The Competitive Advantage of Nicolet National Bank

One of my most memorable experiences in banking.

Mike Daniels, the co-founder and CEO of Nicolet National Bank, with John Maxfield.

I’ve spend most of the last two months on the road speaking with executives from highly respected banks as well as former executives of two recent prominent bank failures — or, rather, two ostensibly voluntary liquidations.

Immersion is needed to master a subject matter. Not all the time. But intermittently. It helps you compress information into a short period of time.

That’s why I’m driving across the country right now — or, rather, have driven across the country, as I’m writing this at five in the morning from my hotel room in Washington, DC.

I want to see as much of the industry with my own eyes in one shot as possible, then step back and draw conclusions. My journey isn’t over, but I’m far enough along that I can start doing so.

One of the coolest things I’ve learned about banking since alighting on my banking tour is about competitive advantage. It’s a lesson that comes courtesy of Mike Daniels, the cofounder and CEO of Nicolet National Bank.