Carl Richards on Conversations, Capital, and the Real Work of Financial Planning
Thu Jan 29 2026
In this episode, Rory speaks with Carl Richards, creator of the Sketch Guy column and author of Your Money: Reimagining Wealth in 101 Simple Sketches, about why the real work of financial planning starts with better conversations, not better spreadsheets. Carl shares how his simple sketches became tools for clarity, helping clients rethink money through the lenses of attention, time, energy, and values, not just dollars. They explore why “enough” is not a number but a state of being, how spending awareness can replace shame with intention, and why small behavioral shifts often matter more than sophisticated strategies. Carl also explains why planning is not about predicting the future but about becoming less wrong over time, especially in a world where uncertainty is the norm. Want to know how advisors can help clients align their money with what truly matters? Curious how better questions lead to better outcomes than better answers? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this thoughtful and practical conversation with Carl Richards.
• The link to order Carl's book on Amazon, or folks can head to their favorite local bookstore
• The link to place a bulk order of Carl's book. Listeners can save an additional 5% by using the code YourMoney5 at checkout.
• Social media links if you'd like to tag Carl: LinkedIn, X, Instagram.
More
In this episode, Rory speaks with Carl Richards, creator of the Sketch Guy column and author of Your Money: Reimagining Wealth in 101 Simple Sketches, about why the real work of financial planning starts with better conversations, not better spreadsheets. Carl shares how his simple sketches became tools for clarity, helping clients rethink money through the lenses of attention, time, energy, and values, not just dollars. They explore why “enough” is not a number but a state of being, how spending awareness can replace shame with intention, and why small behavioral shifts often matter more than sophisticated strategies. Carl also explains why planning is not about predicting the future but about becoming less wrong over time, especially in a world where uncertainty is the norm. Want to know how advisors can help clients align their money with what truly matters? Curious how better questions lead to better outcomes than better answers? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this thoughtful and practical conversation with Carl Richards. • The link to order Carl's book on Amazon, or folks can head to their favorite local bookstore • The link to place a bulk order of Carl's book. Listeners can save an additional 5% by using the code YourMoney5 at checkout. • Social media links if you'd like to tag Carl: LinkedIn, X, Instagram.