Meet our Lens Friends - Zherr-Anne

It’s November, which means we get to spotlight another awesome LensFriend. Introducing Zherr-Anne, an ambassador and a winner of the Halloween-at-home costume contest {link}. She is a California native, specifically the Bay Area in Northern California, and is a self-proclaimed “Disney fanatic.” 

We asked Zherr-Anne to chat with us about her experience being a content creator, mother of three, and ambassador! She’s a busy lady, and we’re glad she could take some time to share her thoughts with us. 

What’re you working on right now?

With the holidays coming up, I have a few new cooking videos coming up for “Cooking with Mama Z” on my family YouTube channel. I love being in the kitchen, especially during the holidays. I’m excited to share a few of my favorite holiday treats on our channel. 

Do you have any exciting plans coming up?

Given the state of the pandemic, the most exciting thing we have coming up is staying safely at home for the holidays. While we’re bummed we won’t be able to see our extended families, we have some fun, at-home and local holiday plans. Just imagine lots of baking, gingerbread houses, and drive-bys to see Christmas lights. 

We’re definitely fans of your Instagram. What inspires you most when you go to post?

I simply am inspired to spread positivity, light and love. Whether that means sharing something about my children or something Disney related. I hope that whatever I post is spreading joy.  

In your bio, you say you’re a “fil-am mama of three.” What does that mean and where did that come from?

For those unfamiliar with the term “fil-am” it’s an abbreviation for “Filipino-American.” As a child of immigrants, I am proud to be a first generation Filipino-American. I would say the biggest part of my identity is my cultural tie to being Filipino.

While I was born here in the United States, I have always been proud to be part of a culture that is so kind and driven by positivity. I would say my love for spreading positivity comes naturally to me for that reason. As a mother to three of my own mixed fil-am kids, I want to be sure I share all things I love about being Filipino with them. I hope one day that my kids will embrace our culture just the same. 

Congratulations on being a winner of our costume contest, what sparked your interest in doing a Little Mermaid themed family-wide costume?

As a Disney loving-family, we pick a Disney movie every year for our family-wide costume. My husband’s favorite Disney princess is actually Ariel from The Little Mermaid so our family tends to gravitate to everything Ariel. We were actually surprised we had not done The Little Mermaid yet!

How has ordering with 1-800 Contacts made your life more simple/convenient?

As a mom, I love things that are simple and convenient, and that is exactly what 1-800 Contacts is! The moment I find that I’m running low on contacts, I simply open up the 1-800 Contacts app and place an order. I constantly have a to-do list of things in my head, and the app makes it so easy to check off “order contacts” from my list. 

Do you have any memorable customer service experiences with us?

I’d have to say that my most memorable customer service experience was when I had accidentally placed an order without using a promo code I was hoping to use. The moment I realized I did not use it, I simply gave 1-800 Contacts a ring, and the customer service representative was able to help me so quickly. I would say the tiny debacle took less than 5 minutes, and I was so impressed by the timeliness and efficiency to help me. 

Why is having good vision important for you, as a mother of three and content creator?

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is put on my contacts so I would have to say that having good vision is one of the most important things to me as a mother and content creator.

I have glasses that I wear around the house sometimes, but I don’t fully feel awake and ready for the day until I put on my contacts. My contacts are my everyday necessity, and I would say I wouldn’t be able to mom or content create without them. 

What are your thoughts on using our ExpressExam?

One of my favorite things about 1-800 Contacts has to be the ExpressExam. In the midst of California’s shelter-in-place order during the beginning of the pandemic, my contacts prescription had expired.

Because of the shelter-in-place order, I was unable to go to my optometrist for a renewed prescription like I normally would. That is when the ExpressExam came to my rescue! It was so easy to use. With the app and good lighting, I was able to renew my prescription in under 10 minutes all from the comfort of my home. 

What was your experience like working with our sister brands?  Would you do it again?

As one of the winner’s of the Halloween costume contest, I was able to use Liingo Eyewear for the first time. I was so surprised by the large selection to choose from. While I’ve only tried the “try-on” feature so far, I have to say that it’s been such an easy process. I cannot wait for my glasses to come in!

As an ambassador, what’s your favorite part of being in the #LensFriends community?

My favorite part of being part of the #LenFriends community is being able to participate in campaigns and activities for #LensFriends. It has allowed me to share my love for 1-800 contacts with not only followers but my friends and family as well.

I’ve had friends reach out to me early in the pandemic with the same problem I had about not being able to see their optometrist, and they let me know they used 1-800 Contacts because they remembered my posts about it. 

Lastly, you seem to have a passion for creating content and being active online, what inspires you most? And what advice do you have for someone who wants to create content, but isn’t sure what to post about?

As a stay-at-home mom, I am inspired by social media to connect with others. While I absolutely love being a mother, I do find that it can be isolating sometimes, and content creating allows me to connect with others on the daily.

I am inspired to content create so I can connect with not only other moms, but really anyone who just needs a friend. Everything I share through my content are just things that I am passionate about and love.

If you are someone who wants to create content but is not sure how to get started, my biggest advice would be to just share something you love. 

Thanks again to Zherr-Anne for taking some time to chat with us about her life. We love to pull back the curtain on our LensFriends lives and showcase their passions.

You can find Zherr-Anne on Instagram at @zherranne, and @livNgwiththeNgs where she shares vlogs, cooking videos and life in the Aquino-ng family.

Do you want to become a 1-800 Contacts Ambassador? Apply here. We’re excited to meet you!