Sixteen-year-old Reid Lehner poses with items for a gift basket. (submitted photo/Courtney Lehner)

By Dawson Thompson

Great gifts

Local young man launches business as entrepreneur

Oct 10, 2020 | 8:00 AM

Some days Reid Lehner’s anxiety is so bad, he cannot leave the house.

The 16-year-old Prince Albert boy has autism and often struggles with the effects it has on his social life, but recently he launched a career as an entrepreneur, and it brought him out of his shell.

Reid’s Baskets ‘N’ Things is a gift basket making business that has been getting a lot of attention recently on Facebook. Reid makes the baskets with his business partner, his mother Courtney, and delivers them. Bringing a smile to customer’s faces is the real payout for Reid.

“Because he has such extreme anxiety, this has been like therapy for him,” Courtney said. “For a long time, he could not leave the house, so this has been great for him. We pick and choose our battles. Some days he’s great to do it (shopping), but some days he hands me a list and I go do it for him.”

Reid is home schooled, so his inner circle is small. His mother said his budding business is bringing him a newfound confidence.

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“The response has been unbelievable. It’s been overwhelming. To know there are that many people out there willing to welcome him into their world in any way they can has been fantastic,” Courtney said.

Recently, S2UDIO, a local spin gym, reached out to Reid asking him to display some of his available baskets. His pop-up shop will be there on Oct. 17 starting at 8:30 a.m.

A custom made fall basket by Reid Lehner. (submitted photo/Coutney Lehner)

“We’re going to do some Halloween and Christmas baskets to show what we can do,” Courtney said.

Most of the baskets are made-to-order for various occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, or appreciation but Reid said he’s most excited about the upcoming holiday orders.

“I’m really excited about the Christmas ones. I like Christmas,” he said.

Reid told paNOW the support from the community has made him feel really good. He said one of his biggest inspirations for his business is making people happy.

“I want to show them I’m a good person and I am willing to do it for them because everyone does so much for me,” Reid said. “I always think why not? Why not go out and do it. Even if I have had a bad day I can still go out and do that.”

Reid aspires to become a businessman and become the owner of a company someday. ‘Reid’s Baskets ‘N Things’ is his first step in achieving those dreams.

“My goal is to sell to a lot of people and hopefully keep doing it for as long as I can,” Reid said.

Lehner has his own business card and loves to collect cards from other businesses. (submitted photo/Courtney Lehner)

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Dawson.thompson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: dawsonthompson8