that. I think oftentimes also women that start businesses don't give themselves enough credit for the strength of the business they're starting. So often we hear women business owners call their side hustle, or I'm just doing this on the side. And meanwhile, they're rattling off these revenue numbers, oh, my gosh, this is not a side hustle. Give yourself some credit. So I think that they don't think they're in a position to mandate going to a bank to warrant having those conversations where maybe a male could have that confidence to say from the beginning, even when they just put pen to paper and say, I have an idea for a business, they're immediately calling their commercial banker. They're immediately calling their golf buddies. Yeah, exactly.

Yes, yes. And all that is our connections, right? Connections and a network. And that's what we're cultivating at Fortuna bank for our female business owners. And I should say, we are a bank for everyone. We do have many male business owners that work with us because we offer a space to where they're heard and they feel very taken care of by, by us and being able to make sure that we're answering questions. And so we are a bank for everyone, not just women. But I think that's important to note.

Well, I think too that as I mentioned, the big banks are like big box stores. Anybody can walk in, but what you're going to walk out with is sort of depends on how much money you brought with us with you or how much you command within your industry. And Columbus is so well noted as a place for entrepreneurship and no economy can really move without having small businesses. So these are really amazing opportunities for someone who really not just wants to start their own company, but who wants to build a small company that they already have.

Absolutely. And you mentioned some other banks might be a big box bank. And oftentimes we find that there then needs to be a box that that business has to fit into to be, to be able to, to be lendable by that bank. And we know that no business is the same and the way they operate isn't the same. And so we strive to not have a box that they have to fit into, but to really look at each business and how they operate from every angle and what makes that business successful.

Ashley, this is very exciting news for so many people in our audience that is interested in that little side hustle and making something out of it. And especially too for older adults. I mean, they're finding that older adults who have retired are doing a great job of coming up with those side hustles and for the little extra cash that that they want to have. So this is amazing information. You've really provided our Central Ohio entrepreneurs some alternatives for their financial needs. Tell us a little bit about the future for Fortuna, what's kind of out there, ready to go, and any last words of wisdom you may have for the audience.

Thank you. And of course, so as we look to the future, you can expect Fortuna to continue building community, expanding the resources and support that we provide, creating even more opportunities for connection, education, mentorship, especially for our female business owners. We're focused on helping small businesses thrive because we know that strong local businesses are at the heart of Columbus's growth. As for words of wisdom, I'd say this. Be intentional about your goals, lean on your community. Don't be afraid to ask for support. Whether you're starting a business, growing an existing one, or managing your personal finances, having trusted partners and resources truly makes all the difference. And then I'd be remiss if I didn't share this, but when you bank with a community bank like Fortuna, every dollar you put on deposit doesn't just sit there.

It is used to lend and invest in local businesses, helping our community grow stronger one loan at a time. So if you're looking for a bank where your deposits make a real difference, we'd love to welcome you to the Fortuna family.

Really wonderful.

Good, good. Well, many thanks to our expert guest, Ashley Dick, chief Retail and Community Development Officer at Fortuna bank, for joining us today. And listeners, thank you for joining us as well, you're going to find the contact information resources we discussed in the podcast Show Notes on our website at Looking for forwardourway. Com, and we are looking forward to hearing your feedback on this or any of our other podcast episodes.