9-Year-Old Boy Opens A 'Compliment Stand' To Brighten His Community

September 11, 2025

On a hot summer day in Sycamore, Illinois, you might expect to see a lemonade stand on the corner. But 9-year-old Ethan Wargo set up something entirely different — a table where the only thing he serves is kindness.

Ethan sitting at his compliment stand / CBS News

Ethan spends hours at his little stand, offering free compliments to anyone who stops by. Whether it’s a kind word about a person’s shoes or encouragement for their day, Ethan makes it personal.

“I want to give out something good that will make them have a big smile on their face,” he told The Washington Post. The idea came from an unusual place: a graphic novel. In the book, a character sets up an “insult stand.” Ethan flipped the idea on its head.

“I was just thinking of it, and I was like, ‘Hey, I feel like there’s something in there that can be used,’” he explained. Instead of charging for lemonade, he decided happiness should be free.

“I didn’t want people to pay to be happy. Paying for something like that is very silly,” he added.

A neighbor stops by the compliment stand / Credit: CBS News

At first, not many people noticed. But once his dad, Brandon, shared a post in a local Facebook group, neighbors began flocking to meet the boy with the big heart.

“Yeah, it’s really blown up,” Brandon told CBS News. Ethan’s mom, Jessica, admitted she was touched by the reaction: “I was really kind of caught off guard by just how strong a reaction people had to it.”

Now, Ethan estimates he’s already given compliments to more than 60 people. Some neighbors keep coming back just to see him again. One visitor, Angelina Uhren McNeela, stopped by with her 4-year-old son after seeing the post online.

“We pull up, and Ethan just jumps right up. He’s waving, so excited,” Angelina told The Washington Post. Ethan encouraged her new project and even complimented her green running shoes. “These little things mean a lot,” she said. “I love this kid.”

For Ethan, it’s simple: “It makes people feel good. It also makes me feel good.”

Meet Ethan in the video below: