Why I Quit Being the Breadwinner (And My Marriage Got Better) with Brian Page

Dads Interrupted

What if running your home like a business could bring more love, peace, and partnership into your marriage?

In this powerhouse conversation, certified Fair Play© facilitator and founder of Modern Husbands, Brian Page, shares the systems, mindset shifts, and real-life hacks that transformed his marriage from survival mode to thriving teamwork. We talk about ditching outdated gender roles, redefining what it means to provide, and how to stop micromanaging each other into burnout.

With humor, depth, and practical tools, Brian pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to build a home life that supports your dreams — not drains them.

Topics include:

• Why “helping” at home isn’t the same as taking ownership
• The Fair Play© system and how it eliminates resentment
• Ditching gendered tasks: how to think like a team, not a stereotype
• A father’s money story — and how it shaped a new legacy
• Real hacks for managing domestic labor (yes, there's a spreadsheet involved)

Takeaway:

You don’t have to choose between being a strong provider and an engaged partner. You can be both — especially when you install the right systems, stop chasing approval, and start building the life you and your partner actually want.

About Brian Page

Brian Page is the founder of Modern Husbands and a nationally recognized personal finance educator, Fair Play facilitator, and advocate for modern marriage systems. With over 15 years of experience teaching economics and personal finance — and a slew of honors including being named a CNN Money Hero and a Milken Foundation award recipient — Brian blends practical expertise with lived experience.

He’s Fair Play Certified®, holds a Master’s in Education, and has served as a consultant to institutions like the Wharton School, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Next Gen Personal Finance.

Married since 2002, Brian and his wife — an executive in the financial sector — have three kids and have traded roles as breadwinner and caregiver. His work helps couples rebalance the load at home, strengthen their partnership, and design a life built on teamwork, not tradition.

Grab resources and connect with Brian here: Modern Husbands

About the Host:

Hi, I'm Fred Van Riper—husband, father, former construction professional, and creator of the Connection Architecture Process. I help growth-oriented leaders become more clear, confident, and connected through transformational leadership development.

I work with leaders who are successful on paper but know there's another level available—leaders who want to architect genuine connection rather than hope for it. Whether you're leading teams, building businesses, or navigating the complexities of modern fatherhood, everything starts with how you lead yourself.

This podcast explores the intersection of leadership, connection, and authentic living. No corporate fluff. No outdated "authority" models. Just real conversations about the invisible forces that shape how we show up—and practical tools to transform them.

My approach combines unconventional methods with proven frameworks because breakthrough moments happen when we bypass the analytical mind and access our authentic leadership wisdom. Think leadership archaeology, emotional weather systems, and connection as a competitive advantage.

Ready to go deeper?

The Connection Blueprint is my flagship 3-week leadership development experience launching September 2025. This live "course" is designed for leaders who see connection skills as leadership development, not crisis management. Reserve your spot here.

Want immediate insight? Book a free Strategy Call to explore how the Connection Architecture Process applies to your specific leadership challenges.

Looking for resources you can dive into right now? Check out my complete toolkit.

Everything begins with how you lead yourself. Your success, how you handle failure, conflict, and challenging emotions—it all connects back to how connected you are to yourself and others. Let's architect that connection together.

----

Disclaimer: The content contained herein is for inspirational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Nowhere in this podcast do we diagnose or treat a viewer/listener with any kind of psychological, mental, emotional or physical disorder as might be diagnosed and treated by a personal psychologist or other professional advisor. The content is not intended to be a substitute for working with a therapist but is for the purpose of educating the viewer about new approaches to working on personal problems. Viewers/listeners should use this podcast at their own risk, with the understanding that we are not liable for its impact or effect on its users. Viewing/listening to the podcast does not form a practitioner/client relationship between the viewer/listener.