Today’s Girl Scouts selling cookies on the corner are tomorrow’s entrepreneurs.
A case in point is Freya Sadler, a 12-year-old sixth grader from Ocean Beach.
Now in her second year of Girl Scouting, Freya sold 178 boxes of cookies her first day out.
“I love to sell cookies every year and it’s really good involvement with helping the community,” said Freya noting being a salesperson “teaches things that can give you life skills.”
Are Girl Scout cookies a tough sell?
“It depends on what kind of cookies — and if people have the money,” replied Freya.
“She’s really good at it, she has a natural knack for selling,” said Freya’s mom Michelle Larson-Sadler. “I’ve been in retail almost 30 years and I’ve never seen a young person sell like she does.”
Freya had her doubters, but her enthusiasm and self-confidence is infectious and her work ethic put her over the top.
“My goal was 1,000 boxes and my mom and troop said, ‘I don’t think you can sell that much because it was my first year being a Girl Scout,’ ” Freya said. “But I was like, ‘I could do it.’ And I did twice as much.”
Freya’s mother Michelle helped her surpass her cookie quota.
“We hit the ground running on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 9 a.m. and we didn’t stop until the last day,” Michelle said.
Freya sold 2,013 boxes at $4 a box, more than $8,000, her first year qualifying her to go to Girl Scout summer “cookie camp,” the Night Owls at Camp Winacka. The summer camp experience was described by Freya as “the best, “awesome” and “just like woo.”
Freya’s 2013 output of cookie sales placed her among the 10 top Girl Scout cookie sellers in all of San Diego and Imperial counties.
Girl Scout cookie season goes from Feb. 2 to March 16.
Will Freya top last year’s production in 2014?
“It’s really hard,” she said. “Maybe not.”
“I think she’ll make at least the same this year,” said her mom, a swap meet vendor, who added, “It’s going to take more work.”
Proceeds from a $4 box of Girl Scout cookies get divvied up numerous ways: The troop gets 80 to 90 cents, $1.11 pays for the cookies, $1.81 goes to Girl Scouts and 15 cents goes to incentives, like stuffed animals children win for selling.
Michelle said her daughter, who is homes schooled, draws a lot of attention in her neighborhood often selling cookies on her skateboard in a tie-dye shirt.
Michelle Larson-Sadler said daughter Freya aspires to become a forest ranger and is very passionate about agriculture and environmental science.
It seems certain she’ll do whatever it takes to be successful in her career goals.
After all, selling Girl Scout cookies has shown her the way.