What if the key to navigating work, parenting, and pressure… was thinking more like a poker player?

In this episode of the Modern Load Podcast (MOLO), host Sophie Bruce is joined by Jo Living — entrepreneur, former investment banker, and founder of Aces High — to explore how risk, decision-making, and confidence show up in both business and family life.

From growing up in a high-achieving household to building and exiting a startup, Jo shares how her relationship with money, ambition, and independence has evolved — and how poker strategy became an unexpected lens for navigating high-stakes moments at work and at home.

This is a conversation about ownership, negotiation, and why trying to “do it all” might be the wrong game to play.

What we cover:

• Why the “modern load” is a systemic problem — not a personal failure
• How childhood shapes ambition, money mindset, and independence
• The reality of high-performance careers alongside parenting
• Why resentment builds in relationships — and how to fix it
• “Divide and conquer” vs trying to do everything together
• What poker teaches us about risk, confidence, and decision-making
• Why women hesitate to “play the hand” they’ve been dealt
• The pressure of being a high-achieving parent (and letting go of perfection)
• How to practically split the mental load in a relationship
• The role of tech, distraction, and always-on expectations

Chapters:

00:00 – Poker, parenting, and the modern load

01:01 – Meet Jo Living: entrepreneur, poker strategist, founder

02:30 – Growing up in a high-achieving family

04:00 – Financial shifts and early independence

05:03 – Investment banking and chasing money

05:42 – Walking away and becoming an entrepreneur

08:28 – Building and exiting a startup

09:40 – Cards, strategy, and discovering poker

12:12 – Winning her first poker tournament

13:26 – From poker table to business strategy

14:44 – Parenting, flexibility, and “divide & conquer”

16:09 – Burnout, self-care, and resetting under pressure

17:01 – Resentment and the imbalance of the load

18:21 – Careers, trade-offs, and real-world constraints

20:01 – The “perfect storm” of modern life

21:30 – Why couples misjudge the load (130% problem)

22:20 – Systemic failure vs individual blame

23:15 – Practical ways to split responsibilities

25:05 – Letting go of perfection in parenting

26:22 – Communication, negotiation, and partnership

28:14 – The myth of the “super mum”

30:24 – Parenting differences and decision-making

31:04 – Screen time, tech, and modern challenges

33:04 – Always-on culture and mental load

35:36 – Advice to younger self: know your value

36:49 – First job, money, and early lessons

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