SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The annual Girl Scout Cookie Program does more than satisfy a sweet tooth — it gives thousands of girls hands-on experience running their own small business while building confidence, leadership and financial skills.
Girl Scouts of Utah CEO Lisa Hardin-Reynolds brought top cookie sellers Jade and Olive to ARC Salt Lake to demonstrate how to make brownies using Thin Mint brownies.
MORE | ARC Salt Lake:
KJZZ
The girls said the recipe was simple. You only need a regular brownie mix, a box of Thin Mints and a couple ingredients.
“We have our box mix, we have eggs, we have water and oil – and it’s as simple as that,” Jade said.
The girls talked about their tricks to selling a lot of cookies, and what to do if someone doesn’t want to buy.
“Being able to take no for an answer, just having fun with it, and saying, I’m going to sell these cookies,” Jade said.
Olive agreed.
“Just say, ‘It’s okay, have a good day.’ It’s not going to ruin the day for us,” she said.
She also said it was okay to push a little to make the sell.
“(Twist their arm) a little bit. Be like, ‘We have a new cookie – you can always try it,” Olive said.
Hardin-Reynolds talked about why it was good for the girls to sell cookies.
‘It’s so important because girls get to learn so many skills, in terms of business ethics, customer relationships, and just gaining the confidence and working together,” she said. “They get to set goals – their troop goal and individual goals – and the proceeds help them to do amazing activities throughout the year.”
She said all the proceeds stay local to benefit Girl Scouts in the Beehive State.
“It’s the largest entrepreneur program in America,” Hardin-Reynolds said.
Over 10,000 girls belong to the program statewide.
“We serve all girls throughout the state of Utah, with the exception of the Navajo Nation that serves in another council, and then Wendover, Nevada,” said Hardin-Reynolds.
The program also gives the girls to go travel and give service in other parts of the world.
Jade and Olive were getting ready for a trip to Thailand.
“We’re working at an elephant sanctuary for a few weeks,” Jade said.
The year before the girls traveled to the Galapagos Islands.
Cookies go on sale outside grocery stores, inside office break rooms and wherever you see Girl Scouts beginning on March 13.
_____
