June, like every month, has flown by way too fast. I assume July will too given that this blog is 9 days late. That being said, June is really special because Natasha and I get to celebrate our anniversary! I talked about it extensively in my almond praline ice cream which you can check out here. This is my way of saying that while our date night was a definite high for me, it won’t be a part of this blog (sorry Natasha). So let’s get started with June’s highs and lows!

Highs

• I got featured in the media twice this month. Once for a conversation about kid influencers which TLDR: Problematic in so many ways and should definitely not be something any child should be forced to do. I mean, Brittany Spears is a prime example of why this is a problem. The other article was about the future of social media on the occasion of social media day. That article was actually really special mostly because it was written as a compilation of quotes from industry experts. Now, even though the publication isn’t Times of India, I was actually really happy to be a part of this conversation. I somehow felt like “I made it” and that’s kinda cool!

• I hosted my first Clubhouse session. I love the concept of Clubhouse. I do think that it’s a little disorganised but the ability to talk to people for a long period of time and actually network is fabulous. The topic of my conversation was focused on whether influencers should engage in barter collaborations or not. My thought on this that you should do it to build a relationship with a brand or an agency but define your deliverables. There were quite a few people that actually joined in to contribute including food influencer, Shivesh which was great! In total we had about 200 people join in and I really do want to build out more conversations this month.

• One of the most common requests I get on my Instagram is from budding content creators who want more support or from startups who want to learn more about how to build their brand. So, in order to formalise that process, I started a new service on the blog. It’s called Office Hours and the goal of this conversation is to get an hour-long chat with a person who wants to learn about social media. It is a paid activity but I think it kind of formalises the process and makes for a more meaningful conversation. You can sign up here and I look forward to connecting with all of you!

Lows

• It’s too fucking hot. There is no easy way. I am usually the person who says that you shouldn’t look at the grass on the other side of the field but in the case of Delhi weather, there is no other way of looking at it.

• After 18 months of living and working from home, I have now started to feel very tired of staying at home. My room is great but I would love some change in scenery. I hope we move to an office soon. But until then, I will try and work out of my room a lot more this month.

It’s surprising to think that such little ingredients can actually be so flavourful. This Bruschetta is all you need as a snack during the summer heat. The tomatoes and basil bring in that freshness while the bread adds that crispy base like a cherry on the cake. Also, side note: while I know that most of you said that you pronounce it as bru-sketa, I will take the “Italians will murder me if they hear me” route and call it bru-shetta. Please don’t unfollow me.

Glimpses from the week

Ingredients

3 large ripe tomatoes, diced

A crusty bread of your choice

1 tablespoon of cream cheese or cheese spread

3-4 cloves of garlic

A handful of fresh basil leaves

3 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Salt to taste

Method

1. Start by slicing your bread. Add a good drizzle of olive oil on side of the bread. Slice a clove of garlic and rub it on the side of bread with the oil. Bake or toast the bread. 180 celsius for 5-10 mins until golden brown.

2. Dice your tomatoes and add them to a bowl. Grate the remaining cloves of garlic and add them as well along with the balsamic vinegar and salt.

3. Clean and sort the basil leaves into a stack. Roll into a cylinder and then slice thin with your knife running parallel to the stem of the leaves. This is called a chiffonade. Add the leaves to the bowl and mix well.

4. Assemble by taking your toast and spreading the cream cheese followed by a spoonful of the bruschetta mix. Enjoy!