Shaun discusses Capital One’s mission to integrate technology with human interaction to create welcoming, community-oriented spaces that offer more than traditional banking services.
Shaun discusses Capital One’s mission to integrate technology with human interaction to create welcoming, community-oriented spaces that offer more than traditional banking services.
Welcome to Elevating Brick and Mortar. A podcast about how operations and facilities drive brand performance.
On today’s episode, we talk with Shaun Rowley, Head of Market Experience at Capital One. Capital One is a bank built on digital tools and human connections. Their approach to banking aims to be a personal one through their cafes.
Guest Bio:
Shaun Rowley leads the Market Experience team with Capital One’s Retail Bank, focusing on bringing reimagined banking to Capital One Customers in their Branches and Cafés. He recently celebrated 21 years with the company since starting as a part-time contact center associate, and has held multiple positions in front line teams, product, technology, marketing, strategy, and analysis. Shaun has a passion for bringing to life new omni-channel experiences that welcome everyone and provide customers with the tools and confidence to improve their personal relationship with money.
Guest Quote:
Many Americans still value the in person interaction and the human help that is necessary and so valuable. And really, there's no substitute, right, for being able to have that experience face to face.
Timestamps:
01:12 - What Capital One does
01:46 - Shaun’s role
03:39 - Reimagining physical space
09:47 - Defining a north star
14:43 - Today’s trends
17:40 - Using tech to your benefit
22:35 - Predicting trends
29:08 - Where to find Shaun
Sponsor:
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Links:
[00:00:00] Sid: Hello, everyone. Welcome to Elevating Brick and Mortar. Thank you for joining us. I'm here today with Sean Rowley, Head of Market Experience at Capital One. He's actually speaking with us today from a Capital One cafe. Sean, welcome.
[00:00:14] Shaun: Thanks for having me, Sid. Happy to be here.
[00:00:15] Sid: Sean, so most folks definitely have seen, you know, a Capital One ad and know about Capital One. But just in case they don't know about Capital One, um, can you share a little bit more about Capital One and, and also your cafes?
[00:00:29] Shaun: Yeah, absolutely. I think, uh, most people, like you said, have some, uh, type of history with Capital One or know about our brand. Pretty often when you say Capital One, I get the what's in your wallet right away.
[00:00:40] Sid: That's exactly
[00:00:41] Shaun: we are, yeah, we, we, uh, pride ourselves on, on being able to bring banking to customers, uh, with things like amazing credit card products, uh, checking products, uh, and innovative features and benefits that are out there.
[00:00:52] And one of the innovative ways we meet, reach our customers is actually with physical spaces. And, uh, that's where I'm at today. Uh, one of our amazing Capital One cafes, I happen to be at the, uh, the mall of America cafe in Bloomington, Minnesota.
[00:01:03] Sid: Love it. I want to dig a lot more deeper into that, but before we do that, let's talk about you. Um, can you share a little bit about your journey and how did you get into this role and what are you responsible for?
[00:01:16] Shaun: I really work on bringing re imagined banking to life for our customers, uh, in our branches and cafe markets. So we, we do that by meeting our customers where they're at. It's a great blend of technology and an amazing human help. And I have a privilege of leading an incredible team of individuals who plan, design, and execute, you know, both memorable and meaningful experiences for the millions of customers that they get to visit our cafes each and every year. So. Uh, that's a multifaceted, you know, uh, job and responsibility, everything from, uh, an award winning, uh, you know, craft cup of coffee from Verve, uh, to hosting community events that focus on financial literacy, uh, helping an individual, um, with, you know, uh, a free money and life mentoring session, uh, or guiding someone through just the process of managing their everyday, you know, finances with a checking account or something similar, uh, we kind of do all those things and everything in between. So, uh, it's a, it's a fun and interesting job for sure.
[00:02:11] Sid: So how did you get to,
[00:02:14] Shaun: uh, it's been quite the journey, uh, a couple of decades, in fact. So, uh, I've been a team member here for, uh, about 21 years. Uh, and I actually started on the, on the, on the ground level. So I started working directly with customers, um, not in our physical locations, cause Capital One Cafes didn't exist yet, but, but over the phone.
[00:02:30] I really enjoyed speaking with each and every customer, you know, the opportunity to listen and learn and, and provide some help and assistance. And that inspired me to, you know, start thinking about. Um, you know, this is more of a career and less of a job. Uh, so work lots of different roles all over the, uh, the retail bank and product and technology, uh, you know, marketing and frontline leadership.
[00:02:51] those things together has really culminated with this opportunity now for, for me to lead our, our market experience team.
[00:02:57] Sid: So Sean, what made Capital One go down this path of re imagining banking and using the physical on site experience as a way to actually do that?
[00:03:09] Shaun: Yeah, you know, I don't know that anything made Capital One do it because the way we think about things is really to think about how the world is changing overall, you know, how our customers are changing. And that's more than just about how banking is changing. It's better to actually start with just that broader picture of how our lives are changing. And I think we've seen a lot of shifts, you know, recently, uh, when it comes to consumer expectations across so many parts of their life. And how they're using different tools and technology, how they're thinking about, uh, you know, investing their time and energy to visit a space, right? Or to, you know, Uh, to, to sign up as a customer for, for a brand or an experience.
[00:03:49] So when we looked at all of those different pieces, we learned in talking to our customers and through that research that customers are really, uh, evolving the way they handle their everyday banking needs, right? Like making transactions, withdrawing cash. Uh, you know, accessing their funds, most of that's done, right, with, with, uh, technology in your pocket. And we do an awesome job of kind of bringing that simple and easy way to manage your financial life, you know, to, to your pocket on a day to day basis. And because of those convenient ways, we saw fewer customers having the need to visit branches regularly for those basic kind of everyday transactions.
[00:04:26] But at the same time, many Americans still value the in person interaction and the human help that is, you know, necessary and so valuable when you're thinking about, you know, the complicated world of finances, when you're really thinking about how you want to learn about a new account or a new option or service that's out there. And really, there's no substitute, right, for being able to have that experience face to face.
[00:04:48] Sid: Sean, can you share a little bit more about the role of, you know, design and construction and facilities in terms of the kind of experience we're trying to create with Capital One Cafes? Because, you know, if you ask most people, ... of of what you expect from, from a bank, but you've re imagined it. And now, you know, are offering this cafe experience. So tell us a little bit more about, about that and how that plays a big part of your brand, because you're not just building it. You're doubling down on that and it's all over your branding, right?
[00:05:25] Shaun: Yeah, absolutely. I think you're right, sid. I mean, when you think about retail, we think of all the changes that have happened, right? But when we think about, Banking locations, uh, we kind of think of something that has been pretty timeless, right? A branch location doesn't look much different, probably from when you or I opened our first, you know, savings account with our parents and going into a branch location versus what it is today.
[00:05:47] And one of the things that I've realized is, is I'm a little bit of a banking geek, right? Like I love going to retail locations. I love going to branch locations. But even for me, right, it can be often intimidating to go into a bank, uh, that, that you're not a customer of, right? Because those bank branches are really designed to either service or sell customers, right?
[00:06:07] So, uh, it's not a browsing experience and it really is set up to be a, closed environment for, for those particular customers. And when we set out to really, you know, build new spaces and bring banking in a different way to new communities, we wanted to make sure that they were welcome to everyone, that they weren't intimidating, that, you know, uh, you felt welcome and invited, uh, to cross the threshold, uh, to use this space as your own, uh, and to really learn more about not only Capital One, but also But about your own, you know, banking journey, about your relationship with money and think about how we could add some value to, to that journey overall.
[00:06:44] So, uh, you know, we don't have traditional tellers in our cafes. Our customers use self service banking options, uh, you know, ATMs and, and awesome technology to get their banking done. But there's still that human element of being able to sit side by side with an ambassador to chat, to chat about financial topics, you know, over a cup of coffee. Um, and that really does change our space to make it more welcoming and inviting.
[00:07:07] Nice. Nice. So it seems like you've, your technology forward, experience forward, but you're still offering all the services that one would expect when they walk into a retail banking location, right?
[00:07:21] Yeah. I mean, I think we need to meet our customers where they're at, right? So banking needs our banking needs. Uh, you know, the ability to access your money, to have a place that is safe and secure, uh, to have on your side, you know, products and features is such an important part of that banking ecosystem. You know, our cafes allow people a chance to come in and experience that, you know, in an in person experience. It's a, it's a place where you can literally come in You know, feel, touch, hear, and in our case, even taste that experience before you enter that banking relationship. And that's just an awesome opportunity for us to bring that to life.
[00:07:56] Sid: what does a cafe look like? You're, you're in one right now. Can you describe to our audience, like, what does a Capital One cafe have? What can you expect when you walk in?
[00:08:05] Shaun: Well, I think one of the things that you'll find is that it's surprisingly familiar, right? It feels like a community cafe because at its core, that's exactly what it is. So many of our visitors coming in are not Capital One customers. They're coming in to get a cup of coffee, Uh, and for, for them to enjoy that amazing space that we offer, uh, you know, the spaces are really designed to be a blend of financial and like everyday escape.
[00:08:32] So, you know, whether you're coming in for a banking experience, Or you're really coming in to, uh, enjoy one of our private meeting rooms that you can, you know, book for free as a customer or just meet a friend or family member, you know, at, at the mall, right. And use our space to do so, uh, there's kind of something for everyone and you get to make that experience your own, uh, which, which is pretty amazing.
[00:08:52] Sid: When you think about capital One, you know, as a business and then your team as well, and you're NotStar, what, what are the guiding principles that, you know, that Capital One has when it looks at, you know, the kind of customer experience they want to have, or the relationship they want to have with, with their customers? And then how do you and your team kind of become part of that strategy?
[00:09:17] Shaun: Yeah, I think, you know, that's a question we kind of ask ourselves on a daily basis to make sure we can really stay true to our mission. Uh, and that mission is, is really designed to reimagine that banking experience. But we do that because we really want to empower financial confidence. Like, we really want to be a service to our communities. Uh, we really want to make sure that we can create an environment that everyone is welcome to come into. And I think when those, those elements come together, it really allows us to, you know, connect at a deeper level with our customers. Uh, for them to think about their relationship with money in a very different way and for us to be a part of that.
[00:09:56] And that's going to mean something different for everyone, right? So, uh, you know, I'm in our Mall of America cafe today. Uh, and this morning, the very first person I, I met came coming in today, um, was someone who had never been to a cafe before, but heard from a friend or a family member, right, that we offer, uh, what we call money and life mentoring.
[00:10:15] And that's a chance to sit down with one of our ambassadors who's actually trained to have a conversation with you and more so for you to have a conversation with yourself about your relationship with money. So you actually don't talk about Capital One products. It's not financial advice. It's really designed to walk you through an experience to say, How do you feel about your relationship with money and how do you think you got there?
[00:10:37] And then what are your goals and your plans to kind of improve that relationship overall? And if Capital One can be a part of that, that journey, then awesome. But it's really about that experience and unlocking that value itself that, that ends up being the magic. Uh, they're, they're actually in the, the nook right next door to me doing that money and life session right now.
[00:10:53] So I can't wait to check in with her afterwards to buy her a cup of coffee, right, and sit down and say, Hey, what insights did you get? Cause every one of those experiences just ends up being incredibly amazing.
[00:11:02] Sid: That is fantastic. Are these cafes in every Capital One retail banking location now, or is it, are you growing that, um, that concept?
[00:11:12] Shaun: we have, you know, over 55 locations, uh, spread out around the country. We try to meet, uh, our customers where they're at, right? So we place our cafes where people live, where they work, where they play, right? We try to make that incredibly convenient. We know that there's not a need to come in, right, to manage those everyday transactions as regularly.
[00:11:31] So we want to make this a destination that people really want to go into, enjoy themselves, uh, to take some extra time to enjoy the space and connect with us. So, uh, you know, bringing those, those places to life is, is incredibly fun. That's one of the, uh, the, the most, uh, playful parts of my job is being able to open new locations, welcome new team members, welcome new customers. Uh, we've got some great stores opening up in New York and Texas still this year, um, and, and more on the horizon.
[00:11:55] Sid: I love it. I love it. So, you know, a lot of folks in our audience, Sean, are, you know, from construction, facilities, design, operations. You know, I'm sure a question that they have is, you know, you've, you kind of have retail banking in kind of how you manage operations and how you manage facilities, design and construction in that kind of type of environment.
[00:12:18] And now you've got cafes in there that are a different approach to, you know, design and experience and the challenges that you might face in opening a cafe, right? Are these two separate teams that, you know, kind of are, are working together and, you know, you have a certain way you would kind of build up? A location, um, you know, that is a standard retail location. And then you've got a separate team for cafes. Like how does that work?
[00:12:47] Shaun: Yeah, it's, it's a great question. And I think that's one of the unique challenges, right? When you're building an omni channel experience and more importantly, when you're building an omni channel experience, that's, that's physical, right? Because, uh, that's something that you not only have to build, you have to, uh, maintain and manage, right? And continue to invest in, uh, and, and the way we look at that is, is, You know, our cafes are really a chance for, you know, our enterprise to show up holistically. Um, so this isn't about creating just, uh, destinations for, for people to bank. It's really a, a destination for people to learn about Capital One, uh, for all of the amazing products and services that we offer to think about how they could come to life in a physical location.
[00:13:28] it actually has this global reach and this global call to action for people to say, wow, this is an enterprise showroom, right? This is a chance for us to connect with our communities in a new and meaningful way. Um, and that's been an incredible call to action, right? For, for our company to, to rally around and for us to invest in.
[00:13:44] Sid: Yeah, that's pretty cool. I would love your thoughts on just overall banking, right, in the retail banking space, what macro trends are you seeing, you know, especially now with how consumers are interacting, you know, with their bank. You know, so much of it is digital, you know, COVID happened and this is a whole post COVID set of, of trends and consumer behavior. We'd love your thoughts on, on how you're seeing it from within the retail banking world.
[00:14:14] Shaun: Yeah. I mean, I'm happy to comment, you know, not, not only kind of what I see in retail banking, but just as a consumer myself, right? I don't think we look at that. You know, through a filter of just banking, it's really around, uh, just how customers are interacting with everyday life. Uh, and banking is such an enabler of that, right?
[00:14:30] And I think, although you think about the cafes as something that might be futuristic, right? Or might be very non traditional, um, it also has that, that cognitive dissonance, right? That, that weird paradox. But it's actually incredibly simple. In fact, when we first, you know, sought out to design a better banking experience, one of the principles behind that was, how come banking can't be as simple and easy as a cup of coffee?
[00:14:56] Like how come it can't just be this effortless, amazing experience? Like when you walk into your favorite coffee shop, order that cup of coffee and it just gets there every time. But in order to design that simplicity, you really have to think about the care and the process and the love that kind of goes into that.
[00:15:09] Right? Think about your favorite cup of coffee and the origin of, you know, the growers and the roasters and the journey to kind of get there. And thinking about that holistic piece is kind of where I spend a lot of my time and energy when I look at consumer trends. So I feel like I should say, you know, artificial intelligence and AI, because that's the buzzword that everybody wants to talk about and where things are going.
[00:15:28] But I really think it's more about, as we continue to go into a world of higher tech, how do you really balance that appropriately? With high touch and meaningful, you know, human experiences, because the technology itself is usually not the enabler of change, really. It's, it's how people build confidence and clarity to fit that into their life. Uh, and I feel like that's a huge mission and a huge part of our, our Capital One cafes.
[00:15:52] I think you're spot on. I think there's a, there are a lot of businesses that look at technology as, as a way to. You know, replace human capital and the human touch, but that's not really what it is. Right, the beauty will be when you find a way to augment, you know, the human element and you kind of meet the customer where they are and give them options, right.
[00:16:15] Sid: You either can interact with technology and, If you choose to use that to interact with the business you, you are, um, engaging with, great. But if you want a human, uh, experience, you have that option too. And, you know, I, I think that will be where we will see businesses try different things. Cause you know, if you look at all different types of businesses and verticals, you know, in some cases, you know, restaurants, there's a back of house experience and how you use robotics and AI and so on to, um, augment the labor shortage that exists today. And then there's the front of house experience, right? You use kiosks and so on. But at the end of the day, if you want to walk in and talk to someone, especially now, post COVID, there's a lot of, um, you know, this, this desire for social interaction.
[00:17:02] If you want to talk to someone, you should be able to, and technology should not get in the way, it should actually make it easier, right?
[00:17:10] Shaun: It absolutely should. I think you're right on. And we shouldn't limit ourselves to kind of previous definitions of the value that those experiences are going to add, right? I think, um, you know, the fact that we have cafes has really unlocked our ability to be creative and think about how we meet customers banking needs in very new and different ways.
[00:17:30] And that's why we call it Banking Reimagined, right? Because it might not be your first expectation, but going on that journey of re re evaluating your relationship with money, there may be better ways for you to do that, right? So I'm sitting in the mall of America cafe and, uh, it's my hometown, you know, cafe in Minnesota, um, and it's our only location in the state, right?
[00:17:49] We actually have one of the largest networks of ATMs out there in the country. So, uh, you know, whether you're at Target, CVS, Walgreens, Costco, you can access our fee free ATMs as a customer. And when you start to think about it, right, the last place you ever are when you need money is at the bank in line, right?
[00:18:07] You're actually at a gas station, a restaurant, a convenience store, and that's where we've invested in the network. So when you reimagine kind of how you show up for customers on their terms, it really allows you to use technology. Use, you know, the changing world, you know, to meet them in a very, very different way, which again, comes back to that simplicity and ease of access. That's really important to us.
[00:18:30] Sid: How is the shortage right now that exists, you know, for finding skilled talent affecting, affecting your business? Cause you know, you've got the banking world and then now you also have kind of a fully operational cafe inside, you know, your spaces. So are you, are you seeing, Like challenges in both, you know, share a little bit more about that.
[00:18:53] Shaun: I've been here for 20 years, but that doesn't mean every team member is willing to stay in that journey for that long. Uh, but what we find is that one of our best sources for talent, it's actually the everyday experience we deliver for customers. Uh, I originally found out at the bank, not as searching for a job, but looking for a bank, right, as a customer. Uh, and so many of our ambassadors actually start as a customer, uh, visit a cafe, right? And really it, it sparks something different.
[00:19:23] Uh, you know, a passion for helping people, uh, a passion for community, right? And, and a lot of the community events and activations that we do inside of our cafe. A different way of looking at even our customer interaction model, right? Our ambassadors are there to help you and not sell you.
[00:19:38] So, you know, they don't necessarily have to be a step ahead of every customer coming in the door. Uh, and if you think about that, that's wildly different, right? Than most financial institutions where, you know, someone has to, uh, memorize different pieces that are there. They have to have, you know, knowledge of every single product and service that's there.
[00:19:54] And that's just a different way of looking at that interaction and it causes us to, you know, attract different talent and to, to invest in that talent in different ways. And for us, that, that's, that's really meaningful. Uh, we're consistently voted on the, you know, top places to work, uh, lists and things like that. and just know that, you know, they love what they do and they get to see the value of their work show up in our customers each and every day.
[00:20:17] Sid:
[00:20:17] Shaun: we started to scale, uh, you know, our cafes, uh, uh, about 10 years ago. So, uh, it feels like yesterday. And, you know, there's a pandemic in between, so it feels like a hundred years ago as well, right, depending on how you look at it. I think it's changed a lot, right? Um, and, you know, the interesting thing about our cafes is that change actually feels very intentional. We think about setting up a new experience for banking, uh, and bringing banking to, uh, to, to life and communities, we didn't just think about the needs of customers right now. We thought about the evolving and changing landscape that is in the future. And our cafes were really designed to adapt and evolve along with the communities that we serve.
[00:20:58] So we were able to do that, you know, during the pandemic, we've been able to do that since, reopening and re welcoming customers into the space. And as you mentioned before, customers are coming back, you know, into our space with a different mindset, with the mindset that, you know, I really enjoy uh, that human help, but I also expect more from it, right? I expect you to take that time to get to know me. Uh, I expect you to, uh, you know, deliver an amazing experience. I want to be able to use that experience to self service, right? And be able to take that experience home and do it myself later on. Um, so it's, it's really been an amazing journey to be able to constantly evolve along with our customers. And we spend a lot of time and energy, you know, listening to our customers and, and making that a part of our uh, experience, you know, both now and in the future.
[00:21:46] Sid: talking about the future, as you look at the next five years, what are you seeing now that you think will become even more prevalent?and then two, are there, are there technologies today or trends today that you as even as a consumer look at and you're like, yeah, that's not gonna really stick.
[00:22:06] Shaun: I think our focus is less on trying to predict every element of where people will be in five years and really trying to understand, you know, where is the direction that they're going. Where is the world actually going? And how do we support people in that journey? How do we become, you know, hand in hand partners with them so that we can kind of go there together? You know, don't get me wrong, I think when it comes to the industry of banking, you know, we're a proud leader there, you know, to be able to do that.
[00:22:35] But I think we're also incredibly humble, right, to make sure that we're, bringing our customers along on that journey, um, that we really have a mission to, again, empower our customers, uh, you know, with financial literacy, uh, and financial inclusion so that they can be a part of that, uh, experience of re imagining banking And improving their financial lives.
[00:22:54] Sid: How do you keep a pulse on whether it's working? How do you tweak it? How do you kind of, you know, adjust your, your, your, your product, right? Which is this experience. How are you keeping, you know, a pulse on that?
[00:23:09] Shaun: Well, there, there's many, many ways to do that. Um, you know, we, uh, ask our customers first and foremost, right. We look at, uh, uh, visitation to, to our cafes, um, we see this amazing community response, right. Uh, Uh, folks coming in, right, and, and, uh, getting a cup of coffee, uh, for the first time and coming back and saying, Hey, not only do I want to make this my everyday cafe, but I want to make you my everyday bank.
[00:23:32] And that is validation kind of the way it is. Um, but I gotta be honest with you said like more than any scorecard or metric or, you know, survey result, uh, there's no substitute for just visiting locations. Sitting down with customers and getting that live feedback in person. Um, and that is one of the, you know, the most amazing opportunities I get in my job.
[00:23:54] Like there's, there's nothing better than that.
[00:23:56] Sid: That I think Is Is one of the best parts of a job if, if, if, if you have the ability to do that, which is just go look your customer in the eye, right?
[00:24:08] Shaun: The customer themselves and their willingness to provide you that feedback says something about the relationship that you've created with them, right? I was in our, uh, Herald Square Cafe last week in New York, uh, you know, one of the busiest cafes in our, in our network, uh, filled with customers, uh, and the team introduced me to, to a regular customer, right? And, uh, one of the very first things that he said to me is, Hey, if you've got a minute, I'd love to share with you a couple ideas I have to make this even better. And it was an amazing conversation with really thoughtful ideas, and, you know, that just shows you the level of care, that, you know, and, uh, and compassionate to have with our relationship overall, uh, because it wasn't just about, hey, here's how I can, you know, here's what you can do for me as a customer.
[00:24:54] It was really around, I kind of believe in what you're doing, right? And I really want to make sure that that you're as successful as you think you can be. And the feedback he gave was around, uh, you know, our community rooms, which we provide free space.
[00:25:06] And he had some feedback around, you know, the booking process for that, which was great and, and something that I was able to share with my team and hopefully we'll be able to make improvements on that. So, uh, I think, you know, there's no substitute, like you said, for looking for someone in the eye and, uh, when those customers can meet you where you're at and they want to be a part of what you are building, it shows that you've built something special that is lasting and that, uh, the best is yet to come.
[00:25:27] Sid: Sean, putting your banker hat aside for a second, and as you think about just the future as a consumer and, you know, a leader in the space, what do you think will happen in terms of the impact of, you know, AI and robotics? Autonomous vehicles,
[00:25:47] Shaun: Yeah,
[00:25:48] Sid: of the type of vertical that we're talking about, just in general, the businesses and spaces that consumers interact with.
[00:25:56] What do you, what do you think is going to happen as you look forward?
[00:26:00] Shaun: yeah, I mean I love that you said take your banker hat off because it's something that I constantly do, right? And I think, uh, when I think about the future, the hat I put on most often is just the hat I have as a dad, right?
[00:26:11] I have two boys they are technology natives, right?
[00:26:14] Like this is something that, um, there, there is been no other experience. And when I think about, you know, the way that they're going to have a relationship with money in the future, um, that's really centers me and grounds me on, on kind of how we shape that, how we can support something like that. And, you know, money is one of those.
[00:26:32] Yeah, taboo things that still exist. I don't know about you said in your relationship as a family, but I had a great, great family structure and support. We'd sit around the dinner table and talk about, uh, you know, our days and our goals and our dreams, but one of the things we never talked about was money.
[00:26:47] Right. We didn't talk about how to manage money. And it is such an important thing to do that. It really shouldn't have to have that taboo to do and being able to talk about my, you know, with my kids in that way and being able to think about how technology can enable. You know, that conversation and that healthy relationship with money, um, is a huge part of how I look at, you know, where the world's can go and what possibilities we can unlock.
[00:27:09] Sid: Love it. And are there any sectors that you think are ripe for disruption, you know, that you think, man, that that has not changed in years. And I think that's going to be one of the next few types of businesses or sectors that, you know, are ready for it. And you can have maybe predict and see it coming.
[00:27:31] Shaun: I see this amazing intersection, this ability for us to bring, you know, technology and humanity and do that in a very different way. Um, and, and listen, I think there's other industries that this applies to, But I do think one of these, these, these industries that obviously we're focused on is banking.
[00:27:48] banking hasn't changed so much in probably the last hundred years. Um, and you know, one of the very first things that we get in our cafes that tells me that customers are ready for something new is actually them coming in, right? Like we talked about before, them actually not being a customer at all, walking into the space behind me.
[00:28:05] Talking to an ambassador and saying like, what is this place? Tell me more about you. I mean, imagine, right, as a business leader, that's what you can dream of, right? Is that somebody feels welcome enough to come into your space and say, Hey, I'd really love to know more about this and if it can benefit me.
[00:28:20] Uh, and I think that tells me, right, that the market is ready or customers are ready for something different. And, and, you know, I love that we are, are, are a part of that for sure.
[00:28:28] Sid: I love it. Well, with that, Sean, I just want to say a huge thank you. I've thoroughly enjoyed this conversation. For folks in our audience who may want to find you and connect with you, where can they do that?
[00:28:38] Shaun: I mean, you can find me in a Capital One cafe. You can go to a CapitalOne. com slash local to see the cafe, uh, you know, nearest to you, please come in. If I'm not there and talk to any of our ambassadors, we would love to have you Uh, and if you're a Capital One customer, uh, every single day you get half off your cup of coffee. So there's no better value than that.
[00:28:54] Sid: There you go. There you go. Well, once again, Sean, thank you so much. And for all those who are in our audience, thank you for joining us and we'll see you on the next episode of Elevating Brick and Mortar.
[00:29:05] I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Sean Rowley, Head of Market Experience at Capital One. There's no question that Capital One is reimagining banking. They have created public, community oriented cafes as a way to do just that. These cafes, by the way, are open to everyone, not just their customers. They believe that customers are looking to have a better relationship with money and their bank, and creating community centered, non intimidating spaces where you feel welcome is a great way to do just that.
[00:29:39] So much so, that they're not just growing their cafe footprint. but are doubling down on it and have made it part of their brand identity. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing how this concept expands across the U. S. and to visiting one very soon. With that, I'm your host Sid Shetty and I'll see you on the next episode of Elevating Brick Mortar.