Florida Banking October 2022

“Most business owners look to their bank to give them financial advice. Rather than merely pushing a product, we take the time to understand our clients’ businesses. We want to have a better understanding of what they do so that we can better advise them,” said Tom Robinson, SVP, commercial lending. “Sometimes you learn more by listening than talking; we focus on knowing our customers and being the best possible advisor to them.” Blevins and the team refer to themselves as a “connecting” bank. The bank is in the unique position to connect clients and make mutually beneficial introductions. “What better way to help both customers than to make that phone call to introduce one another?” Robinson asked. “A lot of us have been in town for so long; it’s nice to work with people you’ve worked

This article was written months before Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida and other parts of our state. The FBA joins bankers and people of goodwill everywhere who are keeping the impacted people and communities in our thoughts and prayers. G ulf Coast Business Bank is Southwest Florida’s first new community bank in 12 years. The Fort Myers-based de novo is focused on the local business community and dedicated to helping its clients achieve their dreams and goals. In fact, this is made clear when one walks through the door and sees the phrase “Focused on your dreams and goals” on the lobby wall. President and CEO Bill Blevins believes that supporting his team both professionally and personally boosts engagement and allows everyone

to do their best work and thus better serve the bank’s clients. His ideology is inspired by the book “The Dream Manager” by Matthew Kelly, chronicling the journey of a fictional company (based on the collective experiences of several companies the author advised) experiencing high turnover with a desire to improve employee retention. Blevins gives each of his staff a copy of the book to promote a culture of empowerment, personal growth and accountability. “Wh i l e e v e r y b a n k focuses on financial goals

with before to make the transaction as smooth as possible.” The bank opened with a soft launch in June for emp l oy e e s and boa r d memb e r s . Th e g r a n d opening in July exceeded expectations with a crowd of nearly 200 visitors. The team received great feedback from the event about the building design; customers sit down with a “personal banker” to complete transactions rather than waiting in a teller line, and this process has been well-received.

“OUR PHILOSOPHY IS ABOUT HELPING OUR COLLEAGUES BE SUCCESSFUL… WHO WILL IN TURN SERVE OUR CLIENTS, WHOSE BUSINESS SUPPORTS OUR SHAREHOLDERS . ”

- BILL BLEVINS

It was December 2020 when Blevins had the idea to start a new community bank; he sat down with Bill Valenti, Sr., of Florida Gulf Bank to learn more about the de novo process. The two men continued to have conversations over the course of the next year. “There’s no playbook. You have to ask other people who have gone through the process before, and get guidance from them,” Blevins said. “A lot of the other bankers in town asked, ‘What can we do to help you?’ It’s all about getting good advice.” CFO Guy Harris said: “Most of the local business community recognized the need for a business bank. We’ll cater to personal accounts, too, but our primary emphasis is on business.” Blevins had known Harris for many years on the soccer field, though they had never worked together. “You can tell a lot about somebody by their behavior on the sporting field, and how they react to wins and losses,” Blevins said. Together, Blevins and Harris began putting together a team and board of directors to create a business plan Gulf Coast Business Bank, Continued on page 10

and what it takes for the company to be successful, our philosophy is about helping our colleagues be successful… who will in turn serve our clients, whose business supports our shareholders,” Blevins said. When it comes to goal setting, Blevins encourages his team to think about what they’d like to achieve across all areas of their lives — professionally, relationally, spiritually, physically — and to write it down. “Bill sits down with each of us one-on-one and shares his own personal goals, too. I’ve never before had a boss or manager ask about my personal dreams or goals. This was a big eye-opener for me; it was something I had to reflect on, because this was the first time I’d been asked to put my goals down on paper, and then take practical steps to achieve them,” said Rosie Ruano, branch manager. “If we work on ourselves, that desire to grow and improve is reflected in our interactions with customers and clients… We ask them, ‘Where do they want to see themselves?’” This is what it means to be customer-centric at Gulf Coast Business Bank.

WWW.FLORIDABANKERS.COM OCTOBER 2022 — 9