Gigi Butler

We'll be hearing the personal testimonies of all sorts of people who have one thing in common, Jesus has transformed their lives. Jesus used parables because he created us to learn best through story. And as we listen to how God has worked in others lives, we find encouragement and inspiration for our own faith walk. Whether you are already a believer or just a curious seeker, we believe that as you listen to these stories, you will be encouraged on your own faith journey.

We are sure that God can speak to you through one of these episodes and that you will see that our Heavenly Father truly works all things together for our good. When we simply love and trust him. If you are currently going through a trial, we believe that you will come to see that your troubles, heartbreaks, and failures are not gravestones, but stepping stones into new life in Christ. Here's Jesse with today's guest.

But What it taught me at a very early age is that it was okay to fail. And even if you failed, you got your butt kicked. God was always with you. He always had your back and your family was there to pick you up. So growing up, I saw this. I never knew that people would be afraid to do something because I just did it. I was also gifted. I believe that God gives us certain gifts when we're born. And, he gave me the gift of faith and tenacity, the gift of mercy and patience.

I'm still waiting on, but we can't have it all. so, Faith and tenacity is just definitely ingrained in my whole system. And that's how I've survived and thrived. so when I, at seven, I decided I wanted to be a country music singer, songwriter and moved to Nashville and sitting at dinner, I announced Hey, I just heard that latest Dolly Parton song, and that's amazing. And I'm moving to Nashville.

And they were like, Okay, we're who, you know, because no one really in the family other than my grandpa played guitar. So we weren't raised musical. but being the type of people that they are with trying things and not being afraid, they were just like, okay. Wait a

And so that was just going to be my job that gave me freedom. And then age 15, I also started a band. And then at age 17, I started traveling, across different parts of California and singing and, still going to school, but school was never my thing. I had way too much energy and. I never fit in the school box. And I think a lot of entrepreneurs don't fit in the school box of how school is taught us to sit there, be still, think inside a box. And my mind has always been outside of box.

So I've never, I felt school to me personally was torture. I hated it because I couldn't learn the way that they taught me. wanted to teach me.

here comes the gift of faith, 500 to my name, knew no one, didn't have a place to live, didn't have a job, but I knew that God would provide. And my theory is, if he could provide for the unbelieving Israelites or the doubters, the Israelites and move those millions of people and cross that red sea, What could he do for me, just going to a different state, and trying something? So, that's where the gift of faith came, and it was shown the first time in my walk.

And it's shown many other times, other than after that. So I got to Nashville, and worked at Red Lobster. For a little bit and then met lots of stars there. I met, Wynonna Judd, Naomi Judd, Tanya Tucker, Joe Diffie, George Jones. I waited on him. Uh, Steven Curtis Chapman, Brooks and Dunn. I mean, name it. They all went to red lobster, which go figure. But 20 something years ago down in Franklin, there was not a lot of places to eat. And so they would all come, come there and.

So I learned a lot about, how the music went and I formed a band there and started singing at writer's nights and meeting people. And I started Gigi's Cleaning Company again during the day. And so that kind of kept me going and I just worked very hard at singing and I went to Vanderbilt and studied voice. And I just really. focused on my vocal ability and I sacrificed.

Everything, including parts of my soul for the music industry and in the grace of God and knowing what I know now and how good God is, I think that he knew that I wasn't going to be able to become the person I needed to be if I was going to be famous. So he didn't let me and I'm glad, but at that point I wasn't glad. And it took me a long time.

I I think the epiphany I had was I was singing down at Tootsie's and I'd sang parts of the world and written songs and whenever did backup vocals, did everything, but never fully. Made it, you know, or really got that record deal like a Shania Twain or, you know, all the people in those time, Wynonna Judds. And so it came to the point to where there was a new era coming in to the music industry. I was nearing 30. I was almost 30. I think I was 28, almost 29 at the time.

I had just sang at Tootsie's, the famous bar, downtown Nashville, and got my butt pinched that night and was. sexually harassed once again, and, you know, propping up all my stoned or drunk dudes on the stage along with all the other people in the crowd and made 30 bucks. After I paid everyone and I had an opportunity to get a music deal with the people that owned them, Tootsies at the time. And I turned them down for reasons that probably not this podcast, but it's in my book.

And. So the next day my brother had said, you really need to think about maybe doing something else. And I'm like, this is my life. I don't have anything else. all I do is clean toilets and then I'm going to be a singer. I've got the talent. I've got the passion. It's all I ever wanted since I was 16. What am I going to do? And so that was processing. And then I started cleaning for a new family that just came into town. And they had a daughter. She was 15 years old and full of musical talent.

And her, they had 2 million to push her dream. And came into town and literally said, make my daughter a star. Because she had the talent, no doubt. And one day I was cleaning her house, her parents house. And I was cleaning her toilet. And this was just a few days after I'd done it. Talk to my brother and I was mulling over, what I do with my life. I'm a loser. If I quit, that's my whole identity. And, I was cleaning a toilet, her toilet, little kid, 15 year old.

And she came in her bedroom and she started playing. practicing guitar and singing on her bed. And I was cleaning her toilet and I looked over at her and I said, did you write that song? And she's yeah, it's going to be on my first album.

And during the six months that I'd been cleaning for them, I had seen these famous songwriters coming in, The ones that I could have never even imagined meeting, let alone they're coming in a house that I'm cleaning the house, but they're still writing with this kid and I'm like, what the heck? And the song she wrote that day was teardrops on my guitar. And that was Taylor Swift. And so I'm thinking myself, she's like, yeah, it's going to be my first album.

And I packed my cleaning supplies in my truck that night and I drove home and I was like, If this kid who's 15, I'm, she's half my age almost, and she has millions to support, she is writing with these big, I'm cleaning her toilet. That was my epiphany that day. And that's when I knew I had to find a new dream. And it wasn't like, Oh, a celebration. I'm finding a new dream. It was a death because I had had my entire life. wrapped up in this is what I was going to do.

Here comes the tenacious part, right? I'm never giving up, never give up, never give up. But sometimes God has something different for you. And I'm so like my way tenacious, you know, blinders on that. He was going to use all of that, that the stage presence and the, all of that tenacity and all of that creativity, but he was just going to do it in a different way. I had no idea what that was going to be. So I took a few years to really heal about being, what am I going to do? I'm a loser.

I've spent my whole life. I'm just going to clean toilets really. And two, my attitude changing. And I got into a lot of, listening to tapes and reading books on how to better myself and how to, you know, listening to Joyce Meyer and people like that, and. Slowly, but surely my attitude of why me turned into well, why not me if I'm just going to be a cleaner? Okay, God, I feel like there's something else for my life.

But if this is all you want for me Okay, and I finally got to a part where I was okay With just all right. God, I had sacrificed some things. I'd done made some decisions. I shouldn't have I didn't walk your path Okay, what do you have for me? I'm open. And that's when normally when you're open to God's leading and you let him be the mold while you're the clay, he's manhandling you and throwing you in the fire. It's not comfortable. But then you're like, okay, I give God, you know, uncle.

That's when it usually God is ready to, thrust you into something

And, my brother called me, my other brother called me, and he was in New York City, and he had stood in line at a cupcake shop for two hours. And he's like, you should open a cupcake shop in Nashville. And I was like, what? He's like, your cupcakes are better than theirs. And he was in Central Park eating a red velvet cupcake at the time. And I was like, what? What? I gotta go. Like, okay. He's like, No, think about it. you're a better baker than these people. You could do this.

And I got off the phone with him and I looked in the mirror and I had my pink O Cedar gloves on. And I'm like, Why not? Why not me? And so I was like, I could do that. I've already failed miserably at the thing I thought was, that was it. So, why not? Why not a new dream? And so I went to four banks and they all laughed in my face. They're like cupcakes because at that point cupcakes wasn't a big deal. No one had a standalone cupcake shop

I'm going to take out money in my credit cards. So I took out a hundred thousand dollars credit card debt, and I called my credit cards like American Express and Discover and Bank of America credit card. And I said, Hey, instead of 22%, would you, if I took out 50, 000 or 35, 000, would you get it down to 11%? And they're like, yeah, we'll do that. So I negotiated with the credit card companies. So it wasn't as high as a 22%, but I, it was still a huge risk. So I took a hundred thousand dollars.

So there is once again, that gift of faith, right. And stepping out. And I thought, well, if I'm going to fail and I'm going to be in debt for a hundred thousand dollars, All clean for the rest of my life. I'm still going to be cleaning anyway. So what if, so I, at that point became the person that said, why not? Not what if I don't want to live with the regret of what if I refuse. So even if I get my butt kicked and I'm in debt and I'm embarrassed and whatever it is.

I would rather be that than sit on my porch when I'm 90 and say, what if I would have done it? Why didn't I do it? I was young then. Why? I'm never gonna be that person. So hence, got my butt kicked, lost tons of money, gotten sued, blah blah blah blah blah blah, but I can still say I'm still the why not person. So that's, that will always be me. I will be 90 and be the why not person.

33 was what was in my bank account the day I opened my store, one store, and crowds just came. And I, it all of a sudden, this one store with walking on faith and stepping out turned into 124 stores in 24 states in five years. And in two years. I was grossing 33 million,

And I don't have a job. I don't have an identity. I don't, I mean, like, what am I going to do with myself? It's just like, now what? so that's where trying to put your identity into something that you think is gonna make you great. So I was a singer. then I was nothing. Then I was the cupcake queen that sold 150 million cupcakes across the country, right?

On Undercover Boss, going around the world, signing cupcakes, signing books, putting a book out, being on the Today Show, you know, all of this stuff, right? So I'm this cupcake queen. To then nothing, So then what are ya? where's my identity again? So then why you go? When you have that huge high that you think, oh one day I think I'm in for more, and then God gives you the more, and maybe you were ready at that time, but then, It's now, not that again. So, who the heck am I?

It was singing and writing then it went to Designing cupcakes and designing the stores and designing the colors and designing the boxes, which is a form of creativity That god always wants us to continually recreate Because we are supposed to create as humans keep creating keep creating never stand still You

So I'd always wanted like to own a French farmhouse country pie shop that, you know, that was always my dream. I always, pies were really my signature thing even before I did the cupcakes, which most people don't know. So pies are my love language. So I was like, you know what, I'm going to do this. I've got a little bit of my savings left after the sale and all that happened with that. And so I started creating this pie shop. Like what would I be calling it? What do I do?

Here's the color where it's the theme. And I put everything I had into this pie shop during 2020. And then I was getting going. I opened in October of 2020. And that holiday went great. And then remember Omnicron. Biden scared the whole world to death with stinking Omicron. So then people stopped coming in. And then I'm like, I have a very expensive rent, which was 8, 700 a month, by the way, that's a lot of pies to bake.

And the people where I was, they wouldn't let me have like a drive thru or a, you know, pull up and take, you know, casseroles. Cause I did shepherd's pie and chicken pot pies. Casseroles and like a take and bake type of situation too. And many pies, pie bars and big pies. And then it became like, how am I going to pay my rent? If everyone's scared to death to come in it was nightmare. So that completely put me out of business and I lost everything.

And I had to close up my shop, sell my dream house. that I had built, and I thought, who the heck am I? I've lost everything. Still fighting another lawsuit. And I thought, who am I? I've lost, now again, everything? Which a lot of people were feeling that way. If you were in small business in 2020,

So, I sold my home and I said, if I'm going to sell my dream home, I'm moving to the beach. So, I found Fernadina. I always thought I would move to Florida and, but I'd go down to the panhandle and I was going to, you know, not be an old maid, be a mermaid haha. I have a jeep and just when I retired and Kindle went to college, you know, but it came about 10 years earlier than I thought.

I didn't know anyone when I went to Nashville. So I could, be a pilgrim again and just recreate myself. So I came to Fernandina Without a job. No one knew who I was here because I never had stores over here. And no one had any expectations of who I should be here. Right? I just came here with my child, bought a little house, I was trying to lay low and just recreated myself again and started writing. I, two books, I'm almost finished with both of them.

Started podcasting again and I started, guess what I started doing? Cleaning houses. Cleaning

Yes, the cupcakes was very successful, but was it at the end when I lost everything and I was the target for so many people to sue me, you know what I mean? So was it a golden ticket or did I just get more beaten up, and then losing everything and getting embarrassed with the whole pie shop, but I can honestly say. I'm never gonna have to worry about the what if with the pie shop. I got my butt kicked. I did it.

I don't want to do it again, but I don't have to lay in bed at night and go, why didn't I? Why wasn't I brave enough? Most people, they are so afraid. And I tell them, and I'm writing a The book about this is you have to look at fear like an obstacle, like a rock that's standing in your way. it's something that you either have to blow up, go through, climb over, go around. Or you're just stuck. So it has, it's like a mountain. Okay. I got to climb this mountain of fear.

How am I going to tactically do it? And another example that I use when I speak is, the Indiana Jones. It's not the temple of Dune. I think it's the, I can't remember, but he's going through this cavern and he's in, you know, with this big, the ball chasing him, right? That whole. I think it's Temple of Doom. I can't remember, but it's one of them.

And he comes to a drop off, and it's like he cannot see the drop off, but where he needs to go, his cavern is over there, and he can see the hole where he needs to go.

And then he steps and his path illuminates, but he had to first step out for his path to become clear where he needs to be. But most people can never step out of that cave to go to where they need to go because they are too afraid to take the first step. And people say, what if I'm wrong? What if I, you know what? You're going to know pretty quick when you're wrong, you're going to get your butt kicked. But what will you learn? Did I lose everything? Yeah, I did. Did I get my butt kicked?

Did I get tortured? did I get dragged through the mud? Yes, I did. But am I a better person because of it? Yes, I am. I am. And you know what? Had I never, I'd always wanted to be married. I've always wanted to find the guy, the one, the love of my life. And that's always been a goal of mine, but I've been so busy building companies and having a child by myself and doing all that. that I didn't have time to focus. But when I left Nashville, I knew my soulmate was not in Nashville.

And I knew that if I made this big journey across the country, that I would find the guy for me. And I did. And had I not got out of my comfort zone of Nashville and gone to a different place to where there's a different, you know, just a completely different mindset here. I would not have found The guy for me. So if I lost everything materialistically, but fine and had a huge home, but was lonely in that huge home because I didn't have my soulmate.

Although it could be a hard copy. And then I've also, I'm in the process of writing a book. I'm blogging for a company in Nashville called the Heartland, heartlandjournal. com. So I do a weekly blog. I blog every Monday and do a recipe for them, which I've loved.

And it's, Really been rewarding for me and I could give you the yeah, the links and stuff for people to find me there, but I've I'm also writing a book called This takes the cake and it's called it's about what to do when faith's been shaken and cakes been taken Right. So it's all about from 2012, how through everything, all of my cake has been, taken and how God has been so faithful, even through all those shaking cake taken times and what you can learn from losing everything, but also gaining.

so much more in the long run. So it's called this takes the cake and then it has a cake recipe at the end of every chapter.

Thank you for the listeners, Lord, and I just pray that you will talk to someone today and just get in their heart, knowing that they were afraid to step out, and maybe this is the day that they will, Lord. That you're speaking. To them from this podcast that they need to be brave in you and trust in Jesus name. Amen

You will probably never know how that small effort can make a big difference in someone's life, but our Heavenly Father knows. Speaking of sharing, if you know a Jesus follower with a story to tell, please send them a link to Faith and Purpose Podcast. It may encourage them to tell their story. That person may even be you. Our only criteria is that Jesus be glorified.

Most Christians don't share their faith because they mistakenly think their story is not interesting enough, or that it's self centered to talk about themselves, or that they are not competent to explain the gospel correctly. But none of that is relevant. If Jesus has changed your life, you have a story to tell. All of our stories are completely unique. No one has a story like yours, and you may be the only one who can reach someone else through telling your experience. So don't be intimidated.

A story is just that, a true account of your own experience, and no one can disagree with your experience. When we tell what Jesus has done in our lives, we are being obedient to his command to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. It's not about theology, and it's not about how interesting or special you are. It's all about Jesus. So when you're ready to tell how Jesus has impacted your life, you can let Jesse know at his ministry website, jesseduke. net.

There you can download guidelines that will make it easy to prepare to tell your story. Thank you for listening today and Shalom.