Behavior Gap Radio

1487 | Look where you want to go.

1486 | The Body Has Something To Say

1485 | Listen to the unspeakable thing

1484 | It Just Feels Off

In this episode, Carl continues his exploration of the idea that feelings are data through a conversation with a friend who approaches decisions very differently—through analysis, spreadsheets, and deep research. What surprised Carl was discovering that even the most analytical decision-makers often pay attention to feelings when something seems “off.” The conversation leads to a simple but powerful distinction: the goal isn’t to blindly trust your feelings, but to get curious about them. Feelin...

1483 | That's Morally Reprehensible... Where Is the Line?

In this episode, Carl examines a surprising emotional reaction he had while hearing about an extravagant luxury home—and what that reaction might be trying to tell him. Instead of dismissing the feeling or judging it, he gets curious about it, using it as another example of his growing belief that feelings are data. It’s a candid exploration of envy, anger, values, and the stories we tell ourselves about money, wealth, and what a good life looks like. Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most ...

1482 | Risk? Pay Attention to Feelings

In this episode, Carl continues his exploration of the idea that feelings are data with a bold claim: When it comes to risk, feelings aren’t incidental—they’re central. Too often, emotions are treated as noise that gets in the way of good decision-making. Carl argues the opposite. When we’re facing uncertainty, fear, excitement, hesitation, and intuition may contain critical information about what matters to us and how we perceive risk. It’s a thoughtful look at why understanding our feelings ma...

1481 | Clarity Is Not Judgment

In this episode, Carl explores a paradox he’s noticed in some of the most important decisions of his life: While he loves receiving strong, opinionated advice, the people who have helped him most often didn’t tell him what to do at all. Instead, they created the space for him to discover his own answer. Reflecting on decision-making, wisdom, and even spiritual maturity, Carl considers the difference between giving answers and helping someone find their path—and why the latter may be far more val...

1480 | More or Enough?

In this episode, Carl reflects on a powerful idea from E. F. Schumacher and the subtle stories we tell ourselves about consumption. Drawing on Schumacher’s concept of “Buddhist economics,” he explores how modern culture has gradually transformed consumption from a means to an end—from a tool that serves a meaningful life into a goal in itself. It’s a thoughtful invitation to reconsider what consumption is actually for and whether we’ve mistaken the vehicle for the destination. Want more from Car...

1479 | Sometimes the Body Knows First

In this episode, Carl returns to his exploration of the idea that feelings are data, taking a closer look at a belief he’s carried for years: The body often knows something before the mind can explain it. As he digs into the research behind that intuition, he reflects on the subtle signals we experience physically and what they might reveal about decisions, relationships, and the choices we make around money. It’s an exploration of the connection between awareness, intuition, and the possibility...

1478 | You Already Know

In this episode, Carl explores the surprising information hidden inside resistance. Inspired by a conversation at a recent retreat, he reflects on the difference between asking, “What am I going to do next?” and asking, “What am I resisting?” Instead of treating resistance as something to overcome, Carl wonders whether it might be a valuable signal—pointing toward something important, unresolved, or worth exploring. It’s a thoughtful look at curiosity, self-awareness, and what our reluctance mig...

1477 | Feelings Function as Information

In this episode, Carl continues his exploration of the idea that feelings are data by introducing the concept of “affect as information.” Drawing from established research, he examines how we constantly use our emotions as a source of information when making decisions—often without realizing it. Rather than treating feelings as something separate from rational thinking, Carl explores how they may be an essential part of how humans navigate uncertainty, assess situations, and make sense of the wo...

1476 | Without Feeling, Thinking Gets Worse

In this episode, Carl lays out the first claim in a growing body of work he’s developing around a simple but provocative idea: Feelings are data. Not just emotions to be managed or ignored, but early-stage information that often arrives before words, analysis, or conscious thought. Carl explores how feelings can signal what matters, what feels safe or threatening, and where our values are being honored or violated—making the case that they deserve a place alongside facts and spreadsheets in the ...

1475 | Feelings Are at the Center

In this episode, Carl begins a deeper exploration of a simple but often overlooked idea: Feelings are data. Challenging the common assumption that emotions are somehow less valuable than spreadsheets, analysis, or technical expertise, he starts building a case that our feelings deserve a legitimate place in decision-making. Drawing from research, experience, and years of conversations around money, Carl explores what might change if we treated emotions not as distractions from the truth, but as ...

1474 | Financial Planning Begins With Feeling

In this episode, Carl explores a provocative idea: What if financial planning is less about thinking and knowing, and more about feeling? Drawing on conversations from retreats and The Collective, he reflects on the possibility that our bodies often recognize truth before our minds can explain it. Whether it’s fear, excitement, resistance, or alignment, Carl argues that paying attention to what we feel may be one of the most overlooked skills in helping people build a healthier relationship with...

1473 | A Partner, Not a Path

In this episode, Carl reflects on what people are really looking for when facing an uncertain future. More often than not, it’s not a perfect plan, a case study, or a detailed roadmap. It’s a companion—someone willing to walk alongside them through uncertainty with wisdom, presence, and care. Carl explores the limits of prediction, the reality of not knowing what comes next, and why the most valuable role an advisor, friend, or partner can play is not providing certainty, but offering steady com...

1472 | The Time to Awareness

In this episode, Carl explores a simple sketch that captures a powerful idea about personal growth: the relationship between stimulus, response, and awareness. Early on, our reactions can feel automatic, with no space between what happens and how we respond. But over time, awareness begins to show up—first after the fact, then closer and closer to the moment itself. Carl reflects on how real change often starts not by controlling our reactions, but by simply noticing them, and how cultivating th...

1471 | Rough Stone Rolling

In 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, an...

1470 | Peeling Back the Layers

In 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 mo...

1469 | How Could I Possibly Say No to This?

In 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, uncer...

1468 | Anxiety vs. Insight

In 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 s...

1467 | What to Do With Obsession?

In 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, creativi...

1466 | Fear-Based Selling

In 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 s...

1465 | How to Deal With Overwhelm

In 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 impactfu...

1464 | Selling the Feeling

In 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...

1463 | The Market for Feeling

In 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 imp...

1462 | Confessions of a Market Illiterate

In 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 o...

1461 | Money and the Arc of Morality

In this episode, Carl reflects on a powerful idea inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.: The arc of the moral universe bends toward justice—but what about our own personal arc? He explores how money and power can quietly influence our decisions, sometimes pulling us away from what we say we believe. Rather than judging others, Carl turns the lens inward, asking where we might bend our own standards under pressure—and how to notice those moments before they shape who we become. Want more from Carl? ...

1460 | I Finally Got Fired!

In this episode, Carl shares a surprising personal story about being “fired” from his own financial planning meetings—and why he was secretly thrilled about it. That experience leads to a deeper question: What if the so-called “disengaged” partner isn’t a problem to fix, but simply someone who's playing to their strengths? Carl challenges a common assumption in financial planning and explores a different approach—one rooted in trust, clear communication, and letting people focus on what they’re ...

1259 | You're speaking a different language

1458 | Kindness Is the Point

In this episode, Carl reflects on the deeper purpose behind his work and a simple realization that keeps guiding him: Money is the entry point, but kindness is the point. While conversations often start with money, they quickly reveal what really matters—how we spend our time, energy, and attention, and what we want to build in the world. Carl shares why he continues to use money as the doorway, even though the real work has always been about love, connection, and being human. Want more from Car...