2023 SHE.E.O. JENEYA VILLATORO
OWNER OF NEY’S COOKIE CRAZE; BEAVERTON, OREGON
When I first talked with Jeneya Villatoro, I was sitting at a freezing-cold, loud-as-hell Starbucks waiting for my son to get done with his camp class.
Even with all the distractions going on around me, I loved Jeneya instantly. She is just one of those people that has an infectious personality that is so positive and uplifting that she makes you feel like you’ve already been friends forever even though you are just meeting for the first time.
Being fairly new in business, Jeneya was looking for branding photos as a way to help update her website. She knew she needed some photos of herself but was also looking for ideas on how to best tell her business story to help connect to new clients.
Ultimately, we simply told her story authentically—one of a fun, homeschooling mom who takes pride in her work and who loves sharing her artistic baking talent with the world (and her daughter!).
Here is Jeneya’s 2023 SHE.E.O. story:
Painters have their paintings. Photographers have their photographs. Sculptors have their sculptures. Jeneya Villatoro has her cookies.
As a homeschooling mom who loves to be on and around water (“You’re likely to catch me with a fishing rod in one hand and a 5-year-old in the other…”), Jeneya’s journey into owning her own cookie decorating business was almost accidental. “It started as a hobby for me but I quickly became obsessed with it,” Jeneya recalls. “I became determined to get the hang of it.”
Deciding to take a leap into her baking business was a big departure from the corporate insurance world where she had spent nearly 16 years as a licensed agent, but the transition was made smoother because of the skills she had learned in insurance. “Once I started getting pretty good and my friends and family started buying cookies from me, I knew I wanted to take a break from the corporate world to do what I loved. But the insurance agent in me knew that I had to have EVERYTHING in order before I just went out selling food willy-nilly!” Jeneya said. “And so Ney's Cookie Craze was born!”
Figuring out the ins and outs of a home baking business while also homeschooling her daughter proved not as simple as it seemed, but Jeneya has found resources in her baking community. “I’ve learned so much in such a short time,” Jeneya said. “Sometimes our work-life balance can seem like a circus act!”
But juggling act aside, sharing her love of baking and decorating cookies is Jeneya’s connection to the community. It makes sense then, that the importance of community also extends to her competition. “I always say, ‘I am not them and they are not me. Other cookie decorators can't do what I do how I do it, just like I can't do what they do as they do it. Cookie decorating is an art and we all have different styles and influences,” Jeneya said. “I will say when I approach other bakers in a supportive way, they usually seem taken back a bit and I want to change that!
We are a valuable resource for each other and when we put community over competition because we all win!”
Jeneya describes her Ney’s Cookie Craze as luxury custom-baked goods made with premium ingredients, and her perfect client as the person whose love language is giving personalized gifts–like someone who loves to be a little extra for their kids' parties (because details matter!). So far, her best sellers are custom logo cookies that she creates for businesses, small or large. In addition to Ney’s Cookie Craze, Jeneya co-owns PDX Sugar Cookie Classes where people can take fun classes to learn all about how we make those cookies that are ‘too pretty to eat.’ “But trust me, you WANT to eat these cookies!” Jeneya said.
Next up Ney’s Cookie Craze? As Jeneya said, “I have a few surprises tucked into my apron this year but you will have to stay tuned to watch our journey!”
JENEYA’S 2023 SHE.E.O. FEATURE ARTICLE:
2023 SHE.E.O. MAGAZINE (FULL EDITION)—COMING SOON!
Please Help Support Jeneya and Ney’s Cookie Craze Here:
WHAT IS THE SHE.E.O. PROJECT?
Women-owned businesses are the backbone of the American economy, but they often lack the resources to get their message out there, despite the fact that many of us have started and built businesses despite hardship, lack of funding, and while still doing things like raising our children and taking care of families.
The SHE.E.O. Project is about women supporting other women. By telling your story and being featured in our project, you're strengthening and inspiring a community of women entrepreneurs and helping to create a brighter future for all.
.The SHE.E.O Project combines the power of storytelling with strategic branding photography to help women business owners clarify their brand message, attract the perfect clients, and celebrate their successes while simultaneously helping lift other women. The women are then featured in the SHE.E.O digital magazine.
Because we know that when women support women, we all succeed.
#sheeoproject
INTERESTED IN BEING FEATURED IN THE NEXT SHE.E.O PROJECT + MAGAZINE?
I’d love to hear your story! Let’s connect! Give me a call at 608.385.9079 or submit a contact form here: