Rookie entrepreneur inspired by YouthBiz Star

First-time entrepreneur Sienna Lee (right) meets YouthBiz Star Lily Blessing.

Last Saturday’s YouthBiz Marketplace was Sienna Lee’s first, but you would never know it.  At her booth for Bloom Bottles, Sienna looked the part of an accomplished salesperson enthusiastically promoting her reclaimed art.  The nine-year-old business owner paused just long enough to share the story of her business and her inspiration.

Sienna first became an entrepreneur after she attended the Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars award ceremony and gala last October.  She watched Lily and Noal Blessing, owners of Lily’s Little Buddies, receive their award for the 12-15 Age Category and thought, “I want to do that, too.  I want to be able to sell a product and donate to a good cause.”  Sienna was a guest of Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, which hosts a gift shop that sells Lily’s Little Buddies.

As Sienna considered what she could create, she followed Lily’s example of turning old into new.  Lily and Noal use old fabric and ribbons to create new dolls, ornaments, and bows.  Sienna decided to repurpose bottles leftover from a family party to create vases, centerpieces, and decorations. Over the next two months, Sienna washed, glued, and decorated dozens of bottles to prepare for YouthBiz Marketplace.

I asked Sienna if having a business of her own was more work than she thought.  Her beaming face answered the question, but she added, “It is a little work, but it’s mostly fun!”  Sienna said she loved meeting customers at Marketplace and telling them about her products. She also hopes to donate her profits to, “Help animals or help the ocean because those are two things I love.”

The day wouldn’t have been complete without an introduction to Lily and Noal, who as luck would have it, were selling their products just a few feet away.  Sienna and Lily shook hands, faces beaming the entire time.

Young Americans Center for Financial Education hosts a YouthBiz Marketplace again next spring: save the date of Saturday, April 28 in Denver.  Booth reservations open in March.