The Modern Load is a podcast about the hidden weight of modern life, and how we carry it.
Hosted by Sophie Bruce, each episode explores how we were raised, how we’re raising now, and what today’s world is really asking of parents and professionals alike.
These are honest, relaxed conversations with founders, leaders, and high-performers - blending humour, reflection, and real-life experience. No scripts, no perfect answers - just stories that make you think, laugh, and feel a little less alone in it all.
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Can you build an ambitious business and still be the parent and partner you want to be?
In this episode of the Modern Load Podcast (MOLO), host Sophie Bruce is joined by Alex Brees, founder of Unheard Music, a platform helping independent artists access the marketing insight and opportunities traditionally reserved for major labels.
Alex shares his journey from physiology and data analysis to Universal Music, entrepreneurship and an appearance on Dragons’ Den. But behind the business growth is a more complicated reality: raising two very young children, supporting two ambitious careers and learning how sustained pressure can show up physically.
Together, Sophie and Alex explore why work-life balance may be the wrong goal, how couples can share the load without forcing everything to be 50/50, and why honest communication matters more than keeping score.
This is an open conversation about ambition, parenting, founder pressure, anxiety, sacrifice and building a family life that works for everyone involved.
What we cover:
- Why traditional work-life balance may not exist for founders - Learning to leave the to-do list unfinished - How saying no can create more time for family, health and business - The pressure of building a company over several intense years - How stress and anxiety can manifest physically - Why investing in yourself supports better parenting and leadership - Alex’s upbringing, family separation and relationship with his parents - How sport developed resilience, confidence and an appetite for risk - Raising children with ambition without creating excessive pressure - Managing two young children alongside two demanding careers - Why parenting does not always need to be split equally - The difference between equal parenting and intentional parenting - How resentment grows when couples do not communicate openly - The challenge of leaving work early as a founder and father - Modern parenting pressure, comparison and social media - Why both parents having ambitious careers changes the family dynamic - The transition from saying yes to protecting your time - What Alex learned from appearing on Dragons’ Den - Why reliability, hard work and trusting your instincts still matter
Chapters:
00:00 – Introducing Alex Brees 02:10 – Does work-life balance really exist? 06:00 – Making “no” the default 09:20 – A chaotic day and the reality of the mental load 13:00 – When founder pressure becomes physical 18:00 – Therapy, self-investment and high performance 23:10 – Childhood, football and growing up in the North 28:10 – Parental separation and becoming independent 33:30 – What Alex is bringing into his own parenting 38:00 – Ambition without pressure 43:00 – Managing two young children and two careers 48:20 – Sacrifice, partnership and supporting each other 53:30 – The difficulty of leaving work early as a founder 58:15 – Returning to work and sharing the practical load 01:03:00 – How modern parenting differs from the past 01:08:00 – Social media, comparison and parenting pressure 01:13:20 – Equal parenting versus intentional parenting 01:18:00 – Resentment, communication and creating space to talk 01:22:30 – Alex’s first job and the value of reliability 01:27:00 – When to say yes and when to say no 01:31:30 – Trusting your instincts as a founder 01:35:30 – Dragons’ Den and performing under pressure 01:41:00 – Final reflections
Why does carrying everything yourself eventually stop working, at home and in business?
In this episode of the Modern Load Podcast (MOLO), host Sophie Bruce is joined by Dr Vivienne Heyhoe, a certified exit planning advisor who helps established business owners transform owner-dependent companies into sellable assets.Vivienne brings a unique perspective shaped by her background in medicine, finance, JP Morgan, entrepreneurship, family business and motherhood. Together, Sophie and Vivienne explore the parallels between running a business and running a household, and why both become harder when everything depends on one person.
The conversation covers the pressure modern parents face, the invisible planning load often carried at home, the importance of systems, and why stepping back is not a failure, but often the thing that creates more freedom, resilience and value.This is an honest, practical conversation about family life, burnout, business ownership, delegation, identity and learning not to be needed all the time.
What we cover:
Vivienne’s upbringing in a family of six and how it shaped her independence
Her career journey from medicine to finance, technology and exit planning
Why flexibility became a key part of how she built work and family life
The similarities between owner-led businesses and modern households
Why being “needed” can become part of our identity
How systems create freedom at home and at work
The planning weight many women still carry in family life
Why modern parenting feels more intense than previous generations
The pressure to be present for everything
How burnout shows up gradually in business owners and parents
Why delegation is not just about removing tasks, but reducing dependency
The importance of refuelling yourself before supporting everyone else
How to use energy, strengths and structure to spread the load
Why trust sits at the heart of business, parenting and partnership
Chapters:
00:00 – Introducing Dr Vivienne Heyhoe
S01 EP04: Emmie Faust
Thursday, May 21, 2026 • Duration 42:26
What does modern family life really feel like when both work and home are always switched on?
In this episode of the Modern Load Podcast (MOLO), host Sophie Bruce is joined by Emmie Faust - mum of four, founder of Female Founders Rise, micro-angel investor, and creator of the Rise Report on female entrepreneurship.
Emmie reflects on the difference between the structured, traditional upbringing she experienced and the fast-paced, always-on reality of raising children today. From boarding school and family job charts to London life, entrepreneurship, childcare, school admin, phones, extracurricular chaos and the invisible logistics of running a household, this is a thoughtful and honest conversation about the modern load in action.
What we cover:
- Growing up with clear family roles and expectations
- What changes when both parents work
- Why modern family life can feel like a logistics operation
- The invisible work behind school, childcare and household admin
- How Emmie and Alex reshaped responsibility after burnout
- The idea of taking turns to “shine” in your career
- Why work-life balance feels different for entrepreneurs
- The reality of building a business while raising children
- The pressure children face today
- Social media, phones and teenage independence
- Childcare, female entrepreneurship and the wider economy
Chapters:
00:00 – Introducing Emmie Faust
01:10 – Growing up in a traditional family structure
03:20 – Education, pressure and early expectations
06:00 – Boarding school and independence
S01 EP03: Stacey van den Aardweg
Season 1 · Episode 3
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 • Duration 44:22
Why does the mental load feel invisible, until it’s overwhelming?
In this episode of the Modern Load Podcast (MOLO), host Sophie Bruce is joined by Stacey van den Aardweg to unpack the unseen weight carried across work, home, and everything in between.
Stacey shares her perspective on how the mental load shows up day-to-day — from managing households and careers to the constant background processing that never really switches off. The conversation explores why this load is so often misunderstood, how it impacts relationships, and what needs to change to create a more balanced way of living.
This is an honest, practical conversation about awareness, ownership, and the systems we need to rethink.
What we cover:
What the “mental load” actually is — and why it’s often invisible
How the load builds across work, home, and relationships
Why it’s not just about tasks — but responsibility and anticipation
The emotional impact of carrying the load long-term
How relationships are affected by imbalance
Why awareness is the first step to change
Practical ways to better distribute responsibility
The role of communication, expectation setting, and ownership
Why modern life amplifies the pressure
Chapters:
00:00 – Introducing the mental load
01:18 – What people get wrong about it
03:05 – Tasks vs responsibility
05:12 – The invisible work behind the scenes
07:40 – How the load builds over time
09:15 – Emotional impact and burnout
11:02 – Relationships and imbalance
13:24 – Why it often goes unnoticed
S01 EP02: Jo Living
Season 1 · Episode 2
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 • Duration 38:47
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
S01 EP01: Antonia Walt
Season 1 · Episode 1
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 • Duration 37:53
What does it really mean to carry the modern load?
In this episode of the Modern Load Podcast (MOLO), host Sophie Bruce sits down with Antonia Redgrove to unpack the reality of balancing career, parenting, and everything in between.
Antonia shares her journey growing up in a family of nine, how that shaped her drive for independence, and what happens when ambition meets the realities of modern parenthood. From navigating childcare, career progression, and societal expectations — to the mental load that never switches off — this is an honest, grounded conversation about how people are actually making it work today.
If you’re building a career, raising a family, or simply trying to stay on top of it all… this one will hit.
What we cover:
The reality of the “modern load” and why it feels so overwhelming
How childhood shapes ambition, work ethic, and financial independence
The transition into parenthood — and the loss (and return) of independence
The mental load of managing work, home, and everything in between
Why modern parenting feels harder than ever
The impact of tech, expectations, and always-on culture
Practical ways couples divide responsibilities (and where it breaks down)
Rethinking ambition after becoming a parent
Chapters:
00:00 – Parenthood and the shock to independence
01:32 – Growing up in a family of nine
03:14 – Financial shifts and changing family dynamics
05:12 – Early independence and work ethic
07:25 – Freedom, money, and autonomy
09:23 – Transition into parenthood
11:40 – Navigating work, childcare, and logistics
01:20 – Growing up in a family of six
04:00 – Independence, attention and childhood dynamics
07:15 – Family roles and early ideas of work
10:30 – Career pivots from medicine to finance
14:10 – Building a life around flexibility
17:20 – From family business to exit planning
20:45 – Why businesses and households need systems
24:30 – Organised chaos and family structure
28:00 – Parenting as a team sport
31:10 – Planning weight and invisible responsibility
35:00 – Modern parenting pressure and expectations
39:20 – The guilt of always being available
43:00 – Building emotional openness at home
46:30 – Why modern family life feels so full
50:00 – Refuelling yourself as a parent
54:15 – Learning not to be needed all the time
58:00 – Burnout in business and family life
01:02:00 – Decision fatigue and delegation
01:05:30 – What Vivienne’s first job taught her
01:08:00 – Final reflections
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08:45 – Family jobs, simplicity and childhood routines
11:20 – How modern family life feels different
14:00 – Running a household like a logistics operation
16:30 – Splitting responsibility as parents
19:40 – Burnout, recovery and changing the family dynamic
22:30 – Taking turns to shine in your career
25:00 – Entrepreneurship, parenting and switching off
28:10 – Why modern life feels so much busier
31:20 – Moving out of London and coming back
35:00 – Children, resilience and disruption
38:00 – Pressure on children today
41:00 – Independence, parties and parental worry
44:00 – Women, work, childcare and entrepreneurship
48:00 – The digital demands of modern family life
51:00 – Phones, social media and teenage communication
55:00 – Emmie’s first job and financial independence
