Girl Scouts get ready for business at Cookie Leadership Institute

Cookie season is less than a month away. Have you created your cookie business plan yet?

Girl Scouts from all over the Council recently had some help developing their Cookie Program goals at the Cookie Leadership Institute.

Nicole Stuart, president of Top Guard Security and 2017 Girl Scout Famous Former.

Nicole Stuart, president of Top Guard Security, and Carol Curtis, president and founder of Noah Enterprises, Inc., came by A Place for Girls to help girls get ready to achieve their goals. The two Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast Famous Formers were joined by Lilliea Jackson, sales operations manager at Little Brownie Bakers

During the leadership session, Lilliea showed Girl Scouts how to think like a G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader) ™ and develop their own cookie business plan.

Lilliea showed Girl Scout Morgan from Troop 963 how to create her own
business plan for the upcoming Cookie Program. 

Girl Scouts learned how to define their own brand by choosing a business a name, tagline and logo that made them unique and how to create a marketing message that customers would love. They also learned how to set a goal that would help them see the results they needed achieve their goals.

It can be challenging to be a girl in the business world, as Nicole told the girls during the leadership session. But being a Girl Scout alumna herself, she knows that Girl Scouts have what it takes to succeed in any arena—including business.

Nicole coached Girl Scout Hannah from Troop 648 on creating her
marketing message and how to achieve her cookie goals.

Carol said she is used to being the only girl in the room sometimes, but that doesn’t stop her from taking the lead in tough situations. Sometimes that means working together as a team and being respectful of everyone’s ideas.

“I have to show them that I am able to solve problems and do the right thing,” Carol said. “What I do is offer my suggestion and then ask others what their ideas are and create a solution using ideas from everyone.”

Both Carol and Nicole told the Girl Scouts that teamwork is an important aspect of successful planning.

Even though she was very shy, Nicole said she knew that getting out there and talking to people was a must to make her business grow. Now, she has the largest security business in Hampton Roads, with over 850 employees.

A Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast Famous Former, Carol told the Girl Scouts
in attendance that they, too, have what it takes to succeed in business.

“You don’t have to be the most popular girl in school to succeed,” Nicole said. “You just have to set a vision and work hard and see that vision through.”

At the beginning of the Cookie Season earlier this year, it snowed a lot! But Girl Scouts made the most of those snowy days and went door to door anyway.

Carol told the girls that sometimes, even she has a day that doesn’t go the way she had planned, but by working hard towards her goals, she turns those not-so-perfect days into successes.

“When you have those challenges, you just say it’s ok,” Carol. “You’re going to make the best you can of today and tomorrow will be even better.”