The Secret Ingredient: Recipes for Success in Business and Life

The founder of Gigi’s Cupcakes shares her personal success story, her hard-won business acumen, and the life-changing inspiration that has helped her follow her dreams in this warm-hearted and encouraging memoir that “will inspire savvy entrepreneurs to invest in their own dreams” (Daymond John, star of ABC’s Shark Tank). Featuring delicious dessert recipes for cupcakes and more in each chapter.

As a young child, Gigi knew that if she wanted to succeed, she had to work hard and offer a service that people wanted to buy. At age seven, she sold eggs out of her little red wagon to neighbors. At age fifteen, she bought cleaning supplies and started a cleaning service out of her rural California home.

When she moved to Nashville at nineteen, she had her heart set on becoming a country music star. Cleaning houses by day to support herself for over a decade, she realized that God had other plans for her. If she wouldn’t be a successful singer, she decided she would grow a business that she could be proud of.

An extraordinary baker throughout her life, she decided to open a cupcake shop with all the money she could pull together. With the help and support of her family, she was able to open her first store in a prime Nashville location. The news of her cupcakes spread quickly, and the franchise became a huge success. Now, in The Secret Ingredient, Gigi reveals how her failure led her to explore her passion for baking and how she became a successful businesswoman. With spunk, humor, and insight, she weaves her hard-won wisdom and business acumen into the fun, fascinating, and instructive stories of her life. Each inspirational chapter concludes with a treasured family recipe for cupcakes and other scrumptious desserts.

For anyone with big dreams, Gigi’s message is simple: believe in yourself, walk with integrity, work hard, and trust in God. Your life may not turn out exactly how you expected or hoped, but it will be so much better than you could have ever imagined. “If you ever need to feel inspired by a dreamer, this is a must read” (Tony Brown, music producer).

Gina “Gigi” Butler opened her first Gigi’s Cupcakes location just off of Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee in 2008. Today, with ninety-four locations and counting, Gigi’s is the largest cupcake franchise in the world. As the chief brand officer, Gigi spends her time bringing her treasured family recipes to life in the array of dazzling and delicious cupcakes and cakes baked fresh daily. A talented hostess and mentor, Gigi spends much of her time traveling to new and existing Gigi’s locations to spread the joy and happiness of Gigi’s Cupcakes. The Secret Ingredient is her first book.