TikTok video inspires NKY teen to launch her own business

HEBRON, Ky. (WXIX) - A Hebron teenager is using TikTok to help her business.

Aubrie Sink was scrolling TikTok one day when she saw someone making freeze-dried candy.

She saw how much they were charging and that’s when she had the idea to do this herself.

“A lot of kids my age they do like candy,” says Aubrie, “They just wouldn’t be thinking to actually make it.”

Aubrie is a lot like kids her age.

She is a cheerleader, and she enjoys painting and spending time with her friends. She also likes TikTok.

Unlike some 14-year-olds, she uses TikTok to promote her business Freezin with Aubrie. She freeze-dries popular candy and sells the bags for a profit.

“I found it from TikTok,” explains Aubrie, “So I saw a bunch of videos on TikTok and I thought it was really cool. I ordered a bag on Amazon. I really liked it and my mom was like ‘I don’t know about this.’”

Cristina Sink, Aubrie’s mom, says it took some convincing to allow her daughter to buy the expensive equipment needed to make the candy.

Aubrie used her own money from selling apple butter and jam [Jammin’ with Aubrie] to buy the freezer.

Cristina says she’s glad her daughter didn’t give up.

“Honestly it’s surreal,” Cristina said. “She started this two years ago and to watch her vision come to life, I mean she begged me for six months to get this freeze drier and I said, ‘no, no, no.’”

Aubrie sells her candy at craft shows, festivals, and online. Both in-person and internet sales are beneficial financially and in teaching Aubrie how to run a business.

“Doing the festivals and the carnivals and the craft shows just brings it more to life where she’s able to be in front of her customers,” Cristina adds, “[She can] interact with them and learn more of those social skills and be able to do the money management and to be able to upsell and to be able to be in front of her product and talk about her product to her customers.”

“What I’ve learned the most is probably how to invest my own money,” says Aubrie, “And how much to give myself or how much to put back into the business.”

Cristina says she lets Aubrie make all the business decisions.

She drives her where she needs to go but otherwise lets Aubrie do everything else.

If the business’ success continues, Cristina might not have to drive Aubrie around very much in a couple of years.

“I really want to save a bunch of money up so I can buy my own car when I’m 16,” says Aubrie. “That would really help my mom out so she wouldn’t have to pay for anything.”

So, the next time your kid is scrolling TikTok, they might find a new career on the popular app.

“Trust your kids,” Cristina says. “If they have a vision, if they’re going to stick to it and they beg you, look into and do some research. It might be legit and in her case it was. I’m really proud of her.”

Aubrie will be selling her candy at several festivals coming up.

She will be at St Cecilia Festival Sept. 3-5, Benton Farms Sept 17-18, and at Music and Merchants in Ft. Thomas Sept 23-24. Her website is here.

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