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Below are key insights and actionable takeaways from our conversation.
Key Takeaways
Money Is 95% Emotion and 5% Math
The numbers matter, but Spenser argues that much of financial planning is really about feelings, behavior, confidence, and peace of mind. Understanding what you want your life to look like is just as important as understanding your investments or tax strategy.
You Can Look Financially Successful and Still Have Blind Spots
One of the most interesting parts of Spenser’s work is how often he finds something valuable that clients didn’t know was there. It could be a tax error, an overlooked planning opportunity, an uninvested retirement account, or simply the reassurance that they have not missed something important.
A Financial Plan Is a Verb, Not a Noun
Life changes. Careers change. Families change. Goals change. Spenser’s point is that a financial plan cannot simply be created once and forgotten about. The plan has to evolve alongside the person it was built for.
Your Identity Is Allowed to Change
Spenser went from professional musician to financial planner and entrepreneur. His story is a reminder that the thing you thought you would do at 13, 23, or even 43 does not have to be the thing you do forever.
Success Without Context Can Be Misleading
Social media tends to show outcomes without the conditions behind them. Spenser openly shares that he went seven months without a new client after changing his pricing and target audience. That did not mean his business was broken. It meant he had made strategic changes and was living with the consequences.
There Is Always a Way Forward
After experiencing financial instability, building a career in music, walking away with $67, and starting over professionally, Spenser’s story comes back to a simple idea: your current situation does not have to be your final situation.
Quotes from Spenser:
“I think the most important thing I’ve learned is that no matter where you are financially, there is a way out and there is a way forward.”
“Finances are 95% emotions and feelings, 5% math and numbers and logic.”
“A financial plan is not a noun. It’s a verb.”
“Most of the content that I see in terms of success comes without context.”
“You can look at my life and say, wow, you did all these really cool things. But without the context, it’s not really useful for your own life.”
“As long as you stay alive and keep yourself healthy, you have more time. So you can try again, you can try something new.”
Looking Ahead
Spenser left us with a few things worth carrying forward, whether you’re thinking about your money, your career, or the way you’re building your life:
- There is always a way forward.
No matter where you are financially or professionally, your current situation doesn’t have to be your final one. You can try again, change direction, or start something new. - Let your identity evolve.
You don’t have to stay committed to the version of yourself you imagined years ago. Spenser’s own journey from musician to financial planner is proof that changing direction can lead somewhere unexpected. - Don’t compare without context.
The success you see online is usually missing the circumstances behind it. Before using someone else’s results as a benchmark for your own life, remember that you may not have the same starting point, resources, goals, or timeline. - Treat your plan as something that moves.
Whether it’s a financial plan, career plan, or business plan, expect things to change. Adjusting the plan doesn’t mean you failed. It means you’re responding to real life. - Give yourself more time to figure things out.
As Spenser put it, as long as you keep yourself healthy and moving forward, you have more time to try again and try something new.
Connect with Spenser on LinkedIn
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