Honestly, It’s Time You Meet Shruthi

Shruthi Parker, also known as @thehonestShruth on IG, is an uplifting individual who shines her light onto her audience. I had the pleasure of meeting Shruthi and her husband, Hank, a month ago at the Verb 2.0 Launch Party in Austin. All I can say about them two is: Power Couple! I must admit, I fan-girled quite a bit when I saw Shruthi because she is such an admirable person whose energy puts an instant smile on your face. It’s no wonder she’s got such a supportive audience. I got to know Shruthi a little better when I interviewed her last week.

How and when did you come into the blogging lifestyle?

In the summer of 2016, my husband and I got married and moved to London. While we were in London, the idea to start blogging came to me because I naturally was exploring the city constantly, trying new restaurants, and solidifying my idea of beautiful fashion. I figured I could share my experiences and see if anybody was interested. Besides travel, food, and style, I also wanted a platform to share the thoughts in my mind. As a first generation Indian American, married to a Texan, living out my Christian faith, but maintaining my Indian roots, I feel like my voice has multiple aspects that people can relate to.

Amongst all the other content you post, you share great advice about love and relationships. Was it difficult in any way for you to share your personal life on social media platforms?

Oh, thank you! Honestly when it comes to love and relationships, that is some of the most natural and in turn easiest, content for me to share. Why? Because I’ve experienced unhealthy, difficult, and exhausting relationships (romantic or not) and if I can help anybody else recognize those in their own life, then I know that I have accomplished what I set out to do. We all have the experiences we do because they give us the ability to share that knowledge, you know?

On your blog, you talk about a wide range of topics. What topic are you most passionate writing about?

On my blog, I am most passionate writing about thoughts because they come from my core. Sure, travel is beautiful and food is delicious, but when I put into words and express the whirlwind of thoughts circulating in my heart, that’s my most powerful writing. I love honestly challenging people to think differently about common notions they’ve accepted as facts; whether that’s race, religion, love, comforts, stereotypes, etc. – hence thehonestShruth!

One thing I love about your account is how transparent your words feel. It’s easy for audiences to get caught up on the “fake” side of social media. Do you think it’s important for all bloggers and social media influencers to remain authentic?

Thank you so much! Absolutely! It’s hard to stay true to yourself in a digital world, and it’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole of comparison. But it is crucial for bloggers and social media influencers to remain authentic. The sad truth is that buying engagement/losing initial passion is very common in this sphere. It’s important to remain faithful to yourself because then you don’t lose yourself by craving approval of other people’s idea of success. Whenever I start to compare my social media, I sober up by asking myself, “If something happened to social media, would I still have an audience with my writing?” I don’t want to lose my integrity by buying engagement, my passion for writing, and my voice by worrying about other people’s approval. Thankfully I have great accountability with my husband who reminds me often that the point of blogging is because I love it, not because I find self-worth in it.

Can you give anyone who wants to grow their social media audience advice?

Yes! I would say, first write down the topics you’re passionate about and the topics you’re knowledgeable about. They could be the same or they might be different. After that, just start. Sign up for a blogging platform, (a free WordPress is what I started out with), and then just start! I’ve noticed that when there’s something I’m really passionate about, anxiety and fear really want to make me procrastinate or doubt myself. My take? Just tell them nah bro and begin!