How Filipina-Australian vlogger Jeraldine Blackman stays grounded
“I was very surprised because I didn’t know that a well-known businesswoman knew me. I was really overwhelmed and overjoyed that she knows me,” this was vlogger-content creator Jeraldine Blackman’s giddy reaction when she found out that Beautéderm President and CEO Rhea Anicoche-Tan has already been following her on social media for a long time.
The successful entrepreneur behind a growing business and beauty empire personally reached out to the Filipina-Australian content creator for a partnership. She is vocal about being so fond of Jeraldine’s family vlog “The Blackman Family.”
“Ate Rhea and I came from the same area in the Philippines. We spoke the same dialect. We are both Ilocanos,” Jeraldine explained why she and Rhea clicked with just virtual communication. “We had that instant connection,” Rhea chimed in.
“Genuine connection,” Jeraldine said, with both of them explaining their manang-ading tandem. Manang in Ilocano or the language used in the Ilocos region is used as a term of respect for an older sister or relative and adding refers to the younger one.
The two had a chance to bond as the Blackman family is currently in the Philippines and Jeraldine visited Rhea in her Beautéderm headquarters in Angeles City, Pampanga. The seven-story building houses Rhea’s other business ventures Beauté Beanery, AK Studios, and A-List Avenue. The CEO warmly welcomed her guests Jeraldine and her three-year-old daughter Jette by letting them pick their own luxury handbags.
The 31-year-old vlogger, her Australian husband Josh, and young kids Nimo (6) and Jette (3) have become internet sensations during the pandemic, with more than 2.3M followers on TikTok, 2.5M on Instagram, and 2.7M on Facebook.
The family gained a huge following by posting snippets of their lives in different social media platforms, bringing in good vibes, and breaking interracial marriage stereotypes. They have become international celebrities and have gained numerous requests for brand collaborations and partnerships. Even Filipino celebrities swarm their accounts and constantly add engagement to their videos. With this, it is no surprise that the family recently had a successful meet-and-greet.
“’Ate Jeraldiiine!’ You know that feeling [that] they know you?,” Jeraldine reenacted how shocked she was to see the crowd at the fan meet and get a glimpse of how many people know them and watch their videos. Still sounding in disbelief, she said while covering her mouth, “I was shocked. I didn’t expect that everyone would follow and know us there.”
After recently disclosing a heart condition she is currently having treated and monitored, the question “How’s your heart, Ate Jeraldine?” from a follower she met in the flesh has taken on new meaning, reminding her of the fans touched by her journey.
Touching other people’s lives by bringing them joy with her skits and home camera recordings gives what she’s doing a sense of purpose. Jeraldine, after all, gave up her flourishing nursing career in Australia to focus on being a hands-on homemaker and a content creator.
Asked how, despite the fame and attention, she and her family remain grounded, Jeraldine attributed it to remembering her roots and the family that never left her side. With parents based overseas growing up, she gave credit to her aunts, uncles, and grandparents for raising her. She is living out the attitude of gratitude.
“I know how important it is to say thank you. You will never be this kind of person without them. I am very grateful that Josh understands it,” Jeraldine said, sharing how she takes her aunts, uncles, and cousins along on leisure trips and helps them out in ways she can.
Rhea echoes Jeraldine’s sentiment. “We have the same goal – to make other people happy,” the businesswoman said, strengthening the idea of why they get along well and hinting at a possible partnership soon. The two seem to find genuine happiness in being go-getters and getting ahead in life, without leaving their families and people they love behind.
