The Inside Edition anchor shares how becoming a mom reshaped her perspective on work, family, and what she really wants her daughter to learn from watching her work.
Eva Pilgrim arrived in New York City in 2015 with plenty of ambition and optimism. “It was like a dream,” she says when reflecting on those early years. “I had a small studio apartment with what I called a ‘large bed closet’ — I thought I’d hit the jackpot. I was a young, single girl living in the city. It was an extremely fun time for me, filled with work, friends, great restaurants, along with major growth and learning.”
What followed was a career that took her from local newsrooms to national television: senior national correspondent for ABC News, co-anchor of GMA3: What You Need to Know, and now one of only four anchors in the history of Inside Edition. But it’s a different role that has impacted her life the most … being mom to four-year-old Ella.
At a Glance:
- How motherhood reshaped Eva Pilgrim’s approach to journalism
- Why she believes true balance is a myth, and what works instead
- Her daily work routine while raising a young child
- What she hopes her daughter learns from her career and life
- Her favorite New York moments as a mom
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Motherhood Changed Her Journalism
Eva says becoming a mother changed the way she sees the stories she tells, and that being a mom has helped her become a better journalist.
“I feel everything more deeply,” she explains. “It’s made telling hard stories harder. I see my responsibility in storytelling so differently now because, in many ways, becoming a mother grounds you.”
Yet, motherhood hasn’t dulled her journalist’s edge one bit. If anything, it’s sharpened it.“I think there is a practicality that comes with motherhood that shifted something in me and changed how I cover stories. I think it’s made me better at my job in so many ways I never would have imagined.”
The Myth Of Work-Life Balance
When it comes to balance, Eva doesn’t pretend it’s easy. “I think balance is impossible. It’s a carrot that if you chase, you’ll never be able to grab.” What she’s doing instead is trying to be present. “Having a young child, I’ve realized the thing I want is to be present in my own life, in her life,” says Eva. “It forces me to make choices about who I want to be and how I show up.”
Of course, not every day is always calm. “It doesn’t mean some weeks aren’t crazy at work,” she acknowledges. “But I’ve worked very hard to create space to be able to show up as the kind of mother I want to be. It is something I’ve realized is nonnegotiable for me.” She has a practical way to look at it all. “If I’m in my head because I feel I’m failing at being her mom, I’m also not my best at work. I can love my daughter fiercely and protect my time with her and love my work and be incredibly productive at the same time.”
Eva sees it as a constant seesaw between work and home, “Some days work needs more from me and some days home needs more,” and the real work is being “emotionally clear enough to know where to put my attention.”
Morning Routines: A Simple Schedule Helps
Eva and her husband Ed, now based in North Central New Jersey after a decade in the city, run a tight morning ship. “Anyone with small kids knows a schedule at this age offers so much sanity. I love a schedule, and we 100% are on one!” she says. “Our schedule starts and ends pretty much the same way every day. We wake up at the same time every day. We make breakfast and eat together as a family. Then we all go our separate ways.”
Evenings are kept simple and treated the same way. “We come back at the end of the day together; we make dinner together as a family and eat,” says Eva. “Meal prep and eating are our chance to talk to each other. I usually guard those windows of the day pretty fiercely because I love that time so much.”
Raising a New York–Influenced Kid
Even from across the Hudson, Eva stays closely connected to New York and what the city offers kids. “I think it’s just amazing for children. The wild energy of a child fits right in here. I love that it offers children exposure to so many amazing things culturally.”
She says splash pads took over when they lived in Brooklyn, museums get them through the winter months, and good food is always part of the equation, along with a lot of good friends.
Eva tells the story that perfectly sums up what it means to grow up in this city, when Ella was just one year old, and the family met friends for brunch at Pastis. “She ordered branzino and ate the entire thing,” Eva recalls. “We all laughed because here’s this baby with a very limited vocabulary, but she knew how to say branzino. Such a product of New York eating with grownups at restaurants that don’t offer kids’ meals.”
It is, she agrees, a very New York parenting moment, as was the Chanel gift bag the hospital sent them home with after Ella was born. “Truly only in NY,” laughs Eva.
What She Hopes Ella Sees From Watching Her
Eva says she hopes her daughter learns from watching her build a career and a life, and cares less about the type of work Ella will go into and more about the values behind it.
“I hope she finds something she loves for work as much as I’ve loved my job. But more than that, I hope she sees that work is not everything,” she says.
“What you do with your life is a choice; one decision is not forever. We live in seasons. I hope my choices will help her see that change is good,” says Eva. “While it can be scary to make changes, we want to grow and change as people. Work should grow and change with us.”
After covering presidential elections and national tragedies, the life she’s most invested in now plays out every morning over breakfast with her four-year-old, balancing work and family.
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