
Ep 77 The Essentials and Benefits of Brand Messaging with Erin Fults
With over 5,000 community banks and credit unions in the US, your brand is the only thing that differentiates you in your community and online. “Brand messaging” is the collection of words, imagery, and stories that you use to explain the…
LATEST EPISODES
Ep 64 – Supercharging Financial Marketing Content with ChatGPT with Ben Udell
Generative AI, like ChatGPT, can be a helpful tool alongside what you already use at your community bank. But many banks don’t know where to start, or are worried about compliance issues from using it. Banks need to think about how they talk to AI,…
Ep 63 – 5 Key Strategies for Competitive Advantage
Chris and Dan dive deep into the world of bank marketing to uncover the secrets of gaining a competitive edge. They share practical insights and actionable steps for banks to effectively leverage their competitive advantage, ultimately leading to…
Ep 62 – Banking Association Perspectives with Chris Moya, CEO of ICBA-NM
Even with the rapidly shifting financial landscape, community banks remain a pillar of the local economy. Up until recently, interest rates remained largely unchanged and favorable for business owners and buyers. But over the last 18 months, a shift…
ABOUT CHRIS & DAN

Chris S. Bates
Chris is CEO of AgoraEversole Marketing Agency. Chris attended the University of Alabama, completing his B.A.in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration at Belhaven University in 1994. He was a nonprofit executive for 10 years, and then owned Mean Mallard, a 50-employee outdoor sporting goods retail operation for nearly a decade. In 2009, Chris focused his career experiences to guide other business operators through his marketing services agency, Agora Company. On January 1, 2020, the agency merged with The Eversole Group, bringing more than 30 years of bank marketing expertise into a combined new agency, AgoraEversole.
While his company has focused for 12 years on many industry verticals, banking and healthcare have become their primary service specialties. He and his team deliver goal-focused marketing through partnerships with their clients, providing services in marketing design/consulting, digital marketing (SEO, Digital Advertising, etc.), web design and social media management. They are currently partnering with over 150 financial institution and other clients across 15 states.
Chris and his wife, Stacy, live in Madison, MS near their young adult children and attend St. James Episcopal Church. Chris is an active outdoorsman, and serves in leadership roles on several nonprofit Boards of Directors including Harbor House and the Belhaven University School of Business Advisory Board.

Dan Novalis
Dan is CEO of 2Novas, a marketing agency for community banks, based in St. Louis, Missouri. Dan earned his MBA in Marketing and Strategy from New York University’s Stern School of Business, and also holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to 2Novas, Dan worked for a variety of ad tech startups and global agencies as a marketing and technology strategist. His prior clients include Citibank, Morgan Stanley, Bankrate, Liberty Mutual, and more.
In 2018, Dan founded 2Novas with the idea of making the Fortune 100 consulting methodology available to community banks and other financial institutions. 2Novas focuses on data-driven marketing, and enabling smaller institutions to utilize marketing technology to better compete with fintechs and megabanks, who are steadily eating away at the traditional institutions’ market share.
Dan and his wife, Christine, live in Webster Groves, Missouri with their two dogs, two cats, and two sons (the 2 in 2Novas!), and are continually cleaning their home. When he can find the time, Dan is a powerlifter, drummer, and can grill a mean burger.
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