“What’s it like living in the Keys? It’s like having a big extended family of friends that continues to grow. You almost can’t explain it to people who don’t live here.”
Joe Jiovenetta and his family made the Keys their full-time home in 1999. His wife, Debra, spent much of her childhood here, and the couple purchased the very home her parents had built years before.
They were drawn to the friendly atmosphere that Joe described, feeling more at home with every visit until it finally was home. They had both grown up in Miramar, attending the same high school at different times but meeting each other when Joe returned from college.
35 years and 3 sons later, they’ve lived a happy life together that’s only gotten better since living in the Keys. Their youngest, Dante, was still in high school when they settled here and became a bit of a local celebrity. He is a 2-time State Wrestling Champion for Coral Shores and a National Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion.
All three boys wrestled, and their family life revolved around the sport. They even had a wrestling room in their home and RVed around the country for wrestling matches.
It’s no surprise, then, that wrestling has continued to be a big part of their life. Dante is now the Coral Shores Wrestling Coach and owner of Islestyle Wrestling, which promotes and organizes Amateur Wrestling in the Florida Keys. Joe, Debra, Vincent, and Giovanni are all involved with the organization.
Giovanni’s best move is a Fireman’s Carry, which he now performs as a real firefighter in Pembrook Pines. Some of Gio’s wrestling skills carried directly into adulthood, but Joe explains how wrestling has helped shape his sons and even his business.
“Wrestling teaches you that hard work, dedication, and a desire to improve leads to success. It can also bring a family together and form bonds that surpass a normal family dynamic.”
Joe has carried that family-based dynamic into his business. He and his eldest son, Vincent, operate Alma Wealth Management with the values and fortitude they gained from wrestling.
Joe opened the company not long after graduating from college. After working for financial companies, he quickly realized that the only way to truly serve his clients was to go independent.
“You can’t serve two masters,” Joe says, explaining what it’s like to represent a financial firm and a client simultaneously. “As hard as you try, conflicts of interest are embedded in the financial culture. That’s why we took the risk to go independent, and it has paid off for us and our member families.”
“Member families” is how Joe and Vincent refer to their clients because that’s exactly how they view them.
“Many financial planners make the mistake of focusing on spreadsheets and market fluctuations, but that’s not what wealth management is really about. It’s about family and creating the life your members want for themselves and their kids and grandkids. That means we need to know our member families beyond their bank statements and portfolios.”
The Jiovenetta family adopts this everyone-is-family mentality in every area of their life. They often throw family parties and barbecues that include far more people than are related by blood. Every time they go out, they see friends or make new ones.
Vincent and Debra are also avid pickleball players and serve the community every Tuesday at First Baptist Islamorada. It’s just another example of how the family works together, which also includes Dante and Gio helping at Alma Wealth Management as needed.
Joe couldn’t be happier with the personal and professional family he’s created. “What’s better than working with my boys and helping others reach their financial potential? I want to do it for the rest of my life!”
AlmaWealth.com|954.520.2963
88101 Overseas Highway, Suite 102, Islamorada, FL 33036
Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Fixed insurance products and services are separate from and not offered through Commonwealth Financial Network
– Jerrica Mah is a writer, Army wife, and freelance book editor, who loves to travel with her family.
