We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Devonna Cooper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Devonna below.
Devonna , thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. We’re excited to dive into your story and your work, but first let’s start with a broader topic that might be stopping many of our readers from pursuing their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. How have you managed to persist despite haters and nay-sayers that inevitably follow folks who are doing something unique, special or off the beaten path?
I’ve dealt with various challenges most of my life. Choosing to build a career in the Culinary Arts Industry did not come easy. I was 26 years old when I officially started. I was already a single parent. My son James wasn’t even a year old when I decided this career path. Once I got my training and started working as a line cook, I quickly learned that although it’s expected for a woman to cook at home, being a female and cooking professionally wasn’t taken seriously. It was 2002 and the field has been dominated by men forever. I started my career in Fine Dining at The Georgian Club. I went on to work in casual dining, table service restaurants and finally catering. All the while, I had been catering for friends on my off days. After receiving a major injury at work that required surgery on my left arm in 2007 I didn’t know if I would have a full recovery & usage of my arm. That was a scary situation to be in. After months of therapy and recovery,
I decided that I would work for myself full time.
At that time, some of my biggest naysayers were family members and associates. The doubters existed because they could not see how I could raise two young children (James (6) and Danielle (3) at the time and not have a steady income. I guess you could say that I am stubborn and I subconsciously let my “haters be my motivators”. Through it all, my parents have been a major support system for me and my two children. They allowed me the opportunity to live with them, go back to college and receive my Associates Degree in Business Management and continue to work at building my catering clientele. I am proud to say that I have never worked another day for anybody’s restaurant since I left my Catering Coordinator position at Corner Bakery Cafe (Buckhead) in 2007.
I like to believe that my faith in The Divine has given me the confidence to overcome adversity and the naysayers. Those naysayers have been converted since I have been blessed to cater for the set of Divorce Court in October and November of 2019 at Tyler Perry Studios, a set for a FOX network pilot show for Producer Will Packer and opening my pop up kitchen in 2020.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am often asked what type of cuisine do I specialize in? My answer is always delicious cuisine. I say this because I do not limit my cooking style to just one or two styles or ethnicities. Whatever I do prepare, I always make sure that it is delicious and flavorful. I have never wanted to put myself in a box or keep myself limited artistically. I would like to one day own a brick and mortar restaurant, possibly multiple and own a food truck. I have been blessed to share my passion with so many people over the years that I have not been able to keep count. I often hear that my food tastes like it was cooked with love and it was. There is a love language between food and those who enjoy it. I’m just proud to be a vessel to explore multiple flavor profiles and create something unique for people to experience. I finished 5th place in my group in the 2023 Favorite Chef competition sponsored by The James Beard Foundation. The winner will receive a 2-page advertorial in Taste of Home Magazine, 25K and cooking experience with world- renowned Chef Carla Hall.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back over my 20 plus years in the Culinary Industry I would say that confidence, creativity and having the learning agility to figure out what to do when I initially didn’t know what to do has been most impactful in my journey.
My advice for those who are early in their career path is to be honest with yourself about who you are. If you are not sure who that is, start journaling and/or ask a close friend or family member how they would best describe you. Not saying that their interpretation of you is 100 percent accurate but it does give you a starting point of understanding the content of your character. That will aid you in your decisions about how to set goals. Ask yourself, if you are disciplined enough to be an entrepreneur or is better that you take instruction, work for others and assist someone else to fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams? Whether it’s a small business, company or major corporation. There is nothing wrong with that. If you are not confident, work on building it.
Also, if you find yourself not sure of what you want to do career wise, do something positive until you figure it out. Although I did not start my career until I was 26 years old, I always had a job. I started working when I was 16 years old and in the 10th grade. My first job was selling shoes at The Wild Pair Shoe Store (South DeKalb Mall) in Decatur, Georgia. I went on to go to college (I didn’t finish at that time). However, I’ve worked customer service jobs, lower management positions, corporate admin, loan processing and leasing agent positions before I decided to go to Culinary School. It’s always good to stay employed and create an upward profile of employment not to mention keep money in your pocket.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
My spiritual journey has been my biggest area of growth in the past year. In addition to having the titles of a devoted Mother to James & Danielle who are now both adults, Grandmother to my Granddaughter Journey, I am my Father’s co-caregiver with my Mother. He is a 78 years old Disabled Veteran (Marine) of Vietnam War and has Alzheimer’s with Dementia. Taking on this role as well as still grieving the loss of my nephew Justin L. Cooper who was murdered December 27, 2020 at the age of 29 years old initially challenged my faith. The stalemate process in the Clayton County, GA justice system for getting justice for his mother (my sister) and his now 9 year old daughter (my great niece) as well as the rest of our family has been very frustrating. His death emotionally broke us. I stopped catering for months. I stayed with my sister during that time to be there for her. I was having panic attacks. Our lives as we knew it had been turned upside down.
For me it took grief counseling and a personal deep dive into my spiritual walk to find ways to cope with life’s challenges. Establishing a new normal took resilience. Getting back to catering and co-caregiving gives me hope.
I have learned to be more patient with myself and with others. I’m a firm believer that no matter what I am going through, The Divine is always with me. That meant consistent daily prayer, creating affirmations, meditation, understanding the importance of letting go of fear, negativity and ability to mentally and emotionally accept situations that are beyond my control. Leaving the past in the past, learning the power of forgiveness and healing is key. For me, living a life of mindfulness is an integral part of my daily life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Devonnas Delights
- Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/DevonnasDelights
Image Credits
Devonna Cooper
