For many banks, transactions are all that matter, and people are just a number. But at First United Bank, that stereotype is debunked. With the goal of flourishing communities, First United Bank creates meaningful relationships with clients to enable them to “Spend Life Wisely.”

“We do all the things that big banks do, but we focus on doing what’s right,” said John Torrez, Community Bank President of First United Bank’s Schertz location.

The bank has a foundation built upon a Stakeholder’s Model which takes into account five separate groups in all decisions: Employees, Customers, Shareholders, Communities, and Partners.

“[The Massey’s] family legacy they want to leave is: wherever there’s a [First United Bank] in a community, that community gets better because of the efforts we do,” Torrez said. “If we can do that everyday, and then that person passes it along, and that person pays it forward—all of a sudden you got a pretty good percentage of that community all trying to be better, all trying to do good.”

First United Bank values love and making an impact. In addition to its values, First United Bank centers its interactions around four “Spend Life Wisely” pillars: Faith, Health, Financial Well-Being and Personal Growth. Summer Robledo, Schertz’s Financial Center Manager, said each of them are intrinsically intertwined with faith as the foundation of each pillar.

“Financial stressors cause issues with marriages and personal stress levels, and we can help you get that under control and that also affects your health and well-being,” Robledo said. “The less stressed you are, the better off you are.”

All of First United Bank’s staff members work daily to fulfill the company’s purpose statement, “to inspire and empower others to Spend Life Wisely.” Putting its purpose, pillars and values into action, First United Bank develops life-long, deeply personal relationships with clients by continuously connecting with them and engaging in intimate conversations.

“We have local empowerment to meet you where you’re at today on both your financial journey as well as your personal journey,” Torrez said. “It’s gonna be different for every person, but we are equipped to have that conversation with you whether you bank with us or not.”

Torrez and Robledo said First United Bank’s morals and commitment to mentorship is felt both in clients’ day-to-day lives and throughout the community. More than just a transaction, First United Bank employees are invested in their clients’ triumphs and trials.

“If they’re successful, we’re successful. If they fail, we fail. It’s very much a symbiotic relationship where I love to see [clients] succeed, not only for the fact that they succeed, but the joy and the feelings of accomplishment in those moments,” Torrez said.

In today’s digital age, many banks have shifted to smartphone apps and online interactions—but First United Bank fosters in-person interactions by inviting people inside its walls. They are inviting the community in to celebrate their grand re-opening Nov. 7 from 4-7 p.m.

In addition to prayer groups, a women-in-business forum and the bank’s annual United Acts of Kindness Day, Robledo said clients often stop by First United Bank in Schertz just to drink a coffee and have a friendly talk with their banker. Part of the relationship includes having the right people in the bank for customers to talk to.

“We want to have the resident expert present for that client or customer that walks in,” Torrez said. “That’s the benefit, you get a face-to-face conversation.”

Looking toward the future, First United Bank adopted a 10-year vision statement in 2020, which includes elevating 10 million lives through love and impact by 2030. Instead of counting accounts, the company wants to make a difference in the lives of 10 million people—whether they bank at First United Bank or not.

“It’s not accounts, it’s 10 million lives that we touch and we make an impact on. It can be as simple as making someone smile that hasn’t smiled in weeks,” Robledo said. “ ... What contributes to our growth is the consistency, because we truly believe in what we’re saying. We truly have passion around our purpose, our values and pillars.”

Interested in learning more about First United Bank? Stop by and say hello to John Torrez, Summer Robledo and all of the smiling faces at 4917 FM 3009, Schertz. You can also find out more about the mission, values, purpose and services offered at First United Bank via their website at firstunitedbank.com.

The above story was produced by Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team. Our integrity promise to our readers is to clearly identify all CI Storytelling posts so they are separate from the content decided upon, researched and written by our journalism department.