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Brownie Girl Scout from Ellsworth Breaks Cookie Sales Record in Maine
“Hi! My name is Lily, would you like to buy Girl Scout Cookies?
They’re five bucks a pop,” may not seem like the most complex business
strategy in the world, but for Liliana, a Brownie Girl Scout from
Ellsworth—it’s all she needed to reach her cookie goal this year.
During initial Girl Scout Cookie Program sales, which ran between
February 1 and February 28, 2023, Liliana managed to sell more than
2,222 packages of cookies—a new record for the state of Maine!
According to Liliana’s mother, Priscilla Tripp, the two of them
sat down ahead of sales to discuss goals and planning to ensure that
Liliana had a solid understanding of how to give herself a reasonable
objective.
“She’s just starting to learn bigger numbers
now, so we really had to break it down and focus on recognizing that
if we set a goal, it’s okay to not always achieve it, so long as we
try our best. But she really wanted to keep going and she pushed for
it,” said Priscilla.
“My first goal was 502 boxes, then
1,002, and then my mom asked me if I wanted to go bigger and I did,”
said Liliana.
The final goal number of 2,222 is no
coincidence either. The specific integer came about after a suggestion
from Priscilla to base Liliana’s target on her favorite number:
two.
Once February 1 hit, Liliana and her mother took to
selling on foot, going door-to-door in local neighborhoods and trailer
parks several days a week after school until well into the evening.
Despite the chilly temps and tired feet, Liliana persisted.
While most customers were overjoyed to see the young Girl Scout
peddling their favorite sweet treats, not everyone met Liliana with
hungry stomachs and open wallets.
According to the young
entrepreneur, one person actually told Liliana that they “hate Girl
Scout Cookies.” Fortunately, the negative feedback didn’t slow Liliana
down, in fact, it only fueled her to continue setting and exceeding
more goals!
Although Priscilla says this accomplishment
has been Liliana’s independent mission, she also recognizes the
massive role that the Ellsworth community has played in helping
Liliana reach her dreams.
“I was so blown away by the
support of our community […] we actually have someone who is donating
a shed to us to keep in the driveway so we can store cookies while we
deliver them,” said Priscilla.
What’s even more
impressive than Liliana’s money-earning abilities? The fact that she’s
done it before on her own accord.
Last year, Liliana
saved enough to fund a trip for her and her family to spend a four-day
vacation at Disney World in Florida. She sold lemonade, cookies, and
even rented a booth at local flea markets to sell crafts in order to
earn the necessary funds.
“She did all of this herself.
She paid for her supplies, she paid for a table at the flea market,
and she made all the sales,” said Priscilla.
Sadly,
Liliana and her family never made it to Disney. In a series of
unfortunate events, they had to turn around on their way down to
Florida when their car’s transmission blew.
But that
hasn’t stopped Liliana from keeping that sky’s-the-limit
attitude.
What’s next for the young business mogul?
Liliana has visions of attending the 2023 Girl Scout Convention at the
Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida this summer. Based on what we’ve
seen from her so far, it seems like she is just the girl to make it
happen.
Liliana couldn’t be happier or prouder to have
fulfilled her goal and she wants to see other Girl Scouts follow her
lead.
“My advice is to go door-to-door, don’t stop, and
never give up,” said Liliana.
