INVISIBLE LABOR with Rachel Wynn: Running a feminist business and real strategies for equity at home
Julie and Casey chat with DC-based multipreneur, feminist business coach, and invisible labor expert Rachel Wynn about the feminine economy, the difference between emotional and invisible labor, who cleans out the fridge, and simple strategies for a division of labor at home that doesn’t make you resent your partner. Along the way, they learn about the time when the USA had nationalized childcare and the definition of F.L.E.B.
TOP TAKEAWAYS:
The Feminine Economy proposes a new model for doing business based in feminist principles: collaboration, interdependence, generosity, and equity.
The US has a TERRIBLE track record of policies that actually help working women, pregnant people, and working families, but it wasn’t always the case.
The phrase "emotional labor" was coined by sociologist Arlie Hochschild in her 1983 book The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling, and refers to "a situation where the way a person manages his or her emotions is regulated by a work-related entity in order to shape the state of mind of another individual, such as a customer.”
Invisible labor refers to unpaid work that goes unnoticed, unacknowledged, and thus, unregulated. In recent years, “invisible labor” has become shorthand for the household maintenance and child-rearing activities that women, primarily in cisgender, heterosexual relationships, find themselves bearing the brunt of.
This common usage gets its roots from the work of Berkeley sociologist Arlie Hochschild, says Cherry. Even as more women began working outside the home in the latter half of the 20th century, Hochschild found they were still picking up the bulk of household and childcare duties when they got home after their "official" work day. In 1989, Hochschild coined the term "the second shift" to describe that extra labor, which was generally unpaid and unrecognized.
If you want to make a shift in the division of labor in your household, it’s important to acknowledge the cultural factors at play and how society reinforces traditional gender roles (i.e. many men aren’t taught how to do these things, but they can learn!). Then you can get clear on exactly what needs done (make a list!), and when dividing that list, make sure that it’s equitable (it’s not about the NUMBER of tasks, it’s about the frequency and duration).
Division of labor issues doesn’t just affect cisgender, heterosexual couples, or families with children. These principles apply to all types of relationships, including roommates and business partners.
Resources from Rachel: The Feminine Economy Model, Emma - You Should Have Asked, Overwhelmed
Rachel Wynn is a creative entrepreneur and founder of Starlight Social (est. 2015) where she and her team of 5 amazing women help businesses and brands implement social media and influencer strategies to drive website traffic, engagement, and follower growth.
While scaling her first business, Rachel launched Feminist Founder (est. 2016), where she offers feminist business coaching to help women get clarity on their dream entrepreneur lifestyle and create more balance in their homes through invisible labor consulting.
Wynn earned her B.A. in Business, Media, and Communications from Gettysburg College and has extensive experience in sales, event planning, and community management. She currently lives in a DC co-op near Malcolm X Park with her partner, David, and dog-child, Rufus on Piscataway territory that was stolen from the Nacotchtanks during North American colonization.