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Leilani Boring
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Alan Ice
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Leilani Boring
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Alan Ice
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Leilani Boring
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Alan Ice
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Leilani Boring
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Alan Ice
What is up everyone? Your host, Alan Ice. And this is Noche de Pindejadas, your favorite podcast turned talk show in Yo Trego Atus Influencers. Salt Lake City, Utah next Saturday, June 6th. Vamos estar yo Danny and Irma. Toa la familia Metiche in Salt Lake city. Amigas at Gem nightclub 18 and over. Make sure you guys get your tickets. I will leave them down below. You don't want to miss out. You guys eat. I want to give a huge shout out to Portland, Oregon hosting a literal three day notice. And so many of you guys showed up. So you taught and sen you the same amount of love. And with that being said, please help me welcome my guest tonight. Leilani. Hola.
Leilani Boring
Good, how are you?
Alan Ice
I am so excited. I feel like I always tell all my guests because it's true. Amigas. I know I've been doing this for so long but even then I still get nervous. Especially because this is our first time meeting. Is it gonna be a vibe? But so far we've been vibing so I feel like it's gonna be a great episode. But before we get started with today's interview, about what it's been like for you to get out here in la, I know you had a crazy day yesterday.
Leilani Boring
Yesterday I was supposed to have my flight at 3pm and it started thundering really bad when I got to the airport. So they had delayed our flight to 4pm and I told my boyfriend. I was like, okay, our flight's delayed, so let's go eat. We went and we ate. And then I got another message that my flight was delayed to 4:30. And then I got a third message saying that my flight was delayed till like, like 5:30. And then another message saying that it was delayed to 7pm, which was when we were supposed to have the interview. So I was like, I'm so sorry, our plans are canceled. Like we have to do it tomorrow or something. So, yeah. Then we got here to LA and our first interaction was funny. We got to the Uber and I asked the Uber, what do you recommend us doing here in Cali since I'm here for an extra day? And he said, I recommend you go back to the airport and fly home.
Alan Ice
He said, go home? Ah, there's nothing I recommend here in Cali. Have you been to Cali before?
Leilani Boring
I have, but when I was very little, I was little, so I don't really remember it. Yeah.
Alan Ice
So he like scared you a little bit.
Leilani Boring
Yeah.
Alan Ice
And then when you send me that text message, I'll send you a list, Which I feel like a lot of you guys are so unsure to hear her story before we get started. For those of you that might not know you,
Leilani Boring
my name's Leilani Boring. I am originally from. Well born in El Paso and raised in New Mexico. I started doing content creation like 5 years ago. I'm mostly on TikTok. I like posting lifestyle videos. And then I tried posting on Instagram, but I'm super inconsistent. I need to get to it.
Alan Ice
How was Leilani growing up? Describe a little bit your personality. What were the hobbies? Love doing Quintanos.
Leilani Boring
Yeah. So growing up in New Mexico, my mom was the only one taking care of me. My dad was actually deployed in the army. A lot of people think that because I asked for military discount that I was the one serving for the country. But it wasn't me, it was my dad. Shout out to my dad for serving the country. Since my mom was the only one taking care of me, she also did work. So I was mostly with my grandparents. And whenever I was over at my grandparents, they did not Let us have technology. Technology. Sometimes they would let us have, like, the. The TV on, you know? But that was very rare. I feel like growing up is so different now. You know, I used to go outside. I would play on the bikes. Yeah. With dirt. Oh, my gosh. My grandma, she would get so mad at me because I would go outside and I dig up her dirt. And she loved her. She loved outside. And I would dig up her dirt, and I would make mud. And I would grab the leaves from her tree, which she planted. I would grab it and I'd make tacos, and I'd eat them. I'd eat them with my cousins, and
Alan Ice
I'd tell them, tac, that sounds crazy.
Leilani Boring
And I tell them, like, okay, we're going to rate them, you know? And so whenever I'd go inside, my grandma, she. Girl, she was so mad. She was like, why are you tearing up my. My tree.
Alan Ice
My garden.
Leilani Boring
Yeah. And so I would always go be outside. I would be playing in the bikes and out in the trees. I. I loved it. I loved my childhood. Even though my dad wasn't really present, you know, everyone else made up for it. I was always around my grandma. My grandpa would always take us on vacation, so I was living the life.
Alan Ice
So you're like, I ain't complaining about my childhood. Tell us a little bit more about that. You know, no squintas. That your dad was in the military, Which. Fun fact, you guys. When I came across you the first time, I really did think you were the one that served in the army. And then as I started following, I was like, okay, no papa. But how was that? Growing up, you were raised by your mom. And you were telling me last night that when your dad came back in the picture after being deployed, you were terrified of him because he was almost like a complete stranger to you. Tell us more about that. What was that like?
Leilani Boring
So I honestly don't really remember much. However, I do remember being absolutely terrified of him whenever he came back. I only knew Spanish, and all I knew was Mexican faces. And my dad's a white man. So to me, whenever he would come home, I'd be like, who is this man? You know, I was terrified of him. I remember when we were at the airport. This I do remember. I remember perfectly. I would hide behind my mom's leg, and he'd be trying to, like, touch me, like, hug me. No, no, no, no. I don't know you, you know. Oh, my goodness. Yeah. I'd be like, no, get away. And I wouldn't talk to him. I wouldn't talk to him because I didn't know him. And who am I to talk to strangers, you know, I don't remember this, but my parents told me that since I wouldn't talk to him, the first time I did ever have a conversation with him was at Walmart because I wanted something. I've always loved to spend some money. And so when I was little, obviously I didn't have my own. So I remember telling him, apa me compra. And he turns around to my mom. He said, what is she saying? Like, you didn't teach her English? And my mom was like, no, I mean, she's gonna learn English in school. My school only spoke Spanish because I grew up in New Mexico, you know? And so my dad did get a little bit mad at my mom for only speaking me Spanish because he wasn't able to communicate with me. The only way we were able to communicate was when, you know, my mom was there and was able to translate what I was saying. And my mom. I don't remember this either, but my mom would tell me he'd try reading me books in Spanish. You know how the let letters are the same? He'd open the books and he tried reading to me in Spanish, even though he didn't know he was trying, he was trying, you know.
Alan Ice
How was that? You know? No s cuentas that your mom is Mexican.
Leilani Boring
Yes.
Alan Ice
And your dad is. You know why? How was that? Growing up with almost like two different cultures, did you ever feel like you were more here, more there? Was that confusing for you?
Leilani Boring
It wasn't confusing at all because like I said, I grew up in New Mexico, so I grew up around my Mexican family a lot. I hardly ever, ever saw my dad's side of family, because they're all over the place, girl. They're in Ohio. They're in California over here. And so I never, ever got to see my dad's family. So my mom spiced him up a little, you know, she's like, you're Mexican now, right? Now, my dad's. He's actively trying to learn Spanish for us, and he understands us, so we can't talk that much about him no more because he. He knows.
Alan Ice
How is it like, when you would be out with his family? Was it kind of like a little culture shock or just like, oh, you know what? It's like a different cultura? Because I do feel it's like otro mundo.
Leilani Boring
Yes, absolutely. No disrespect to. To white people, because I'm white too. Hello. But Whenever I go over, the food is not that seasoned. Everything's so different. And the musica, they don't have music blasting in your ear. I love that. You know, they don't have that. So it's completely, completely different.
Alan Ice
You know what's so crazy? Talking about, you know, food. We were just in Oregon last weekend, and when we were out there, we were driving and I was talking to my boyfriend, my friend and my. And I was like, you know what? Like, I don't know. Like, I feel like the Mexican food out here is a little whitewashed. But you know what? I feel like gringos, like, white people love, like, their whitewashed food because sometimes our Mexican spices, they think it's too much.
Leilani Boring
Yeah.
Alan Ice
But to them, like, their taste buds might be a little bit too strong for their taste buds. So I. I understand that. Where it's like, okay, maybe I hate the whitewash. Like, I hate El Torito, that restaurant. Right. I think it closed down. Actually.
Leilani Boring
I have a story about El Torito and there was indeed a white person back there. Me and my boyfriend, we were walking to Chick Fil a this morning because we were hungry, we needed some breakfast. And as we were walking, there was a lady in the back of El Torito restaurant with her pants pulled down. And I didn't see her at first. And my boyfriend made a face and he went like this. I said, what? What? And I turned around, and the lady's pulling her pants up. She was taking a. A dookie.
Alan Ice
Oh, my God.
Leilani Boring
In the back of the restaurant.
Alan Ice
Not at the back of El Tori. Like, here's your sasson. That's crazy.
Leilani Boring
Yeah, but I lowkey felt bad because I disrupted her privacy.
Alan Ice
You're like, at least give me some wipes or something. What was your relationship like with your parents growing up? Do you feel like you were closer to your mom, to your dad? Tell us more about that.
Leilani Boring
I feel like I've always been very, very independent. However, my relationship with my mom and my dad have been very stable throughout my whole life. They take care of me equally. My dad's the provider. My mom works, but it's just to spend her money. She likes shopping at Ross. Oh, my God.
Alan Ice
I love a little shopping spree at Ross.
Leilani Boring
Mexican moms love Ross.
Alan Ice
For the girls, there's a lot of cute ass stuff at Ross.
Leilani Boring
Yes.
Alan Ice
I feel like for the guys, it's very, like, generic. And I feel like for the guys, a lot of their stuff is really thin. At Ross.
Leilani Boring
Yeah.
Alan Ice
But for the girls, those dresses,
Leilani Boring
yeah, they're good. And I Think a lot of influencers nowadays, they like shopping at these really expensive, expensive stores. Stores. And then they're asking me where I got my clothes from, and I say, ross. And they're like, oh, a baddie on a budget. You know, there's nothing wrong. I actually got this dress from Ross,
Alan Ice
and it don't look like Ross.
Leilani Boring
I know, right? It looks good. It looks good.
Alan Ice
I love it. You were telling me that you're the oldest of three. You know, what was that like growing up? Did you feel like being the oldest came with more responsibilities? What was your experience growing up being the oldest?
Leilani Boring
I have always wanted to set an example for my sisters. So in school, I always try to keep all A's. I always try to show my sisters, like, you know what, what they should be doing in life. I worked at a young age. I always try to set an example for my sisters. I was a little bit of a bully. And my sisters do tell me because I would always get on to them. I'm like, girl, go go pick that up or girl, go do that. And avesis with my younger sister, we would fight. We would tussle. Like, actually, me. Yeah. But she would always go to my mom and she'd be like, leilani grab me by my hair and dragged me. And I'm like, oh, but you didn't tell girl was over stupid stuff. We would fight over stupid stuff, you know, like mekhi tami shirt or something, you know, and so that would make me mad. And then she was always the one that started it, though. Know, Kaylee, if you're seeing this, she can have a little bit of an attitude. I love her, though.
Alan Ice
She would start it, but I would finish.
Leilani Boring
She. Exactly. You know, and she would always go tell my mom. She'd be like, mom, Leilani did this. But as we grew up, our relationship got so much better. It wasn't that we never loved each other. We just had some. Some.
Alan Ice
So you guys were all girls?
Leilani Boring
Yes.
Alan Ice
What was that like? Because I feel like, you know, like you said there girls can sometimes be a lot, especially growing up. Expensive too. What was your relationship like with your siblings growing up? Do you feel. Because you guys were all girls. Aviamanchos platos.
Leilani Boring
To be honest, not really. Me and my sisters, we would always really get along other than our little fight matches here and there, you know. But also, people would always say, oh, tevana salier cara, porque like, we have three quinceaneras, right? I didn't have a quinceanera. And neither did my Middle sister. My middle sister was like, I don't really want one. And me, I couldn't have one because of COVID you know? And then I think the most expensive one is my middle sister. Say, I'm a Maddie. Oh, my gosh. She always asks me every week, can you take me shopping? Can you take me shopping? Oh, my gosh. She loves it. I'm like, girl, when are you gonna get shopping money?
Alan Ice
Get to work, girl.
Leilani Boring
She's always asking me to take her thrifting, and I love it. I always take her, you know? And then my younger sister, she's always wanting to dye her hair. That's weird.
Alan Ice
So she's like, how was it, like, you know, growing up, being the oldest? Did you ever feel like that came with pressures of, like, you mentioned that you always wanted to be, like, a role model. Would you do that naturally, or would it kind of be like. Because you would be like, you know what? I want to be a great example for my siblings. Or like, I had people in my ear, my mom, my family. Like, mija, you can't fuck up because you have your younger sisters looking up to you. Was that something that, like, would go on in your life growing up?
Leilani Boring
My mom's never really been like that. She's never been hard on me ever. I think it just came naturally. I've always wanted to make really good grades in school. I always wanted to work. At 13 years old, I. I wanted to get a. And my mom would tell me, you're crazy. Like, no one's going to hire you at 13, you know? And so I think it just came naturally for me. I wanted them to see what. What life should be, you know, successful, working hard, like, towards your dreams.
Alan Ice
I love that. That means that you. You know, at the end of the day, you were trying to do good for yourself, but without knowing that you doing that for yourself was also going to leave a good example for your siblings, you know, which I feel like is the best, because when you try to be good or do good for your siblings or people watching, it's not gonna. Really. Starting something new isn't just hard, it's terrifying. So much work goes into this thing that you're not entirely sure will work out, and it can be hard to make that leap of faith. Trust me, I know. In the past, I've had a lash brand. I've launched Merch, and even with this podcast. When I started this podcast, I wasn't even sure what I was doing. What if no one listened to? What if no one sees My vision. Now I know that I was right in believing in myself and launching my podcast despite all fears and hesitations. It can also help when you have a partner like Shopify on your side to help. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce in the US from household names like Alo Yoga and Rare Beauty to brands just getting started. Get started with your own design studio. With hundreds of ready to use templates, Shopify helps you build a beautiful online store that matches your brand style. Get the word out like you have a marketing team behind you. Easily create emails and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling. Best yet, Shopify is your commerce experts with world class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping to processes, returns and beyond. I love Shopify. Amigas por que emberda que si ase Owning a business so easy. In the past when I've had my Lash brand and also whenever I launch merch, I've always used Shopify Porch Super Fasti it's time to turn those what ifs into with Shopify today. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.com Allen go to shopify.com Allen that is shopify.com Allen.
Leilani Boring
So good, so good, so good.
Alan Ice
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Leilani Boring
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Leilani Boring
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Alan Ice
That's why you wreck do anything because you're just doing it for other people instead of like you know what I want the greater for myself and if that inspires my siblings to do good then Cheeto. You know, I had seen a TikTok where you were talking about like that when you would grow up you would purposely like break your bones or try to break your bones to like have a cast or something. Cuenta knows about that.
Leilani Boring
That is so embarrassing. Yeah. Whenever I was growing up I noticed that whenever people would show up to with cast people would sign it and they'd be like oh my gosh, what happened? And it gets so much attention, you know. And so I would always try to do stuff to break my bones, which I know sounds crazy. Yeah, I know. One day I was out in a bike and at my house in El Paso there's a really big like ramp, you know. So I Went down the ramp. And I'm going. And I'm trying to impress the neighbors. They were all outside. So I'm going in mesuvia un ramp casa. And this is so embarrassing. I ended up going way too fast and the bike slid. And over there in El Paso, there's like concrete ground with rocks. And the rocks are kind of out, you know?
Alan Ice
Okay, okay.
Leilani Boring
They're.
Alan Ice
Is it like when you fall and they stick on you kind of vibes?
Leilani Boring
Okay.
Alan Ice
Okay.
Leilani Boring
So I had slid, and I was going super fast, so I slid on the concrete and I ended up scraping this. I scraped my leg really bad, and I also scraped the side of my feet, face. And I was trying to be all tough and not cry, but it really. It did hurt me a lot. And so I went to the house and I was limping and I had, like, blood running everywhere. And my mom was like, what happened to you? And I said, oh, I was trying to do a little trick and I fell.
Alan Ice
I was trying to be Tony Hawk. Yeah.
Leilani Boring
Yeah.
Alan Ice
Literally.
Leilani Boring
And so she told me that it was really bad. She needed to take me to the ER cuz, I mean, the cars are driving by. She didn't want it to get infected because the rocks had gotten stuck on my body. Like, they. They went. They went inside. Yeah. So whenever I went to the er, I remember how painful it was because the doctor came and. You know those, like, gray scrubs that you use for the. The sink? That's what they use on me. Yeah, that's what they use. And they were. They were scrubbing and scrubbing and they got all the rocks out. And I actually do have. I don't know if you can see.
Alan Ice
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Leilani Boring
See the little scar from one of the rocks that was really st. There. Yeah.
Alan Ice
Was it worth the cast?
Leilani Boring
You didn't even get a cast. I didn't get a cast. Yeah.
Alan Ice
So I paid for nothing, girl. No cast to sign. That's great. But you know what? That is a very real. I feel like a lot of people can relate. I feel like that was a really cool thing when you would see, like, a student break their leg, their hand, and everyone would be signing. I would even be signing cast of people that didn't even with, like, just to feel like I'm signing some.
Leilani Boring
It was definitely painful, but I mean, whatever, girl. I. I didn't get the castle.
Alan Ice
Like, it wasn't worth it. I moved on. I was planning my next move.
Leilani Boring
Yeah. You know what I would also do at the eye doctor? I would pretend like I was blind. So I could get glasses.
Alan Ice
Oh, my God. You know what's up? Okay, so you wanted to wear glasses.
Leilani Boring
I did. I. I've always loved the way glasses looked on people. And my whole. All my family wears glasses. I'm the only one who doesn't wear glasses. So I wanted glasses. I thought it looked so cute. I wanted to fit in.
Alan Ice
That's crazy. You know what's so crazy when you think about it? Like, how has, like, different POVs because I was born. Well, I wasn't born, but as I got older, my vision was, like, kind of up that I ended up getting some glasses. You remember? Like, I don't know if your school did that where they would give, like, low income, like, students, like, free glasses.
Leilani Boring
Yeah, yeah.
Alan Ice
And they broke, like, maybe the first week, and my parents couldn't get me new ones. You know, everyone had their little ray bans. Everyone had, like, their cute little glasses. And my broke that whenever I would use them in school, I would only use them in class. You guys board. And then I would put them away. I was so embarrassed. And when I got older, I ended up getting contacts. And then later I got, like, surgery for, like, eye vision, like lasik. But it is crazy that you were, like, purposely trying to be blind to get the glasses. You're like, accessories.
Leilani Boring
Every appointment, I would do it, and I think my mom knew, but she wasn't trying to embarrass me in front of the doctors, you know? But at every appointment, they'd give me the thing to look at the letters, and I could see like. And I'd be like, c. B. I was so stupid.
Alan Ice
Did you end up getting the glasses or no?
Leilani Boring
No, they can tell because they give you a little test with the eyes, I guess, to see if you have good vision or not. And it would always come out 2020. So the doctors knew.
Alan Ice
So they're like, this girl's a liar. Yeah.
Leilani Boring
There's other people out there that do that. Yeah.
Alan Ice
Free glasses for the accessories.
Leilani Boring
It's not gonna work.
Alan Ice
That's crazy. I want to go back a little bit. Your dad knows cuentas that there was a moment in time where he was deployed, and when he first came back, you know, it was a little awkward. You were scared of him. Do you feel like as the years, you know, pass by, how did your guys's relationship change over the years? Was there a moment where you're like, oh, you know what? Like, I'm over being scared. This is my dad. I now understand that this is my dad. When did the relationship Start flourishing. And how is the relationship today?
Leilani Boring
Yeah. So my dad, whenever he came back, he was trying to make up for all the years that he was in the army. So whenever he came back, he was always trying to do stuff with me to make me happy. He had messed up his back, but I loved walking on his back, you know. And so he'd be like, okay, go ahead. And I'd go in, I'd be jumping on his back knowing probably hurt him,
Alan Ice
you know, you're going to break it more.
Leilani Boring
Yeah. And so he would always do activities with me like I said he was. He would always try to read me books in Spanish, even though he didn't know what it was saying or how to read it. He's always tried to be there for me and make up for the time. He would always go and travel with me. Also my grandpa, he would take us on vacations like Disney and the beach, which by the way, this is so random. My sister, she's always roams around. Why did my sister get lost at the beach? Yeah, how she got lost at the beach. And actually I don't think my dad was there at that time. Oh, it would have gave him a heart attack. But my sister has always been one to roam around. She loves roaming around. And we found her in the middle of the. The. The water with the $1 floaty from Dollar Tree.
Alan Ice
Literally.
Leilani Boring
And she was far from where we were too. But it's like babies. You look away for a second and. And they're gone.
Alan Ice
Literally.
Leilani Boring
You know.
Alan Ice
You know what's so crazy? I used to. When? You remember when? Long time ago. I feel like they're so popular now, but back like maybe 20. I remember growing up, they were first introduced, the little backpacks with like the leash for the babies. Yeah, you remember those? I used. I was like, that's kind of up. But as I got older and I started seeing how kids really are, my n. Girl, if I ever become a parent, which I don't have any plans to, I'mma get them that. That little backpack, right? Yeah.
Leilani Boring
Cuz they really do be running away. Cuz I was like, oh, they're acting like they're dogs.
Alan Ice
Literally.
Leilani Boring
Yeah, right. And then I see. Y' all better not make fun of my mama or say nothing about my mama. Cuz the kids do run away that fast.
Alan Ice
No, they do like any little moment. Because I would have a big ass. Susto like the good thing that she girl Moana had her ass.
Leilani Boring
And at Disneyland too. She ran away from my mom too. That girl that Girl should have had the leash, too.
Alan Ice
Should have to end the whole topic about military families. You know, what do you think are sacrifices that military families do?
Leilani Boring
It's definitely very hard for the mother, especially because they're having to take care of the children while the father is deployed. And that can be a very scary thing, especially when the mom's having to work together, too, you know? And I know that although my family was very present in my life and my mom was able to go drop me off at my grandma and my grandpa's house, a lot of people don't have that, you know, so some mothers are working, like, with their kids while the father's being deployed, you know, so that's something that's really difficult. My cousin, actually, her husband served in the military, and she was pregnant, and he was only able to come back for a little bit, and I saw what she went through. You know, it's difficult. We do have our family, like I said, so it's so much easier. But imagine for those families that they don't. They're not close with their extended family, you know, that that can be very.
Alan Ice
It's a big sacrifice.
Leilani Boring
Yes, absolutely.
Alan Ice
I feel, especially because a lot of the time, you know, that, you know, whether it's your primo, your. Your husband, or whoever it is that is in the military, you obviously are proud because you're like, you know what? They're serving the country. But then I'm sure j momento where you're like, okay, but what about me? What about our family? What about, you know, us? And it can sometimes get confusing and get lost in the shuffle of, like, they're doing something great, but, like, they're being absent here.
Leilani Boring
And to be honest, I've never felt that I missed out on anything because my dad was serving, because I did have my Theos and my grandpa, and they've always. They. They've always stepped up. They took care of me. So I never felt like I was missing a father figure. I know some other people might not feel the same way because they're not close with their family, their extended family. So it might be a complet different story. I think I was just blessed with such a loving family that I never felt like I missed out on anything.
Alan Ice
Really helped out in your situation that your dad came back fully into your life when you were four years old. So, like, anything prior than that is kind of like, yeah, maybe you were scared when you first met him, but you were still like a child. Yeah. To where, like, he didn't really Miss out on, like, those really important, like, teen years or, like, those really big milestones, you know, at nine years old, you guys move from New Mexico to Arlington, Texas.
Leilani Boring
Yes.
Alan Ice
Tell us all about that. How did they tell you the news? Who told you the news? What was your reaction? Were you scared? Were you excited?
Leilani Boring
Yeah. So actually, I heard the news from my mom. Apparently, my dad wanted to move to Arlington, Texas, to come to school over here at. Or not over here. Over there in Arlington at uta, and he wanted to get his master's degree degree and become an architect. So, I mean, I didn't know. I was young at that time, you know, and my mom didn't want to move because we have our family over there. And so my mom was thinking, let me tell Leilani, do you want to move to Arlington and leave your, like, family, you know? Well, not. I don't think she said, leave your family. You know, it wasn't that dramatic, but,
Alan Ice
like, you're not going to see your family, maybe.
Leilani Boring
But she told me, you want to move to Arlington and we'll come back in two years. That's what they said. They told me. And I said, yeah. My mom was wanting me to say no so that we wouldn't move so
Alan Ice
she can use you as the. Excuse me? Yeah, yeah.
Leilani Boring
You know, and so I ended up telling her, yeah, let's go. And my dad was there listening to that conversation. So he said, yep, we're packing our bags and we're going. And so shortly after, we moved and I left my family behind, which was probably the hardest thing I've ever done, because Mexican family, families are, for the most part, I think united are super, super close. That's how I've always been with my family. And I actually have a best friend from kindergarten, and I had to leave her behind, too. I remember whenever we were leaving, she gave me a little photo of herself, and she had wrote in the back, I'm gonna miss you. Don't know what to do without you. Oh, my gosh. She's over there. And actually, I'm neighbors with her, so whenever I go over there, I always see her. So we're still best friends.
Alan Ice
Was it hard to adjust to, like, your guys's new life, especially without your family there? What were, like, the early years that you remember? What were those? Like, did you miss, you know, home? Were you, like, you know what? Like, maybe I said, yes, I want to come to Arlington, but, like, after being out here, maybe I want to go back home. Like, what was that like for you?
Leilani Boring
Yeah. So Obviously, life's very different in Arlington compared to El Paso also. It's very diverse. Whenever I moved to Arlington, we had to get a small apartment, and me and my sisters shared one room with which I wanted my own room. You know, I had my own room in El Paso, but, I mean, that's what moving came with, you know, So I shared a bunk bed with my sisters. It was very difficult, especially going to school as a new student. It was super different. Even the students are different. The teachers are different. Over here was classes in English, not in Spanish. And also with moving to Arlington, I lost my Spanish. And people on my TikTok always make fun of me. They're like, no sabo. I'm like, I know.
Alan Ice
You're like, sisa poquito. Ah. You know, a little bit, though, right?
Leilani Boring
It's just like.
Alan Ice
Like the.
Leilani Boring
The main thing, huh? Yes, I. I know, but it can sound a little bit, you know, a little iffy. But, yeah, I lost my Spanish, which was really heartbreaking. And then. What's it called? The students over here were mean. I noticed that the students over here were mean. Not loving over there in El Paso, I felt like the students were. They were welcoming, you know, so it was super hard to adjust. And at some points, I would be like, oh, my gosh, I want to go back to back home. I want to go with my family, especially since we didn't have family over here.
Alan Ice
So it felt very, like, lonely.
Leilani Boring
Yeah.
Alan Ice
Just you guys.
Leilani Boring
And the only time we'd ever go see my family was on vacations. Like, say on Christmas, we'd go and we'd drive the nine hours.
Alan Ice
Oh, yeah. Did you guys only stay there for the two years, or did you guys stay longer? Did your mom lie?
Leilani Boring
Yeah. Why did they lie to me? They ended up buying a house. And so. So we're living in Arlington forever now. Yeah. Which it was a good thing because I learned to love Arlington, but at the same time, I've always been super close to my family. And even though there's nothing to do in El Paso, New Mexico area, I love it because my family's there.
Alan Ice
Yeah.
Leilani Boring
Like, over there, all it is is tumbleweeds. And I thought tumbleweeds were only existed in spongebob.
Alan Ice
And they're real here.
Leilani Boring
They're real.
Alan Ice
Yeah. How was it, like, you know, Mestavas Contando, that once you moved to Arlington and you started going to school, you started experience bullying for the first time? You know, Tell us more about your experience with that. You know, what was the first time you Experienced bullying. And what was also the first time that you realized it was bullying? Because sometimes, you know, we can experience it and not really think that that's what it is. What was your first moment that you were like, oh, shit, you know what? Like, these people are teasing me. They're bullying me. And what was it over?
Leilani Boring
Yeah. So I remember when I started my new school, there was a girl at the school was super, super popular. Everyone loved her. Everyone thought she was super beautiful, and I did, too. And so I remember I was seated next to her in one of the tables, and I felt. I felt happy. I was like, oh, my gosh. I'm sitting next to, like, the cute girl, the popular girl. Yeah. And so after a while, people started being like, oh, my gosh, Leilani, like, the new girl looks like the popular girl. And I. Oh, like, y' all think I look like that? So I was super happy. And then after a while, I started hearing. Hearing that they said I looked like her, but I was the flat version of her. And so that tore my confidence a little bit. I've never really cared what people thought about me, but after hearing it so many times, it's kind of like, dang, Yeah, y' all can stop calling me a freaking pancake, you know, because I was flat. I was super skinny growing up. I think I was always at, like, £94, and I couldn't ever get up past that. And I always wanted to gain weight. I always felt that I was too skinny. And. And so whenever I started hearing that, I was like, okay, like, that's getting out of hand, you know? But the comments kind of went away, right?
Alan Ice
And then. Would it ever come from her?
Leilani Boring
No.
Alan Ice
Okay.
Leilani Boring
No, she was nice. She was really nice girl.
Alan Ice
I think from what I remember, what I remember, you, like, my experience with her. She's all evil right now.
Leilani Boring
No. Yeah, she. She was super sweet. And then I remember I was always trying to fit in, and I had gotten invited to a party. Party. And to me, I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm fitting in. Like, they're inviting me. And these people were kind of popular. So I ended up going to the party, which was the first party I'd ever been to, other than, like, my family party. So I was a little bit nervous, but I was excited. I remember at the party, there was this group of guys there, and they were staring at the. The girls, you know, I felt like they were staring at me. I remember one of the guys came up and, like, like, slapped my butt, but, like, making fun of Me, because I was. Goes flat, you know? And so I remember turning around and like, they were all laughing at me and, like pointing at me, you know, I felt super. I don't know, I feel ugly, you know? And so I remember going home that day. I put on the YouTube and I started my at home workouts period. I was in my room and I'd close the door and I do workouts in my room following.
Alan Ice
I gotta pump it up. Have you watched that recent movie? You know which one? The Sue. Okay. It's gonna kill me. It's when they change. It'll come back later. But anyways, huh.
Leilani Boring
I felt really humiliated at that point. I remember going home, I did the workouts and I would do. I would search up. I remember what I search up. How to grow your butt overnight. I would do those. Or I would do, like, how to grow, like a body in a week, you know, like a bbl. And so, yeah, I would do that to try and get a nicer body. But like I said, it was hard for me to gain weight, so I wasn't really able to. And then, yeah, that passed. And then I remember people started bullying me for my teeth because I used to have super, super yellow, crooked teeth. I have always had, like, a small mouth, and I was not born with more teeth. But since my mouth is so small, my teeth were overcrowding my mouth and they look like trained. What is it, like a roller coaster? Yeah, my teeth were super ugly, and I didn't really care. That didn't really bother me. I was like, whatever. Like, if y' all want to talk about my teeth, like, what can I do about it? And then my mom, she was like, oh, we're gonna take y' all to an orthodontist appointment. Okay, girl. And so we showed up to the appointment and my mom got me and my sister braces at the same time. And while we were at the consultation, the doctor was looking at my teeth and she was like, oh, big teeth. She's like, beautiful teeth, girl. No, no, no. And to me, whenever she said big teeth, I took that as, oh, she'
Alan Ice
front of me or a confirmation.
Leilani Boring
Like, oh, yeah, people are right, you know, because people would call me. What would they say? Like, I had bunny. I look like a bunny with my. With my teeth? Yeah, with my buck teeth. And so I remember talking to the doctor and. And I told her, oh, yeah, I don't like that. I don't like that they're big. She said, no, they're. They're beautiful. She said, once we get these straightened, like, straightened out. Like people are gonna tell you, oh, it looks like you have veneers.
Alan Ice
Yeah, you do have really beautiful teeth.
Leilani Boring
Thank you so much. Yeah. But I remember when she told me that I was make them smaller. I told her, can you shave them? And she said, yeah, we can shave them for you. I'm not going to do that much though. Cuz first of all, we can't. And second of all, you should like your big teeth. Like you'll. You'll see later. And I was in braces for I think two, three years. And I was also an Invisalign because the doctor that I went to, she was amazing. She was a perfectionist, which I ended up working for her later, which we'll talk about that later. I was in braces for two, three years. And then I remember when she took the braces off, she said, yeah, it looks really good. Let's put you on Invisalign. She said, do you want Invisalign? And I said, oh, what's that? So she explained to me the process, and I ended up wearing Invisalign for like another year to get my teeth even straighter than what they were because I did have to have eight teeth removed.
Alan Ice
So you did have like.
Leilani Boring
I had super, super bad crowding. I'll see if I could send you a picture you can add. Add it.
Alan Ice
I love that context picture.
Leilani Boring
They're going to be like, oh, God, no wonder they bullied.
Alan Ice
I would have bullied.
Leilani Boring
Yeah. No, my. My teeth were super bad. So whenever people say stuff, I know it's true, but I mean, whatever. What can I do about it? You know? And so, yeah, I was off of Invisalign. And then my teeth looked really good. And then after she was like, do you want more Invisalign? I feel like we could push those teeth back even a little bit more. Because whenever you have super crowded teeth, I don't know if you know this, but your teeth end up going out like this. So I ended up doing Invisalign again. And so I had three rounds of treatment and this is how my teeth turned out. I love them.
Alan Ice
You know, Torio, you want bomb teeth? This is what you gotta do. Do you feel like when you were getting bullied, you know, over your teeth and for, you know, your body and your appearance, would you ever, like, stick up for yourself and, like, tell your bully or was it something more that you'd be like, you know what? Like, they made me feel so bad and so little that you would just Kind of like ignore it and just go home and cry about it or what was that like for you?
Leilani Boring
I don't know how it's like in other Mexican families, but I think it's really hard for Mexican families to express their feelings.
Alan Ice
Yeah.
Leilani Boring
Right. I don't know if that's just me or no.
Alan Ice
100.
Leilani Boring
Yeah. And so whenever I would get bullied, I wouldn't tell nobody. I wouldn't tell my mom, I wouldn't tell my dad. I wouldn't tell anyone. So I would just figure it out myself. I never wanted anyone to feel a certain type of way, like, oh, we need to take her here to get therapy or, you know, I always wanted to figure it out myself because at the end of the day, that was something that I was dealing with, with that I needed a fix. That's how I felt. Anytime I would get bullied or people would say stuff about me, I just let it slide off my shoulders. I would try and do something about it if it really affected me that bad with the my body. I did try doing something about it with my teeth. I didn't try doing anything about it. My mom was the one who brought it up to me just because she knew we needed it. It wasn't even at that point. It wasn't even cosmetic. It was just for us to be able to eat right. Because that affects your jaw. If your teeth are like, if they're overcrowded, it can give you headaches and give you jaw pain. So my mom wanted us to have straight teeth with no issues. Yeah.
Alan Ice
What was it like, you know, once you got your teeth fixed and you started kind of feeling a little bit better about yourself, do you feel like your confidence just went through the roof?
Leilani Boring
Absolutely. I think the smile really makes or breaks your whole look. So whenever I had crooked teeth, oh girl. I would hardly ever smile in my face photos. I would crack a little, you know, and I, I hated smiling like that. I think in all my photos right now, I'm always like, you know, showing my teeth.
Alan Ice
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Leilani Boring
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Leilani Boring
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Leilani Boring
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Alan Ice
You know about when you turn 13? Estabas contando that a very early age you started working.
Leilani Boring
Yeah.
Alan Ice
Tell us all about that. How did like working at 13 years old come into the picture? Because at 13, I was worried about going to school, having fun, trying to get my mom to let me sleep over at my friend's house. What made you be like, you know, what necitun trabajo? Was it like necessitat? Was it something you wanted to do? And what was like your whole job hunting, you know, experience? Like, what was it like going to a job interview at 13? Did you feel like you had to act a certain way so they could take you more seriously? Where did you first go? Apply Cuenta nostalgia.
Leilani Boring
Yeah, so at 13, I was actually looking for a job. I wasn't applying at 13. At 13, I was looking on Google every single day trying to see where I could apply. But the minimum age requirement for Texas was, I think, 15. And so I had to wait. And I remember as soon as I turned 15, instead of planning a little celebration, you know what I was doing? I was looking up jobs jobs. And so what came up was chick fil A. And I was thinking, okay, I think I want to work there. Because I had told my mom, oh, what if I work at McDonald's? Because I think their age requirement was a little bit lower. And my mom said, no, I'm not letting you work at McDonald's. Nothing against McDonald's workers. But my mom was like, oh, I'm scared that they're gonna treat you very bad there, like the people that go through there. So I was like, okay, I Waited until I was 15. I went into the interview process and I was super, super nervous.
Alan Ice
Cuz you're like a chamaquilla.
Leilani Boring
I was little, you know, and girl by, why did I wear slacks and a cute button up shirt to my interview? How embarrassing. And so yeah, I showed up on presentable and I sat on the chair. They ho they it. They had the interview in a public area where there was a ton of people passing by, which made it even more awkward, you know, But I was like, whatever. So we ended up having the interview and they asked me how much do I want to get paid? Why did I say how? However much y' all want.
Alan Ice
Like how much y' all want to pay me?
Leilani Boring
Yeah, right. And they said $8. And I was thinking, yeah, let's do it. I just wanted money.
Alan Ice
Is that minimum over there at the time? Maybe?
Leilani Boring
Yeah, I think so. I think minimum was maybe 725.
Alan Ice
Okay. Okay.
Leilani Boring
I think. And so yeah, they hired me on the spot. Like I was waiting for them to be like, okay, we'll give you a call back if we decide to take you. But no, they were like, okay, when can you start working? And I said, tomorrow. You know, I wanted to start working. And so yeah, they ended up putting me on the schedule and I started working. And actually a year later. Well, maybe not a year, maybe like nine months later. Tell me why. This guy, he's my neighbor, he went and applied at the same location and they started him off at a dollar fifty more than me, even though I had been working there for a while. And I have never been a confrontational person.
Alan Ice
Yeah.
Leilani Boring
Ever in my life. But that made me so mad because I had been busting my butt.
Alan Ice
Yeah. For a whole year.
Leilani Boring
Yeah, exactly. And so I went, I went marching up the stairs to where the, what are they called? The biggest boss.
Alan Ice
Had the big boss.
Leilani Boring
The big boss. And I told him, hey, you know what, I don't mean to interrupt you, but I noticed that you started this guy at 950 and I'm over here at $8 and I've been working here for so long, like, what's up with that? And he said, oh, we can definitely raise that for you. And I said, yeah, you should.
Alan Ice
Yeah, you should. Yeah, yeah.
Leilani Boring
Hello.
Alan Ice
And I'm sure they probably were gonna have you train the new guy.
Leilani Boring
Yeah. Huh? They would have me on training sometimes. And you know what's crazy? I was little. So I think, to be honest, I think all fast food places overwork their YouTube young workers, all of them. Because whenever it was time for me to clock out. I tell the manager, and she'd be like, oh, here's a list for you to do before you go home. And it would be filling up the ice. It would be filling up the cups, grabbing the containers from the top, putting them in. And that would take me so long. And sometimes I tell her, I have to go. And she's like, not until that list is done. And I was thinking in my head, girl, I have to go.
Alan Ice
I want to hear, you know, my school lets me work six hours. What am I doing? Working 10.
Leilani Boring
And you know what's crazy? I think it's a requirement that you can only work two hours a day. Yeah. Which is crazy.
Alan Ice
That's crazy.
Leilani Boring
Yeah. And so it was ridiculous. It's, you know, pointless.
Alan Ice
Did you get the raise?
Leilani Boring
Yes, I did.
Alan Ice
You walked out of there like.
Leilani Boring
Yes, I was so happy. And so, yeah, I kept working. And then actually, one day, I was going back for a retainer check because the doctor that I went to, she's. She's awesome. Like, she's always wanting to make sure that the patients still have their retainers so that their teeth don't shift. And I had went into my. To my orthodontist appointment right after Chick Fil a, right after my shift, and I remember the doctor looked at me and she goes, oh, you work? And I said, yeah, because she knew that I was 15. And she goes, are you trying to find another job? And I said, yeah, what type of job? And she goes, here. Like, right here? And I said, here, at a doctor's office? Like, are you sure? And she goes, goes, yeah. And I asked her later on, I said, why did you hire me? You know? And she said, oh, it's because we really like you. We know that you talk a lot. We know that you would have good customer service, especially since you work at Chick Fil A. Like, we can already tell. And I said, oh, okay. And so I ended up taking that job offer, and I started working, I think, that same week as well. And it was such a blessing to be able to work at a doctor's office at such a young age. And people always ask me how I do it. And I always tell people, everywhere you go, it could be a connection. Everywhere you go, you pitch yourself. Pitch yourself to someone at the gas station. Who knows?
Alan Ice
Did you quit cheerfully or did you
Leilani Boring
have both worked both jobs? I worked both jobs, and I was going to an early college high school. So on top of having college classes, I also worked two jobs.
Alan Ice
How was that? Like juggling being a full time student at, you know, an early college class, like school, which I'm sure that's more demanding, and then having to go chick fil a and then you have your doctor's job. How was it like? And then still trying to be a teenager at the time. How was it like juggling all of that?
Leilani Boring
And I was doing social media too. I was trying to get into it. I don't think it was too much. I loved it. I always love doing things. I always like to occupy myself doing things. Because when I'm not doing something, I feel a little bit overwhelmed. Yeah, I feel anxious when I'm not doing something. So having all those opportunities just felt like a blessing to me. So, no, it wasn't much at all.
Alan Ice
Did you ever feel like you were missing out on a lot of, like,
Leilani Boring
your teenage years after that incident where I went to that one party and that happened to me? Absolutely not. I never really liked going to parties because, I don't know, I think it's a waste of time, in my opinion. Like, why would I be going out to, you know, when I can be making a bag? It doesn't benefit me.
Alan Ice
What do you feel like working at these two jobs at such a young age taught you?
Leilani Boring
Chick fil a definitely taught me patience. I once had an old man go up to. To me and he said, do y' all sell coffee here? And I said, yes, sir, we do. I said, do you want iced or hot? And he goes, well, I want hot. And I said, okay, yes, I'll give you a hot coffee. And then he goes, okay, it's not on your menu, though. And I said, it's not, sir. And then he. I told him, but we do offer it. And he goes, then why is it in on your menu? And I was like, I'm so sorry, sir. I don't create the menu.
Alan Ice
But I'm not chick fil a. Yeah, I'm.
Leilani Boring
I didn't create this freaking billboard. Like, we do sell coff, though. And so I asked him if he wanted it. He goes, you know what, whatever. And he goes, how much is it? And chick fil a is a little bit expensive, you know. And I told him it's $3 and 24 cents, say. And he goes, oh, that's so expensive. Why is it so expensive? And I said, I'm not sure, sir. And then he goes, if it's that expensive, why don't I just go downstairs to. To Starbucks and get myself a hot drip coffee there? And I said, okay, sir, you're like, I'm just sorry about the misunderstanding, that it's not on the menu. Do you. Would you like the coffee, or would you like me to scratch the order? And he goes, you know what? I. I'll take it. And I said, okay, do you want to go to Starbucks or not? You know, and it's just people that you would get that are frustrated. And I actually did have a creep at Chick Fil A. So I did also learn to be very cautious of myself, my surroundings.
Alan Ice
What happened?
Leilani Boring
Oh, my gosh. This is gonna give me trauma. It was an old, old man. And I remember he pulled up to the Chick Fil a. I worked at the Parks Mall, and I was at the Chick Fil A, which is in the food court, so it's very open. This man came through my line, and I took his order, and he. I noticed that his hand wasn't really, really working. And I told him, hey, if you want, I can go help you to put the food over there. I've always been like that.
Alan Ice
Yeah.
Leilani Boring
Even if it wasn't a requirement for Chick Fil a workers to be nice, I would have done that for him, because I saw that he couldn't, you know? And so I grabbed his food, I took it over to his table, and he said, thank you so much, young lady. I said, oh, you're welcome. I. Or my pleasure. That's what they say. And so, yeah, I went back and I kept working. And the next day, he came back, and I took his order again, and. And I helped him take his stuff to the table that he was sitting at. And he tells me, how about you sit down and eat with me? And I told him, no, I'm working. And so I told him, I'm sorry. I can't at this time. I felt really bad for not eating with him because of that. He's old. He probably doesn't have anyone, and I can't eat with him. So I felt bad. I went back, and this became a reoccurring thing where he would come back, and it started getting really bad to where he would hold up our line so that I could take his order. And they would have to be like, okay, next person. And he'd say, I want her. And so I was like, okay. He just thinks I'm really nice. I remember one day he told me, hey, you're off. Can you sit down and eat with me? And I said, you know what? Sure. And so I sat down, and he had offered me one of the fries that he'd bought And I told him, okay. I sat there and I talk with him, and he looks at me and he says, you know what? You remind me of my dead wife. And I said, oh, that is not cute. Yeah.
Alan Ice
He said.
Leilani Boring
He said, your eyes, they're so beautiful. Like my dead wife. And I. I was starting to get creeped out, you know? And so I was thinking, oh, my gosh, this man's kind of creepy.
Alan Ice
Yeah.
Leilani Boring
At the same time, I felt bad. I've always been. How to say. An empath. Yeah.
Alan Ice
An empath.
Leilani Boring
An empath. Yeah. I've always been an empath. So in my head, I'm thinking, po. But that's weird.
Alan Ice
Yeah.
Leilani Boring
Oh, my gosh.
Alan Ice
Not with me. Yeah.
Leilani Boring
And so when I thought I couldn't get in any weirder, he goes, you know what? Let me take you out on a date. And he told me, do you want to go watch the movies? And I said, no, my mom's picking me up. I started getting nervous.
Alan Ice
Did he know your age?
Leilani Boring
Yes. I told him, I'm 15. And he.
Alan Ice
Weirdo.
Leilani Boring
Yeah, I told him, I'm 15. And he said, let me take you on a date. And I told him, I'm 15. And I told him, and my mom's on her way. And then he said, oh, like, don't worry about it. Tell her not to come pick you up. I can drop you off. We're. Do you live. Like, where do you live by? And I told him, no, my mom's on her way right now. And he said, come on, Please have. Basically saying, I haven't gone on a date in a while. Please let me take you out on a date. Oh, my gosh. That was so weird to me. I. I told him no, and I ended up going home. And I didn't tell my mom because, like, I said, I don't tell my mom anything. When stuff happens to me, I think I need to deal with it myself. And so, yeah, the days went by, and it started getting creepier. He would usually sit way away from me where I couldn't see him. He started sitting at the front, right in front of where I was working and staring at me. He would do that every day. He would sit there with his chick fil a sandwich and stare at me. And I was like, oh, my God, that's creepy. I'm trying to work.
Alan Ice
You know, we're like your co workers or like your managers. Like, were they doing anything about it?
Leilani Boring
After a while, I did tell them.
Alan Ice
I said.
Leilani Boring
I said, hey, you know what? That man, they're starting to creep me out. That's one time that I did have to speak up, because at that point, I couldn't deal with it myself because I was young and I didn't want him to.
Alan Ice
It was becoming, like, harassment.
Leilani Boring
Yeah. In my head, I'm thinking, what if he's not disabled? What is. What are they called? The. No, his thing to help him walk.
Alan Ice
Oh, his walker.
Leilani Boring
His walker. What if one. What if I realize he's not disabled and he grabs his walker and smacks me with it and takes me.
Alan Ice
Oh, my God.
Leilani Boring
That was a thought in my head, because I'm a big overthinker. Oh, my gosh. And so I told my co worker, I said, hey, you know what? That man's starting to creep me out. This is what he's been doing. And at first, they didn't do nothing about it. They said, okay, well, next time we'll tell them that. We'll tell him you can't take his order anymore. I said, that's not enough. He's still sitting there watching me eat and everything. And so at one point, it got super bad. I went and told the big manager, and they ended up having to end. Escort me out every single day that I worked.
Alan Ice
What do you feel like working at the doctor's office taught you?
Leilani Boring
Oh, the doctor's office was completely, completely different. I think there I learned also patience, because I remember having also a patient that called me over the phone and was. He was screaming at me. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to get into, like, the full details, but his. His wife had passed, and he was yelling at me, saying that I was the reason. He just was going off. And I was very compassionate with him. And I explained to him, I'm so sorry that you have to go through that. I know how it feels losing someone, and that's not a good feeling. And then he was trying to get free stuff out of it. You know, he was trying to get free Invisalign or something. And I told him, unfortunately, we. We can't do that. You know, it's a loss on our end. I ended up talking to the doctor about it, and I. I told her the situation, and she handled it very well, and she was surprised that such a young person could handle a situation like that. People have always told me that they think I'm older because I seem very mature, but I've always been like that.
Alan Ice
Like, it's just you.
Leilani Boring
It's just me.
Alan Ice
It's just you. I also had seen that because, you know, you Were working so hard at such a young age. You also got your first car very young.
Leilani Boring
Yes.
Alan Ice
Tell us all about that. How did that moment feel for you to be able to be like, you know what? I've been. Been working my ass off, and I finally have something to, like, talk for it, you know, like, now you're like. Like, now y' all can see I'm really working hard. What was that like for you?
Leilani Boring
So whenever I turned 15, my mom and dad felt bad that I couldn't have a quinceanera because that was around Covid time. So they told me, let me buy you a car, Leilani. Let's buy you a car. And you're working. Yeah, Know. And I told them, no, I don't want y' all to buy me a car. I want to buy it myself. I don't know why I would do that.
Alan Ice
I've never.
Leilani Boring
Yeah, I've never liked handouts. So I tell them, no, I want to work, and I want to buy my own car. I worked my butt off. And during the whole time I was working, I never, ever spent a dime. Ever. That whole year that I had been
Alan Ice
working, never spent a dime for, like, rent, groceries, nothing. No.
Leilani Boring
Period.
Alan Ice
Yes.
Leilani Boring
I love my parents. Parents for that. They've. They've never asked me, oh, can you. Can you pay this? You know, now that I'm a little bit older, I do help out. Yeah. Because why not? It's my parents.
Alan Ice
Yeah.
Leilani Boring
Why not? So I ended up working, and I saved up all the money to be able to put a good down payment on a car because I wanted to pay it off quickly.
Alan Ice
Yeah.
Leilani Boring
And so I remember I went with my dad to the dealership, and I looked at a Toyota Corolla, and I said, oh, my gosh, this is nice. So I took it on a test drive, and we told the man, we're not going to buy anything today. Because I just went to look.
Alan Ice
Yeah.
Leilani Boring
And I drove the car. I really liked it. And I FaceTimed my mom. I told her, mom, look, I really like this car. And she said, no, don't buy it. Don't buy it. Don't buy it yet. Not that she didn't trust me. She was just nervous. My mom's always nervous, you know? And so, yeah, I ended up going home with the car.
Alan Ice
Was that nerve wracking for you, too? Because even though you knew your finances, was ever like, a thought in your head, like, what if I can't afford it later on? Like, was that ever a thought? Or you're like, I'm figure it out.
Leilani Boring
I'm a figure it out period. Yeah, I've always been like that. If I get something, I'm going to figure it out, you know. And so I went home with the car and my mom was like, she was like, you know what, it's a nice car though. And so my mom asked to see the papers because my mom, one thing about her, she's really good with financial stuff. I show her the papers and she goes, leilani, you know that they lied to you and they overcharged you over $5,000? Yeah. Cuz I had told the man if he could lower the price for me and he said yes, he told me he would lower it. You know what he did? He extended the payments to make it seem like it was cheaper.
Alan Ice
Oh, so instead of like doing like the, let's say a three year, he did like a fiveyear contract.
Leilani Boring
Yes, he did. For super long. And I didn't know, I was just eager to sign interest on that. Yeah, it was crazy. And so 5,000 more on a car, that's freaking ridiculous. And for a Toyota Corolla. I love my Toyota Corolla, but 5,000 more dollars is crazy. It's crazy. And, and my mom, she got pissed. And one thing about my mom, she's small, but she's feisty. She went up to the car dealership and yelled at everyone and she told them, you know what, y' all are ridiculous for doing that to my 15 year old. Actually, I think I was 16 at the time when I had five. And she yelled at them and what did she do? She came back with the lower payments. And my dad, he didn't care either. He was just trying to get home because they had us there at the dealership for I think four or five hours.
Alan Ice
It's fudgeing crazy being at the dealership. I feel like when you go to a dealership to buy a car, even to look at cars, you have to like fucking mentally prepare yourself to be there almost all day.
Leilani Boring
Yeah.
Alan Ice
You've been working since you were so young. You know, what do you feel like now that you're older, now that you're an adult? How do you feel like that prepped you for your life now? Do you feel like it gave you a great worth ethic? Did it give you like that? Like, you know what, like accomplish my dreams? How do you feel like that shaped you?
Leilani Boring
Yes, absolutely. I think working really did show me what it's like being out in the real world because I do social media now, obviously, but some People I do get comments that are like, you don't know what the real world is. Like, you don't know what it's like out there. You don't know how hard people work. I, I was them one day, you know, I was out working the 9 to 5 whenever I didn't have school, I was working after school. So I do know what the real world is like and I just chose a different path for myself because I know what the real world's like and I don't like it.
Alan Ice
I don't like the real world.
Leilani Boring
I don't like it. You know, and it's, it was nothing bad. I loved my job because I got to meet a ton of people and I got to meet some people that were like, oh my gosh, you know what, I've never been to such a place that has really good customer service and that would make me feel super happy because I've always like making people's day a little bit better. Cuz you never know what people are going through.
Alan Ice
We need more of her in the customer service field because I feel like sometimes like people will project, like if you're going to eat and you're in such a great mood, the host or the waitress and you're like, and I feel like, you know, it is very important. And obviously with social media, if the opportunity came, it's like, porque no, you know, why would you not take the opportunity to do social media if it's paying well all over social media? And I feel like your content is enjoyed by so many of your girlies. So what made you be like, you know what, I'm gonna pick up my phone, start recording. What were the early content creating days like for you? And what was like your first viral moment where you were like, you know what, I can make this a full time job.
Leilani Boring
Honestly, the first video that ever blew up on my page was kind of ridiculous. I look back at it, I think it's still on my page. Hopefully people don't scroll because I used to be hot Cheeto girl a little bit with the secas right here. It would French kiss. Oh no. They're all like, don't go scrolling. Yeah. But the first video that ever went viral was a video of me showing girls how to make their stomachs look flatter on social media without having to edit it. And that video blew up and I was thinking, oh my gosh, this is so embarrassing, you know, But I was getting comments saying, oh don't forget me when you're famous and this and that. And I'm thinking, girl, bye. Like, just a one, one and done, you know? And so that was the first video that ever blew up. And then I remember also during co time, I had gotten a. A teacup chihuahua. Oh, I got it off of Craigslist. You know anything about Craigslist? It's a scam.
Alan Ice
Big ass dog.
Leilani Boring
I bought him with my own money again for 500. My mom told me, you can buy it with your own money. I told her, okay, so I saved up and I bought the. The dog. And I went, she's so tiny. So cute. They gave it to me with worms, though. With worms. And that 500 dog ended up being like a thousand dollars because I had to go dewarm it, you know? And I felt so bad. Why would they sell me a. A dog like that? And knowing that he's not a teacup chihuahua now he's freaking fat. Big.
Alan Ice
Yeah, he's big. I've seen a lot of those tick tocks. Like, oh, I saw recently. I was showing my boyfriend and my best friend. I was like, you know, I look at this video, look at this video. And it was like, when, you know, Como in tj, like, before you come into the country, there's, like, a lot of, like, people selling stuff. Like, it was like, someone that bought a teacup dog. Were you like, did you feel stuck? Scammed?
Leilani Boring
Yeah, I felt so scammed. But I love him. I wouldn't trade him for anything. But I'm thinking in my head, y' all are some freaking liars. Teacup Chihuahua. My aunt told me, here's the whole kettle. I was like, oh, you're messed up. But that is true.
Alan Ice
That is true. Because he was. I did see that video too, a couple days ago. And I was like, okay, that is a big dog.
Leilani Boring
Chunky dog, huh?
Alan Ice
It is a big dog.
Leilani Boring
That video blew up. I did a little video with him. I was just holding him, and he was so tiny. And people love that. People love cute things. That's my second video that ever went viral, was with my dog. And so from there, I was thinking I could really do this. So I started posting super often. And I remember I would do really cringy things to get followers. I would do, oh, let's do a follow for follow. And, you know, that's how I started growing my page. And people think, you know what? That's super cringy. Until you start building and people start asking you how you did it.
Alan Ice
What was it like when you started generating money? Did you still have your two jobs? What Was the process of quitting those two jobs to fulfill, you know, content creation, where you scared, where you're like, oh, my God, what if this really doesn't play the way I wanted to play out? Because I feel like social media, you know, you hear it all the time. It's not like something that is, you know, you can make it a forever thing if you really, you know, play your cards correctly. But I feel like it's a very scary leap of faith to take because you're like, what was that, that whole thing for you?
Leilani Boring
Yeah. I remember whenever Tik Tok said that they were gonna start paying because I reached, I think 10,000 followers, I could sign up for the program to get paid. And I was thinking, oh my gosh, this is a really big opportunity. And so I signed up, I got accepted into the program and they started paying me, but the pay wasn't all that good. And so in my head, I'm thinking, I still need to keep these two jobs. Later on, it rolls out where, what was it? It was a better paying program. I think it's called, like the beta one. Yeah, yeah. Yes, it was a better paying program. And so I signed up for that instead. And some people were like, oh, don't do it, because it's going to mess up your views and you're not going to make any more money. And I didn't listen to them and I signed up for it and I started making more money. And so in my head, I'm thinking, oh, my gosh, I can keep going with this. And eventually, at one point. Point I was thinking, if I leave my two jobs, I can put all my energy into social media and I can really make it. And it was a leap of faith that I had. And I remember telling my mom and she goes, yeah, yeah. And I could tell she was a little bit nervous. And my dad, too, he was.
Alan Ice
They were hesitant.
Leilani Boring
Yeah. Are you sure? Because they didn't know if Tick Tock was gonna be around forever.
Alan Ice
Yeah.
Leilani Boring
Because some people, I don't know if this was before the ban that, that they were talking about it, but my parents have always said that social media can be a little bit unstable, which I think is true. But I've always been one to believe in myself. So I told them, I said, you know what? I'm gonna do it. I said, why go to my 9 to 5 when I could just be doing this and try and make as much money right now and be my own boss. Exactly. And not have to work for anyone. And so, yeah, I Ended up doing it, and it's been going really well for me. I'm very blessed to be able to do this. And I love when people come up to me and take photos with me. Although I get nervous, I'm the one that gets nervous.
Alan Ice
Why?
Leilani Boring
I don't know. They come up to me and they're like, oh, can we take a photo?
Alan Ice
I know you do. Also a lot of TikTok shop, and I feel like TikTok shop really has changed the life of so many creators I know and have heard of so many creators that can make so much money just with. With Tick Tock Shop. How has that experience been with you? Because I know you actively do a good amount of Tick Tock Shop.
Leilani Boring
Let me tell y' all something. If y' all are struggling in life, do Tick Tock Shop and people say it's so cringy. Aren't you embarrassed? Don't you feel this certain type of way? Yeah, you might feel like that. Until you start seeing the money rolling in, then you're not gonna feel embarrassed. And I always tell people, just start it, try it out. And it does take a little bit of time to start gaining some revenue. Once you start posting, though, even if you go on vacation next week, you'll be making money because of those videos. So it's passive income for you.
Alan Ice
And sometimes a lot of the time, I feel like people like, oh, that's cringe. You're always trying to sell something or you're like, literally, like, trying to, like, shove this product down people's throat. Like, you're genuinely recommending products that you already love, products that you already use. Products that maybe people are in your comments, like, girl, what do you use for your lashes? Girl, what do you use for your lipstick? Okay, let me go ahead and show you, but let me make a book out of it.
Leilani Boring
Exactly.
Alan Ice
If I tell you I don't put the locarito, you're still going to go out of your way and buy it because you really want to know what I'm wearing, so might as well me make a little cute penny off of it. You know what I mean? And I've seen so many people make so much money from me, and I'm like, wow, that's where the it's at. Like, I always like to see it, you guys. Like, my mom has a business, right? That's on Tick Tock Martita. Shout out to her. One of the things that she always tells, like, the people that buy her candy is like, you know what? If you make a Video trying on my candy. You can make back the money you spent, plus more if that video goes viral. I'm always reposting all the videos of people like trying out my mom's cand candy. So sometimes they do kind of blow up. It's like the new method of doing Avon. Jeffrey, what do you feel like are the pros and cons of being on social media, though?
Leilani Boring
Oh, my gosh. There's a lot. I think the pros is definitely, you can work for yourself. Yeah. I. I absolutely love that you can choose when to work if you're feeling off one day. If you get sick one day, you don't have to call someone and be like, hey, yeah, I can't work today because you get to do that yourself. Yeah, you get to do your schedule it.
Alan Ice
If I'm sick, I'll post a video that I'm sick and I worked.
Leilani Boring
I think a misconception about social media is that you have to try a lot. You know, sometimes I post videos where I'm sitting there and I just do a little video talking and that blows up.
Alan Ice
Yep.
Leilani Boring
And it's my 30 second videos that blow up, where I thought about it for two minutes. I'm like, oh, that would make a good video. Maybe it'll generate comments and those videos blow up. But the video that I took an hour editing gets like 10,000 views. Oh, isn't that crazy? Yeah.
Alan Ice
And I feel like that's what happens. Going back to that misconception of people thinking you have to do the most. People thinking you have to do production to get views. A lot of the time being yourself and being who you are and the simplicity of that is what is going to draw people to you. Because at the end of the day, like, yeah, productions are cool. Like, going all above and beyond for content is cool. But people don't really live crazy lavish lifestyle. So they want to connect with the creator. They want to be like, oh, you're just going out to get coffee. So chillax. Oh, me too. I do that every day. It's like that connection you build.
Leilani Boring
The cons of social media are definitely the hate comments. I get a lot of those. As of recently. I don't know why I started getting a lot of hate comments. But you just learn to ignore those and you learn that those comments are very beneficial. Beneficial to you because your fans, like your followers, will go and back you up in the comments. Yeah. And that it always makes me feel super happy. Oh, my gosh. Y' all love me and y' all are backing me up. So that's definitely a con.
Alan Ice
You know, I know we're nervous earlier on, but I feel like we really have gone through this interview and it has been such a smooth and a good one. Where do you see yourself in the next five years? Whether that's relationship wise, career wise, family wise?
Leilani Boring
I've always wanted to have a really big family. I do want children. I want at least three, period. If there's more, there's more. Yeah, I really want a big family. I definitely want to have my home also. One thing that I love doing on social media is helping out small businesses and I do that free of charge. I know a lot of influencers, they charge a ton of money for businesses, but in my, my head I'm thinking some of these businesses don't have the funds to do that. And I'm actually going to school right now to get my bachelor's in marketing and I want to use that to be able to hopefully one day set something up where I could help those small businesses or even medium businesses that are struggling gain traction.
Alan Ice
Yeah.
Leilani Boring
Yeah. Because I, I know it's hard and I actually wanted to start my own small business when I was 15 and it never happened. But social media came so I started doing that, you know, so I would love to show my support to other small businesses.
Alan Ice
And I feel like now that you do have an audience, maybe now that little small business idea can become a reality. Now that you're like, you know what. Is going to support. Because you know, just from what I've heard and just from learning today, you really are a go getter and you really do work hard. As well as for myself, if you guys have not yet followed her, make sure you guys go ahead and follow her on our social medias which I'll leave down below as well as on the screen so you guys won't miss any future episodes. And, and with that being said, thank you so much for being here.
Leilani Boring
Thank you so much.
Alan Ice
And thank you guys so much for watching and we'll see you guys in the next one. Bye, guys. Yay.
Leilani Boring
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Alan Ice
Wallet Feeling light after the holidays?
Leilani Boring
Recovery starts with TikTok slash free. Pick products, share the link, and watch the price drop to zero. Download TikTok, search slash free, and start slashing today.
Aired: May 29, 2026
Host: Alannized
Guest: Leilani Boring
In this episode, Alannized welcomes influencer Leilani Boring to the iconic Spanglish talk show for an in-depth, hilarious, and heartfelt conversation. The pair dive into Leilani’s unique upbringing as part of a military family, the complexities of growing up between cultures, starting work at a young age, dealing with bullying, chisme from her online career, and her viral social media journey—sprinkled with Alan’s signature warmth and plenty of laughs.
From candid discussions about family dynamics and being an older sister to surviving workplace stalkers and internet haters, Leilani shares the real stories behind her TikTok persona and offers thoughtful advice for dreamers and doers alike.
Family Background & Early Years
Reconnecting With Her Father
Bicultural Upbringing
Military Family Sacrifices
Started content creation on TikTok about five years ago, initially inconsistent on Instagram ([05:11]).
Early viral moments included a video “showing girls how to make their stomachs look flatter on social media without having to edit it” and a video with her “teacup” chihuahua (who turned out not to be teacup-sized at all) ([64:38], [66:03]).
Grew her following via “cringy” tactics like follow-for-follow but now advocates, “Until you start building and people start asking you how you did it...” ([67:24])
Leap of faith: Left both jobs to pursue content creation full-time; parents were nervous but supportive.
TikTok Shop:
The episode maintains a warm, open, and lighthearted tone with genuine moments of vulnerability and self-reflection. Leilani and Alan switch easily between laugh-out-loud chisme, relatable family anecdotes, and honest discussions about growth, struggle, and dreams. The bilingual, Spanglish banter is authentic and inviting, providing an inclusive space for listeners from all backgrounds.
From military-family sacrifices to the joys and pitfalls of Gen Z influencer life, Leilani Boring’s journey—marked by hustle, resilience, and staying true to herself—offers inspiration and laughs for anyone learning to navigate their path. Her candid retelling of everything from workplace creep encounters and high school bullying to landing viral videos and defying “real world” naysayers is a reminder that authenticity and perseverance pay off, both online and IRL.
Follow Leilani Boring:
All social media links available on the episode page and within the show notes.
For more chisme, follow @alannized on all platforms and subscribe to Noche de Pendejadas for piping hot tea every Friday.