Welcome to the Modern Husbands podcast, where any combination of Dr. Bruce Ross, Christian Sherrill, and Brian Page host national experts who share winning ideas to manage money and the home as a team.

I’m Brian Page, founder of Modern Husbands. Sometimes our listeners want more support than a podcast can give, individual or couple support, which I now provide. Details can be found at modernhusbands.com or you can email me at brian@modernhusbands.com.

For today’s podcast we welcome Dr. Jenny Olson, an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. Dr. Olson just released research examining how people predict happiness from buying something, what actually happens, and whether how poor or rich you are impacts how we feel about it. Enjoy the show.

Show Notes

00:00 Introduction
01:00 Fast overview of her previous groundbreaking research on joint bank accounts
03:45 Judging people in poverty who spend money
07:45 The findings from her research
09:50 What her research has to do with our basic needs
13:00 How to interpret the research and suggestions
14:32 How do common misconceptions about income levels affect people’s expectations from happiness from their experiences
17:05 What can dual career couples do to enhance their own happiness
19:46 The line between spending and compulsive spending for happiness
21:05 Examples of consumption experiences that she found drive happiness
22:03 Self care: people prioritize the self care of others before themselves
25:27 How has your research influenced your own views
29:09 One piece of practical advice people can use now in their lives based on your research

Subscribe or follow Modern Husbands on social media!

Newsletter
Facebook
YouTube
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter
TikTok
Substack

Welcome to the Modern Husbands podcast, where any combination of Dr. Bruce Ross, Christian Sherrill, and Brian Page host national experts who share winning ideas to manage money and the home as a team.

I’m Brian Page, founder of Modern Husbands. Sometimes our listeners want more support than a podcast can give, individual or couple support, which I now provide. Details can be found at modernhusbands.com.

For today’s podcast we welcome Dr. Gary Barker and Dr. Taveeshi Gupta of Equimundo.

Dr. Gary Barker is the CEO and co-founder of Equimundo and a globally recognized leader in engaging men and boys to advance gender equality, with over 30 years of experience across more than 50 countries.

Dr. Taveeshi Gupta is the Senior Director of Research at Equimundo and a global expert on masculinities and gender with over 15 years of experience leading research on structural inequalities and their impact on youth and development.

The research at Equimundo was the origin of the evidence used by the Congressional Dads Caucus for proposed legislation.

Our conversation will center around Equimundo’s State of American Men 2025, a groundbreaking new study that offers an unflinching, data-driven look at the emotional, economic, and cultural pressures facing American men.

At a time when narratives around masculinity are increasingly divisive and distorted, their annual study cuts through the noise with a clear, compassionate message: Men are not in crisis because of who they are — they’re in crisis because of what they lack.

Perhaps that is a driver behind their finding, an absolutely terrifying statistic that 57% of men, and 52% of women, believe that the US would be a better place with a strong leader in charge who doesn’t bother with elections. The stakes of what is occurring in our country right now couldn’t be any higher.

Link to research: https://www.equimundo.org/resources/state-of-american-men-2025/

Subscribe or follow Modern Husbands on social media!

Newsletter
Facebook
YouTube
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter
TikTok
Substack

Welcome to the Modern Husbands podcast, where any combination of Dr. Bruce Ross, Christian Sherrill, and Brian Page host national experts who share winning ideas to manage money and the home as a team.

I’m Brian Page, founder of Modern Husbands. Sometimes our listeners want more support than a podcast can give, individual or couple support, which I now provide. Details can be found at modernhusbands.com or you can email me at brian@modernhusbands.com.

For today’s podcast we welcome Dr. Allison Daminger, an assistant professor of sociology at UW-Madison and the author of What's on Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life, forthcoming in September 2025. Daminger's research is focused on how and why gender shapes family dynamics, particularly the division of work and power in couples. Her award-winning scholarship has been featured in outlets including The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Psychology Today. Daminger also writes a weekly newsletter, The Daminger Dispatch, about the intersections between gender and family life.

Today’s discussion is laser focused on the mental load and what’s on the mind of working women. Enjoy the show.

Show Notes

01:00 Introduction
01:55 Let’s start with the basics. What exactly is “cognitive labor,” and how is it different from other types of household labor?
05:02 You break down cognitive labor into four tasks: anticipating, identifying, deciding, and monitoring. Can you walk us through what those look like in everyday family life?
16:28 One of your findings is that even in households that believe in equality, women tend to carry more of the mental load. Why is that, and how does it persist even with good intentions?
25:36 How do early childhood experiences shape the way men and women learn (or don’t learn) to do cognitive labor?
28:44 Your research includes same-gender couples. What lessons can different-gender couples learn from how cognitive labor is handled in those relationships?
32:11 Let’s talk about solutions. What can couples do if they want to move toward a more equitable distribution of cognitive labor? Where should they start?
38:14 You write that many men want to help but feel unsure about how to jump in. What advice do you have for those men to begin showing up better?
43:21 In the book, you describe how unequal cognitive labor can impact a woman’s identity, stress levels, and even career. Can you share a story or example that really stuck with you?
45:32 Where can our listeners learn more about you and purchase your book?
46:03 What is one piece of simple and actionable advice you want to leave our listeners with?

Click here to learn more about Dr. Daminger and buy her book.

Subscribe or follow Modern Husbands on social media!

Newsletter
Facebook
YouTube
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter
TikTok
Substack