Unemployed Man Takes Life's Lemons And Makes.... Pies
By: CNN News
Updated: March 14, 2012
Dave Tuttle has a passion for pie.
That passion became necessity in 2009 after the former film and TV producer couldn't find work in an industry that was hemorrhaging jobs.
"For about a year I really made it full time to try to find a job," says Tuttle, "to get back into the business because that's what I had known for 20 years....It came to the point where we depleted all of our funds."
Then while having dinner with friends -- including a pie he had brought -- they commented he should start selling his pies.
He cuts costs by bartering for kitchen space at local restaurants. He sells his pies at no profit to himself, but he still gets to put his name on them which is essentially more advertising.
Tuttle sells and hand-delivers up to 200 pies every month, mostly locally, but now he's ready to take it to the next step: his own store.
"I could definitely see Tuttle's Homemade right up there," says Tuttle. "It's going to take money though. It's all going to take money."
That hurdle is especially large since years of unemployment have seriously hurt his credit score. He's not alone in that regard. Demand for small business loans is up, but lending is still tight.
Tuttle says he could help the economy grow if given the chance to grow his business and start hiring.
For now, he's just enjoying his new life.
"Before it was about making that paycheck. Now it's more about family. It's about being connected back to my community. What I was doing before wasn't, it was great, but it wasn't as real as what I'm doing now."
That passion became necessity in 2009 after the former film and TV producer couldn't find work in an industry that was hemorrhaging jobs.
"For about a year I really made it full time to try to find a job," says Tuttle, "to get back into the business because that's what I had known for 20 years....It came to the point where we depleted all of our funds."
Then while having dinner with friends -- including a pie he had brought -- they commented he should start selling his pies.
He cuts costs by bartering for kitchen space at local restaurants. He sells his pies at no profit to himself, but he still gets to put his name on them which is essentially more advertising.
Tuttle sells and hand-delivers up to 200 pies every month, mostly locally, but now he's ready to take it to the next step: his own store.
"I could definitely see Tuttle's Homemade right up there," says Tuttle. "It's going to take money though. It's all going to take money."
That hurdle is especially large since years of unemployment have seriously hurt his credit score. He's not alone in that regard. Demand for small business loans is up, but lending is still tight.
Tuttle says he could help the economy grow if given the chance to grow his business and start hiring.
For now, he's just enjoying his new life.
"Before it was about making that paycheck. Now it's more about family. It's about being connected back to my community. What I was doing before wasn't, it was great, but it wasn't as real as what I'm doing now."
