Utility Function: Define What You Value

So many women grow up hearing that we should be able to have it all, yet very few of us are ever shown what that actually looks like in real life.

In this episode, Emily welcomes Corinne Lowe, an associate professor of Business Economics and Public Policy. 

Corinne shares insights from her book, Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours, which examines gender wage gaps, structural discrimination, and the pressures women face when balancing career, family, and personal life.

This conversation focuses on redefining success in a way that truly fits your values, being more intentional with your time, and finding fulfillment on your own terms. You’ll also come away with practical strategies for workplace negotiations, rethinking productivity, and creating a more sustainable balance between work and life.

Listen and Learn: 

• How structural barriers limit women’s career and wage growth, and encourage redefining success by focusing on personal fulfillment and leveling up within those realities
• How women face systemic workplace barriers that collectively limit their opportunities and earnings, and why addressing these issues benefits everyone
• Debunking myths about women’s performance, showing that traits like negotiation skill and competitiveness are not inferior, and that focusing on evidence-based skill-building is what truly drives success
• Understanding and prioritizing your own “utility function” to help women focus on what matters to them, rather than constantly comparing themselves to others
• How to rethink your career as a tool for turning time into meaningful fulfillment, balance life’s chapters intentionally, and confidently understand your market value to make work serve you
• Reclaiming your time, setting boundaries, and making intentional choices to focus on what truly brings joy and meaning to your family and life, instead of being trapped by guilt, obligation, or unrealistic expectations
• Reframing parenting and self-care as “human capital” investment, showing how the time and care you give to your children and to yourself is meaningful, economically valuable, and essential for long-term wellbeing

Resources: 

• Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours: https://bookshop.org/a/30734/9781250369512
• Corrine’s Website: https://www.corinnelow.com 
• Connect with Corrine on Social Media: 
• https://www.instagram.com/corinnelowphd/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinne-low
• https://www.facebook.com/people/Corinne-Low 
• Read More About Corrine’s Work on Substack: https://corinnelow.substack.com/ 

About Corinne Low

Corinne Low is an Associate Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she teaches an award-winning class (and was named one of Poets and Quants 40 MBA Professors under 40 in 2024). Her research on the economics of gender has been published in top journals such as the American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, and Journal of Political Economy. Corinne and her work have been featured in major media outlets, such as The New York Times, CBS Mornings, Forbes, New York Magazine, and The Guardian. Corinne regularly speaks to and advises firms in addition to teaching in Wharton’s Executive Education programs. She is the author of Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women's Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University, her B.S. in Economics and Public Policy from Duke University and formerly worked for McKinsey and Company.

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