Baystate Financial's Jonathan Matrullo believes in the power of mentorship, community, and advocating for insurance and financial professionals and their clients.
When Matrullo was considering career paths while in graduate school, becoming an insurance agent or financial advisor never crossed his mind. That changed when his brother was applying for life insurance. When the insurance agent asked his brother what was important to him, his brother responded, “my family.”
From that conversation, the agent shared that their office was expanding, and suggested Matrullo apply. He agreed to learn more and soon realized that the insurance and financial services industry is more than just life insurance—it's comprehensive financial planning for the future. That’s when he decided to start his career at New York Life.
The best thing about his career, Matrullo says, is that every day is a new adventure. “It's like solving a puzzle,” he says. He also dedicates himself to mentorship, mentoring several younger advisors. He tells them stories of his clients over the years and how he’s helped them achieve financial security. “I don’t say I'm a salesman,” he begins. “I like to call myself an educator. I tell stories and experiences.”
Matrullo believes the most important qualities for any agent or advisor to have are patience and willingness to listen. He often hears from his clients, “You probably know more about me than my family does.” In his role, he wears many hats—life insurance agent, financial planner, investment advisor—but much of his work is educating pre-retirees on their group benefits options and finding the right fit for them.
Over the past 15 years, Matrullo has impacted the lives of countless Main Street Americans. He remembers one client in particular, a business owner who was in a motorcycle accident. He became disabled, but he had cash-value life insurance policies on his two daughters and was able to use them to help fund his daughters’ education.
Matrullo has been involved in NAIFA’s political advocacy since the beginning of his career and is active with Baystate Financial's advocacy as well. After a visit to Washington, D.C., Matrullo realized the importance of industry leaders, not just big corporations, advocating for their clients and their businesses. “Advocacy is the biggest thing that NAIFA’s about,” he says. “We're protecting our industry, our careers, and our clients.”
Having access to lawmakers has been pivotal in Matrullo’s career. “[NAIFA] has really helped me to find my voice and be able to sit with my senators and congressmen and feel comfortable with them speaking about important issues for my clients,” he says. Now, he can speak from firsthand experience to his clients about the legislation that will impact them.
As a NAIFA member, Matrullo has been able to cultivate relationships with other industry professionals. Building networks and learning from other NAIFA members have helped him shape his business. “I've looked up to a lot of people on my board and people in [NAIFA],” he begins. “So, I've grown my business to mirror those people.”
To industry professionals who are not yet NAIFA members, Matrullo says, “You’re missing out. [NAIFA] is like a family working together to work towards a bigger goal.” He encourages others to join NAIFA at the beginning of their careers. It's not enough to just be a dues-paying member, though, he says. NAIFA members also need to be proactive, staying on top of new legislation to make sure their clients are protected. “I want to know that I made a difference in the industry,” he begins. "That I made an impact on the industry and made a difference on a bill.”
When he’s not working, Matrullo enjoys spending time with his family, camping, and supporting his two children’s sports teams. Every year, NAIFA-RI chooses a charity to work with. This year, they’ve teamed up with Mentor Rhode Island, a mentorship program that pairs professionals with at-risk youth. NAIFA-RI members take time out of their days to visit their mentees in their schools and have a positive impact on their lives.
For his service to his community and our industry and association, we’re #NAIFAproud to have Jonathan Matrullo as a part of our NAIFA family.
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