Radiant Roseville: Heather Clennell

Heather Clennell is much more than your average baker. She is the owner of Big Booty Bakery in Roseville. Some people describe Clennell as just a cake decorator, and she wears the title proudly. "I am a part of people's history. I get to be a part of weddings and birthdays and celebrations," she says. "So, you're right. I am just a cake decorator, but I am forever in the history books of your life. "I get to be a part of people's milestones and special moments in life even if I'm not physically there. Most people would be insulted by being called just a cake decorator, but I will wear that proudly. I am just a cake decorator." She has donated many sweet treats to different organizations over the years. During the pandemic shutdown, she donated 500 cookies to Sutter Roseville Medical Center. She's a part of an organization called Icing Smiles, which helps connect bakers to families with children with life-threatening illnesses. She once drove more than two hours to deliver a cake to a child in ICU at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. She wanted to drop off the cake without seeing the family, but the family requested her presence. They explained to her it was a family tradition to make a birthday cake together, and this was the first year without it. The mother broke down in tears thanking Clennell. Three weeks later, after the child passed away, the mother messaged Clennell again to thank her. The mother felt it was out of the ordinary for a stranger to create a cake and drive more than two hours to deliver it. Her family felt that act of kindness really changed their lives. Clennell describes her inspiration for helping those in need, saying, "We had some Buddhist monks come over for dinner. One of the things they talk about is that you do things without expectations. When you do things without expectations, you know it is truly coming from your heart." She also donates cakes to community events. Clennell does more than just cake decorating. In 2018, she was involved in helping people recover from the Camp Fire in Paradise. She also is dedicated to veteran-related causes and organizations. She works with the Sgt. Nicole Gee Memorial Foundation and Changing Cadence Foundation. Clennell has lived in Roseville for 17 years. She says she she has a responsibility to give back to the community because you can't have a business without community. "I want people to know that they are still good people," Clennell says. "There's still human kindness out there and not everybody is doing things for something in return."