Lharby as both a Content Creator and Entrepreneur
Everyone’s day starts with a simple morning routine. Waking up, stretching, doing chores, working out– and a cup of coffee. A cup of coffee just keeps the day rolling and productive, it’s a burst of energy that we all need to survive busy days. For Lharby, it’s something bigger. His love for drinking coffee extends beyond his taste buds, it became something concrete, something that people can enjoy as well, something that could connect people– CoffeeBlanc, his very own coffee shop.
Before having his own business, as a content creator, his typical day is quite simple. His days revolved in content creation– contents that we gushed over, Lharby’s fashion style that are one of our fits inspiration, travel vlogs to watch for chilling, and Lharby’s aesthetic that we all find so calming and peaceful. “So basically, I just do my daily routine of going to the gym, waking up, facing my bed, preparing my coffee, and then I go to the gym. In the afternoon, I always find time to at least check what's new when it comes to the field that I'm doing, which is social media. What's new? What's in? What kind of trend? I always love to check some fashion stuff related na mga outfits and travel.”
But today, the vibe is a whole lotta different. With a coffee shop to handle, there’s a different level of responsibilities that comes with it– and Lharby wholeheartedly embraces it. He now has people depending on him! “But now it's quite different, I handle people now. I do have a coffee shop. So when I wake up in the morning, I always check, of course, our group chat. Where my staff always messages and I check if there's a problem in the store. I always check if, nakapag-calibrate na ba sila ng coffee in the morning, and how it looks like. I always check the CCTV…” Running a business means continuous learning, from expanding the shop’s exposure to strategizing marketing techniques, it’s a different kind of hustle– something that Lharby cherishes deeply.
From checking outfit trends, fashion, and lifestyle contents, he now focuses on content on how to market and expand his brand. “I always check some social media, videos, how to, of course, expand CoffeeBlanc when it comes to visibility in the market. How to create more content for the brand.”
More Than Influence, Lharby Creates Impact
“Being an influencer is a big responsibility because a lot of people are watching you.” For Lharby, it takes a lot of time, effort, and just everything as a whole to inspire people. A bigger audience means a bigger responsibility, and Lharby doesn’t take that lightly– it’s all about inspiring actions. It’s not just about curated photos and chasing trends, as both a content creator and entrepreneur, he hopes to influence people by giving them the push– the motivation to do something for themselves, to try, take risks, and just build their own legacies. “How I see myself as an influencer now is because I think nabigyan ko ng idea yung younger generations, like the millennials, or like siguro yung age natin I would say, na it's possible to build a business even if you're just young (or at a young age). I really think that it gives them hope…” that our dreams are not impossible to reach, if we just try.
Whether inspiring his audience through fitness or travel contents, Lharby just keeps on aiming higher: to show the youth that building something real and long-lasting, is possible even at a young age. Dreams aren’t just reserved for the privileged; hard work and courage can also build legacies, we just have to start from small beginnings.
Being an entrepreneur also changes his perspective of being a content creator. It’s not just about lifestyle– it’s about leadership, resiliency, and showing people that growth is possible if we’re just willing to step outside our comfort zones. If before, he inspires his audience through fitness or travelling. Now, he sees it from a much more mature point of view. “Now it's different nga eh, parang mas naging larger now when it comes to that kasi meron ng business na part. Meron ng inspiration that you give, na can also handle people even at a young age. You can be an inspiration when it comes to learning on or how to be successful. Because I think I know that I'm not there yet, but I am successful in my own little ways na now I handle people. Kung ano yung gusto nila sa buhay na marating, I think it's a good stepping stone at the same time for them to think of “hala, baka pwede nilang gawin,” or “ano bang kaya nilang ma-i-offer,” ”kasi kung si Lharby at his age, ganito na yung nagawa niya, baka ako I can do something with myself right now,” “even if (this is the only) money that I have, even if this is the only following that I have, I think I can also do something else.”
The Hustle Behind his Glamour
Like every other human being, Lharby’s life is not always rainbows and sunshines. Despite the polished image, Lharby opens up about his struggles. “Looking back five years ago. I was struggling to… of finding myself how to get out of the routine na paulit-ulit lang, or parang, I always see myself even if I traveled a lot and I work with brands and I have these followers, I always struggle na parang paano ako makakalabas dito in a way na mas magiging better yung kaya kong offer, hindi lang ito. How can I maximize that while I'm still here?” Lharby yearns for something more meaningful– self-doubt, comparisons, and the nagging question of purpose eats him up.
He found himself comparing his life to other people, the luxurious lifestyle, and just the life purpose he hasn’t yet found. The result of that restlessness? The birth of CoffeeBlanc– a reflection of his entrepreneurial side. He shared that one thing about him is that he was always a business-minded kind of guy. It’s a whole different kind of persona of him as being a fashion enthusiast, an actor, and all that lifestyle. And maybe that’s just the perfect reason why HA.MU chose him as one of their models in the new release of their collection. Lharby doesn’t just wear the brand– he lives it. He understands that real style, like real success, comes from authenticity and hardwork. (Like how HA.MU and The Cornerhouse are so successful because of it!) From black and white, clean aesthetic, Lharby has now explored a different kind of fashion style by modelling HA.MU’s Ganito Kaya? Fashion collection. In basic pieces where he already stands out, he can also slay clothings that has textures and eccentric!
For Lharby, one of the challenges he encounters in maintaining his ‘online persona’, is how he presents himself to people. Dressing the part is one thing about it. “I'm obsessed with my look din eh so parang I always try to find myself na I still look fit. I still look well put together. I want the people still to see me as a person na I am still well put together. When I go to CoffeeBlanc actually, the pressure is I want to dress well. I want them to feel na… I wanna emulate this side of me na when you go to CoffeeBlanc, I want you to feel good. I want you to express yourself when it comes to dressing up at the same time.” He makes sure that CoffeeBlanc reflects a sense of pride– it’s a discipline he lives by.
He wants people to not just focus on him, but also to his brand. At this point, Lharby sees himself more at the backstage, the hands and feet of the brand. “I want them to see the beauty of the brand, of the CoffeeBlanc, not me lang.” and this is why Lharby is the perfect person to model HA.MU’s newest collection, he does not only wear or promote a brand– he embodies it. He’s like the statue that represents it.
Lharby’s work ethics? On top
It seems that Lharby’s calling is really to be an entrepreneur, as bossy and intimidating as he looks– he’s a leader, and the best boss anyone could ask for. Something he doesn’t always share on his social media is his work ethic, and we just love a humble king. Lharby leads with empathy, he puts a big amount of value and effort in nurturing a positive workplace. “I would say it's the hard work that I put into building a brand and a business. Kasi the physical and the mental labor of all of it, ano na eh, says a lot na. And as time goes by, I really do enjoy it and it really makes me happy in a good way. It makes me push myself more and keep growing in terms of maturity, lahat na, maturity, discipline, handling people, kasi it’s hard ah…I started handling people, I’ll be very good to them, I’ll be nice, I’ll be the best boss, gusto ko parang masaya lang kami lagi.”
As he maneuvers his life as a business owner, he learns how to deal with different types of people– and he grows with it. Running CoffeeBlanc not only taught him business strategies, but also emotional intelligence. “Kasi when you handle different types of people, parang you will learn also from them how to manage them, how to handle their feelings, how to handle their emotions, their body language, the way they work. Kasi siyempre, everybody is not perfect naman diba. So I really try myself to push harder and keep growing with them, with my people.” To lead with both firmness and kindness and to stay humble amid success– that’s what Lharby is doing.
Lharby also shared that CoffeeBlanc serves as a stepping stone for him. His ultimate dream? A speakeasy bar! “I've always wanted to have a bar. A speakeasy bar. So what we did with CoffeeBlanc actually is training for us. CoffeeBlanc transforms into a bar every Friday to Sunday. We dim the lights, sometimes we hire a DJ, we change the music, and then we serve cocktails and bottles of liquor. So I've always wanted to have a bar wherein I can hang out with my friends. I can see people, enjoying their drinks there, catching up with their friends.” His dream is not only for himself, but also for his family. To give his family a comfortable life, the world that they deserve.
What’s A Good Day for Lharby Policarpio?
It’s simple– a clean environment, that’s it. He shared that his place is like CoffeeBlanc– all white and black, very clean aesthetic. Almost similar to the Cornerhouse at San Juan, where the collaborative shoot with HA.MU happened.
“I’ve always been a clean person when it comes to bahay because of my mom. So I think that’s why naging ganon din yung look ng CoffeeBlanc kasi gusto ko lang na malinis. So I’d say siguro fixing my bed in the morning or like every morning. And then right after that, I vacuumed my entire condo. The moment I wake up I really vacuumed everything. Kahit na meron akong cleaner. I really vacuum my entire condo the moment I wake up. Tapos, I do all my house chores. It helps warm my body up for the day. And, I think it's great to just get all the chores out of the way. So para pag tapos na I won't be distracted given all the work that I already do. So gusto ko lang na aalis ako at dadating ako ng bahay na malinis yung bahay, yun magandang araw yun, diba?” For some people, a good fit means a good day– for Lharby, a clean house is equivalent to a good day. That’s the mundane things he makes sure to do have the day ahead of him…perfect!
In a world that often celebrates only the highlighted reels, Lharby Policarpio stands out. The things that Lharby shared in this collaborative shoot with HA.MU, are the things that makes him a human…on top of that, a great social media influencer and businessman. His journey proves that hustle blended with heart and humility is like a secret recipe to success. Although he sometimes doubts himself, he also knows that he deserves the good things coming to him because of the good deeds he does– being kind to his staff, listening to his customers, inspiring people to do something for themselves…and embodying every brand he works with. In a life that often leans bitter like black coffee, Lharby brings the perfect amount of sweetness in the narrative– the one that inspires, uplifts, and lasts long after the cup is empty.
