About Helewa Financial

My father immigrated to Canada in 1970 with two young children to support. He began selling insurance door-to-door with Prudential, likely unaware of the legacy he was creating as he knocked on doors throughout the 1970s and 1980s. My brother and sister both pursued careers as actuaries, and I believe my father hoped I would follow a similar path.

While I loved math and problem-solving, my true passion lay in connecting with people. I knew I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps but convincing him would be my greatest challenge. I joined him in 2003, where he dedicated his days to coaching and pushing me—perhaps in hopes I would reconsider and become an actuary instead. The financial services industry was evolving, with estate planning and independent business models still emerging concepts. Yet, I could already see the solid foundation my father had laid.

As I immersed myself in the business, I fell in love with it. I witnessed my clients starting families, small accounts blossoming into larger investments, and the business my father had built beginning to thrive. I celebrated significant milestones with my clients and learned to provide steadfast support during challenging times. Simultaneously, my own family was growing, and as the company expanded, I realized I was building it all for them.

In my drawer, I keep a sheet of paper listing the goals I set for myself. Once a year, I revisit it, amazed at how many our team have accomplished. I dreamed of owning my own corporate office, focusing on helping families build generational wealth, establishing an employee benefits sector, and creating a workplace where employees would feel proud to belong. Through hard work and dedication, we’ve turned those dreams into reality.

Today, my goal is to keep building a company that my kids might want to work for one day—but who knows, they might decide to become actuaries instead!