14. Finding Joy in Financial Planning: How to Help Clients Balance Wealth and Happiness

What did you do today that brought you joy? That question started as a podcast tagline and became the foundation of an entire planning philosophy. In this episode, Ashley sits down with Larry Sprung, award-winning advisor, author, mental health advocate, and founder of Mitlin Financial, to talk about how centering joy in the financial planning conversation changes everything, including how clients relate to their money, how couples navigate their differences, and how advisors show up for the people they serve. You'll learn: How a single question became the backbone of a firm's entire client experience Why joy-based planning often gets trickier with couples and what to do when partners have very different definitions of it How to hold space for clients going through grief while still building a meaningful plan Why spending on joy today and saving for the future are not opposites How living in alignment with your own tagline makes you a better advisor RESOURCES AND GUEST INFORMATION Guest Bio: Larry Sprung is an award-winning financial advisor, author, speaker, and mental health advocate. As the founder of Mitlin Financial, Larry helps individuals and families align their financial decisions with what matters most to them. Through his work, writing, and advocacy, he encourages people to focus on living a meaningful life filled with purpose, joy, and connection rather than measuring success solely through financial outcomes. Connect with Larry Sprung: Mitlin Financial: https://mitlinfinancial.com/ Larry Sprung on LinkedIn:   / lawrencesprung   The Mitlin Money Mindset Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Download the JOY and Productivity Journal: https://mitlin.us/JOYjournal Connect with Host Ashley Quamme: Podcast Website: PlanningAndBeyond.com (https://www.planningandbeyond.com) LinkedIn: Ashley Quamme (  / ashley-quamme  ) — Licensed Therapist & Financial Behavior Specialist Beyond the Plan®: BeyondTheFP.com (https://www.beyondthefp.com) Monthly Newsletter: Subscribe at https://www.beyondthefp.com/ When you spend your days talking about joy, it changes how you experience your own life. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction & Guest Welcome 0:39 Larry’s Background & Work 1:24 The Concept of Joy in Financial Planning 4:07 The Origin of the Joy Tagline 8:25 How Joy Is Used With Clients (Practical Application) 12:04 A Difficult Client Situation (Grief & Sensitivity) 16:16 Trust, Timing, and Client Relationship Depth 19:31 Couples, Conflict, and Financial Balance 23:32 How the Joy Framework Changed Larry Personally 30:22 Advice to Younger Self 34:02 Where to Find Larry / Joy Journal #BehavioralFinance #FinancialAdvisors #FinancialPlanning #ClientExperience #PlanningAndBeyond