CHICAGO — Credit union executives attending THINK 13 on Wednesday were given an unmistakable, undeniable proof that social media can become a powerful ally in making disruptive change.

The CO-OP Financial Services conference is meeting at Chicago's Swissotel from April 29 – May 2.

The message came from a twenty-something singer from Connecticut named Daria Musk, an up-and-coming performer who owes her career in a large part to Google+ and other social media.

Musk told the story of how she came to be one of the first musicians to use Google's new Google+ service to reach at first 10 and then hundreds and then thousands and millions of listeners and eventual fans around the world – a dream she said she had even before she had a clue that it could even be possible.

“For me, the music industry felt like a party that I was not only not invited to, but which was held in a fortress with the drawbridge drawn up and surrounded by man-eating alligators,” she told the audience.

“So I decided I had to crash the party and not only crash the party but leave the door swinging open behind me,” Musk said.

Musk proved to be a positive and disruptive influence for Google, which found itself moving forward with innovations to accommodate musicians and others who wanted to present things to wide audiences via Google+. The Internet giant also rolled out an app that let musicians use Google+ with much higher-quality sound.

“I didn't know I couldn't do what I did so I just did it,” Musk said, adding that credit unions should understand that authenticity is the new currency.

Musk also performed three songs for the THINK 13 attendees.

Also from THINK 13:

Instant Insights /

Onsite Coverage: Singer's Social Media Surge Provides Message on Disruptive Innovation

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