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Turning Personal Loss Into Financial Protection for Families: How Joanna Streames Built Velvet Mortgage & Insure Services With Heart, Honesty, and Advocacy
- Women Story
- 19 hours ago
- 5 min read
Joanna Streames is the Founder of Velvet Mortgage & Insure Services, a UK-based mortgage, protection, and insurance advisory company specializing in mortgages, income protection, life insurance, critical illness cover, and financial planning support for families, self-employed professionals, business owners, and high-net-worth clients. Founded in 2013, Velvet has become known for its deeply personal, education-driven, and protection-first approach to financial advice.
Website: www.vmis.co.uk
When Financial Protection Became Deeply
Personal
For Joanna Streames, financial protection is not simply a business service.
It is personal.
At just 19 years old, Joanna experienced the devastating loss of her mother. Overnight, she found herself helping raise her 12-year-old sister while navigating financial insecurity and emotional trauma at the same time.
There was not enough financial protection in place.
That experience changed her life permanently.
Years later, it also became the foundation of Velvet Mortgage & Insure Services.
Joanna built her company around one powerful mission: to help ensure other families never experience the same financial vulnerability during moments of crisis.
The Beginning of Velvet Mortgage & Insure
Services
Founded in 2013, Velvet Mortgage & Insure Services was created with a very different
philosophy from many traditional mortgage firms.
While many mortgage advisers treat protection products as secondary add-ons to mortgage
transactions, Joanna intentionally built Velvet with protection at the center of every conversation.
The company specializes in:
mortgages
life insurance
income protection
critical illness cover
private medical insurance
home insurance
business protection
family financial security planning
Its core belief is simple:
financial planning should protect people before life becomes difficult — not after it is too late.
A Protection-First Financial Philosophy
One of Velvet’s strongest differentiators is its deeply human-centered approach to protection
advice.
Joanna openly says:
“I have been the victim of the thing I now protect people from.”
That lived experience shapes every part of the company’s advisory process.
Rather than focusing only on securing mortgages, Velvet helps clients evaluate:
income risks
illness protection
family security
business continuity
long-term financial resilience
The company takes time to explain complex financial products in:
plain language
simple terms
emotionally understandable ways
so clients can make informed decisions without feeling overwhelmed.
Supporting Clients Beyond the Sale
Another major strength of Velvet Mortgage & Insure Services is its long-term client support philosophy.
Most financial advisers formally complete their role after policy setup.
Joanna intentionally built Velvet differently.
The company regularly supports clients through:
claims processes
insurance advocacy
paperwork support
emotional guidance during difficult periods
communication with providers
This hands-on support has helped many families successfully receive policy payouts during
critical life situations.
For Joanna, this work goes far beyond transactions —
it is about protecting people during some of life’s hardest moments.
Helping Self-Employed and Complex Clients
Navigate Finance
Velvet specializes heavily in supporting:
self-employed professionals
entrepreneurs
business owners
landlords
portfolio landlords
high-net-worth clients
clients with complex income structures
people with adverse credit situations
These groups are often underserved or misunderstood by traditional lenders and banks.
Joanna’s expertise lies in:
simplifying complex finance
finding tailored lending solutions
navigating specialist lending scenarios
helping clients access opportunities they often believe are unavailable to them.
This strategic advisory approach has become one of Velvet’s strongest competitive advantages.
Building a Business While Raising a Family
Joanna’s entrepreneurial journey was not easy.
As a woman building a business within the traditionally male-dominated financial services
industry, she faced:
credibility challenges
long working hours
balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship
constant learning requirements
industry bias
emotional pressure
At the same time, she was raising her family while building Velvet from the ground up.
Rather than separating business and family, Joanna intentionally integrated both.
Today, Velvet operates as a family-driven business where her daughters are actively part of the company’s journey and vision.
Creating a Financial Brand With Personality
and Warmth
One of Velvet’s most unique characteristics is its personality-driven client experience.
The company intentionally avoids:
cold corporate language
intimidating financial jargon
transactional communication
Instead, Velvet focuses on:
warmth
humour
honesty
accessibility
human connection
Joanna believes difficult financial conversations do not need to feel cold or frightening.
Her team encourages clients to feel:
comfortable
supported
educated
emotionally safe
even while discussing serious topics like illness, death, or financial risk.
This emotionally intelligent communication style has become central to the brand identity.
Advocating for Higher Standards Across the
Industry
Beyond client work, Joanna is also an active advocate for raising standards within the financial services industry.
She contributes through:
speaking engagements
mentoring programs
industry advocacy
collaborations with Financial Times Adviser
educational initiatives for advisers and consumers alike.
Her mission is to improve:
public understanding of protection
adviser education
ethical financial practices
awareness around family financial resilience
Simplifying Finance Through Clear
Communication
One of Joanna’s most appreciated strengths is her ability to translate complex financial systems into understandable conversations.
Clients frequently describe her approach as:
direct
honest
practical
compassionate
easy to understand
Velvet intentionally focuses on:
removing confusion
reducing stress
simplifying financial decisions
helping clients feel empowered rather than intimidated.
This accessibility-first mindset has helped the company build strong trust and loyalty.
A Business Built on Purpose, Not Just Profit
At its core, Velvet Mortgage & Insure Services was built from purpose.
Joanna’s experiences taught her that financial security is not about luxury —
it is about protecting families from avoidable hardship during vulnerable moments.
Everything within the business reflects that mission:
protection-first planning
long-term client care
relationship-building
honest advice
emotional support
financial empowerment
Her work demonstrates how personal pain can become a powerful force for helping others.
Key Highlights
Founder of Velvet Mortgage & Insure Services (2013)
UK-based mortgage and financial protection advisory company
Specialist in mortgages, income protection, life insurance, and PMI
Strong focus on self-employed and complex financial clients
Advocate for raising standards within the protection industry
Speaker, mentor, and industry educator
Built a family-centered business rooted in personal experience and emotional
understanding
Advice to Women Entrepreneurs
Joanna’s advice to women entrepreneurs reflects courage, instinct, and authenticity.
She encourages women to:
trust their instincts
recognize the value they bring
stop underestimating themselves
build supportive relationships
challenge outdated industry norms
stay aligned with their values
According to her:
people feel when you genuinely care about your work — and that becomes one of your greatest strengths.
Why Joanna Streames Stands Out
Joanna Streames has built more than a mortgage company.
She has created a human-centered financial protection business where empathy, advocacy,
education, and practical financial planning come together to help families feel safer and more
secure.
Her ability to transform personal hardship into meaningful industry impact positions her as one of the inspiring women leaders helping reshape financial services with greater honesty,
compassion, and purpose.
Financial planning is not only about numbers.
At its heart, it is about protecting people, preserving dignity, and creating security during life’s
most uncertain moments.
Joanna Streames’s journey demonstrates how resilience, honesty, and lived experience can
transform an industry often perceived as transactional into something deeply human.
Through Velvet Mortgage & Insure Services, she continues helping families protect what matters most — with compassion, clarity, and care.
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