9 to 5ish with theSkimm
9 to 5ish with theSkimm
theSkimm
Emily Oster on Turning a Missed Opportunity into a New Career
39 minutes Posted Mar 26, 2025 at 12:30 am.
0:00
39:17
Download MP3
Show notes
Before Emily Oster became a go-to parenting expert, she was an econ professor waiting on a tenure decision at the University of Chicago. While waiting, she published Expecting Better, a book that moms-to-be consider to be a parenting Bible. She got rejected for tenure, then spent over a decade believing the book was a “professional mistake”. Parents everywhere beg to differ. Listen as Emily shares how she moved past the disappointment  – and why it actually turned out to be the best thing for her career. 
In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Emily shares: 
Her weekly mileage as a marathoner (our legs are shaking)
Why she refers to herself as a “vagina economist” 
How her kids react when she tells them she’s a “parenting expert” 
Why she doesn’t shy away from disagreements around her research 
Who’ll benefit most from ParentData’s newest vertical 
Follow Emily on Instagram: @parentdata
Follow Carly and Danielle on Instagram: @carlyanddanielle
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices