vivian chen

Vivian Chen was always meant to be an entrepreneur.  

Growing up in an American Midwest immigrant family, Vivian discovered her passion for business at an early age coupled with a natural sense of urgency and ambition, channeling these traits to find work in the fashion and beauty industry. But when her friends started venturing into tech, Vivian found it immensely difficult to follow suit; during this period, she submitted over 150 applications with no responses.  

The challenges she encountered throughout her many job hunts led Vivian to create Rise and Heyo; two startups that help professionals across a variety of industries to make connections, showcase their abilities, and find meaningful work. In this conversation, Vivian talks about creating her own playbook as a woman of colour that has helped her to secure funding. We also cover the most important tips for increasing your productivity as an entrepreneur by embracing the freedom of working for yourself, and how to overcome unique challenges commonly faced by visible minorities in the startup space. 

Learn more about Rise and Heyo.

SPECIAL OFFER for our  listeners! Companies, get 1 free job post on Rise. Email hello@joinrise.co

In this episode, we cover:

• The unique entrepreneurship challenges faced by visible minorities
• Channeling pressure as a child of immigrants to succeed as an entrepreneur
• The importance of adopting a growth mindset
• The top tips in Vivian's playbook for persisting through periods of rejection
• Why your company shouldn't be a reflection of you

Quote of the Week:

“I've stuck to my guns in finding people who believe in me. [Securing funding is] about finding the unicorn who will want to be on my side." - Vivian Chen 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "Cylinder Three," "Short Song 012323," "You Fiddle, I'll Burn Rome,"  "I'll Stay Here Tonight," "The Oceans Continue to Rise," "Out of the Skies, Under the Earth," "Pick Up a Convict On Alcatraz."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

The following guests sits down with host Justin White:

•   Vivian Chen – Mortgage Broker, Exceed Lending
•   Chris Pell – Chief Operating Officer, Garden State Home Loans


Self-Employed Borrowers Require More Attention to Detail

They are entrepreneurs, small business owners and side hustlers. Self-employed borrowers are becoming more common in today’s mortgage landscape. How can you create a seamless experience for your non-W2 borrowers and for yourself? Tune into Episode #13 of Good. Better. Broker. as we talk with two mortgage brokers who have tried-and-true systems in place for getting their self-employed borrowers to the finish line of the loan process.

In this episode of the Good. Better. Broker. podcast, you’ll learn tips on how to originate non-W2 borrower loans more efficiently.


In this episode, we discuss ...

•   1:45 – Why the pre-approval process is key to Vivian’s success with S/E borrowers
•   3:42 – Why Vivian has designated pre-approval specialists
•   4:52 – How Vivian explains pre-approvals to S/E borrowers
•   6:18 – How Vivian leverages relationships with CPAs
•   8:11 – How Vivian sets up their files for success with underwriting
•   10:33 – How Vivian trains her team members to work S/E borrower files
•   12:15 – Vivian’s advice for originating S/E borrower loans more efficiently
•   14:04 – Why Chris emphasizes communication with S/E borrowers
•   15:26 – Chris explains the importance of learning about a S/E borrower’s business
•   17:33 – How Chris sets up S/E borrower files for success
•   19:10 – Why it’s important to have your most experienced team members work these files
•   22:10 – How borrowers having different income sources affects loan originators
•   24:34 – Chris’ advice for becoming more efficient at originating S/E borrower loans

Show Contributors:

Vivian Chen

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Chris Pell

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Justin White is UWM’s in-house brand journalist and the host of the daily news video, Inside Pass. He creates engaging content across multiple platforms to promote the benefits of the wholesale channel and partnering with UWM. A seven-time Emmy-award winner, Justin is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

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