Kitchen
Connh Cruz: How Modern Nanay was Meant to Be
Connh Cruz, known best on social media as Modern Nanay, shares her accidental foray into content creation and how she balances both career and family in the process.
This story appeared in the Modern Parenting Mother’s Day and Father’s Day May 2024 issue.
Cooking can either be therapeutic or a task for parents. But for Connh Cruz, it’s both. Known on social media as Modern Nanay, the content creator and mother of five found herself accumulating a massive following, thanks to her lifestyle and cooking videos.
To date, she has one million followers on Instagram and 12.5 million followers combined on TikTok and Facebook. That doesn’t even include her followers on YouTube!
A happy accident
Connh tells Modern Parenting that her love for cooking began early on. She was inspired by her mom, grandmother, and many cooking shows. Like many others, she fell into the content creation scene by accident during the pandemic.
Sharing her cooking adventures was not new for Connh, who used to post recipes in a cooking community online. “Nag-start ako nung March 2020. Ang pinost ko sa TikTok [actually] ay hindi naman cooking vlog. Then one day, naisipan ko mag-post ng cooking vlog,” she shares.
People responded to her cooking video the most and she decided to stick to it.
Connh came up with the label Modern Nanay, reflecting how she wants her children to view her parenting style. “Modern Nanay dahil modern ang pagpapalaki ko kanila, sabay sa panahon,” she explains. “Kailangan nakakasabay ka sa trip ng mga bata ngayon. Pero nandoon pa din yung medyo pagka strikto as a mother.”
Modern Nanay on balancing motherhood and content creation
Clearly, running a household as a mother and content creation is a daunting task on its own. So how does she balance being Modern Nanay and just being Connh? For the content creator, there is virtually no difference. “Sa personal brand, kung ano ako as a modern nanay, ganon din ako sa bahay ko,” she explains.
To make time for her responsibilities, Connh makes sure to set a schedule that won’t interfere with her duties as a wife and mother.
“Ang ginagawa ko dyan, Monday to Friday lang yung shoot ka ng content or branded content,” she explains. “Pero bago kami mag-shoot, sinisiguro ko na tapos na ako sa limang anak ko. So hanggang hindi ako tapos dyan, hindi ako mag-start ng shoot.”
“Then, yung Saturday and Sunday, sinisiguro din ko na yun na yung pinaka-solo na oras ko para sa family ko or kung may sobra pa, para naman sa sarili ko. So importante din kasi yun na na may time ka sa sarili mo, maayos ka. Kasi ikaw yung nanay, ikaw yung reflection sa bahay,” she says.
Her North Star
Although she is now getting recognized for her content, Connh makes sure to keep herself in check. When asked what she could share with would-be content creators, she emphasized the importance of enjoying what you do.
“Kung ano yung passion nila, yun yung pakita nila sa audience nila. As long as nai-enjoy nila yung content na meron sila, nararamdaman din kasi ng audience mo yun,” Connh shares. “Kasi everything follows pag gusto mo yung lahat nang ginagawa mo.”
Clearly, this was no accident because it seems that with Connh’s passion and vision, Modern Nanay was always meant to be.
To read the full article, grab a copy of Modern Parenting’s special Mother’s Day and Father’s Day 2024 Print Edition—available on sarisari.shopping. Download the e-magazine from Readly or Press Reader for more exclusive features and stories.
Words ALEXA VILLANO
Art Director MARC YELLOW assisted by DENIELLE CARAG
Photography ED SIMON of KLIQ, INC.
Shoot Coordination ANTHONY MENDOZA
Sittings Editor MARGA MEDRANO-TUPAZ
Shot on Location at HENRY HOTEL MANILA
More about your favorite content creators!
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Ninong Ry Gets Candid About Preparing for a New Baby
Andi Manzano-Reyes and Bianca Gonzalez-Intal: A Tale of Two Moms
