Podcast
Behavior Gap Radio
Hosted by Carl Richards · EN
Greetings, Carl here.
This podcast is super simple, it's me wandering through the world noticing things about how to align my use of capital (time and money) with what is actually important to me.
-Carl
76episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
1471 | Rough Stone Rolling
Yesterday00:06:30Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Carl explores the idea of public work as a spiritual practice and reflects on the uncomfortable emotions that surface when we compare ourselves to others. After seeing someone launch a project similar to one he’d been thinking about for years, Carl examines his own reactions: jealousy, insecurity, ego, and the stories we quickly tell ourselves. He shares why building a business, making art, and doing work in public can become powerful opportunities for self-awareness, growth, and refinement, if we’re willing to pay attention to what gets stirred up along the way.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/
Transcribe →1470 | Peeling Back the Layers
2d ago00:02:52Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Carl reflects on the difficult and deeply personal work of unwinding the stories we’ve inherited about success, work, relationships, achievement, and identity. He explores how many of our financial decisions are shaped by assumptions we never consciously chose, and why real financial planning often means slowly peeling back those layers to discover what actually matters to us. It’s a thoughtful conversation about alignment, self-awareness, and the lifelong process of becoming more fully ourselves.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/
Transcribe →1469 | How Could I Possibly Say No to This?
5d ago00:05:14Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Carl explores the rare moments in life when an opportunity feels so deeply aligned that the question becomes, “How could I possibly say no to this?” Using the example of getting into a dream school like Juilliard, he reflects on regret minimization, the difference between making the “right” decision and making a decision right, and the mysterious way life sometimes rearranges itself after we commit to something meaningful. It’s a thoughtful conversation about risk, dreams, uncertainty, and the courage to say yes.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/
Transcribe →1468 | Anxiety vs. Insight
6d ago00:07:34Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Carl explores one of the hardest questions that comes with making meaningful life decisions: How do you tell the difference between anxiety and insight? Reflecting on career changes, relationships, financial decisions, and the messy middle of personal growth, he examines the different textures of fear, urgency, clarity, and alignment. It’s a thoughtful exploration of slowing down, listening carefully, and learning to recognize whether we’re spinning in circles or moving toward something true.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/
Transcribe →1467 | What to Do With Obsession?
1w ago00:05:26Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Carl reflects on a quote from Howard Thurman that has shaped his thinking for years: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it.” He explores the tension between building a life around demand versus building one around aliveness, and the complicated reality that often follows when what makes us come alive doesn’t fit neatly into stability, responsibility, or conventional success. It’s a thoughtful exploration of ambition, freedom, roots, creativity, and the difficult question of what it actually means to “go do it.”Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/
Transcribe →1466 | Fear-Based Selling
1w ago00:04:57Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Carl reflects on a recent conversation with Michael Kitces about fear-based selling and the surprising world of “disturb tracks” designed to create urgency and anxiety. Carl explores why tactics built on fear, complexity, and pressure may “work” in the short term, but ultimately erode trust and connection. It’s a thoughtful conversation about values-based selling, long-term relationships, and the kind of work Carl actually wants to do in the world.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/
Transcribe →1465 | How to Deal With Overwhelm
1w ago00:03:47Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Carl reflects on what it feels like to live in a world where the list of things that matter seems impossibly large, while the list of things we can actually control feels painfully small. Revisiting one of his earliest sketches, he explores the overlap between concern and agency, and why focusing on the small, local things we can actually do may be one of the most grounding responses to overwhelm, uncertainty, and modern life.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/
Transcribe →1464 | Selling the Feeling
2w ago00:06:33Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Carl explores what it really means to help people change. Building on yesterday’s idea that the market for feeling something is much larger than the market for becoming it, he reflects on the delicate work of helping clients move from awareness to identity to action. It’s a thoughtful look at financial advice, behavior change, and the quiet, human work of helping someone become the kind of person they want to be.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/
Transcribe →1463 | The Market for Feeling
2w ago00:07:43Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Carl explores the surprisingly large gap between feeling productive, being seen as productive, and actually doing meaningful work. He reflects on how easy it is to confuse organizing, planning, researching, or publicly announcing our intentions with the vulnerable act of creating something real. It’s a thoughtful look at identity, risk, and the subtle ways we avoid uncertainty while still convincing ourselves we’re making progress.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/
Transcribe →1462 | Confessions of a Market Illiterate
2w ago00:07:02Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Carl shares a moment of clarity after being told he wasn’t a fit for a market-focused podcast—and why that turned out to be exactly right. He explores the important difference between markets and investing, and why chasing daily commentary isn’t the same as doing the real work of aligning money with a meaningful life. It’s a reflection on knowing what game you’re playing, letting go of noise, and focusing on the kind of thinking that actually helps people make better decisions over time.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/
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