Aleesa and Nicole Chekoy are 13 and 11 years old. Around three months ago, they started slime-making workshops and now proudly call themselves young entrepreneurs.
A slime-making workshop is a hands-on activity where kids create their own stretchy slime using glue, glitter and other fun materials. The sisters guide participants step by step, helping them mix ingredients and decorate their slime.
The inspiration came at Aleesa’s birthday celebration, when they participated in a workshop similar to what they’re doing now. “We were making it on the table without bowls, and I was like, wait, what if we made this aesthetic and party.”
The older sister was obsessed with the word “shimmer,” which is how the core of the name was born. Then Nicole added “sisters,” and the girls’ mom added “lab.” Shimmer Sisters Lab is run completely by the young entrepreneurs, shared Olga Chekoy, their mom. She believes this type of business is a great way for her daughters to understand if they want to be self-employed in the future. The girls said their mom helps with buying supplies, but other than that, everything, from preparation and material selection to the end of the party when it comes to cleaning, is done by themselves.
Both Aleesa and Nicole are proud to be entrepreneurs at such a young age. Aleesa thinks she got it from her parents and has always been thinking of doing something unique on her own. Nicole feels very proud of herself for making the Shimmer Sisters Lab happen and loves the feeling that comes after a successful party, when she understands that people love what they do.
Despite the convenience, working with a family member comes with its challenges. Aleesa and Nicole shared that there are times when they argue, but in the end, they get along well. “Sometimes when we can’t share the kids properly because they mostly ask me questions because I’m like an extrovert and I talk the most, and sometimes I don’t give Nicole a chance to talk, which I feel really bad about,” explained Aleesa.
Both have the same role, said Nicole. When one of them is busy, the other helps. Now the best way for them to work is to split a group of kids in half.
Recently, the Shimmer Sisters Lab participated in a street festival, which was both challenging and exciting. Olga said the festival’s organizer was very impressed with how organized and resilient the young ladies were. Aleesa and Nicole found it challenging not to argue at the event, where they spent more than 10 hours. Among other challenges is cleaning up after the party, admitted young sisters calling it a long process. “When cleaning the bowls, to get the slime off of it, it’s really hard because you need a lot of scrubbing and soap and also because of the cloth, you need to like put it in the washing machine a lot, and then it takes a long time to wash and then you need to dry it”, said Nicole.
Olga thinks it is best to give kids freedom to explore things their own way, but she’s always on their side to help. Shimmer Sisters Lab is planning to expand and participate in more festivals, where Aleesa and Nicole can gain hands-on experience.
– Lisa Kovtun, U Multicultural
