Meet Eve Chen | serial entrepreneur, veteran revenue marketer, author, and single mom

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eve Chen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eve, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
As a single mom juggling multiple businesses while raising my daughter, the concept of “work-life balance” has evolved significantly over time for me. Early on, I tried to compartmentalize – working set hours and then shifting my full attention home. However, the realities of entrepreneurship and single parenthood made a rigid separation impossible.

I’ve found more success embracing a blending philosophy – integrating my daughter and my work as much as possible rather than viewing them as competing priorities. This has accelerated her maturity; at just 11 year old, she already aspires to become a computer engineer and a video game designer and join me at our software company MOD Commerce. I take my daughter to business meetings when appropriate, involve her in brainstorming sessions, and take advantage of flexible remote work policies to be present during key school and extracurricular activities. This blending approach has been fulfilling for both of us and helped me avoid burnout.

Of course, balance remains a constant challenge. My priorities are always shifting – whether it’s a business deadline or speaking engagements related to my two published books, or new obligations with my daughter. But I’ve accepted that some level of controlled chaos is inevitable as a single mom entrepreneur and author. The pandemic provided an unexpected blessing – normalizing flexible work and allowing me to better integrate parenting.

Ultimately, I’ve stopped striving for a rigid work-life separation, as blending has been a more authentic fit. Staying flexible and communicating openly about my needs as a single parent has allowed me to take on so many ventures successfully over the years.

What should our readers know about your business?
I run a revenue performance consulting firm, The Growth Engine, providing strategic and tactical marketing services to help businesses of all sizes grow. But the venture I’m most excited about is the startup I recently joined, MOD Commerce – a total technology solution provider for all things commerce, founded by my business partner Craig in Australia. Craig brought me on as a partner to complement his engineering and technical expertise with my marketing, operations and leadership strengths. The last 18 months have been a whirlwind scaling up MOD and raising our first round of funding. As a single mom juggling my consulting firm and this rocket-ship startup, I’ve had to master time management and tap into fierce determination. But the steep learning curve has been so rewarding, both as an entrepreneur and as a role model for my daughter.
What sets MOD apart is we go beyond software to provide an integrated solution managing all aspects of modern retail – from omnichannel sales to logistics and fulfillment. With over 20 years combined experience in retail and tech, Craig saw mom-and-pop shops struggling to move business online and compete in an Amazon era. He built MOD to offer the capabilities of enterprise platforms with the flexibility of a startup.

My priority has been translating Craig’s vision into commercial success – leading marketing, building a repeatable system to bring on new leveraging the success we have achieved for our early customer base, and telling our story to generate investor excitement. Together we make a great team – with aligned values and complementary skillsets to disrupt this trillion-dollar industry.

I’m proud of our scrappy bootstrapped beginnings and driven growth mindset, proud to lead a company baking values like equity into our tech, and excited to inspire other female leaders with my non-traditional path. As MOD enters hypergrowth, I can’t wait to see it become a globally dominant retail platform!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Forget bright lights, my friend – I’m taking you straight into nature’s rugged heart in good ole Colorado. Buckle up for a 6-hour thrill ride as we drive southwest into secluded forests, magical hot springs, and main street tacos that are simply divine.

First stop as we roll out of Denver is heading southwest to the artsy river town of Salida. We’ll stretch our legs strolling local galleries and craft breweries. Then we’ll continue on through cowboy country, passing ranches and open meadows in Cotopaxi on our way to Gunnison National Park. As we wind through the towering Black Canyon on Route 50, keep eyes peeled for bighorn sheep clinging to cliffs. Make sure that camera is ready to capture the breathtaking views! Next we’ll veer into the sweeping forests and mountains around Gunnison before the road takes us to our next destination.

Then comes the fun part – twisting up precarious mountain passes into the San Juan range. Snow-capped peaks tower above while the paved road narrows to a rugged track. And just when our nerves can’t take anymore hairpin turns…we reach nirvana. I’m talking Orvis Hot Springs – where clothing is optional but I insist on a swimsuit to avoid blinding you for life! We’ll unwind for hours, muscles melting in the revitalizing, 104-degrees-natural-steaminess.

When we’re famished, I’ll treat you to the taco joint of my dreams in Ridgway called GNAR. I swear I’ve driven 6 hours just to get my fix of their mushroom tacos with the perfect crunch. Then we’ll make our final stop to gawk at the glittering town of Ouray, famously known as the Switzerland of America. After all this peaceful natural splendor, Denver’s concrete jungle will feel like a different world entirely when we head home!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my entrepreneurial success to the two most important persons in my life – my brilliant 11-year-old daughter Maya, and my incredibly supportive partner Erik.

Maya inspires me daily with creativity, empathy, and a thirst for life that is exceptional for someone so young. Watching Maya grow into a kind, intelligent, dynamic young woman makes all the stress of balancing businesses and single parenthood worthwhile. Maya grounds me, pushes me to excel, and fills me with immense pride and love. I feel extremely blessed to be Maya’s mom and role model.

I also share this success with Erik, whose patience and steadfast support these past few years have meant everything as I recovered from divorce and poured myself into the entrepreneurial rollercoaster ride. Reopening my heart after so much pain initially seemed impossible, but Erik made me feel safe and cared for. He celebrates my business wins fully, yet holds me accountable when I need it. Most importantly, he loves and accepts Maya as his own. I feel so thankful to be tackling this adventure with my two favorite people by my side.

Website: MODCommerce.global

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evechen/