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WZTV FOX 17 - Top Stories
Sweet Success - Nashville based Gigi's Cupcakes Turns Five
Midtown
Stacy Case
If you were one of the lucky ones Thursday, you may have gotten a free cupcake. Nashville based Gigi's cupcakes turned five today and she handed out five thousand cupcakes in a random act of sweetness. Hers truly is a rags to riches story.
Five years ago, Gina "Gigi" Butler took a risky plunge and it's led to sweet success. She says, "I've probably frosted about 500 thousand cupcakes. I just want everyone to be satisified."
The single mom and former house cleaner opened the first Gigi's Cupcakes in 2008 right here on Broadway using nearly every cent she had.
Gina "Gigi" Butler adds, "I have $33 dollars left to my name and he said well it's a $15 thousand dollar drywall bill and I was right there and I melted on the floor."
She originally moved to Nashville to be a country music singer. Then----
Gigi says, "My brother went to NYC and stood in line at a cupcake shop and he said these aren't as good as yours and moms. You should open a cupcake shop in Nashville."
So, she did. She had plenty of recipes. She named each one. Midnight Magic Chocolate Chip, Peppermint Patty----
Gigi continues, "Hunka Chunk of Banana Love, Strawberry Love, Wedding Cake, Scarlett's Red Velvet. It was very important for me to name my little works of art."
Tresa Halbrooks a longtime friend and owner of Legacy PR says, "She had no fear. The success for Gigi is because she wasn't afraid to try it."
Today, Gigi has turned that $33 dollars into $33 million in sales with 84 franchises across the country. They all came to her Nashville conference earlier this year. She credits her faith. "God is everything to me and he's the one that's helped me create this business given me the wisdom to do the right thing."
Customer David Loeffler comments, "The icing is just as good as the cupcake itself."
Stacy Case standing with Gigi says, "So I'm going to try Gigi's signature swirl. What am I doing wrong here?
Gigi answers, "Well, you have to go straight up and down."
Stacy, "Mine's ugly.. would you serve this?"
Gigi definitively says, "No.. but I'm sure it tastes delicious."
Everyone laughs.
Gigi says she wanted to quit every day for the first two years...
her long line of customers is glad she didn't.
Customer says, "Wedding cake is what we've heard that's so good."
They're all good. Gigi's cupcakes has locations in 22 states.
Midtown
Stacy Case
If you were one of the lucky ones Thursday, you may have gotten a free cupcake. Nashville based Gigi's cupcakes turned five today and she handed out five thousand cupcakes in a random act of sweetness. Hers truly is a rags to riches story.
Five years ago, Gina "Gigi" Butler took a risky plunge and it's led to sweet success. She says, "I've probably frosted about 500 thousand cupcakes. I just want everyone to be satisified."
The single mom and former house cleaner opened the first Gigi's Cupcakes in 2008 right here on Broadway using nearly every cent she had.
Gina "Gigi" Butler adds, "I have $33 dollars left to my name and he said well it's a $15 thousand dollar drywall bill and I was right there and I melted on the floor."
She originally moved to Nashville to be a country music singer. Then----
Gigi says, "My brother went to NYC and stood in line at a cupcake shop and he said these aren't as good as yours and moms. You should open a cupcake shop in Nashville."
So, she did. She had plenty of recipes. She named each one. Midnight Magic Chocolate Chip, Peppermint Patty----
Gigi continues, "Hunka Chunk of Banana Love, Strawberry Love, Wedding Cake, Scarlett's Red Velvet. It was very important for me to name my little works of art."
Tresa Halbrooks a longtime friend and owner of Legacy PR says, "She had no fear. The success for Gigi is because she wasn't afraid to try it."
Today, Gigi has turned that $33 dollars into $33 million in sales with 84 franchises across the country. They all came to her Nashville conference earlier this year. She credits her faith. "God is everything to me and he's the one that's helped me create this business given me the wisdom to do the right thing."
Customer David Loeffler comments, "The icing is just as good as the cupcake itself."
Stacy Case standing with Gigi says, "So I'm going to try Gigi's signature swirl. What am I doing wrong here?
Gigi answers, "Well, you have to go straight up and down."
Stacy, "Mine's ugly.. would you serve this?"
Gigi definitively says, "No.. but I'm sure it tastes delicious."
Everyone laughs.
Gigi says she wanted to quit every day for the first two years...
her long line of customers is glad she didn't.
Customer says, "Wedding cake is what we've heard that's so good."
They're all good. Gigi's cupcakes has locations in 22 states.
Friday, February 22 2013, 06:52 AM CST
Tennessee News
Victim's advocate now helps rehabilitate offenders
May 18, 2013 18:11 GMT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A Davidson County woman who says she used to hate offenders is now working to rehabilitate them.
Verna Wyatt has been a victim's advocate for more than two decades. She told The Tennessean that over time her focus began to shift toward preventing crime. She says she felt if victims could share their stories with offenders, it might help deter future criminal behavior.
Over time, she says her heart changed as she saw empathy, even tears, in the eyes of some offenders as they listened to how crimes impacted victims.
Now, Wyatt says she is spearheading more victim impact classes and organizing a statewide coalition of crime victims and survivors who can speak at correctional facilities about the impact that different crimes have had on their lives.
Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com
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