The Breadwinners

As the number of child care slots shrink and the prospect of remote education grows, working parents are in crisis. In this episode, Katherine Goldstein, host of The Double Shift podcast about the lives of working mothers (and soon-to-be homeschool teacher to a kindergartener), makes the case for a national “CareCorps,” putting young adults to work supporting working families. Learn more about you...

We’re back from our summer rerun mini-series to consider what we know about the pandemic’s long-term impact on our children’s future lives. (Spoiler alert: not much.)   In this episode, Rachael + Jennifer consider the historical events researchers are pointing to when forecasting the pandemic's impact, what they’re seeing in their own families and communities — and the meditative joy of a Law & Or...

More than a quarter of all partnered working moms outearn their spouses — and yet most still say they do not consider their work a career. Could this be because the majority of breadwinning moms (72 percent) fell into their role by chance or luck? In this episode, Jennifer + Rachael dive deeper into the stats that describe “chance” and “choice” breadwinners and consider what fuels our career vs. p...

Six months into the pandemic and the novelty of sharing our home lives with our work partners has long ago worn off — and yet, it continues apace. From our daily anxiety and stress to our kids, partners and pets, Rachael + Jennifer consider the impact of all-day Zoom meetings from our bedrooms, closets and patios — and revel in the delight of an old-fashioned/no-camera conference call. Please rate...

In this episode, Rachael + Jennifer consider new research that finds that 47% of parents aren’t sure they’ll be able to return to work due to their child care needs — and share how they’re muddling through. All month, The Breadwinners are revisiting and reconsidering our most popular episodes from the first weeks of the pandemic as new trends are revealed. Let us know how you’re doing at www.thebr...

Like the pandemic itself, the pressure it’s placing on our mental health is never-ending — as in one-third of all Americans are now showing signs of clinical anxiety or depression. In this episode, Rachael + Jennifer consider fresh research surfacing regarding our nation’s collective mental health and what’s changed in how we are living, five months later. All month, we are revisiting and reconsid...

We know it matters — and that it helps us focus — but what exactly is mindfulness? Harriet Stein, founder and president of Big Toe in the Water, joins Jennifer to break it down and build us up on how to pay attention in our busy breadwinner lives, with a special focus on the needs of essential healthcare workers. “Mindfulness is really a practice of compassion for ourselves, first and foremost.” —...

Written 44 years ago, "Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life" by Gail Sheehy was a seminal work focused on the common themes of men and women in their late thirties and early forties — or what she called “The Deadline Decade.” In this episode, Rachael + Jennifer consider the sudden time-squeeze of adult life that Sheehy identified — and how the question of “Will I have time to do it all?” man...

Many entrepreneurs feel that running at 110 percent all day every day is the only path to success — and yet, an estimated 70 percent of startups fail. Could there be a better way? This week, Rational Confidence founder Kathleen Stetson joins The Breadwinners to share her research into start-up stress, self-awareness, and sustainable self-care — as well as the power of mundane mindfulness. Learn mo...

A survey of midlife women found that 66% of us feel only "somewhat in control" of our health while nearly 90% describe their stress levels as "moderate to high." Sound familiar?! In this episode, Rachael + Jennifer consider why nearly half of all women, ages 30 to 60, aren’t taking time for health (including getting regular screenings) and share what they were doing (pre-pandemic) to put themselve...

Even before the pandemic, men and women were changing their minds about breadwinning — and yet, new studies find that women are still left holding the bag when it comes to homeschooling. Stephanie Coontz, director of research and public education for the Council on Contemporary Families, joins Jennifer to consider the pandemic’s impact on family dynamics. Spoiler alert: “Men and women are happier...

Employee surveys find that nearly everyone likes receiving feedback. Indeed, “people believe constructive criticism is essential to their career development,” says one report. In this episode, Rachael + Jennifer consider the research behind constructive criticism and positive encouragement — and why it matters so much how you do both. Please rate, review and subscribe to The Breadwinners anywhere...

Oddly enough, workplace policies created by straight white men for straight white men without caregiving responsibilities don’t seem to be working these days. In this episode, Julie Kashen, director of Women's Economic Justice and senior fellow at the Century Foundation, joins Rachael to talk about our nation’s approach to child care — and why it's time for change. “We all need to come together to...

Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, stress and tragedy — but how do we find resilience in the first place? In this episode, Rachael + Jennifer consider the research into skills resilient people use to get up, dust themselves off and step forward during difficult times — and what we can learn for our own lives. Please rate, review and su...

Studies suggest Black women may be almost twice as likely to experience infertility as White women — and much less likely to seek medical help to get pregnant, let alone talk openly about it. In this episode, media executive Kim Sealy shares her infertility story with Jennifer. From the costs of IVF to the sadness of miscarriages to the stress of responding to her Caribbean family’s traditional vi...

We’ve all experienced a toxic workplace — but have you ever stepped up to speak out about the problems you see? In this episode, Rachael + Jennifer consider the research regarding employee voice — the phenomenon of workers speaking up when they see or hear something that troubles them — and what happens when we all feel silenced. Please rate, review and subscribe to The Breadwinners anywhere you l...

It’s never good news when HR unexpectedly joins a meeting with your manager — and such was the case for Betty Wong Ortiz, editor extraordinaire, who like millions of others was laid off at the start of the pandemic. In this episode, Betty shares her job search story with Jennifer — and how being honest on LinkedIn led to a viral post of 23,000 views as well as a supportive network of connections a...

Ever read a job description and immediately decide it’s not for you based on the language alone? We certainly have. In this episode, Rachael + Jennifer consider the research and impact of coded language in job descriptions — and how we can hire better. Are you on the job hunt? We'd love to hear your story at TheBreadwinnerspodcast.com. Please rate, review and subscribe to The Breadwinners anywhere...

Even before they got pregnant, Stephanie and Ethan Huckel started talking about breadwinning — as in who would be the primary earner for their family and who would take the lead on caregiving. Today, that conversation continues as Stephanie leads on the work front and Ethan leads at home. In this episode, Rachael and the Huckels consider the research regarding breadwinning, ubiquitous messaging ar...

We know that sleep is good for us — and who doesn’t love a day off? And yet, both are so much harder to come by when you’re demanding systemic change on day 4,325 of a COVID pandemic. In this episode, Rachael + Jennifer consider the research regarding our need for rest, our inability to find time or space for ourselves right now, and why it's important to put our mental health on our to-do list. P...

Laura Mignott, master marketer and events entrepreneur, knows the answer. From the major events she produces to the brands she counsels to the podcast she hosts, Laura makes connections everywhere she goes. Today, she is sharing her best tips for growing a strong network in a new course, called One Degree of Connection. See link below. Please help us grow: Rate, review and subscribe to The Breadwi...

Take a moment and look at your LinkedIn contacts. How many look like you? In this episode, Jennifer + Rachael consider the research regarding cross-racial relationships, the unconscious biases we hold and the impact it has on who we recommend, mentor and hire. “Because of the racial context in which we're all living, if we want to have cross-racial relationships, part of what makes them successful...

As protest and pandemic overwhelm our news feeds, the power of language, storytelling and narrative-shaping has never been more apparent — or more important. Christina Blacken of The New Quo, a narrative intelligence consultancy, joins The Breadwinners to talk about how she works with leaders to connect with the values, emotions and needs of their listeners to get them where they need them to go —...

The conversation regarding #pandemic life has centered around maintaining motivation for work and school, but can we find inspiration as well? In this episode, Jennifer + Rachael consider how to reach for the stars when you can't go outside. Is it possible to create new ideas right now — or will we keep overworking ourselves in an effort to control an uncontrollable situation? (Asking for a friend...

Women not only earn less than men, we invest less too, meaning we miss the opportunity to grow our wealth on a scale larger than any paltry savings account interest rate can offer. Jennifer Barrett, chief education officer of Acorns, the savings and investing app, and founding editor of Grow, its personal finance magazine site targeting Millennials, joins Jennifer to talk about the messaging most...