Special Occasions by Donna Woodley

Baker and Operator

Words by Nick Norris | Images by Ryan McGill

Few things in life are as sweet as grandbabies, but for Donna Woodley, affectionately known as "Nonnie," the sweetness extends beyond family bonds. A small-business owner, a devoted wife of 42 years, and grandmother to five, Donna has gained recognition in Walker County for her delightful charcuterie boards and mouthwatering desserts. Special Occasions by Donna Woodley has become a sought-after name, making weekends off a rare luxury for the entrepreneur.

"We stay busy," she says humbly. "It's a blessing. I have a lot of support from my family and helpers, and I wouldn't be able to do any of it without them."

Family, after all, is where Donna's culinary journey began.

"I grew up in the kitchen," she fondly reminisces. "Both of my grandmothers were great cooks. I remember standing in a chair, helping pat dough to make biscuits. To me, that was the center of our home. I wanted to keep that going at my family dinner table as I got older."

Still, Donna never anticipated her cooking skills would lead to starting a business. In fact, the whole venture came about organically. "I began baking for some family members here and some friends there about twenty years ago," she explains. "Friends of friends started reaching out asking if I could bake for them. And it just grew from there."

Harnessing the power of social media, Donna listed her services on Facebook a decade ago and established her official business page in 2016. While Special Occasions by Donna Woodley thrives, financial success isn't Donna's primary motivation. "I make enough to cover groceries, pay my helpers, and pay myself a little bit," she shares. "But it's the joy on people's faces, knowing they received something special, that makes it fun. And knowing that it was all done by a caring family hopefully makes it more meaningful to them."

Donna's business has experienced remarkable growth, evolving from baking cupcakes for friends to catering large-scale events, including weddings with up to 500 guests. Despite the potential stress, Donna thrives under pressure. "I feel as though I do my best work when the pressure is on. I'm just blessed to have opportunities like that occasionally."

Whether she's under demanding time crunches or simply baking for fun, Donna's cakes, pies, and everything in between always come out mouth-wateringly scrumptious. But she says family is the true secret ingredient to her success.

"Bless my husband's heart," she says with a laugh. "Whenever I'm catering a big event, he turns into the garbage man and carries out all the trash when everything's a mess. And I'm so thankful for my girls who do so much. We have a whole team behind us."

But the family legacy won't stop there. Donna is already passing along her secrets to the next generation. All her grandchildren love to help her in the kitchen and learn the ways of Nonnie's cooking and baking. Though she humorously admits that their favorite part might actually be "licking the batter of whatever we're making."

Isn't that the spirit of a true Southern kitchen? Grandmothers letting grandkids lick the batter off utensils is a tradition as old as the South itself.

Despite her delectable treats, nothing compares to the sweetness of spending time with her loved ones and simply being "Nonnie." 78