Behavior Gap Radio

In this episode, Carl flips the script on everything we think we want from money. We don’t actually want money—we want what we think it will give us: safety, love, approval, and enoughness. And here’s the twist: you can feel those things before the numbers change. What if money isn’t the enemy or the goal… but the trick that wakes us up from the collective delusion we’ve been living in?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/ 

In this episode, Carl challenges one of the deepest money myths out there: Money will finally make us feel safe, happy, or whole. He shares a core idea from his new book: You’re not bad with money, you’re just asking it to do the wrong job. From personal stories to a powerful quote by Austin Kleon, Carl unpacks how our suffering around money often stems from mistaken beliefs, not money itself. What if changing those beliefs could change everything?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/ 

In this adventure journal episode, Carl shares a thought experiment that starts in a quiet cabin and ends with a radical reframing of how we think about money. What if money were like firewood—just fuel to keep things going? Not something to hoard, fear, or worship, but something to gather when needed, use wisely, and share freely. This isn't just a mindset shift—it's a new way of being. One rooted in trust, not scarcity.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/ 

In this episode, Carl shares a raw segment from his new one-man show, built around two painfully honest sketches about envy and comparison. He reflects on the unspoken rules of the money game we all play—and what happens when someone dares to break them. From beaten-up minivans to Instagram-fueled status anxiety, this one’s about the stories we tell, the ones we’re afraid to admit, and the quiet power of saying four simple words: We can’t afford 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/ 

In this episode, Carl shares a raw, in-progress segment from his upcoming keynote. What if money is just a story we’ve all agreed to believe? A religion we all follow but no one admits to praying to? From Martians to mortgages, Carl invites us to step back and ask: When did we give money so much power?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/ 

In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl returns from an accidental hiatus with a vulnerable reflection on why he keeps making the show—and why it matters that you share it. He relays a powerful idea from his recent conversation with author Austin Kleon: Money, up to a certain point, acts as a stabilizing force, but beyond that, it becomes an agent of chaos. If money walked into the room, what would you ask 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/ 

In this episode of the Deep Shift series, Carl explores how tactical curiosity—like obsessing over budgeting apps or fueling strategies—often hides something deeper. What starts as a surface-level decision can lead to a powerful emotional insight. Maybe it's not about interest rates… maybe it's about fear, identity, or old family patterns. Carl walks us through why it’s easier to talk spreadsheets than shame—and how simply asking, “Why are you asking?” can crack open the truth.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/ 

In episode two of the Deep Shift series, Carl names the chase we all know too well: tactical curiosity. The frantic hunt for the perfect app, book, or tool isn’t really about solutions—it’s often a way to avoid the deeper, scarier questions. This episode invites you to pause the chase and ask, “What am I really trying to solve for?” Because awareness—not another download—is where real change begins.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/ 

In this first episode of a new series, Carl introduces the Deep Shift framework—his attempt to map the real journey of change. It’s not about picking the right tactic or finding more information, it’s about uncovering what’s blocking the doing. From tactical curiosity to deep ritual, Carl explores why lasting change starts below the surface… and invites you to walk through it with him.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/ 

In this wrap-up to the Your Wise Money Friend series, Carl shares where the idea came from and why it matters. People don’t want another financial plan—they want to feel okay. They want someone to walk with, someone who listens with golden-retriever-level curiosity. In this episode, Carl challenges us to become that kind of friend: no agenda, no judgment, just love, presence, and deep curiosity. Turns out you don’t need to know anything about money to be a wise money friend. You just have to care.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/