Unique Boutique: when Mom supports her kid's business venture

There is something special about a relationship between mother and daughter, but not everyone gets to experience this bond with their parents. Not everyone has the tools to break generational trauma, but that is not the case for Laporchá Preisen.

Not only does she nurture her relationships her children, she is already planning a brighter future for them compared to what she was given.

“I had my oldest child when I was 13,” Preisen said, adding, “And I got kicked out because he was a white kid.”

Preisen was in and out of foster care after her mother overdosed. She was removed from the home and her own child was taken from her.

Because of those experiences, she wants her children to be able to earn money if they want to and supports their entrepreneurial spirit.

When her daughter Leiilah turned six, she made it known that she wanted to make other people feel beautiful, so they decided to try and make homemade makeup. “Easier said than done,” Preisen said, laughing. She said she wanted to figure out what her daughter’s way was for the client’s look and it turned out to be lip gloss.

When Leiilah turned 7, Priesen decided to create an online business, selling homemade lip gloss and lashes, for her daughter as a birthday gift. When she turned 8, they added bags, purses, hats and accessories to the business. “Every time someone makes a purchase it goes into a business account for her college fund,” Preisen said.

Leiilah said she wants to go to college to become a Marine Biologist, and said her favorite sea creatures are vampire squid. “I am also into gymnastics and want to be a chef too!” the ambitious youngster said.

All of the items sold at Unique Boutique are homemade by the family, with 8-year-old Leiilah leading the team, with the exception of the purses and lashes. The lashes are hand-made by mom. “It's a family operation. Her cousins all help too,” Preisen said.

“I feel great because I can sell my presents and I get to make people feel beautiful with my own product!” Leiilah said, adding, “And I get to see other people be happy!”

Leiilah said her favorite things to make are the lip glosses. She said there are an assortment of colors including green, yellow, purple, red, orange, blue and silver. She said to make it the ingredients include pigment powders combined with oils. Once it is the perfect color and consistency they put them in tubes for sale.

Her other favorite products are her customized purses. They come in a large variety of shapes and colors. Leiilah also models her own products online to promote and sell them.

You can find Unique Boutique online on Facebook/your_look_your_way and Instagram. All of her products can be purchased there.