Keynote

Your Money: Reimagining Wealth Through Simple Sketches

"This isn’t just another industry talk—it’s an opportunity to challenge conventional thinking, refine how advisors communicate, and inspire more impactful client relationships through the power of visual storytelling and behavioral insight."
Carl Richards
Carl Richards, CFP®
The Sketch Guy Author

Carl Richards, creator of The Sketch Guy column in The New York Times, has spent years using a Sharpie to translate complex financial concepts into simple, visual insights. Sketches that help advisors connect with their clients about what really matters. But what happens when conversations get hard, values get lost in the shuffle, and when your plans meet real life with all its uncertainty? That’s where Carl challenges the conventional approach to navigating these tensions.

XYPN LIVE Keynote

True to form, he’s showing up to XYPN LIVE with his signature mix of humor and perspective to answer one big question: What if the money’s not the point?

This keynote isn’t about finding a silver bullet.

It’s about reframing how we view wealth building and exploring the messy, real, and deeply meaningful tensions advisors face every day. Carl will bring his signature sketches to the main stage to challenge the way we show up for the people who trust us with their lives and their money.

And here’s the twist—this isn’t just any keynote. It’s also the live launch of Carl’s newest book, Your Money: Reimagining Wealth Through Simple Sketches, a book that’s unlike anything seen in the personal finance section. Carl is giving away exclusive copies to all XYPN LIVE attendees—a full month before it hits shelves—and the chance to have it signed during Exhibit Hall Day.

It’s a fresh perspective on how we align our resources with what truly matters and how to build the client relationships that make that possible. Together, you’ll reimagine how you lead client conversations and walk away with a new lens on your work.

About Carl

Carl Richards started The Sketch Guy column in The New York Times from the hills of Utah, crafting clear, relatable insights about money with just card stock and a Sharpie. The column ran weekly for a decade. This journey began when Carl applied for what he thought was a job as a “security guard,” only to find out the ad actually said “securities.” That slight misstep sparked a lifelong dedication to reshaping how we think about money.

Since then, Carl has become a Certified Financial Planner™, built and sold a successful investment firm, and spoken at financial and investment events worldwide—from Australia to South Africa, the UK, and major economic centers across Europe, Canada, and the United States. His bestsellers, The Behavior Gap and The One-Page Financial Plan, have been translated into over ten languages and continue to resonate globally.

Through his daily podcast, Behavior Gap Radio, which now has over 1,000 episodes and over one million downloads, Carl shares new perspectives on aligning our resources with what truly matters. His latest audio project, 50 Fires, backed by executive producers Chip and Joanna Gaines, explores the intersections of money and meaning with guests like Pete Holmes, David Whyte, Krista Tippett, and his favorite guest by far, his wife, Cori.

Carl founded The Society of Advice, a community of financial planners dedicated to the craft of advice. They gather for a monthly online workshop and frequent retreats in Park City, Utah.

In 2025, Carl will release a new book that, true to form, will be unlike anything seen in the personal finance section—and you better believe there will be sketches (97 of them, to be exact).

When he’s not exploring ideas about money, Carl, a Wilderness First Responder, can be found navigating Utah’s high mountain ridges on foot, skis, or bike. Married to Cori since 1995, they have four kids, whom they consider their best friends.

XYPN_Grid_Blue-6 Carl Richards

Carl Richards, CFP® | Author, Behavior Gap |    

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