In this episode of the Financial Marketing Insights podcast, we sat down with Angelica Montagano, Head of Brand Experience at PWL Capital, to explore how a values-driven wealth management firm has built one of the most influential content ecosystems in global finance. From her unconventional path into marketing to PWL’s 10 million download podcast and her philosophy of challenging industry norms, Angelica’s story is a masterclass in how brand, insight, and disciplined execution can reshape how firms connect with investors.

A Career Built on Curiosity and Purpose

Angelica’s journey into financial services began more than 20 years ago, moving through a variety of roles that gave her a deep understanding of how Canadians interact with their finances. After gaining experience across banking and the public sector, she eventually discovered PWL Capital - a firm whose philosophy and approach to client service resonated immediately.

What started as a one year plan quickly became a long term home. Eight years later, she leads the firm’s brand experience function, overseeing marketing, growth, and the content engine that has made PWL a global authority.

The Nerdy Bad Boys of Finance

PWL has always embraced a distinctive position in the Canadian market.

“We’re the nerdy bad boys of finance. We’re academic, we’re outsiders, and we’re trying to show Canadians there’s a better way to invest.”

In a landscape dominated by the “big five” banks - or as she affectionately calls them, the “500 pound beavers” - PWL’s advantage is its ability to move quickly, experiment boldly, and build trust through transparency and education.

A Content Engine With Global Reach

PWL’s content ecosystem is remarkable:

• The Rational Reminder podcast - the largest financial podcast in Canada, with 10 million downloads and a global audience

• Many YouTube channels with about 550,000+ subscribers

• 1,500+ blogs, white papers, webinars, and research pieces

• A fully in house multimedia team producing content at scale

This isn’t “traditional marketing.” It’s a publishing operation.

And it works.

“Our entire lead flow has been through content creation - all organic. People change careers because of our podcast. They email us saying we’ve changed their lives.”

One of the most striking examples is Reddit. When Angelica joined, PWL was mentioned maybe twice a year. Today?

“We’re mentioned over 150 times a day. We’ve become the authority in the Canadian personal finance subreddit.”

It’s a powerful example of building communities - listening to real conversations, creating content that answers real questions, and letting those communities amplify it.

To Challenge - Not Just Disrupt - the Industry

Angelica is deliberate in her choice of language.

“Disrupt is a buzzword. I want to disturb the industry. I want marketers at the big banks to think, ‘Oh my God, they’re doing a podcast? Why aren’t we doing that?’”

It’s not about provocation for its own sake. It’s about showing what’s possible when a firm commits to brand, content, and client first education - and proving that innovation isn’t the exclusive domain of the largest institutions.

The Rebuild That Changed Everything

Of all her projects, the one Angelica is most proud of is also the one that nearly broke her: the complete rebuild of PWL’s website.

“It wasn’t a redesign. We burned it to the ground and rebuilt it.”

She inherited a fragmented brand, a new logo with no visual system, a junior team, and a site that confused users so much that anonymous recordings showed people getting lost and frustrated.

Six months after launch, the numbers vindicated every sleepless night:

• Leads up 209%

• Service page visits up 1,000–1,500%

• Tens of thousands of new visitors

• A clean, intuitive, modern brand experience

“I was right. And the work proved it. It gave me confidence as a leader.”

AI, Signal Marketing, and the Future of Financial Services

Angelica is clear eyed about AI: powerful, but not a replacement.

“It’s an 80% tool. It gets you close, but you still need the human to take it to 100%.”

With PWL’s enormous content library, AI becomes a force multiplier - but never the strategist.

Where she sees the real opportunity is in signal marketing.

“I’m not in the wealth management industry. I’m in the trust industry. So I look for signals - life events, behaviours, moments where people need someone they can trust.”

Instead of funnels, she focuses on early indicators: new parents thinking about wills, newly qualified dentists with high income and high debt, professionals hitting their first big promotion.

It’s a shift from product marketing to human centred marketing - and one she believes the industry urgently needs.

Understanding Wealth Personas - Not Just Wealth Levels

Angelica argues that financial marketers often miss the point by focusing on assets instead of people.

“Someone who’s 60 with a million dollars and someone who’s 22 with a million dollars - those are completely different needs.”

She builds personas around psychology, not net worth:

• Confused Carol, overwhelmed by conflicting online advice

• Reviewer Ron, who reads every review and is derailed by a single negative comment

• And many more that reflect real human decision-making

“We’re not selling products. We’re selling a service. And people don’t understand the value until they experience it.”

Changing the Conversation in Canadian Wealth Management

Angelica’s story is a reminder that marketing can be both principled and powerful. It can educate, empower, and build trust at scale. And it can help firms challenge long held assumptions in the industry.

Her philosophy is simple:

“Find the signals. Understand the personas. Build the brand. And don’t be afraid to challenge the way things have always been done.”

In a market shaped by legacy institutions, Angelica and PWL are proving that bold ideas, relentless content, and a deep commitment to client value can change the conversation - one podcast episode, one blog, one signal at a time.