The secret to life is how well you deal with Plan B.

Actress and author Marilu Henner shared that advice with me 15years ago, when I attended one of her health retreats.

That advice is certainly true for me today as I write thiscolumn. I'm not in my office, on my work laptop while my Mac istuned in to the NCUA board meeting live feed.

Instead, I'm on the sofa, writing on my iPad with a feverishlittle boy clinging to my side. The NCUA board meeting is notbroadcasting on my other monitor. Today, it's Disney's “Tarzan” onthe TV screen.

As an actress, Henner knows a thing or two about Plan B. Rarelydoes an entertainer's career go as planned. Movie roles go to otheractors. TV shows are canceled.

Henner has enjoyed a pretty good acting career – she had greatruns on TV as Elaine Nardo on “Taxi” and Ava Newton on “EveningShade” – and she was in one of my favorite movies of all time,“L.A. Story.” But for the last 15 years, she's been known for herhealth and wellness books.

That's not the career she envisioned as a young actress, butbecause she embraced Plan B, she discovered that health is herpassion, and is just as personally fulfilling, if not more, thanacting.

I'm a fairly creative person, and rely as much on my intuitionas I do analytical research. From the outside looking in, I appearto fly by the seat of my pants and can sometimes seem a bit flaky.That opinion is more prevalent on the East Coast than here at homein Southern California, where when you plan a dinner party, you cansafely assume fewer than half of your RSVPs will show up.

My dirty little secret is that I'm an obsessive planner. I don'tplan out every last detail, but I always have a Plan B. Oftentimes,I have a Plan C, Plan D and even a Plan E. I roll with the punchesby planning ahead. Preparation makes change easier.

Like most people, my life has been a string of Plan Bsuccesses.

Work at a credit union? No way, I thought back in 1995 when Iwalked into FAA Western FCU, now SkyOne FCU, for my firstinterview. I didn't move all the way from Kansas to Los Angeles towork at some boring old credit union. But because I was open to theopportunity (and hungry and desperate for a job), I took thespecialist position, and my years there were invaluable. Whileserving aviation professionals, I also discovered a passion forthat industry, and it remains a viable Plan B for me should I everneed it.

Like everything else, credit unions are changing. Successfulcredit union leaders gave up on Plan A a long time ago. RememberPlan A? It included decent investment income, healthy loan demand,manageable regulations and competition only from banks. But evenPlan A wasn't certain back in the good ol' days. Seasoned leaderscan probably name several credit unions that had to accept Plan Bor dry up when the sponsoring base or plant closed.

Plan B for credit union management has been trickier. It'srequired credit unions to dig deep and create specialized businessplans that cater to fields of membership. What works for one creditunion doesn't necessarily work for another.

That's been a difficult path, and many credit unions haven'tsurvived. But, as the old saying goes, what doesn't kill you onlymakes you stronger.

Credit unions that have discovered new revenue streams haveusually done so by finding new ways to serve members. What began asa financial need ultimately improved the cooperative.

Some tapped into SBA loan programs. Some embraced the low-incomeor community development credit union designations. Some createdinnovative lending programs that help professionals in the industrythey serve, or residents in their communities, gain education orcertification. Rewards programs and mobile banking, if done right,can produce revenue, build loyalty and make position credit unionsas cutting-edge. As an added bonus, that attracts young talent.

CUSOs have helped credit unions use cooperation to achieveinnovation. Community banks wish they could do the same, but arestill hampered by the old-fashioned notion of competition thatdoesn't allow for trust. They are stuck on Plan A.

How has your credit union embraced Plan B? CU Timeswould love to share these success stories. While they may only workat your credit union with your field of membership, they couldinspire others to deal with Plan B. That would be good for membersand good for the community.