Using lemons to create the leaders of tomorrow

Chantelle Little August 25, 2023 2 min read Tiller

This year, Tiller celebrated 15 years in business. I’m really proud of that accomplishment, and the fact that we were able to celebrate by taking our entire team to Palm Springs earlier this year.

But truly, my entrepreneurial experience started more than 25 years ago when my dad took my sister and I to the golf course with a flat of soda and taught us about marketing, sales, and profit margins, 25 cents at a time.

Looking back, this was my first taste of entrepreneurship and what inspired me to bring Lemonade Day® to Calgary.

Lemonade Day® prepares youth (grades K-8th) for life through unique entrepreneurial and experiential programs infused with life skills, character development, financial and business literacy, career exploration, and mentorship. By starting their first business — a lemonade stand — kids gain the foundational skills to succeed in life and achieve their dreams.

This past weekend, an astounding 164 youth from across Calgary hosted lemonade stands, with the support of their parents, siblings, and mentors. But these weren’t just ordinary lemonade stands — they included custom branding, unique differentiators, prime locations, and profit margins. In advance of Lemonade Day®, youth set revenue and profit targets, as well as spend, save, and share goals. The stands netted an average of $100-300 after expenses.

A few of our favourite quotes

“We want to keep going! We’ll set up our lemonade stand every weekend, get some cool signs, and make sure we never run out of lemonade. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll have a big lemonade shop!”

– Josiah (11), Isaiah (9) and Elias (7)

“The hardest thing I faced was talking to people. I felt shy at the beginning and then I learned it was better to be brave and friendly. Now that I’ve run a business I would like to make an even better stand next year if mommy’s ok with it!”

– Millie, age 5

“I took $10 from my profit to give towards victims of the wildfires in Canada. I want to help them because their houses have been burned up and I am sad for them that they have to leave their homes.”

– Jack B, age 6

“I want to put up a lemonade stand every year until I earn enough money to start my own business called S.S.S.A. (Shriya S’s Space Agency). It will have all the other things that other space agencies have plus a VR that will show us what will happen next in space over the next ten years!”

– Shriya, age 9

Meet your Lemonade Day® Calgary winners

Together with the support of our sponsors Jotson Inc, Helcim, Town of High River, and Impact Business Law, we are proud to announce the following winners:

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award ($200 prize)

Charlie Mamer
Shriya Savekar
Santiago, Adrian + Facundo Acebey

Best Branding Award ($100 prize)

Everett Zastre
Sydney Meadus
Remi Bouvet

Congratulations to all the participants! To stay informed about next year’s event and see more photos, follow us on Instagram @lemonadedaycalgary.

Chantelle Little

Chantelle founded Tiller in 2008, with a vision to build out a digital agency that would help companies express their brands and grow their revenues. She’s grown Tiller from a tiny one-woman-shop into a thriving agency with clients all around the world. Naturally curious about the world around her, Chantelle is constantly focused on learning, growing and broadening her perspective so she can better partner with Tiller clients across industries. She’s also especially passionate about getting to know Tiller’s team members on a personal level, and then helping them grow professionally inside of the company. On Chantelle’s expansive list of other interests, you’ll find real estate, coffee, golf, more coffee, seeking out and trying new restaurants, and winding down the day with something to read. All of which helps her get up the next morning and do it all again.