About Us

Cottrell Communications was born from a deeply personal experience with estate planning gone wrong. Our founder, Elisa, experienced the heart-wrenching loss of a cherished family property—land that had been a sanctuary for generations, from her father to her great-grandfather (a coal miner) to his immigrant parents. This property held immense sentimental value, but it was lost due to the poor advice of an underqualified small-town attorney.

Around the same time, a friend from college, knowing Elisa’s background in Corporate Communications and magazine publishing, asked her to be involved in his new venture — an estate planning law firm committed SOLELY to estate planning.

Determined to prevent other families from facing the anguish her own family had faced, Elisa channeled her passion into creating a strategic marketing system that helps estate planning and elder law attorneys connect with potential clients. By educating and gaining their trust, these attorneys can provide the crucial services that families need to protect their legacies.

Over the years, Cottrell Communications has grown into a team dedicated to helping legal and financial firms make a meaningful impact. Our approach is rooted in understanding the unique needs of each business and developing tailored marketing strategies that drive results. We focus on building lasting relationships through content marketing, email campaigns, social media, and more.

At Cottrell Communications, our ultimate goal is to foster trust and create connections that lead to satisfied clients, repeat business, and valuable referrals. We believe that by helping our partners succeed, we can make a difference in the lives of countless families.

Cottrell Communications Is All About People

Everything we do is ultimately for the people on the receiving end – for families. Whether it’s a blog post, a social media update, or an email newsletter, our focus is always on the end result. How will this impact the people at the other end of this marketing effort? What’s the best way to reach them so they can get the information they need?

Meet the Faces Behind Your Marketing Success

At Cottrell Communications, Elisa Cottrell and Jessica Verver bring expertise and dedication to help you connect with potential clients through proven marketing strategies.

Elisa Cottrell Smith

Founder/Owner

Jessica Verver

Marketing Assistant/Project Manager

Testimonials

“Elisa keeps our marketing going when we do not have an in-house marketing person. We are busy with clients and without her help, things would not get done. Having her on top of our marketing takes a big load off of me. I know she is on top of it! Elisa understands our business and our messaging. She constantly recommends content and marketing strategies to reach our ideal clients. She cares deeply about the businesses she works with. She takes joy in our success. And her taking ownership of the process and the results means I can confidently hand off responsibility for our marketing, knowing that she will get the job done and always be looking for ways to strengthen our marketing and grow the business.”

David O. Edwards, Attorney

Edwards Group: Estate Planning & Elder Law, Client since 2009

“I so enjoyed working with Elisa, and she was one of the better decisions I made over the years. As a solo law firm, she alone was my Marketing Department along with myself, and people noticed. Elisa was the key resource for my website development, for building two high-content newsletters for clients and advisors, and she also drove the development and ongoing operation of my blog. All of the content was woven together beautifully, and integrated with our website and the electronic delivery of our newsletter. Clients and advisors often asked who I had leading my marketing area, and I was happy to share it was outsourced to Elisa.”

Jerry D. Bell, Attorney

The Bell Law Firm/Creative Planning Legal, Client since 2015

“Cottrell Communications was referred to us by a friend/fellow business owner. At the time, we really didn’t have a marketing strategy. Our marketing was hit or miss – send out a mailing here, run an ad for a couple of weeks there. We were really struggling. Cottrell Communications gave us an outline to create not only a singular marketing campaign but a whole content library that we can use going forward. Today I don’t have to worry about what I’m doing next for marketing. It’s all taken care of. Many business owners look at marketing as an expense that can be cut. But you need a cogent strategy. I would certainly recommend Cottrell Communications to lay out a plan for your business.”

Steve Henry, Certified Financial Planner and Registered Investment Advisor

CSH Investment Management, Client since 2020