About Us

Clarity. Care. Confidence.

Our Story

Nicole and Carla built their trusted relationship over many years of experiences, hands-on communication and—most importantly—shared values. Although they both found themselves in the insurance industry via different paths, Carla’s father Chuck—a 30-year veteran at London Life—created their connection. After five years of supporting Chuck in her role as an employee benefit specialist at Great-West Life, Nicole started her own insurance business at Freedom 55 Financial in 2002 and become Chuck’s protégée. Upon Chuck’s retirement, Nicole merged with Deneen Cunningham at McVagh Cunningham Group Ltd. Carla joined the team in 2007, and Nicole and Carla have worked side by side ever since. Although Nicole continues to collaborate with our legacy associate Deneen, Nicole and Carla celebrated their official alliance in 2025. Together, as co-founders and partners of Clearwell Benefits, Nicole and Carla continue their good work of providing clear and caring advice, serving the benefit and wellness needs of the small-business community.

Our Partners

Nicole Ardiel

Partner, Employee Benefit Specialist
GBA, CHS, B.A.

During her multi-decade career, Nicole has supported hundreds of business owners and people leaders with meaningful and sustainable benefit plans—all the while making sure it’s not a job for them! She believes in education and engagement, with a particular passion for promoting good health and wellbeing. She brings genuine energy and expertise to all her partner relationships and is known for “walking the walk.”

Nicole, a life-long learner, has the Group Benefits Associate (GBA) and Certified Health Specialist (CHS) designations, as well as a Workplace Mental Health Leadership™ certification, and Mental Health First Aid training.

Nicole enjoys an active and fulfilling life. She is an avid soccer enthusiast, an aspiring golfer and a devoted reader and creative writer. She also loves to travel locally and abroad, discovering and exploring the innumerable fascinations of the world around her.

Carla Pusateri

Partner, Employee Benefit Specialist

With nearly 20 years of experience, Carla prides herself in her deep level of knowledge and unwavering commitment to detail. She partners closely with plan administrators from initial plan set up to ongoing service and support for them and their employees.

Carla is known for her hands-on approach and dedication to building long-term relationships. Whether resolving issues or creating customized plans, Carla’s clients trust her to deliver thoughtful, proactive solutions that make a lasting impact.

Carla is a proud born-and-raised Victorian who loves gardening, darkroom photography and exploring the beautiful island with her family.

What our clients say

Our firm has worked with Nicole and Carla for many years. We are a large company and benefit greatly from their expertise and assistance. The service they provide is excellent and the personnel is second to none.
We recommend them highly.

Carla and Nicole are amazing to deal with. They anticipate our needs, provide
practical, cost-effective solutions and always go above and beyond.
First rate, quick, efficient service for us and our employees.

Carla and Nicole have served us exceptionally well for more
than a decade. I wouldn't switch brokers even if someone came to
us promising a lower cost.

I have been a client since 2007 and have always been very impressed by their professionalism and knowledge. They are always available to help and never make my employees or myself wait when we have questions. I couldn’t imagine moving to a different benefit company. The service they provide is top notch. Nicole and Carla really know what they’re doing!

We needed to work with a company that would listen to our needs as a business and recognize the changing needs of our employees. We wanted the ability to offer competitive benefit packages that fit the needs of our diverse employee group. Nicole and Carla delivered!

We’ve been working with Nicole & Carla through different stages of our growth & they’ve consistently delivered personal, thoughtful service. It feels more like working with a true partner than just another vendor, they really understand the nuances of our industry & business on a global scale.

Navigating insurance and employee benefits can often feel overwhelming, but Nicole and Carla make the process remarkably smooth and stress-free. Their clear communication, approachability, and timely responses set them apart. It's incredibly valuable—for both our management team and our employees—to have direct, personal connections with the people we’re speaking to. Nicole and Carla consistently demonstrate they have our employees’ best interests at heart, while also keeping a thoughtful eye on the overall health and sustainability of our organization’s benefits plan.