Products of Their Time
It can be said that Ben Lim knew what he was getting himself into when he started dating Vern Enciso…as did about half a million other people. And while saying “I do” to a tier one (1) influencer comes with many “eyes,” Ben has slowly eased into it. “Admittedly, I was apprehensive at first,” reveals Ben, who was never a social media kind of person, “but over time, I’ve gotten used to it and happy wife happy life.”
For her part, Vern catapulting to the aspirational jetsetter she is now came in unexpected. “Blogging was all fun and games back in 2009,” says the Christian Dior lover, “I never thought that I would be doing this full time.” She recalls her little space on the interwebs back then. “It was just a little diary for me to express my teenage angst and dreams.” Inspired by Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw, Vern decided to make her own fantasies come true and started her first blog – “A Shoe Tale.”
Publicity Clicked
“At that time, it was impossible for people my age to have their own column,” she recalls. Thrilled at being able to express herself authentically she gleefully “wrote about anything and everything!” Luckily, the 2000s or “noughties” – were a time of cooler heads and more forgiving readers. “Blogging was an outlet for everyone and since there was no money involved, it was just a space to talk and connect with people who are going through the same experiences as I was,” says the idolized lifestyle influencer who now has over 431k followers.
“Content back then was very random, you can literally write anything and no one would mind,” states Vern of the perhaps golden time in human expression, “haters weren’t even a thing back then— I just wrote whatever I felt like right at the moment.” True enough, in today’s frenetic climate of insta-influencers and youtube celebrities one-upping each other in terms of filters, content, and production values, Vern draws from a time when one could “take photos of everything and just upload it online, not even bothering to overthink of what people might think— because ‘A Shoe Tale’ was mostly for myself.”
Seven years on, coping, adapting, and posting meant content, Vern is now joined by her Cebu-based and equally charming husband Ben, who admits that: “what (Vern) does is not easy and I’m proud of what she has accomplished.” Despite his proud sentiments, he feels it’s a world not truly his calling: “I don’t think I would become an active influencer, unless Uniqlo or Nike personally calls me,” he adds, chuckling.
A Couple of Influencers
A quick peek at Vern’s youtube channel – VernVerniece Enciso – however, shows that Ben has become very much part of his wife’s public life. Charming sketches such as “Jowa o Tropa,” “My Husband Guesses the Price of My Luxury Items,” and “Our Wedding Day!” feature the two in a relaxed light, offering others a candid glimpse at what a day-in-the-life-of looks like for the power couple. The audience has responded by awarding the channel with nearly 20 million views. Vern admits it hasn’t been the same, however.
“The difference now is, you have to always filter in some way,” she laments, “unlike 11 years ago, people now are not as patient and forgiving. You consistently need to come up with new and exciting content that doesn’t offend.” She values the thin line between being herself and what might potentially offend people – and so meticulously reviews every post at least twice. “I have turned down a lot of brands,” she admits, “when a brand has to introduce their product to me and my family or myself have never heard nor used, I have to turn it down.” Vern cites that she owes it to be truthful to her fans, whose support for 11 years has changed so much in her life. “It is a way for me to be thankful.”
These days, the brands Vern is excited about involve those that excite her. “Content creation is all about authenticity and readers are definitely smarter now,” Vern maintains, “they know if you actually use the product or not so I have become more conscious because their trust is everything to me.” She currently has three brands that she’s eyeing, but believes that “it’s best to keep dreams to yourself, so I’ll just give clues!” Vern reveals that they involve fast food, skincare, and a luxury fashion brand, and urges her fans to cross their fingers with hers.’
As for Ben (who’s already put a ring on it) – he supports her wife in “any way she needs me…if it means free steak!” He jokes. Yet no matter what happens to these two – it seems that the best is yet to come. And when it does, the joy it brings will be shared by this couple to very many others, indeed.
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