Breaking the Work-Life Binary: Dr. Corinne Low on Having It All (and Why That’s Impossible)

Dr. Corinne Low is not your typical Wharton professor. An economist whose research focuses on gender, discrimination, and the hidden costs of modern parenthood, she’s also a mother, wife, and author navigating the very struggles she studies. I sit down with Dr. Low to talk about her new book Having It All (out September 23rd), a data-driven yet deeply personal guide to escaping the false promise of “work-life balance.”

From the silent epidemic of exhausted mothers to the stubborn realities of unequal housework—even when women are the breadwinners—Dr. Low pulls no punches in showing us why the overwhelm isn’t in our heads. It’s in the data. With humor, candor, and hard truths, she invites us to redefine success on our own terms, reclaim our roles as the protagonists of our lives, and maybe even throw away the houseplants for a while.

What you’ll hear in this episode goes far beyond economics—it’s a wake-up call for anyone who’s ever felt like they’re “failing” at doing it all. Spoiler: the system is failing you, not the other way around.

• From Single Mom Upbringing to Wharton Professor: How Dr. Low’s childhood shaped her drive for career stability and independence. (04:58)
• The Silent Epidemic of Parental Time: Why today’s parenting feels harder, and the data proving we’re not crazy for feeling overwhelmed. (05:28)
• From Journalist Dreams to Economist Reality: Dr. Low’s path from writing aspirations to a career in economics and research. (14:43)
• Facing Discrimination Myths with Data: What her research actually reveals about gender, discrimination, and reverse discrimination. (18:42)
• Winning the Bread and Baking It Too: Why female breadwinners still do more at home, and how gender roles refuse to budge. (23:13)
• The 30-Year Squeeze: How careers, childcare, and aging parents collide to make midlife especially exhausting. (31:26)
• Reclaiming the Protagonist Role: Why women must stop being supporting characters in their own lives. (35:06)
• Redefining Success in Economic Terms: Why utility—deep joy and satisfaction—is a better measure than the white picket fence. (38:48)
• Tuckered Out Moments: From pumping on Amtrak to juggling a newborn and a book launch, Dr. Low shares her real-life exhaustion stories. (43:27)

Connect with Dr. Corinne Low:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Bluesky
• LinkedIn
• Google Scholar

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.