Having It All: A Conversation with Dr. Corinne Low

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 provide as an Accredited Financial Counselor and Fair Play Facilitator. Details can be found at modernhusbands.com.

For today’s episode we welcome Dr. Corinne Low, an Associate Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the Wharton School. Dr. Low has spoken to top academic institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, and Oxford, as well as to organizations like the New York Federal Reserve, Brookings, and the US Department of Labor.

Her research focuses on the economics of gender and discrimination. Her first book, Having It All, is a bestseller, and the focus of today’s conversation.

We discuss the evolving definition of success, emphasizing the need to balance career ambitions with personal fulfillment and lifestyle needs. They challenge the traditional notion of success as merely career maximization, advocating for a more holistic approach that includes financial stability and time management.

Enjoy the show.

Questions

00:00 Introduction

02:45 Your book argues that women’s unhappiness isn’t a result of “trying too little” but of operating within systems that were never designed for them to succeed. What do you see as the biggest structural change that would make dual-career households more sustainable today?

04:27 You write that we should “think like economists” when making life decisions. How can couples apply that mindset at home—when deciding how to divide money, chores, and childcare?

07:23 You describe relationships and careers as “deals” that exchange time, effort, and money for certain payoffs. How can couples assess whether they’re both getting a good deal at home and at work?

17:10 In your research, you’ve found that even when women are the primary breadwinners, they still do more cooking and cleaning. What does the data tell us about why this happens—and what needs to shift culturally for men to truly share the load?

21:43 You’ve written that women’s time constraints are fundamentally different from men’s. How can couples design systems—financial or domestic—that make time equity as real a goal as income equity?

28:48 You challenge the old idea of “having it all.” If we were to redefine success for couples today, what should replace that phrase?

30:41 You’ve said this book is both a guide and a call to action. What do you hope men, in particular, will take away from Having It All about their role in building more equal partnerships?

32:51 What is one simple and actionable step you want listeners to take away from today’s conversation?

https://www.corinnelow.com/: Time Tracking Sheet

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