At 38, Bre From Chickanic Confirms That The Rumors Are True
For 15 years, Bre—the woman behind the wildly popular Chickanic YouTube channel—fixed what others threw away: carburetors, chainsaws, lawn mowers, and every kind of small engine. She built Lakeside Small Engine in Hot Springs, Arkansas from nothing, earning a reputation for honesty, skill, and a relentless work ethic. But one day, Bre went silent. The internet buzzed with rumors: Had she lost her shop? Burned out? Was something darker at play?
The truth is finally out.
On October 14, 2023, Bre closed the doors of her shop for good. Lakeside Small Engine wasn’t just a business—it was a community institution, a place where thousands of broken machines roared back to life and strangers became family. For Bre, locking up wasn’t just paperwork. It was the end of an era built from sweat, grease, and sleepless nights.
The decision to close wasn’t sudden. Years of financial strain, physical exhaustion, and the pressures of running a business while managing a viral YouTube channel had taken their toll. Bre’s journey began as a student learning small engine repair in college, then working in shops to master both the technical and business sides. With her husband, she opened Lakeside and did things differently: honest pricing, clear explanations, and skilled repairs on every brand imaginable.
Her reputation grew, and so did her workload. Every season brought a new wave of repairs—lawn mowers in spring, chainsaws in summer, leaf blowers in fall. The grind was endless. Then, in 2017, Bre launched Chickanic on YouTube, sharing her expertise with people who couldn’t afford repairs or lived far from reliable mechanics. The channel exploded, especially during the pandemic, as supply chains broke and do-it-yourself repair became essential. Chickanic now boasts over 610,000 subscribers and 100 million views.
But internet fame brought its own challenges. Creating videos became a second full-time job, demanding content, editing, and constant engagement. The pressure to deliver grew relentless, and Bre found herself stretched to the breaking point—balancing technician, business owner, content creator, and public figure all at once.
Physical wear and tear added to the burden. Years of heavy lifting and repetitive motion led to serious hip problems, making it harder to keep up with the shop’s demands. The building itself needed costly repairs, and the numbers no longer added up. Bre had to make the hardest decision: close the shop and move her operations home.
Then came a new threat—deepfake technology. As her videos became training data for AI, fake videos surfaced online, mimicking her voice and face, spreading incorrect and sometimes dangerous advice. For Bre, whose brand is built on trust, this digital impersonation was an existential threat.
Despite these challenges, Bre remains a champion of the right-to-repair movement, fighting for consumers’ ability to fix their own equipment. As states and countries pass new laws supporting independent repair, Bre’s work continues to empower millions.
At 38, Bre has accomplished more than most do in a lifetime. She built a thriving business, became one of the internet’s most trusted repair voices, and created a community dedicated to self-reliance. The shop may be closed, but the mission lives on. Every video she uploads, every person she helps, is part of her legacy.
The rumors were true—everything has changed. But for Bre and her followers, the end of one chapter is just the beginning of another.
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