UPDATE: Thanks to the generosity of this audience, Madison has sold several thousand more packages of her mistletoe than expected, and The Maketplace is officially sold out of 'Madison's Mistletoe'! It is safe to say Madison will be able to pay for those braces.
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Yesterday, TheBlaze reported the mind boggling story of an 11-year-old Oregon girl, Madison Root, who was told she was not allowed to sell her mistletoe at Portland, Oregon's popular Saturday Market because city ordinance bans such commerce without proper approval. The security guard reportedly added that she could continue on the sidewalk outside or beg for donations instead.
Madison was looking to sell the mistletoe she had picked from her uncle's farm as a way to offset the cost of her braces, but was chased away before she had a chance to sell any. Glenn got wind of the story yesterday and decided Madison's entrepreneurial spirit would make an excellent addition to The Marketplace by TheBlaze. 1,000 bags of 'Madison's Mistletoe' were made available in The Marketplace this morning for $9.99 each and sold out almost immediately. Madison is now working to put together more bags of her product.
On radio this morning, a remarkably well-spoken and insightful Madison joined Glenn to talk about her experience at the Portland Market and why she refused to give up.
Madison explained to Glenn that she could not believe the security guard at the park suggested she beg for money instead of working hard and selling a product.
"I am working hard. I am trying to get something that I want, and I am doing something. I am applying myself," Madison said. "But now they are saying, 'You don't need to apply yourself. You can just sit down and beg for money.'"
Glenn said that selling Madison's mistletoe in TheBlaze's Marketplace was a no brainer because the 11-year-old has clearly demonstrated her willingness to work hard for the things she wants. He explained The Marketplace would not profit from the sale of her product, and the only extra cost to consumers is a small surcharge to cover credit card fees.
"I think there's a lot of people that would appreciate and understand that, you know, you want to work to earn your braces," Glenn told Madison.
"Yeah, what it really boils down to is this generation's work ethic, and I think that's how it's going right now, it's just disappointing. It disappoints me that this country has come down to begging instead of working hard for something you want and need," Madison responded. "My dad has his own company. He's an entrepreneur. My whole family has always been entrepreneurs. They always have some business going on."
Madison's dedication and maturity clearly impressed Pat and Stu, who wondered whether or not she could run for president.
"This is the greatest kid of all time," Stu said. "That's my favorite guest of the whole year."
"Is she too young to run for president," Pat asked. "She's great. She is fantastic. If that's not heartwarming, I don't know what is."
