H.A. Hang: Corinne Low

The coolest part of our business has always been our clients. We’re amazed by all they do: CEOs and business owners, world travelers, authors, inventors, healers, entrepreneurs, newscasters, artists, pro athletes, musicians, caretakers, and philanthropists. 

We launched this series to share the stories of our clients and form connections within the H.A. community. Enjoy!

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Home Appétit: Your most recent book, Having It All, is a national best-seller. Where did the idea come from?
Corinne Low: My book started with the research question "Why am I so tired all the time?" At that time in my life, I was married to a man, commuting from New York to Philadelphia, feeling like I was falling behind at work, and carrying too much at home. I started looking at the data and realized it wasn’t just me! Women were more squeezed than ever before, by structural forces that had made gender roles converge in the workplace, but not at home, leaving us winning the bread and baking it. Add in the fact that parenting has grown much more intensive over time—working moms today are spending more time with their kids than stay-at-home moms in the 70s. It just doesn’t add up.

You teach an award-winning class on the intersection of economics and gender discrimination. How did you get into this area?
I always felt like women’s issues deserved to be studied with the same seriousness and rigorous data as other issues. How we raise children and balance fertility and career concerns across the lifecycle and get dinner on the table between calls are all fundamentally economic issues and economists should study them.

How did you end up in Philadelphia?
I grew up in Chicago, moved to New York for grad school, and then got my job at Wharton. Due to balancing family needs, I commuted to Philly for the first seven years, which was really hard. I finally made the move here about four years ago (after making some big life changes!) and life has never been better!

What’s the big philosophy you share in the book?
My book is a little bit of an answer to Lean In, because our message to women who are faced with impossible juggling has too often been “just try harder!” My book says, look, it’s not you, it’s the system, but I want to give you agency to improve your life anyway. My philosophy, using the tools of economics, is not just about maximizing career success, but maximizing utility—the sum total of your joy, happiness and fulfillment over a lifetime. That puts your career in perspective because your job brings you utility mostly through converting your time into money, to buy things. But if you convert all your time into money, you miss out on a ton of utility from other ways we spend our time—with loved ones, doing things we enjoy or taking care of ourselves. The concept of utility gives us back control over our time from the constant drive to be productive—we get to say "I spent an hour reading a good book, I was so productive this afternoon! I made so much utility."

What’s the thing that surprised you most about your research for the book (and that would surprise us)?
How short the period I call “The Squeeze” is. It's when all the time pressures from young kids and young careers collide at once. Looking at data on how women spend their time across the lifecycle, this period hits like a tornado and then it dissipates. So, when I’m providing strategies to get through "The Squeeze," one of the surprising things I tell people is that it doesn’t have to be sustainable! It’s temporary and this period will pass. That means everything from potentially spending more money to make your life easier to accepting more mess and imperfection than you’d like to. I’d love to be the person with herbs on my windowsill that I snip for a farm-to-table dinner every night—and maybe I will be one day, but not right now.

You’ve been promoting the book over the past few months. Any appearances or events that stand out as especially memorable?
I got to do so many fun things and share the research and ideas in the book with so many amazing women. It was also very challenging, because I had a baby a few months before the book came out, so I was pumping in planes, trains and automobiles. Two things that stand out: I got to talk about my research at a breakfast hosted by Gloria Steinem in her legendary apartment in New York. And I went on CBS Mornings with Gayle King. She came to the dressing room with my book full of post-its and mark-ups. I also got to do an event with US Soccer and bring my 9-year-old, who is a huge soccer fan and was finally impressed with my work.

What’s coming up that you’re most excited about in 2026? How can readers continue to follow your work?
I’m trying to maximize my utility and slow down a little this year, after a jam-packed 2025. I’m trying to take my own advice and say no to certain things that sound like great opportunities but will over-stuff my calendar or take me away from my family. I also have exciting research in progress that I neglected a little while on my book tour that I’ve been diving back into. But folks who want to stay in touch can find me on Substack and check out the resources on my website, corinnelow.com.

You live in West Philly, what are some of your favorite local businesses and organizations?
There's a great vintage and gift boutique owned by a friend, Manzanita, the best Ethiopian food at Abyssinia, and amazing Laotian food at Vientiane Cafe.

I’m also a nature girl, so you can find me in the Wissahickon, Morris Arboretum, Bartram’s Garden, or The Woodlands. I also love supporting businesses that provide “first step” employment for folks exiting incarceration–if you haven’t tried Down North Pizza, it is the real deal, and Triple Bottom Brewing provides amazing beer and employment opportunities.