Influencer siblings—and now MEGAstyle covergirls—Vern and Verniece Enciso spill their secrets and share life-changing tips that will surprise you!
The term “influencer” was not as popular then as it is now. Most bloggers only found it as a sidetrack hobby. But with the rise of the digital age, bloggers have found themselves self-employed, fully-equipped with just a camera and a laptop.
It isn’t anything new to state that two of the top influencers in the country are siblings Vern and Verniece Enciso. Joined together by their lifestyle blog, the sisters have definitely come a long way, evolving in the process. The two went from blogging to being social media influencers and later co-authors of a style guide—but it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine for the two. From their beginnings to future endeavors, the siblings share their journey with MEGAstyle.
A Shoe Tale
Nine years ago, Vern began her journey with a blog called “A Shoe Tale,” taking inspiration from Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and the City”. She learned the ins and outs of blogging and built up her social presence by herself. “Ever since I started watching [‘Sex and the City’], my dream was to share a piece of myself through a column just like [Carrie Bradshaw] did but because I knew that it won’t be possible for a 2nd year college student like me to have one so I just started a blog.”
This became the stepping stone and hobby for the young Vernica. “Ever since I posted my first blog post on the month of September almost 9 years ago, I just fell in love and got hooked. It served as a diary for me at that time, a medium for me to express my teenage angst and experiences.”
A Story of Sisters
Vern shares that she and sister Verniece were not close growing up. “Having only a year in between us was more a downside as kids because of course, we naturally had to share toys and attention and sharing is never easy for little kids. We actually just call each other house mates before, people you see when you go home from school, eat with and spend weekends with.”
However, all of that changed when they started blogging.
A little later after Vern joined the blogging industry, sister Verniece has also decided to hop in and make a blog of her own. “After seeing and loved what she has done, I opened my first blog and made it an outlet for what I love doing.”
Going after their mom’s suggestion, two years after Verniece joined, the two merged their blogs. “We got to know ourselves better, see the world, meet people from all walks of life. And The best thing is seeing how we inspire people from what we do,” Verniece shared.
“It was only when we both started blogging and being sent to trips and events out of town that we actually became close!” Vern adds as she tells more about how blogging changed her relationship with Verniece. “I know it’s surprising but blogging really brought us together. We’re polar opposites and we used to see that as a hindrance but we both realized when we started a blog together that we compliment each other so much. What I lack is her strength and vice versa and I know that’s the reason why work never feels like work together.”
Puzzles That Fit
The sisters spilled that they grew up as polar opposites even as they’re often mistaken as twins. Verniece being the introvert and Vern being the extrovert. “Verniece is a very easygoing girl, growing up she was actually a big introvert so I was surprised when I got to know her more 8 years ago that she’s grown into a lady that anyone would love to be around with. I grew up being an extrovert, so much so that I actually wanted to become a lawyer or an ambassador when I grow up because talking to people has always been more natural to me.”
But as the girls grew up to become fine young ladies, they have learned to compliment each other and be the puzzle that completes the other. “I love that now we both know each other so well that we’ve both adapted each other’s strengths and know when to adjust for each other,” Vern says while Verniece adds, “My weaknesses are [Vern’s] strengths and vice versa. But what I love about it is we’re different halves that complete each other.”
Vern couldn’t stop gushing about sister Verniece, further complimenting her creativity, patience, and perseverance.
“Another difference we have is that Verniece has always been a head over matter kind of girl while I react to how I feel. She’s very creative and has this eye for beauty that I just can’t see. She has a penchant for visual that’s why she handles that aspect of work. Lastly, one thing I admire about Verniece that I wish I could do is how much patience and perseverance she has, she won’t give up till she gets what she wants!”
To Be An Influence and An Influencer
“Being an influencer as a job has given more people to shine,” Vern shares. As more and more people jump in the “influencer” route, many have decided to take this role as a career. The sisters take it as a blessing for them and for many others who have decided to pave their own way into the industry through their own ways, in their own little space. “What I can say though is that even if it seems easy to do at first, it’s a hard job because most of the time, you’re a one-man team! Plus it takes a lot of patience, passion and self belief to survive in the business.”
With this, they add that being an influencer isn’t all about the money one can make from sponsorship and brand ambassadorship. The sisters tell that an influencer must be someone who uses his or her platform to make a difference. From learning new things to letting a complete stranger step out of their comfort zones—an influencer must be able to help their followers “try new things or learn more about themselves that will help pave the way to achieve their dreams.”
“Most influencers nowadays take advantage of the readership they have and just share to earn money but a real influencer has to know how to share about a brand and something that would be beneficial for the people who are giving you their time of day.”
Multi-Hyphenate Icons
When social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube became accessible for bloggers like the Enciso sisters, they didn’t waste any time and used them not only to spread their blog but to share little moments to their followers. This has made the job more enjoyable and manageable for them.
Vern says that Instagram has made their work so much easier. “It’s made it possible for me to have a life outside of work! If social media didn’t come about and I had to post every single day on our blog, I probably wouldn’t have time for anything else. At least with Instagram, I get to share a part of my life everyday in small doses.”
“We’ve been doing it for almost 8 years and we’ve had times that we felt like we were doing the same thing again and again but as we transitioned to traveling, going to new destinations and doing other new adventures, it inspired us to continue it and share what we’ve learned,” Verniece explains.
Vlogging and Writing
Since then, the sisters have also ventured into video blogging. “I’m not a natural in front of a video camera but I’m lucky because this is Verniece’s forte.” The two has also co-authored a book titled
“Vern & Verniece: A Life and Style Diary” where the two shared a few tips up their sleeve and a few stolen moments from their life adventures.
With all the things that the siblings have and done and are continuously doing, they add that relevance has never been an issue for them. “I never really worried about this because I think the more you try hard to stay relevant, the harder time you’ll have. The more unnatural you’ll look and readers can tell if you’re faking it,” Vern explains.
Strong Independent Women
With the photos and stories they share on their social media accounts and blog, people often get the misconception that the siblings have it easy. Contrary to some people’s belief, the two don’t just travel, get dolled up, and pose for the cameras. “We are our own editor-in-chief, beauty editor, fashion editor, lifestyle editor, make up artist, photographer, videographer, picture editor, video editor, writer, intern, hair stylist, coffee runner and social media specialist all in one! We also do the business side too! Plus we are responsible taxpayers so we deal with that as well. That’s all in a day’s work! It gets tiring but I wouldn’t trade this for anything else in the world.”
Verniece further states that their relationship is not all about business. “There are times that people would think our sister relationship is a marketing stunt but the truth is our friendship is not like any other. Family is what we value the most, it’s everything to us. She’s my solemate and my bestest friend.”
On Dealing With Haters and Trolls
Vern and Verniece still has differences in dealing with the trolls of the worldwide web. Verniece, being the patient one, manages to just ignore these people or block them once they cross the line. “You can’t please everyone. So ignoring means that you are not going to validate their feelings.”
But even though Vern most of the time ignores the trolls, she can’t help but respond to them sometimes. “It doesn’t happen often but what I really hate are haters who hide behind troll accounts and they talk like they know me and the ones I love. I personally think social media won’t be so toxic if these trolls didn’t exist.”
Sponsored Content Gone “Wrong”
The siblings also reacted to a sponsored content that seemingly went wrong and became a feast for the online community. And, well, they just laughed it off! “I honestly found it so funny!” Vern reveals. “Influencers always bring their sponsored products abroad but I guess it was just my lucky day. I was in Europe when it went viral and I literally just woke up to a thousand notifications on my twitter. I don’t usually take problems in life seriously so what more a post like that?”
If there’s anything to learn from this pair it’s that even if laugh lines are cute, “haters are not worth the wrinkles.”
To The Future and Beyond
If you think there isn’t anything more to add to the Enciso sisters’ growing resume, you thought wrong. The two expressed their desire to keep doing this job that they evidently love and enjoy, maybe even write another book for the new generation, and open up a business of their own. “Vern and I are currently working on a business and we can’t wait to reveal what it is very soon,” Verniece spills.
Vern further states that if given a choice, she would want her future kids to follow her path as a blogger as well. “Blogging made all my dreams come true, even the ones I thought were too big to dream and if i can share that opportunity to them, then I know that all this hard work’s worth it.”
At present, the siblings are not only bloggers but book authors, entrepreneurs, and full-time thrill-seekers. They have been proving that hard work and perseverance definitely pay off. From bloggers to influencers with a vision, the two have grown to become inspirations to many girls. Taken from their blog, vernverniece.com, the two live by their philosophy that “dreams do come true when two main ingredients are put together—belief in yourself and perseverance.”
Words by Francesca Testa
Produced by RJ Roque
Photography by Shaira Luna
Assisted by Lance Luna
Art Direction by Macky Arquilla
Styling by RJ Roque and Steffi Solano
Shoot Assistant Jay Anne Aguirre
Beauty Direction by Marella Ricketts
Makeup by Nikki Duque
Hair by Mark Familara
Sittings Editor Jebby Fronda
Shot on location at Marina Bay Spa
Special thanks to Charles Lee and Jillian Chua
