Location: New York, NY

Business Model: Dually Registered

From running successful business units over a decades-long career in corporate finance to cofounding and managing a thriving independent advisory firm, JoanAnn Natola knows a thing or two about managing money, fostering relationships, and chasing dreams. She’s also a certified race car driver—and the cofounder of Element Financial Group, a women-founded, women-owned, women-led firm.

With a deep understanding of group benefit strategies and retirement planning, and specialized knowledge of sophisticated financial service offerings, JoanAnn made it her purpose to “use my passion and experience to help all clients achieve the life they deserve, empower our staff, and change lives by supporting charitable organizations.”

We sat down with JoanAnn to learn more about how embracing change can lead to impressive results, and how Commonwealth has supported her vision along the way.

When did you join Commonwealth, and why?

We came to Commonwealth in February of 2011. Our previous firm wasn’t allowing us to grow the way that we wanted to, with the transparency that our clients deserved. So, we searched for a new partner and chose Commonwealth as hands-down the place we wanted to be.

When you’re here, no one is a stranger. They’re all your people. Our advisors are from all over the United States, with very different practices—and yet we’re all very much willing to share information and engage in conversations.

How have Commonwealth’s marketing services helped you?

When we came to Commonwealth, we thought we had this phenomenal website. And we loved our brand! But we realized, after 15 years of being in the business, that we weren’t the same as we were 15 years ago. We had grown up, but we weren’t reflecting that to our clients. Our story had changed a little bit, and we wanted to show that progression.

We thought having a website was marketing—but it’s not just about having a logo. It’s not just about having a webpage. It’s about telling our story and connecting with our clients in every way. Understanding that has really helped us.

Recently, we underwent a brand refresh project with Advisor Marketing, and it was just phenomenal. The team we worked with has some of what we believe to be the top people in their field. They knew exactly how to capture what our tone was, who our clients are, and how we connect with our clients. And, more important, how to put that onto a page and infuse it into our culture.

Results That Speak for Themselves

We couldn’t wait for our brand launch! Our social media is off the chain. We’re on Facebook and LinkedIn, and we’ve had a great response. I’ve had people reaching out to me who I haven’t heard from in years, saying, “You’re all over the place.” We even gained a new client, just because they felt our website spoke to who they are and how they hold themselves.

Our new focus on branding and ad pop—and the enthusiasm we've seen for it both from our employees and from our clients—speaks to the fact that brand is not a stagnant document.