Sign up for our email updates.
Selling cookies teaches goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics—aspects essential to leadership, to success, and to life.
Selling cookies is cool. I get to hang out with my friends and talk to all kinds of new people. And my Girl Scout friends and I figured out real goals, like how we want cookie buyers to feel when they buy a box. Or what good we can do with the money we make. Selling cookies has definitely made me look at the world differently. It has made me think more about what I do, what I can accomplish by doing it, and why I'm doing it. It has made me realize how good it feels to work really hard to reach a goal.
When I sell cookies with my Girl Scout sisters, I make my own decisions, like how many boxes I want to sell, how to explain to people the good that comes from buying a box of cookies, and how hard I'm working to make my goal. We all have to agree on what we'll do with the money, which means talking it out and being okay with sometimes not getting my way. And I have to figure out how to solve problems, like what to do when one of the girls is sick and can't help out. My decisions matter. I'm responsible. There's no looking to mom or dad for help.
Working with my Girl Scout team to sell cookies, I've learned a whole lot about money. I now see how it works, how a business is run on it, and why money matters not just to me but to everyone. I see how it can do good for the world if used right. And how you have to watch not just the money coming in, but the money you spend. I've also learned how to better manage it. Now, I think twice before I buy something with my own money—or at least come up with a better reason to ask mom for more.
Asking a stranger or even a neighbor to buy a box of cookies can be hard. I can't be shy. I have to speak up and look them in the eye when I'm talking. And I have to be able to explain why I'm doing what I'm doing. Everyone likes cookies. But when I explain what the money we're making is used for and what I'm learning from selling cookies, people feel even better about buying a box—or four. And I feel good, too.
Working with the other girls to sell cookies, I see how important it is to keep your word all the time. And why it's important to build trust. If I don't do something I say I will, it ends up hurting not just me but the other girls, too. I can't say, "Yeah, sure," and then not do anything. That only makes it harder for us to reach our goal. Now I know how important my word is.
We've updated our cookie boxes to include stories of what Girl Scouts do today, the fun they have doing it, and all that girls learn from the experience. It's more than just cookies!
