What’s Going on with Dale’s Pinterest Account?

They came across his Pinterest account, where he had a board titled “Women’s Fashion” with 3,000 pins of just that, women’s fashion. I’m writing this article to help bring clarity to their findings as Dale faced criticism from women on social media and was asked questions like, “What does Veronica think about this?” or “Does your wife know about your fashion obsession?” 

I did know about this, and here is the information that many do not know. Before entering full-time ministry, my husband was a successful businessman for over a decade. He started and sold several companies. One of those ventures was a social media marketing agency that acquired companies along with their brand and social media profiles. As part of these acquisitions, there were large social media accounts that needed to be renamed once we took over. Back in 2011, Dale ended up with a fairly large Pinterest account under his name, which he then grew even further. Believe it or not, HuffPost featured Dale’s account during Christmas in 2012. As part of our contracts with clients, our marketing agency allowed access to certain boards for posting campaign-related content. However, we had a rule that for every marketing pin on those boards, the clients had to post ten value-add pins. Particularly, images of women’s fashion. We collaborated with various small fashion companies and even bigger brands like Bustle.

Eventually, Dale decided to sell off most of the accounts, but he held onto a few pages, including his Pinterest account. In 2019, I remember him removing all the board contributors from over 30 boards and letting the account basically lie dormant. At the time, he didn’t think about how the pins featuring women on the “Women’s Fashion” board would be perceived later on. When a few critics voiced their concerns, Dale deactivated the account to eliminate the problem.

I share all this to emphasize that I was a part of this entire journey. I stand by my husband, and at no point did I think he was using Pinterest to post pictures of women. If you were one of those people who saw the account, you’d know that the vast majority of the 3,000 pins were of women wearing modest dresses or outfits.

Ultimately, as a family, we’re learning how things from over a decade ago can be twisted and used against you online. Our story is unique because my husband transitioned from the business world to pastoral ministry, and some things have been lost in translation. He’s also made mistakes and has had to repent in other areas. Through his public repentance, he has modeled for me what it looks like to walk humbly. He’s learned from his sins and is constantly striving to represent Christ better in all areas, including as a public figure.