I felt it the moment I walked into the All Squad Credabl + Prime Practice Conference hosted recently. The energy, the laughter of friends, the curiosity. There was something in the air that went beyond the curated schedule. You could sense that everyone wanted to be there.
As someone who’s naturally curious (and tends to ask all the questions), I wanted to get under the hood. How do you build that kind of culture? How do people keep turning up every day with the same energy and purpose? And how does it play out for our clients?
So, after the conference, I sat down with Stafford Hamilton, Credabl’s CEO, and Beth McGuinness, our Chief People Officer, to unpack what makes that feeling possible – and what goes on in the engine room to make it happen!
When Stafford talks about our people, you can see how much they mean to him.
“A lot of people here have worked together for a long time,” he said on how integral their passion is to the evolving culture. “It’s a home for people who don’t necessarily fit the mould elsewhere in financial services.”
That line stuck with me. Credabl attracts people who care deeply, who want to do good work without the usual corporate noise. They’re smart, kind, slightly quirky and genuinely like each other. It’s not something you can manufacture.
Beth noticed the same thing at the conference. “There was a really positive energy in the room,” she said. “People were genuinely happy to be there and curious about what’s next.”
Curiosity drives connection, growth and that sense of belonging that’s hard to describe but easy to recognise when you’re in it.
A culture like this doesn’t just happen. “It’s built through hundreds of small, deliberate choices,” Stafford told me.
Those choices start with safety. Credabl was created as a safe place. A place where our medical, dental and veterinary clients could trust their vision was in good hands, and where our people could bring their whole selves to work.
That safety fuels innovation. “Our people have a lot of heart,” Stafford said. “They notice the little things that make a real difference for clients. That’s how much they care.”
It’s an environment that’s been recognised externally too. Credabl has been certified as a Great Place to Work for three years in a row, a reflection of what our people already know — culture here isn’t a tagline, it’s lived and enjoyed every day.
Michael Mankins once described the “secret sauce” of a winning culture as a mix of many ingredients, not one magic formula. Beth agrees. “You can hire for skill, but we also hire for care, curiosity and ambition. People who genuinely want to do the right thing for clients and for each other.”
Stafford calls it the “15 secret ingredients.” Culture, he says, is like flying a plane, full of small adjustments and constant learning. You can feel that in the way teams operate. There’s no politics, just collaboration and trust. Beth calls it a “safe home base”, a space where people are free to be themselves and encouraged to grow.
When I asked Stafford what success looks like, he didn’t mention numbers, he focused on the ethos. He simply said, “We’ve got your back.”
That line says it all. It’s what we promise clients, and it’s how we treat each other. Whether it’s catching a potential issue before it becomes a problem, or noticing that someone needs support, “we got you” runs deep.
As Beth put it, “If you have a safe workplace, it’s reflected in the client experience.” Clients feel cared for because our people do too. It’s why clients see and get more with us, and why our people stay, grow and thrive.
The conference brought all of this to life. Seeing everyone together, freely laughing, learning and connecting, still gives me butterflies. You can’t fake that kind of culture and connection. It’s earned.
Built by people who are curious, who care deeply and who show up every day for the same purpose. Held together by trust and fuelled by accountability. Felt by everyone who walks through the door, whether they’re a new team member or a long-time client.
Because at Credabl, that feeling of safety, belonging and shared purpose is what turns work into something much more meaningful — and a whole lot of fun.