Brian Ouellette

9:07 AM Tuesday. Two advisors. Same message from a top client: “Told a friend about you.” One had an ODP™ link. One did not. 1:18 PM Friday. One closed dream client. The other? Crickets. Why’d one win?👇Click below

"The best clients come from referrals, there is no exception."

Brian Ouellette, a University of Washington graduate, began his career on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) as a runner before returning to Seattle to build his private client practice at PaineWebber. In 2000, he became the Market Commentator for Q13 FOX News This Morning, reporting live daily for over 3 ½ years and making more than 3,000 live TV appearances during one of the most significant boom-and-bust cycles in stock market history.

In 2004, he sold his book of business and founded Shoewallet Active Gear, a product featured on NBC's Today Show, CNN, NY1, and over 250 radio stations, as well as in publications like Shape and Runner's World. Shoewallet produced private label versions for Boeing, the Department of Defense, Skechers, and more across the U.S. and Canada.

In 2010, after reading Sports Illustrated’s "How & Why Athletes Go Broke," Brian recognized the urgent need for athletes to have better advisors. This led him to create Pro Athlete Direct™, an education-based marketing service for advisors to help athletes manage their finances, taxes, legal matters, and real estate needs. His experience helped him develop a system that allowed advisors to build strong connections with sports agents and their athlete clients, guiding them in making strategic financial decisions.

Brian has coached a range of trusted advisors across the U.S. and internationally, including former pro athletes, Barron's Top 100 advisors, Forbes Top Wealth Advisors, and top-producing realtors.

After over 20,000 hours of coaching and R&D, the AskMyAdvisor® referral app was born. This software provides trusted advisors—financial advisors, attorneys, realtors—with a simple way for their top clients to connect them with the people in their lives, making recurring referrals effortless.

“Let’s get straight to the point. After a career as a financial advisor and a coach to the industry’s best, I turned to software for one reason: I discovered how to increase referrals by 800%. The secret? Strip away the complexities that kill referrals. Focus on one thing—a single, exclusive pathway for referrals, accessible only by the top 20% of your client and COI relationships. This approach isn’t just a shift from the old way; it’s revolutionary. And it led directly to the creation of the AskMyAdvisor® Method & OS. Once you see it, you won’t just use it—you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.” – Brian Ouellette

Learn more at tip.askmyadvisor.co/webinar

Founder

After 10 years & +20,000 hours of R&D, we have built the first Q&A app for you (accountants, attorneys, financial advisors, realtors) to share with your top 25 clients to strengthen those relationships & tap into new ones, quickly. 

How does it work? AskMyAdvisor Referral Method Software provides client-facing accountants, attorneys, financial advisors, realtors, venture capitalists, and other trusted advisors with a frictionless method of retaining and growing their best clients. By using the software, they can avoid tech overwhelm, resulting in 5-10 times more referrals on a recurring basis, while working only with clients they love.

It's a simple solution to the problem, "Oh, you've got to call my guy!" Or,  "My financial advisor's great, email her." 

Instead you just share your dedicated URL (format follows: askmyadvisor.app/YOURNAMEOFCHOICE) as a dedicated channel to Q&A where your top clients & the people in their lives can easily ask their questions, get second opinions, etc. 

Members also receive the Phone App (for instant notifications allowing our members to reply to questions within minutes) & get access to The Network. 

This is our private community of our advisor members, who are elite accountants, attorneys, financial advisors, realtors from the US & abroad, to come together. 

This is a private think tank.

Think of it as a Facebook Group  on steroids (BTW, it's our community built from the ground up, so no FB login).

ATTN: Established (3+ yrs) accountants, attorneys, consultants, financial advisors, realtors, and other trusted advisors.

You agree that referrals are king, yes?
(If that is not an emphatic yes, skip this post.)

So why do “good referrals” die?
Not because people are lazy.

Because the handoff process to refer is a mess.
Email intro?
Phone number swap.
Who contacts who?
Advisor taking referrals?
Can non client ask a question?
Endless back and forth...

All of it is confusion wrapped in different ways.
 
Which leads the referral to...
Dead on arrival from one 🤬dirty word: delay.

The good news, we found the fix.
Fix: Have a standard for all referrals.

Have One Direct Path (ODP) for all referrals.
One path to you. One standard.
One link. One controlled flow.
One thing to remember instead of 10.

In an emergency, how many options are there? One.
You call 911. That's a standard.

Referrals should be no different, but they're are.

What happens with one direct path?
One link replaces the steps, questions and confusion that cause delay.

Fixing this one killer, what happens?
More referrals. Faster. Cleaner. No chasing.

Want the full One-Page PDF Blueprint based on this (image)?

Comment PDF and I will send it.
Just had coffee with Nate Short about this exact topic (I'll send PDF your way!)


P.S. Per this post, who is the first person who comes to mind? 
Using the toolbar to share makes it easy to send their way. 
Worse case, you let them know you're thinking of them. 
Better case, you help them remove this referral killer.

Founder, The AskMyAdvisor® OS. 🔐SOC 2 compliant software. Advisor built for Advisors. “Referrals are king. Delay is the killer. One link removes delay. That is all.”

𝐈𝐟 911 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫* 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬, people would die. Seriously.

𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬:
You have an emergency.

But instead of dialing 911, you have to:

→ Dig through contacts
→ Guess which number to call
→ Wonder who reaches out to who
→ Leave a voicemail
→ Hope someone responds

Absurd, right?

911 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝.

One number.
No thinking.
No delay.
Lives saved.

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬.
Client polls show 90% say they would refer their advisor.
But only 10% actually do.

That missing 80%?
They do not forget you.
They get stuck.

Confusion = delay.

𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬.

No clear process.
No single path.
Too many options.
Too much friction.

𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 "𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫" 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.

It is worse.

Two paths split attention 50%.

Ten paths kill it completely.

We found the fix.

𝐖𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐃𝐏™

It is one standard.
One clear referral path.
Not two. Not ten. One.

𝐓𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮:
Clients and advisor friends share one link.
Zip their lips.
That's it.

No confusion. No delay.

Standards create action.

Clarity converts.

𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭
Referral are King.
Advisors spend over $50B/yr. on sales and marketing.
Yet, still miss the king killer: Delay.

Remove delay with one direct path the game changes.

Not in weeks or months.

In about 10 minutes.

𝐓𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐎𝐃𝐏™
DM me or comment below: "one link"


P.S. While reading this, who is that one advisor friend who came to mind?
Before sharing it, here’s what happens when you ping them...
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞: you show you're thinking of them.
𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞: you help them.
𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬: you’re the one who put the AskMyAdvisor® Method on their radar first.
Either way, it’s worth a ping.

*𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘴.

No alternative text description for this image

Most SaaS companies need days or weeks of work to earn one sales call.

Ads. Posts. DMs. Emails. Webinars.
Then the call.
Then maybe a customer.

We flipped that.

None of the above. 

Instead it’s one self serve path in 90 seconds.

First value lands at 37 seconds.

Steve Gordon  Bill Cates, Unlocking Exponential Growth  Pierre Herubel Wes Bush … a few simplifiers who understand this. 

We release in less than 72 hours.
Message me, or comment VIP to get on the early list.


P.S. Reserve your private AdvisorOneLink🔑 when you get on the list. Format is:
askmyadvisor.app/your-name
One link. No delay. More referrals.

The avg. COI (per person) is now 600+. This is a combo of Facebook, x, Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack;)

So think about this…
10 clients, advisors, friends of yours have a reach of 6,000
25 a reach of 15,000+

That’s there size of an arena!Birds of a feather flock together.

Moral of the story… if you want to replicate your top 10 client and advisor relationships? Get more intros/referrals from them.

Easiest path to do this. Standardize how referrals get to you. 

Like 911 is the standard for emergencies. Have one standard path all referrals reach you. 

Not two. Not 10. Just one. We call it one direct path.

Open article: Brian Ouellette (@askmyadvisor) by substack.com

Merlin Wealth Management is a comprehensive wealth management practice with a proprietary investment management unit embedded within. We provide personal investment and financial planning, along with a suite of family office & advisory services. Generations of families and businesses have given us a unique perspective on how to
manage complexity, providing customized advice to our clients, one relationship at a time.

Our goal is for you and your future generations to enjoy wealth without worry. Our consultative approach leads us to
seek to understand your vision, your preferences and your unique circumstances before we formulate the wealth
strategy that helps to achieve your specific objectives.

Merlin Wealth Management has represented entrepreneurs, family businesses, corporate executives, high net worth
families and family offices for over two decades, assisting our clients in the creation and maintenance of significant net
worth. Talk to us about creating your customized wealth and investment strategy today.

Michael Merlin

Our team is proud to be included in Forbes' "Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams" list for 2026. This achievement highlights the commitment to exceptional financial advice and client service that defines our work at Rockefeller, and it wouldn't have been possible without the unwavering support and efforts of our dedicated team.

We take the financially complex and make it simple

Money feels complicated.

But if you want to invest with confidence, you don’t need 1,000 terms.
You just need the foundations.

In today’s world,
Financial literacy isn’t optional, it’s survival.

Here are 6 Finance Terms You Must Know (and why they matter):

1. Inflation
↳ Money loses value over time
↳ $100 in 2010 needs $170+ today

2. Time Value of Money (TVM)
↳ Money now > money later
↳ $100 today beats $100 tomorrow

3. Beta (β)
↳ Risk compared to the market
↳ Above 1 = more volatile

4. Bull Market
↳ Prices rising, optimism building
↳ Think bull charging upward

5. Risk vs Return
↳ No reward without risk
↳ Bigger gains need bigger bets

6. Bear Market
↳ Prices falling, pessimism spreading
↳ Think bear swiping downward

Master these, and you’ll understand 80% of market conversations.

What other finance terms should we add to the list?

Find out more in my book, Financial Longevity: Increase Your Wealth Span, Spend Money Guilt-Free, and Gain the Confidence to Enjoy Your Bigger Future - https://lnkd.in/e2Gt8ZKg

Permission to Spend in Retirement

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹.
It’s freedom.

The discipline you practice today is the permission you give yourself tomorrow,
to spend without guilt, to live without fear, to retire with peace of mind.

Here’s how discipline turns into freedom:

Discipline → Freedom
↳ Builds daily control.
↳ Lets you retire without constant money stress.
↳ Guides life by true priorities, not fears.

Good Habits → Freedom
↳ Strong foundation through saving and investing.
↳ Confidence during life’s curveballs.
↳ Flexibility to choose how and when to retire.

Sacrifice → Freedom
↳ Delayed gratification multiplies wealth.
↳ Affords meaningful experiences later.
↳ Leaves a legacy for family and causes.

Commitment → Freedom
↳ Keeps goals realistic and achievable.
↳ Creates income that sustains lifestyle.
↳ Removes stress about running out.

Preparation → Freedom
↳ Plans decades of independence.
↳ Ensures security when health costs rise.
↳ Protects loved ones from financial strain.

Permission → Freedom
↳ Shifts from scarcity to abundance.
↳ Guilt-free enjoyment of what you earned.
↳ Space for travel, passions, and generosity.

True Freedom
↳ Peace of mind.
↳ Balance between security and joy.
↳ A legacy of choice for generations.

Retirement isn’t about stopping work.
It’s about having the freedom to spend your days and your mone, on what truly matters.

What does financial freedom mean to you: security, choice, or peace of mind?

Find out more in my book, Financial Longevity: Increase Your Wealth Span, Spend Money Guilt-Free, and Gain the Confidence to Enjoy Your Bigger Future - https://lnkd.in/e2Gt8ZKg

If you want to create real wealth,
Don’t go it alone.

Because no matter how smart or driven you are:

You have blind spots.
You have limits.
You have weaknesses.

The key?
Partner with people who complete the picture.

Because without collaboration:
↳ Your growth plateaus
↳ Your blind spots multiply
↳ Your momentum stalls under pressure

The truth?

Success isn’t a solo sport.
It’s a team advantage.

Here’s what wealth-builders understand:
1. Self-awareness creates leverage
↳ Know what you’re good at. Then double down, and delegate the rest.

2. Great partners bring balance
↳ Vision needs execution. Risk-takers need stabilizers. Builders need communicators.

3. Aligned values matter more than identical skills
↳ Complementary strengths work only if the mission is shared.

4. Wealth grows through trust
↳ The best partnerships don’t just divide tasks, they multiply outcomes.

No one scales alone.

Your next level might be one great partnership away.

What strengths do you look for in people you partner with?

Find out more in my book, Financial Longevity: Increase Your Wealth Span, Spend Money Guilt-Free, and Gain the Confidence to Enjoy Your Bigger Future - https://lnkd.in/e2Gt8ZKg

Financial fitness is built, not imagined.
It rewards action, discipline, and consistency.

The truth is…
Money confidence comes from habits, not hope.
Progress follows those who choose to engage, learn, and act.

Here’s how financial fitness becomes real:

1. Commitment
→ Decide to take ownership of your money.

2. Awareness
→ Know where income goes and why.

3. Discipline
→ Save first, spend with intention.

4. Education
→ Learn how money grows and protects itself.

5. Patience
→ Let time and compounding do the work.

6. Adaptability
→ Adjust as life and goals change.

7. Consistency
→ Small actions repeated beat big plans delayed.

The truth?
Financial fitness is not a mindset alone.
It is a practice you live every day.

Find out more in my book, Financial Longevity: Increase Your Wealth Span, Spend Money Guilt-Free, and Gain the Confidence to Enjoy Your Bigger Future - https://lnkd.in/e2Gt8ZKg

You rarely get limited value because your advisor lacks skill.
You get limited value when engagement stays shallow.

Because outcomes are co-created.
Not delivered.

Most people hire advisors for answers.
Very few build a real thinking partnership.

Getting real value looks like this:

1. From Vague → To Clear Intent
Clarity sharpens advice.
Define your top priorities. Share constraints. Describe what success means to you.

2. From Partial → To Full Context
Advisors work with what they see.
Share fears, doubts, and real numbers. Context matters more than polish.

3. From Questions → To Better Questions
Input quality shapes output quality.
Ask what is missing. Ask what tradeoffs exist. Ask what risk hides beneath the surface.

4. From Agreement → To Constructive Challenge
Respect invites dialogue.
Explore reasoning. Test assumptions. Walk through alternative scenarios together.

5. From Insight → To Action
Advice gains value through execution.
Act on agreed steps. Track results and friction. Bring learning back.

6. From Sessions → To Measurement
What gets reviewed improves.
Decisions feel clearer. Errors reduce. Outcomes strengthen over time.

7. From Transaction → To Partnership
Value compounds with time.
Shift from consultant to thinking partner. From answers to judgment. From quick wins to durable decisions.

Because your advisor’s impact scales
with how you show up.

Preparation, honesty, and consistent action
turn advice
into lasting advantage.

Find out more in my book, Financial Longevity: Increase Your Wealth Span, Spend Money Guilt-Free, and Gain the Confidence to Enjoy Your Bigger Future - https://lnkd.in/e2Gt8ZKg

How To Get More Value From Your Advisor

Money doesn’t just pay bills.
It shapes your freedom.

In today’s world,
Too many people feel trapped, stressed, or reactive about finances.

The truth is simple:
If you don’t take control of your money, it will control you.

Here are 6 Ways to Take Charge of Your Finances:

1. Track Every Dollar
↳ Awareness is the first step to control

2. Create a Monthly Budget
↳ Give every dollar a purpose, not just a place to sit

3. Automate Savings
↳ Pay yourself first before spending

4. Set Clear Goals
↳ Know what you’re saving for, short-term and long-term

5. Cut Mindless Expenses
↳ Small leaks drain big buckets

6. Review & Adjust Regularly
↳ Control grows when you monitor, not ignore

Financial freedom isn’t luck.
It’s a habit.

Which of these steps will you start with this month?

Find out more in my book, Financial Longevity: Increase Your Wealth Span, Spend Money Guilt-Free, and Gain the Confidence to Enjoy Your Bigger Future - https://lnkd.in/e2Gt8ZKg

Great investors don’t chase returns.

They follow discipline.

Long-term wealth is built by doing the right things consistently, especially when it’s uncomfortable.

Successful investors believe:

1. Investing is a long game
↳ Wealth compounds over decades, not months.
↳ Consistent capital beats perfect timing.

2. Time beats timing
↳ Regular investing smooths volatility.
↳ Short-term moves don’t define outcomes.

3. Mindset is the real edge
↳ Emotional discipline outperforms reaction and fear.

4. Quality beats trends
↳ Styles rotate. Strong businesses keep compounding.

5. Real returns matter
↳ After-tax, inflation-adjusted growth is the only scorecard that counts.

6. This isn’t easy
↳ Preparation and patience beat shortcuts every time.

7. Independent thinking wins
↳ Crowds feel safe, but rarely outperform.

8. Bear markets don’t last
↳ Markets recover before confidence does. Patience is rewarded early.

9. Innovation must earn
↳ Ideas are cheap. Profitable cash flow is what matters.

10. Own great businesses
↳ Enduring companies create enduring wealth.

Investing success isn’t flashy.
It’s disciplined, patient, and intentional.

Which principle do most investors struggle with?

Find out more in my book, Financial Longevity: Increase Your Wealth Span, Spend Money Guilt-Free, and Gain the Confidence to Enjoy Your Bigger Future - https://lnkd.in/e2Gt8ZKg

Great investing looks boring from the outside.

No hot tips.
No constant trading.
No reacting to every headline.

It’s this: disciplined thinking, repeated over decades.

❌ No clarity = noisy decisions
❌ No patience = broken compounding
❌ No process = emotional mistakes

Because here’s the reality:

Markets reward behavior, not brilliance.
Time does more work than timing.
Most losses come from what investors do, not what they own.

The quiet truth?

💙 Clarity beats complexity
💙 Patience is an edge
💙 Calm decisions outperform clever ones

Here’s the long-term investor’s toolkit:

1/ Know what you own
– Define your thesis in one sentence
– Understand how the business makes money
– Buy companies, not tickers

2/ Think in decades
– Measure results in years, not months
– Ignore short-term price noise
– Let compounding work

3/ Buy with a margin of safety
– Demand value, not hype
– Leave room for being wrong
– Overpaying destroys returns

4/ Control emotions first
– Fear and greed cost more than fees
– Doing nothing is often the best move
– Volatility is normal

5/ Focus on fundamentals
– Cash flow over stories
– Balance sheet strength matters
– Quality compounds quietly

6/ Diversify with purpose
– Spread risk, not attention
– Avoid over-concentration
– Complexity doesn’t equal safety

7/ Review, don’t react
– Rebalance with logic
– Learn without panic
– Stick to rules when emotions rise

Win slowly.
Lose rarely.
Stay invested.

Find out more in my book, Financial Longevity: Increase Your Wealth Span, Spend Money Guilt-Free, and Gain the Confidence to Enjoy Your Bigger Future - https://lnkd.in/e2Gt8ZKg

90% of millionaires didn’t get there by luck.
They got there through real estate.

It starts with a mindset:

“I’ll rent until I can afford to buy.”
“Investing is too complicated.”
“I’ll wait for the perfect deal.”
“Property isn’t for someone like me.”

But the truth:

→ Real estate builds wealth through leverage and appreciation
→ Passive income from property creates freedom, not just money
→ Long-term ownership compounds value faster than most investments
→ Learning the fundamentals early gives a huge advantage

The hesitation you feel today,
becomes the opportunity you miss tomorrow.

What real estate success requires:

✓ Understanding cash flow and ROI
✓ Patience to let investments grow
✓ Willingness to take calculated risks
✓ Knowledge to spot value where others overlook it
✓ Discipline to hold and manage property over time

Wealth isn’t just earned.
It’s built, one property at a time.

Start asking:
Am I renting opportunity, or owning my future?

Find out more in my book, Financial Longevity: Increase Your Wealth Span, Spend Money Guilt-Free, and Gain the Confidence to Enjoy Your Bigger Future - https://lnkd.in/e2Gt8ZKg

Investing feels risky.
Everywhere you turn, someone has a different theory about timing, funds, or strategy.

Most people struggle because:
↳ Market swings trigger emotional decisions
↳ Short-term volatility distracts from long-term goals
↳ Advice often feels conflicting and overwhelming

But here’s the truth:
𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱.
Patience allows investments to grow steadily, even through market ups and downs.

Here’s how to make it work:

1. Focus on the Long Term
→ Ignore daily fluctuations and track progress over years.

2. Stick to a Plan
→ Define risk tolerance, goals, and allocation before investing.

3. Avoid Emotional Moves
→ Selling in fear or buying in hype erodes returns.

4. Reinvest Returns
→ Compounding accelerates growth over time.

5. Review Periodically, Not Constantly
→ Check performance strategically, not obsessively.

Investing isn’t about timing the market.
It’s about time in the market.

How do you stay calm during market swings?

Find out more in my book, Financial Longevity: Increase Your Wealth Span, Spend Money Guilt-Free, and Gain the Confidence to Enjoy Your Bigger Future - https://lnkd.in/e2Gt8ZKg

Why Shielded Kids Struggle to Problem Solve
And how it shows up financially later

We protect kids with good intentions.
But over-shielding has long-term costs, especially in terms of money.

Here’s how it plays out:

1. No exposure to financial consequences
↳ Mistakes never create real feedback
↳ Leads to poor risk assessment and false confidence

2. Parents remove every obstacle
↳ Problems are solved before kids try
↳ Results in dependence on advisors and weak judgment

3. Failure is framed as dangerous
↳ Losing feels like shame, not learning
↳ Causes fear-based investing and panic decisions

4. No ownership over money decisions
↳ Adults control spending and choices
↳ Creates weak budgeting and cash-flow skills

5. Comfort is always guaranteed
↳ Discomfort is eliminated immediately
↳ Low tolerance for volatility and drawdowns

6. Rewards without effort
↳ Outcomes matter more than process
↳ Chasing shortcuts, fads, and fast returns

The core truth:
Problem-solving is a skill, not a trait.

What actually builds financial resilience:
• Let kids make small financial mistakes
• Teach trade-offs, risk, and delayed rewards
• Normalize learning through failure

Short-term protection can create long-term fragility.
Resilience is built through experience, not avoidance.

What’s one money lesson you wish you’d learned earlier?

Find out more in my book, Financial Longevity: Increase Your Wealth Span, Spend Money Guilt-Free, and Gain the Confidence to Enjoy Your Bigger Future - https://lnkd.in/e2Gt8ZKg

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The Battle

Brian Ouellette

Michael Merlin

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Performance ScoreBrian Ouellette's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreMichael Merlin's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Brian Ouellette

Michael Merlin

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Brian Ouellette's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreMichael Merlin's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreBrian Ouellette's LinkedIn Performance