How does your work affect your relationships? How does your relationship affect your work? The answers might surprise you. We pulled together some of our favorite podcast episodes that help us think about the two together, whether directly or indirectly. To quote nearly every rom-rom: It’s complicated.
Equal Partners, Unequal Paychecks
She Makes Money Moves
Equally dividing work between couples can generate frustration—and it’s easy to see why. Nowadays, fewer and fewer homes are split between a breadwinner and a homemaker; everyone has a career, a side-hustle, a passion that can put a lot of stress on the relationship. This is especially difficult for women, who are finally stepping out of beyond-out-dated gender norms and into the professional world with an urgent drive for success. But those tired expectations can still leak into relationships, and even without that, building a career and a relationship is a tall order—even for our kickass readers. This podcast helps to mitigate conflicts and stress with tips on balancing personal and professional needs.
Couples That Work
Women at Work
Mainstream media paints a less-than-pretty picture of dual-income couples, focusing on arguments, career rivalries, and the struggles of overcoming traditional gender power dynamics. But in many cases, two-career relationships end up being much sunnier, with each partner being able to take more risks in their own career because of their stability at home. (Woohoo!) Here, Women at Work digs into this new and modern norm, one that’s still forming but has already has some excellent examples of supportive partnerships for us to learn from.
Microaggressions, Invisible Labor & Women’s Anger, with Gemma Hartley and Sarah Cooper
The Fairer Cents
It’s hard to be a feminist without, frankly, getting seriously pissed off sometimes. Women have made incredible gains in the workforce, yet things like the pay gap and workplace harassment persist. For stay-at-home moms, it can be frustrating when spouses don’t understand the difficulties that come along with raising kids as a full-time job. In this podcast, emotional labor expert Gemma Hartley and comedian Sarah Cooper rant about all of our feminist woes in what is truly the most cathartic and powerful 30 minutes of your day.
Wolfpack
Being Boss
Friendships in the workplace—whether in a corporate setting or in a coworking space—are cited as one of the most important aspects of professional success, especially for women. The hosts of Being Boss refer to this core group as a wolfpack and explain how to form a group of gals who will support, motivate, and inspire you. They go over networking, community-building, and creating an inclusive group that still keeps out people with negative energy. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or work a 9-to-5, you should give this one a listen.
No Partner, No Kids, No Problem
Women at Work
If there’s one thing to take away from this podcast, it’s that you’ve gotta own your single-ness and be proud of it! Especially around the holidays, single working women tend to be unnecessarily hard on themselves. Others—whether concerned family members or nosey coworkers—can make assumptions about their personal lives and judge them. Women at Work shows us that these spectators have got it all wrong. There are several benefits to be reaped from being single, and single women often have the most meaningful familial relationships, lasting friendships, and busiest lives.
Does Your Boss Know You’re Gay
Nancy
Nancy is an LGBTQ-focused podcast that doesn’t always cover work, but this episode is part of Nancy’s Out at Work series, wherein listeners call in to tell their stories about being, well, out at work. This episode talks about how common it is for employees to hide their queerness to some extent and how lack of legislation affects relationships LGBTQ employees build. Follow this episode with this one or this.
Trust Your Body
Dear Sugars
This is one of the most heartwarming podcast episodes I’ve listened to; every woman who has struggled with body image needs to hear it. The hosts of Dear Sugars delve into the unrealistic societal standards of health and weight that women are often subjected to. Although this topic strikes a nerve for so many women, they navigate it with great empathy and emotion. The Sugars talk about the Body Positivity movement, dieting, and the mindset necessary for cultivating a positive self-image and healing from self-criticism. If you’re ever feeling down on yourself, realize that 1) you are beautiful as you are right now and 2) that this podcast will help you understand that.
Happily Divorced
Where Should We Begin?
Divorce can be daunting for many reasons, but it doesn’t always have to be messy. Happy families can remain happy families even if spouses no longer live together, and in fact this is often the case. While divorce is often regarded as a last resort, it can leave both partners feeling much more satisfied with the quality of their lives while still appreciating the love they had for their former partner. In this episode of Where Should We Begin, Esther Perel interviews a divorced couple who has had an amicable separation; one which has only strengthened their family.
A Conversation With Diane
This is Gonna Hurt: Widows Mentoring Widows
Rebuilding community and strengthening social ties are some of the best steps to take toward healing as a widow. This episode discusses rediscovering passions, soul-searching, and volunteering as means of finding happiness after the recent loss of a spouse. If you or a loved one is in a similar situation, A Conversation With Diane is a helpful listen.
The Triangle’s Sharpest Point
Modern Love
Love is all about choices and sacrifices, but there is a fine line between selflessness and self-destruction. In this episode of “Modern Love,” Ingrid Maitland reflects on the death of her lover, which left his daughter of a previous marriage an orphan. Maitland had to choose whether to adopt this child—8-year-old Emma—who had never welcomed her into her life, or to allow the responsibility to fall on her extended family. It was simply assumed that she would fall into the role that was expected of her, and yet, Maitland knew adoption wasn’t the right decision. She had a career and goals of her own; life was far too busy to add Emma into the equation. Ingrid didn’t make the most selfless choice, yet it is one she never looks back on with regret. It’s important to weigh the benefits and consequences of decisions, even when it comes to love.
How To Create The Relationship You Want
I Do
This episode emphasizes the I in “relationship.” The hosts of I Do discuss the ways to maintain independence in a relationship and how to avoid codependency. Oftentimes, partners expect to receive their happiness from their partner, forgetting that they are—and should always be—in charge of their own fulfillment. A relationship composed of two complete individuals is more satisfying than one composed of individuals who complete each other. This episode is perspective-changing and provides concrete advice on how to better your relationship and manage conflict.
Jenny Slate on not allowing relationships to define you
UnStyled
Refinery 29’s weekly podcast Unstyled often touches on topics of life, work, and love, and this episode with comedian Jenny Slate perfectly intermingles that last two. Known for her offbeat sense of humor, Slate discusses how her breakups have shaped both her and her career, what it was like when she left SNL, and how she’s continuing to grow and thrive.
