The Call I Missed: Why I'll Never Be "Too Busy" for My Clients

In 2014, my phone rang. My dad wanted me to join a meeting - something about an investment opportunity someone had brought to them. I was working in London, buried in the day's tasks. "Too busy," I thought. It sounded like just another family update call, the kind where Dad wanted to share what was happening in their world.

That decision haunts me.

That "opportunity" was a Nigerian black money scam. By the time I learned about it, my parents had lost £150,000.

The Moment Everything Changed

The truth came out when Dad called asking to borrow money for the mortgage. My father - meticulous with money, careful with budgeting - needing help with the mortgage? Something was off. When he mentioned needing "more money for the colour" to help someone who was "helping them make money," my stomach dropped.

I googled his exact words and sent him the script of the scam he was living through. Word for word.

The scammers had left three safes in my parents' business premises. My parents thought they contained millions in "cleaned" currency. I bought an angle grinder - actually quite fun to use under different circumstances - and we cut them open together. Package after package of worthless black paper. I watched my parents' hearts break in real-time.

The Aftermath That Never Really Ends

Dad, in his anger, messaged the scammers, tipping them off before police could catch them. My parents turned on each other, each blaming the other for falling for it. Ten years later, that strain still shows in their relationship. The £150,000 was devastating, but watching trust fracture between two people who'd built a life together - that was worse.

I stayed level-headed, told them neither was at fault, reminded them they were lucky enough to survive without that money. But inside, I've been beating myself up ever since. One phone call. If I'd just taken that one call.

Why "Not Commercially Minded" Is My Badge of Honour

Other advisers call me "not commercially minded" because I charge below industry average for my level and expertise. Because I cap my fees. Because I insist my clients get multiples of value for every pound they pay me.

They don't understand: I've seen what happens when someone pays £150,000 for worthless black paper.

Every time I discuss fees, I see those opened safes. Every time a client mentions an "opportunity" that sounds too good to be true, I hear my dad's voice asking for mortgage money. I cannot - will not - be part of anyone's financial nightmare.

The Relationship That Matters Most

Alex Hormozi talks about delivering value multiples above your price. But for me, it's deeper than business philosophy. I need my clients to have the kind of relationship with me where they'll call about anything that feels "off." Before they send money. Before they meet someone promising extraordinary returns. Before they pay for special chemicals to clean mysterious black currency.

I need them to know I'll answer. That I'm never too busy. That no question is too small or too strange.

Redemption Through Protection

Someone asked me recently if helping my clients avoid scams feels like redemption for not being there for my parents. The truth? It's both redemption and prevention. Every client I protect is a promise kept - to them, to my parents, to myself.

I love helping people. Always have. Been coaching since I was 16, remember? But this is different. When clients trust me enough to call about something that doesn't feel right, when I help them avoid a disaster, when I give them my full attention because I learned the cost of being "too busy" - that's not just financial planning.

That's making sure what happened to my parents never happens to anyone under my care.

The Promise Behind Every Meeting

My parents were successful, intelligent people who built a business from nothing. They weren't naive or greedy. They were targeted by sophisticated criminals who knew exactly which emotional buttons to push. It can happen to anyone.

That's why when you sit across from me, you get more than a financial planner. You get someone who's seen the devastation firsthand. Someone who knows that protecting your wealth isn't just about growing returns - it's about making sure you never find yourself cutting open a safe full of worthless paper, wondering how it all went wrong.

You get someone who will never, ever be too busy for that call.

Because I've learned that some calls, once missed, can never be taken back.

If something doesn't feel right about a financial opportunity, call me. Day or night. Weekend or weekday. No question is too small, no concern too paranoid.

That's not just my service promise - it's my personal commitment to you.