Laila Ratliff, a 10–year-old lemonade entrepreneur, uses her passion for community service to drive her business. Her ambitious efforts caught the attention of Good Morning America, and she was surprised with a gift that could potentially make things easier as she continues to give back to her community.
On Tuesday morning, the morning show gifted the little lady and her family with an industrial juicer to eliminate the process of squeezing lemons by hand. She also received a $10,000 check to donate to her desired charity.
The North Carolina native started her business, Laila’s Lemonade and Sweet Treat Connection, with the support of her mother in Greensboro, WSOC-TV reported. They decided to bottle up lemonade using her grandmother’s recipe, rather than having a traditional lemonade stand. The young boss wanted the opportunity to sell her products online and in-stores to reach thousands of people, according to her mother, Lakisha Ratliff. She also wanted to meet new people.
(Image: Lakisha Ratliff)
According to Good Morning America, the lemonade business has expanded and is currently highly sought-after. The Ratliffs are now regulars at local pop-up shops and events in the Oak Ridge area. They have introduced 22 fruity flavors of her signature freshly squeezed lemonade, for $6 per 16-ounce bottle.
“The best part of the business for me is seeing how far I can push myself, seeing the joy on people’s faces, and what I can do for them,” Laila told the morning show.
The industrial juicer will come in handy as the young boss strives to help others in need. She donates her lemonade profits to a local nursing home and her time aiding the homeless. Last winter, the family hosted a clothing drive for retiring home residents in High Point, North Carolina. In addition, the Ratliffs are working on “blessing bags” to hand out to the homeless community within their city, according to Good Morning America.
In looking toward a successful future, Laila is staying up to date and learning about administrative processes, negotiating sales contracts, and food vendor laws.
(Image: Lakisha Ratliff)
Laila told Good Morning America how important it is for child visionaries to receive support from their parents.
“I think it’s good for every child that has a dream or a vision for their parents to push them as far as they can go, even if they decide later on in life that it’s not something they want to pursue,” she said. “I feel like it gives them confidence and the drive to know that if they dream it, they can make it happen.”