Today we’re bringing you a conversation with Carl Richards, and we think this one might just change the way you think—and feel—about money.
You might know Carl as The Sketch Guy from his decade-long New York Times column, where he offered disarmingly relatable insights about money using just cardstock and a Sharpie.
For Carl, money isn’t about spreadsheets and savings accounts—it’s a mirror, reflecting to us what we value most deeply. And for this reason, he believes money sits at the center of our spiritual lives.
In this conversation, Carl invites us to become what he calls “world-class spenders”—not by spending more, but by spending more intentionally, in ways that align with our deepest values.
Carl is a Certified Financial Planner, the bestselling author of The Behavior Gap and Your Money, and hosts the 50 Fires podcast where he has frank, funny, and sometimes difficult conversations about money with guests from all walks of life.
Carl believes that money is the last taboo—the topic we often still avoid even with those closest to us. But he has such a gift for helping us recognize the stories and wounds that are shaping our efforts to be good stewards now.
So whether you’re thinking about end-of-year giving or hoping for a fresh start in the new year, we hope this conversation helps you feel more grounded in your values and more empowered to live—and give—from that place.
If you want more of Carl’s insights, definitely check out his podcast 50 Fires—it’s full of honest, thought-provoking conversations about money with really fascinating guests, and his new book, Your Money: Reimagining Wealth in 101 Simple Sketches. It’s smart, accessible, and genuinely so fun to read—you can get it on Amazon or wherever books are sold.
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