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The stakes have never been higher.
On Wednesday, four cadets from Girl Scout Troop 10465 got their “cookie boss” fix by working on a “Shark Tank”-style pitch for local real estate agents just days before the Girl Scouts’ cookie booth sales. Although Girl Scouts have already started selling cookies door-to-door — many of the vendor cadets will be selling cookies on Super Bowl Sunday — booth sales begin Feb. 17.
Beth Otero, a 13-year-old Tin Mints fan, said she and the other girls, all students at Desert Ridge Middle School, used Wednesday’s snow delay to put the finishing touches on their PowerPoint — an update from last year’s presentation.
“We would have had a big profile chart, but that was impractical,” Otero said. It now sits in the garage.
Otero and colleagues Emma Lupinetti, Kathleen Tierney and Ashley Barnes, all 12, spoke to local mother-and-daughter realty team Ainsley and Carol Sader about the benefits of buying cookies as a business and programs that provide cookie buying funds.
“We really liked connecting with women-owned businesses,” said Joanna Fair, troop leader — and part-time IT support for the cadets. “We were, like, a woman-owned woodshop….I think it’s just as positive to let these girls see all the opportunities to see what they can do.
The Sauders bought 100 boxes of cookies from the cadets last year. The Sauders have long supported the organization — Carol Sauder was a troop leader for her son, Ainsley, long before the couple merged in real estate.
“I’m a big believer in women learning how to do different activities,” Ainsley Sader said. “Before I worked in real estate, I worked in college athletics, and so I came from a very male-dominated world. I think learning to speak publicly and being able to stand your ground … is a really great asset to learn as you get older.”
This is the second year the New Mexico branch of Girl Scouts has offered the Cookie Boss program. Last year, the New Mexico Trails Girl Scouts pitched to more than 40 businesses, including Mesa del Sol, Kill It Art Studios and several car dealerships — although the four girls got extra points when the pizza shop gave them candy and T-shirts, Wizpies said.
Barnes, Otero and Lupintti sold 300 boxes at their Cookie Boss Plus last year and hope to bring that number to 500 this year.
Fair was proud to see her cadets stand up and perform, including her daughter Lupinetti.
“Some of these girls are more shy than others,” Fair said. “… for some it’s easy, and for some it was a big deal to actually get up in front of people and present. I see a lot of growth in all of them.
Rebecca Latham, CEO of Girl Scouts of the Streets of New Mexico, said 50 people signed up for the Cookie Boss training program this year.
“I remember selling Girl Scout cookies when I was your age, and just going door-to-door and maybe having a booth,” Fair said. “I’ve never had a program like this.”
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