The girls led without losing their joy

This season I stepped into the role of troop lead for our Unidos Girl Scout troop and experienced my first cookie season with the girls. We’re talking weekend walkabouts, practicing pitches, knocking on doors, and dressing up as a cookie (I was fully committed to getting those sales.)

They figured it out, what to say, how to say it, when to laugh something off and when to try again. They were making social media posts and adjusting their strategy like pros. I stood there impressed and slightly concerned about how many cookies I personally ended up buying.

They were confident. They were persuasive. But more than anything, they were themselves.

In between houses, after a “no thank you,” in moments that could have felt awkward or discouraging, there was joy.

And that’s what I appreciated most.

In our neighborhood, we talk a lot about leadership. And our kids really do step into it at an early age, they learn how to show up, how to take responsibility, how to handle more than we sometimes realize.

But getting to see the girls lead without losing their joy, without it feeling heavy or forced, was my biggest joy. I left this cookie season with a dozen boxes of cookies and a clear understanding that leadership and resilience does not require sacrificing joy and humor.

Ester Ocampo

Girl Scout Troop Leader