By:
Raelynn Mears
Gold Award Girl Scout
Sales Professor at Texas Christian University (TCU)
Fort Worth, TX
Good morning, everyone!
My name is Raelynn Mears and let me just say how deeply
honored I am to be here with all of you today—especially our shining stars, the
newest class of Girl Scout Gold Award recipients!
Let’s take a second and make some noise for these
outstanding young women. Go ahead—Gold Award Girl Scouts, give yourselves a
huge round of applause! You’ve earned it. You are a part of an elite sisterhood
now, and today is a day to soak that in.
Before I get too far in, I want to give a special shoutout
to all the proud families, friends, troop leaders, volunteers, and mentors in
the room. You are the quiet heroes behind today’s success stories. Without your
encouragement, carpools, cookie booth shifts, and endless pep talks, this
moment wouldn’t be possible. So let’s hear it for all the support systems that
helped make today happen—you all deserve some celebration too!
Now, when I got the invitation to speak today, I had a
little moment of panic—not because I don’t love speaking (I do, it's literally
my job!), but because I knew I’d have to squeeze a lifetime of Girl Scout
memories, lessons, and adventures into just about ten minutes. And if there’s
one thing I learned in Girl Scouts, it’s this: when we face a challenge… we
rise to meet it.
So here we go…
My Girl Scout Journey
I’d like to share a little about my own journey in Girl
Scouts, and as I do, I challenge each of you to
listen for the parts that feel
familiar—those “me too!” moments that remind us we’re part of something much
bigger.
These are my vests—layered with badges, patches, and more
stories than I can count.
Now, here’s something fun. Just last week, I got these in
the mail. These are the patches you get when
you become a Volunteer, who knew… which is brand new territory for me,
because—plot twist—I now have a daughter who’s just joined Girl Scouts herself!
When I opened them, I jokingly asked her if I should get a
new “mom vest” to wear, since these old ones are out of room. She gave me the
classic eye-roll and said, “That’s not what normal moms do.” (Which only
confirmed that I’m doing motherhood just right.)
Because looking at these old vests, I see more than just
fabric and thread—I see stories. I see the campouts where I learned to lead.
The badges where I tried new things and sometimes failed. I see the cookie
booths where I learned to sell, smile through rejection, and strategize.
And let me tell you—my journey with cookie sales? Oh, that’s where the magic
began.
Cookie Sales and Goal-Setting
Let me take you back to where it all really began for me:
cookie season.
I was the top cookie seller every single year—not because my
parents bought all my cookies (they didn’t), and not because I had any secret
tricks. I approached cookie season like a mission. I set goals. I made a plan. I practiced. I
learned to hear “no” without taking it personally. And I got creative. Does
that sound familiar to anyone in this room?
You’ve likely done the same—whether it was for camp, service
hours, or ultimately your Gold Award. You set a goal. You made a plan. You
executed. That is no small thing.
And if any of my TCU Sales students were in the room right
now, they’d probably raise their hand and say, “Wait—this sounds like the first
day of class!” Because yes—they have a sales quota as part of their coursework.
Not for cookies (sadly), but the same idea.
Cookie selling gave me my first taste of
entrepreneurship—and what was my first big goal? With a quick look at the prize
sheet, I quickly scanned the options and there it was: The Pewter Figurine.
I had no clue what pewter was at the time, but that shiny little animal statue called
to me. That was my very first official business goal. And I nailed it. Year
after year, I crushed my cookie goals (and earned the new pewter figurine
because it had become tradition at this point)—and started earning my way to summer
camp.
Those camps—starting with day camp at Timberlake, then horse
camp at Stevens Ranch, and eventually what we used to call back in the day, “Wider
Opportunities” (which I think yall call Destinations now) across the U.S.—were
magical. But here’s the thing: those opportunities wouldn’t have been
financially possible for me growing up without Girl Scouts and cookie sales. I
earned my way to every single one of them. I learned to fund my own dreams.
The Gold Award and What It Gave Me
Eventually, my path led me to the biggest milestone of them
all—the Gold Award. The reason we are all here today.
Let me be real: Earning my Gold Award was like running a marathon. It pushed me, stretched me, and
I didn’t know it at the time, but the lessons I learned
during my Gold Award project would shape every chapter that came next. That
drive—to set a goal, solve problems, lead with confidence, and see it
through—became the foundation of my career.
This gold pin right here? It
has opened more doors than I ever imagined.
My Gold Award helped me get scholarships, many, many
scholarships. It helped me stand out in job interviews which resulted in me landing
my first job. It stood out on my résumé which helped me earn job promotions
over extremely qualified professionals. It gave me confidence to speak up when
I was the only woman in the room. And now, as an educator at one of the top
business schools in the country—and yes, the one with the top-ranked sales
program too—I still point back to that Award as a defining milestone in
my life. And it reminds me—I can do
hard things and so can you.
From Girl Scout to Career Woman
Because of Girl Scouts, I became a first-generation college
student, earning both my Bachelors in Business Administration and my Masters in
Business Administration. No one in my family had ever done anything in
business—but thanks to the foundation Girl Scouts gave me, I could.
I started my career at FedEx, one of the top Fortune 50
companies in the world, and quickly rose through the sales ranks—faster than
many of my peers. Today, I’m a Sales Professor at Texas Christian University
(TCU), Go Frogs! And I have the honor of helping the next generation build
their own path to success. From Cookie Sales to Sales Professor, Girl Scouts
and my Gold Award set the stage for this beautiful story.
And life has this funny way of coming full circle.
A few years ago, I was at a Women’s Leadership event at TCU
as the only female Sales faculty member. It was a breakfast event and of course
I headed straight to the coffee line when I got there. There was another woman
across from me filling up her cup and I happened to glance up and read her name
tag. “Becky Burton, CEO, Girl Scouts”. I stopped dead in my tracks and froze. I
couldn’t decide if my first move was to tell her I was having a fan girl, star
struck moment or just simply play it cool and introduce myself. In this moment
in time, my Girl Scout journey had been pretty silent. I decided in a split
second for a combination of both. There was a fire hose of words that started
flowing from my mouth and it ultimately ended in me snapping a picture with her
to “show my mom and mother in law”. She then introduced me to her colleague,
Katherine Curtis who became a quick friend and invited me here today.
So here I am, speaking to the next generation of Gold Award
Girl Scouts. Full circle, indeed.
The Power of Sales (Even If You Don't Think You're In It)
Now, you’ve heard me talk a lot about sales. Some of you
might be thinking, “That’s great, but sales isn’t going to be a part of my plan
for the future.” And that’s okay.
But here’s my secret: we are all in sales in some
form or fashion.
I sell to my kids every night when I’m trying to get them to
eat vegetables. I sell to my husband when I want to pick the restaurant on date
night. I sell ideas to students, in client proposals, and conversations that
matter.
And guess what? You sell every day too—whether it’s an idea,
a cause, or yourself in an interview.
You’ve already sold community leaders on your Gold Award
project. You’ve advised them of your vision, inspired others to join you, and
navigated obstacles. That’s sales. And those skills? They’ll serve you no
matter where life takes you, personally or professionally.
So yes, selling Thin Mints and Carmel DeLites helped launch my career—and it might just do the same for you.
To the Gold Award Class—My Message to You
To each of you—our brilliant, bold, Gold Award Girl Scouts—here’s what I hope you
carry with you, not just as you leave this ceremony, but into every chapter
ahead:
- You
are already a leader. Not “someday.” Not “after you graduate” or “once
you get the job.” Right now. Earning your Gold Award proves that you can
lead with vision, courage, and heart.
- Rejection
is not failure—it’s fuel. Every “no” you’ve heard (and will hear
again) is simply clearing space for the right “yes.” Whether you were
turned down for funding, volunteers, or cookie sales—look where you ended
up anyway.
- You
don’t wait for permission—you take initiative. You saw a need and
stepped up when others stepped back. That instinct to take action, to lead
boldly, to solve creatively—that will serve you the rest of your life.
- And
yes, never underestimate the power of a cookie. Because it wasn’t just
about Thin Mints or Peanut Butter Patties—it was about learning strategy,
confidence, kindness, and how to keep going when you heard “no thanks” for
the tenth time in a row. That cookie taught you more about life and
leadership than you realize.
Closing
As you step into your next chapter—whether it’s college, a
new job, or something you haven’t even dreamed up yet—remember this: Girl
Scouts didn’t just give you badges and memories. It gave you the tools to lead,
to dream, to persist. You are part of the 5%, that’s the number of Girl Scouts
who earn their Gold Award. The elite 5%. I’m so proud of you for that.
To the families, troop leaders, and volunteers—thank you.
You’ve helped shape tomorrow’s changemakers.
And finally, remember this: success doesn’t always start
with a fancy title or a big salary. Sometimes… it starts with a cookie booth, a
goal, and a vest full of dreams.
Congratulations, Gold Award Girl Scouts. The world is lucky
to have you.
Thank you!
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