FORT SMITH PORTSMOUTH AND POSTS THEM ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
SHE IS HOPING TO GIVE THE BUSINESSES A BOOST DURING THESE
TOUGH COVID TIMES.
LENIE IS THE NEW MEDIA DARLING.
LENIE: HI.
THIS IS REPORTER LENIE.
HI.
THIS IS REPORTER LENIE.
HI.
THIS IS REPORTER LENIE.
KAREN: LENIE, YOU HAD US AT HELLO.
LENIE: HI.
THIS IS REPORTER LENIE.
TODAY, I’M AT THE GREEN ROOM IN PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
♪ KAREN: FIVE-YEAR-OLD LENIE
SPECHUILLI HAS BECOME A SEACOAST SENSATION.
THE TINY TALKING HEAD, WITH HER MONOGRAMMED MICROPHONE, PROFILES
LOCAL BUSINESSES, HOPING TO GIVE THEM A BOOST DURING THESE TOUGH
ECONOMIC TIMES, TRIGGERED BY THE PANDEMIC.
SHE POSTS HER UPBEAT REPORTS ON INSTAGRAM.
LENIE: SOME FOOD IS WRAPPED UP.
THAT’S WHY THEY’RE CALLED THE WRAP SHACK.
KAREN: LENIE’S MOM, BRIANA, WORKS BEHIND THE CAMERA, OR, IN
THIS CASE, THE IPHONE.
SHE ALSO FEEDS LENIE HER LINES.
ALTHOUGH THIS PINT-SIZED REPORTER GIVES HER OWN TAKE WHEN
SHE IS SAMPLING THE PRODUCT.
LENIE: IT’S SO GOOD.
MMM, MMM, MMM.
♪ KAREN: AND SHE REALLY KNOWS HOW
TO SELL IT.
LENIE: IT MAKES YOUR BONES STRONG, AND IT MAKES YOUR BONES
HAVE ENERGY.
♪ KAREN: LENIE IS A NATURAL, AND,
ACCORDING TO MOM, A BORN TALKER.
BRIANA: YOU KNOW, AT, LIKE, TWO YEARS OLD, YOU COULD HAVE A
CONVERSATION WITH HER.
SHE’S ALWAYS JUST KIND OF BEEN MATURE IN THAT WAY
SHE UNDERSTANDS, LIKE, BIG-PICTURE TOPICS AND, LIKE,
HOW PEOPLE WOULD FEEL ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS.
SO IT’S NOT SURPRISING THAT SHE’S ABLE TO DO THIS.
KAREN: WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART ABOUT REPORTING?
LENIE: UM, WHEN I HAVE TO SAY REALLY LONG WORDS.
THAT’S KIND OF HARD.
♪ KAREN: SOME OF THE NAMES ARE A
MOUTHFUL, BUT LENIE’S A PRO.
LENIE: TODAY, WE’RE AT SEACOAST CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY IN
GREENLAND, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
KAREN: AND THEN THERE’S ALL THAT MEMORIZATION.
LENIE: IT ALSO HAS BEE POLLEN, AND IT HELPS YOU NOT GET SICK.
AND IT HELPS YOU HEAL FASTER.
KAREN: LENIE’S REPORTS ARE CREATING LOTS OF BUZZ.
SO FAR, SHE HAS DONE 25.
IN THE BEGINNING, SHE APPROACHED BUSINESSES.
NOW IT IS THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
PAWS PET BOUTIQUE IN EXETER CALLED ON LENIE TO PROMOTE ITS
BIRTHDAY PARTY.
LENIE: TODAY IS THEIR SECOND BIRTHDAY, AND THEY INVITED ME TO
THEIR PARTY.
OR SHOULD I SAY "PAWTY." LIKE A PAW.
KAREN: HER REPORTS MIX IN A FEW FACTS, SOME SCRIPTED, SOME
AD-LIBBED.
THEN LENIE ADDS HER OWN FLAIR.
LENIE: THEY SELL DOG TREAT AND BOWLS FOR DOGGIES, EVEN
LEASHES, PROBABLY.
KAREN: MANAGER KELLY STUCK STOOK WAS THRILLED, EVEN SAW A BUMP IN
FOLLOWERS AND FOOT TRAFFIC.
KELLY: OH, I LOVED IT.
I WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.
[LAUGHS] I WAS LAUGHING.
WE LAUGHED AS WE WATCHED IT.
AND SHE SHARED, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED TO HEAR.
KAREN: THE SAME MAGIC WORKED FOR THE BAKERY SWEETNESS BY MARCY,
SPECIALIZING IN CUSTOM CAKES.
OWNER MARCY BAER WHIPPED UP OUR VERY OWN "NEW HAMPSHIRE
CHRONICLE" TREATS.
MARCY: I DID THE "NEW HAMPSHIRE CHRONICLE" CHRONICLE LOGO.
KAREN: OH, I LOVE IT.
I JUST WISH I COULD BE THERE TO EAT IT, TOO.
LENIE HELPED ADVERTISE THE YEAR-OLD BAKERY BY DESIGNING HER
OWN BIRTHDAY CAKE.
LENIE: THERE’S A KOALA.
IT SAYS "HAPPY BIRTHDAY." AND THERE’S DOTS.
AND I’M TURNING 5.
KAREN: SHE CONSULTED WITH MARCY, WHO TOOK LENIE’S CREATION FROM
CONCEPT TO CONFECTION.
MARCY: SO YOU WOULD LIKE CANDY DOTS ALL AROUND IT?
LENIE: YEAH.
MARCY: YEAH?
ALL DIFFERENT COLORS?
LENIE: JUST PINK, YELLOW, AND BLUE.
MARCY: JUST PINK, YELLOW, AND BLUE.
NO GREEN?
KAREN: AND HERE IT IS, ALMOST TOO PRETTY TO EAT.
LENIE: DOESN’T IT LOOK JUST LIKE THE PICTURE?
MARCY DID AN AWESOME JOB.
MARCY: I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HER, OVERALL, YOU KNOW, HER
QUESTIONS AND JUST HER MANNERISMS.
LIKE, SHE’S SO PROFESSIONAL.
[LAUGHS] IT’S, LIKE, MIND BLOWING THAT
SHE’S ONLY FIVE YEARS OLD.
KAREN: LENIE DOES NOT CHARGE ANYTHING, ALTHOUGH MOST
BUSINESSES DO THROW HER A TREAT OR TWO.
LENIE: IT’S NOT OVERLY SWEET, BUT IT IS REALLY YUMMY.
♪ KAREN: SHE GOT FREE TACOS AFTER
THIS REPORT FOR THE TACO CAT FOOD TRUCK IN KITTERY.
LENIE: HERE I GO.
KAREN: THE ELEPHANTINE BAKERY IN PORTSMOUTH GAVE HER OOEY-GOOEY
CINNAMON ROLLS.
LENIE: THE MIDDLE OF THE CINNAMON ROLL IS THE BEST PART.
♪ KAREN: THERE’S NO SECRET TO
LENIE’S SUCCESS.
LIKE THE CINNAMON ROLL, HER BEST PART IS FOUND IN THE MIDDLE,
TOO.
RIGHT THERE IN HER HEART.
HOW DO YOU THINK YOU DOING THOSE REPORTS HELPS ALL THOSE
BUSINESSES?
LENIE: UM.
BECAUSE I’M SPREADING JO ♪
THANKS FOR JOINING ME.
BYE.