Whitley Howard, Blogger & stay-at-home mom
Whitley Howard a.k.a. SplitWhit, 28, is a blogger and stay-at-home mom to an almost three-year-old and a fur baby who lives in Brownsburg with her fiancé. With a passion for makeup, videography, and spreading kindness and laughter she knew becoming a content creator could help her make people feel something.
We chatted with Howard about how she’s utilized the power of the local community and her passion for creating to cultivate an engaged digital following.
Maven Superpower: Making people laugh.
How did you become a blogger?
About eight years ago, I started making little videos of myself doing my makeup and noticed they were getting attention. As time went on, I started sharing bits about my life, my natural curls, and makeup. After becoming a mother, I realized there was a LOT to talk about. People seemed to talk to me online like we had known each other for years, though we were actually complete strangers. I started to feel like I was building this community and loved that aspect. I wanted to share more and feel like I could help someone in some way.
Have you always been comfortable with sharing so much of your life for the world to see?
I have become a lot more open online than I was before. I’ve never been one to put on a “new me” while in front of the camera or on social media. If we meet in real life, I want you to catch up and have a conversation—not feel like we’re just meeting for the first time. It’s about the connection for me.
What are ways you measure success in your career?
Nowadays numbers are everything. At least, that’s what a lot of people focus on unfortunately. I try to pay more attention to other things like how much engagement I get from people who follow me, or if they purchased something and gave it try and loved it because I posted about it, or simply the connections I keep building with everyone in my field and outside of it.
How do you integrate a deeper meaning into your posts to resonate with your readers when the internet is filled with so much content?
I try not to make things overly pose-y. A lot of times when I look at posts online, I see a lot of the same disingenuous laughs, people repeatedly talked about the same restaurants, and no one really telling their audience what’s up. I think the openness of conversations I have on my Instagram stories, for example, really resonates with my readers. If someone comments on a blog post, I LOVE getting to interact and dive in deep with their question. I want to make sure we’re both on a good level before they exit a post, photo, blog etc.
“I think the openness of conversations I have on my Instagram stories, for example, really resonates with my readers. If someone comments on a blog post, I LOVE getting to interact and dive in deep with their question.”
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Wow, good question. Honestly, I hope to have built a better version of my videography business and can look back and see that I have grown. Seeing that growth really does something for people with their own businesses. Makeup and making people laugh will always be a part of me, and hopefully one day someone cool will scoop me up and put me on TV already.
Who do you look up to in your industry?
I love curly girls @Lisette and @hif3licia. Salice Rose and Liza Koshy are my favorite ladies for humor and entertainment. They’re also all so gorgeous!
What does your morning look like?
Normally I’m woken up by a slap to the face from my toddler screaming “snacks!” But on a good day I’m up early in the morning, grab a coffee, and work throughout the day (while my kiddo tears the house down) until my fiancé gets home from work. I try to enjoy the moments I have with him while staying at home, but it’s also one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had. Linking up with some other mom friends during the week really helps me feel reassured that I’m not alone and there are others out there that do what I do and we always have fun with the kids.
Where are your top three favorite places in Indianapolis?
I love food. Like, one might be concerned with my love for food—it’s that huge. But I can’t get enough of Olive Garden. I know some might laugh and say out of ALL the places? But regardless of which one, I will stop what I’m doing in any situation with the mention of OG for a meal.
Follow Whitley on Instagram @splitwhit and @splitwhitvisuals or check out her website: splitwhitvisuals.com.
Lenie Tsakonas is a regular Indy Maven contributor.
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