Spenser Liszt

Hi, I’m Spenser Liszt, CFP®, founder of Motif Planning, an advice-only financial planning firm based in Dallas, TX.

You and your partner earn strong incomes. Your careers are demanding.

Your time is limited. And now you’re raising young kids on top of it.

Most days feel like a tradeoff between work, family, and everything else that needs your attention. So your finances get handled in pieces, when there’s time.

As your income grows, the decisions stack up.

- Why was our tax bill so high last year, and how do we fix it going forward?

- What should we be doing with RSUs, stock options, and bonuses as they hit?

- Are we protecting our family properly if something happens to one of us?

- Can one of us step back from work without breaking the plan?

- How much house can we afford while still investing and saving for our kids?

- You’re doing well, but every decision takes time, energy, and second guessing.

That’s financial decision fatigue.

You’re already deciding what’s for dinner every night.

Now you’re also expected to make all of your family’s financial decisions.

This is how we eliminate financial decision fatigue:

Automate your cash flow

Defend against risks with insurance

Understand and maximize employee benefits

Leverage your executive comp

Trim your lifetime tax bill

Invest with intention

Navigate big life changes

Get your estate plan done

You need a system built for how you earn and live, guided by someone who understands your family, complex compensation and careers.

Help ambitious people make smart financial decisions so they can build stability, create freedom, and focus on the work that matters most to them.

In August 2015, my life changed.

I spent 17 years fully committed to being a professional musician. Many see music as a risky career, assuming financial struggle is inevitable. I never believed that. After earning a Master’s in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas, I built a career playing with top artists, recording albums, and making a living as a performer—a goal I was proud to achieve.

My financial awareness came from my parents. My mom, who grew up poor, taught me to save. My dad’s business failure and our family’s bankruptcy in the late ‘80s showed me how to take risks and recover from setbacks. But in the summer of 2015, I returned from a tour to my $300-a-month rental in Dallas with just $67 in my bank account. I felt lost and exposed.

I told myself,

"I never want to feel this way again. And no other music professional should either.”

That moment forced me to change. I started studying personal finance. I read books, listened to podcasts, and applied what I learned. I focused on building assets and became more selective with gigs. Within two years, I increased my income, began saving for retirement, and bought my first property.

I saw how clarity around money creates freedom. The ability to choose your work instead of chasing it.

I began teaching financial literacy to musicians. Over time, I earned my CFP® designation and launched Motif Planning.

As the firm grew, so did my focus.

I realized the people who most consistently needed deep, ongoing planning were high-earning executives and creative professionals with complex compensation, equity, tax exposure, and big life decisions. They did not need basic budgeting tips. They needed holistic financial life planning.

Today, I primarily work with executives and creative professionals who want to build wealth intentionally and align their money with their values.

And I still support musicians. I offer pro bono planning sessions and financial education to artists facing hardship or navigating unstable income. That part of my story never goes away.