Stories
Nina Pierson on sharing family responsibility and finding your confidence
January 1, 1970
As one of the Netherlands most influential moms, Nina Pierson can only be described as a power lady. She’s the co-founder of an organic salad bar chain, author of two best-selling books, and a caring mother to three young children.
A recent study reveals that women typically bear most of the responsibility for capturing family memories. To address this, we’ve partnered with Nina to highlight the importance of including moms in family photos. Together, we aim to make a change this summer.
We’re so excited to meet up and talk about how we can get more moms in their family photos. But first of all, I know there’s a lot going on in your life right now, can you tell us a bit about it and how you’re feeling?
There have been a lot of changes lately but in the midst of it all I’ve kept my calm, because I knew with my body, mind and soul that I was walking on the right path.
On Monday, you led a roundtable discussion about women shouldering most of the responsibility for documenting family memories. Why does this topic resonate with you so strongly?
Documenting the family isn't the only thing us woman are taking responsibility for, and it's time that we share the load. Since the 70's women’s financial independence spiked with over 50% (now 70%), yet we still taken on most of the work och responsibility related to family. It's kind of funny (and also not at all!) that the ones doing all the work are documented the least. Scrolling through my photos I don't really come across a lot of pictures of me, except some selfies with my kids. Although my partner is doing his best to take a good photo when I ask to have my picture taken, it would make me so happy to have a bit more pictures of me and the kids in the moment.
As a content creator, you frequently take and appear in many photos. Do you think your professional experience has influenced how often you appear in family photos at home?
In one way, yes, there are definitely more pictures of me than it would have been without having this job. On the other hand, I don’t often post family pictures in my feed so most of the pictures that I’m in are professional photos – and those aren't really the snapshots of the daily life that my camera roll is filled with.
“They say comparison is one of the key stressors in feeling unhappy, and when you compare yourself with a completely unrealistic image of a person you’re never going to be good enough.”
What role do you think social media plays in shaping modern motherhood, and how do you navigate it both as a content creator and a mom?
I think it plays a positive and negative role. I think as a mom intuition is so important, and getting inspiration from so many other moms can distract and take away from that connection with yourself.
As a first time mom, I completely understand that you're constantly looking for guidance and advice from elsewhere. And in a way, it's great to have access to other’s stories, because you feel less alone. But we got to remember that social media is always just a reflection of a small part of our lives. I think more and more women are aware of this fact but, nevertheless, it's so important that we keep reminding ourselves about it. They say comparison is one of the key stressors in feeling unhappy, and when you compare yourself with a completely unrealistic image of a person you’re never going to be good enough.
In the study that we worked on with market research firm Pureprofile, it was clear that many moms avoid being in photos because they’re self-conscious about their appearance. Have you ever felt this way, and if so, how do you overcome it?
It's about getting to know yourself and, it may sound really silly, but practice some facial expressions in the mirror. The majority of beauty is in your confidence. So, own the picture and show your most real self. Practice makes perfect, and you can see it as a chance to practice self love every time you look at a picture of yourself! Another thing that really helps me is how I want my daughters to look at themselves when they look at their pictures, setting example for them.
“It's about getting to know yourself and, it may sound really silly, but practice some facial expressions in the mirror. The majority of beauty is in your confidence.”
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self before becoming a mother, what would it be?
Prioritize self-care and carve out time to connect deeply with yourself. Doing so will make it easier to listen to your intuition. Motherhood is going to be the most interesting and educational ride you’ve ever taken. See the challenges as building blocks to becoming a wiser, richer and fuller you
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