This 9-year-old skipped the lemonade stand and started something far sweeter

On a corner in Sycamore, Illinois, the usual summer fixture of lemonade was replaced by something even more refreshing: compliments. Nine-year-old Ethan Wargo set up a “free compliments” stand, and suddenly his neighborhood had a new way to cool off, not with ice, but with kindness.

Where did ‘free compliments’ idea come from?

Ethan told CBS News he found his inspiration in an unlikely place: a Dog Man graphic novel. One character set up an insult stand, which struck him as “a bad idea.” So he flipped it around. “And then I just got inspired by it,” he said.

By mid-July, Ethan was in business, offering passersby a quick confidence boost for no charge.

At first, traffic was light. Unlike lemonade, compliments don’t quench thirst. But then Ethan’s dad, Brandon, shared a post about the stand online (this has worked before). The response snowballed. Strangers began driving in just to hear something nice about themselves. “It’s really blown up,” Brandon admitted, while his mom, Jessica, called the reaction “heart-warming.”

Why do compliments matter so much?

Social scientists have long argued that small acts of kindness improve mental health, not just for the receiver but also the giver. Ethan may not have read the studies, but he’s proving the point in real time. He admits that sometimes it’s hard to think of what to say – “I usually just persevere” – yet even that effort lands with customers.

His work has possibly acted as a reminder that many people are in need of some positivity in an online world that can be cruel.

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