Skin Food Body Love’s Coleen Janeway

Today the Venice Paparazzi spotlight shines on beauty expert, writer, editor and skin food chef Coleen Janeway.

How many years in Venice? What is your connection to Venice?

Living in Venice for 6 years, has given me a wonderful perspective on a sense of community here. I love our neighborhood and it’s proximity to so many wonderfully culturally diverse happenings. Steps away from the ocean I am always connected to nature and the sea. It’s a great place to get creative, and discover many other talented individuals. I love collaboration and Venice has so many wonderful creative people, I call friends.

How long in business, and how did you get started?

I launched the website www.skinfoodbodylove.com in January 2018! SFBLove was launched as a platform for others to use as a resource. A trusted site where skincare, knowledge and tips about anti-aging all collide in one place. We host workshops throughout the US and are very excited to soon share with our followers new contributors and exciting interactive features within our website design.

How did you come up with the name of your business?

The initial inspiration for SkinFoodBodyLove came to Coleen about a 1.5 years ago while working with the wonderful health coach and author, Neil Cannon (“The Vitality Secret”). Neil and Coleen collaborated on several video features to provide his audience with easy choices for diet and food preparation. Together, they showed how proper eating could address skin conditions and help reduce inflammation in our bodies. Thus, SkinFoodBodyLove was born!

Coleen with Neil Cannon (“The Vitality Secret”).

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

Not being afraid of working for myself, creating my brand and knowing the value of that contribution. It’s been a wonderful journey of self discovery and freedom.

Future projects/Direction:

In addition to managing the day to day of SFBLove, I also am a contributing writer, and the Lifestyle and Beauty Director for LaPalme Magazine. There is also a book and cookbook in the works. I just love sharing all the knowledge I am lucky enough to be exposed to. I want others to share this connection and hopefully some nugget of these musings will be helpful in someone else’s journey!

What advice would you give someone starting out in your field?

Be a dreamer and a risk taker, but understand your market and your audience on an intimate level. Focus on quality and build slow so you are able to adjust and accommodate as you learn what works for you and your business. Being nimble and able to take advice and criticism is important to future success.

Where do you find inspiration?

Inspiration is all around me. I do much of my thinking while walking on the beach. I hike often and find the connection of the outdoors gives me tremendous perspective, especially if you go to the same places seasonally, it’s amazing to see landscapes coming alive or renewing. Most importantly, I surround myself with friends and family who support and encourage me to be myself and pursue my dreams.

Coleen with her husband.

Favorite affirmation, mantra, or quote:

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, (I Regret Nothing) – Edith Piaf quote, I believe it was a song recorded by Charles Dumont, but best known for the Edith Piaf recording. It’s so simple, learn from when we make mistakes turn those moments in to strength and move forward. Life is too short.

Favorite book, band or movie?

Book: The Tao of Equus by Linda Kohanov
Band: The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Movie: The Sound of Music (basically anything theatrical and time period based!!)

What causes do you support?

I really love what Sky Dog Ranch Sanctuary. I volunteer there and love the work Clare Staples does endlessly and tirelessly. Her efforts save so many and everyone that volunteers and donates really helps to make a difference for so many discarded and forgotten at risk and horses and donkeys.

Photo from skydogranch.org

What’s one thing we can do to make the world a better place?

I have two words to offer: kindness and empathy. One action: Love yourself, start there because there can be no hate if you emanate love-you will always circle back to kindness and empathy.

List 1-2 things on your bucket list, and 1-2 on your VENICE bucket list

Ride horses across Iceland
Buy a farm house in the french countryside and grow veggies and flowers and host farm to table dinners
Venice Bucket list: #1. Be brave enough to roller skate on the boardwalk!
#2. Try every restaurant on Abbot Kinney, I keep going back to the same ones.

Coleen hanging with friends

Anything else you want to share about yourself to the world? Fun facts.

I am a science geek and love animals, work with horses, I have two dogs and volunteer at Sky Dog Ranch Sanctuary and cook for fun!

Venice Questions:

Describe Venice:

Venice is a wonderful eclectic place. Where art, history and tech culminate. A really cool community of various opinions, all living together and embracing the individual.

Describe your perfect day in Venice:

Waking up hearing all the birds and beach life come alive and walking over to Menotti’s for a chai, taking in the beach sights along the way. Walking my dogs over to the pier and running in to neighbors and catching up. Working from my balcony watching the palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze if I am lucky and then short walk to Tocaya for some crazy good tacos. After lunch I usually cruise in the canals with my dogs before heading back home to work. Evening cocktails on the balcony feeling the oceans breeze and a bike ride over to Abbot Kinney meeting friends for dinner or sneaking in a sunset on the beach!

Where would you take a client that you want to land a deal with?

I am a huge fan of Zinque the atmosphere there is so great for gatherings, client meetings or catching up with a group of friends. My second favorite locale for meet ups is Canal Club, they never disappoint sushi bar on point!

Coleen and friend at the 2017 Canal Club Halloween party

What is your craziest or fondest Venice experience?

Craziest! Walking at 10am with family who were visiting on the boardwalk and a naked woman with a beer can in her hand casually walked by us and asked us how we were doing. Not something my visiting family usually sees every day. Fondest experience, doing a beautiful oceanside photoshoot at sunset with my family. It was November, we were freezing and holding our surfboards and sweatshirts and I was soaking in every beautiful wave crash while watching birds flying overhead as the palm trees became silhouettes in the twilight. Some of the best views and memories Venice Beach has to offer.

Any shoutouts or thank you’s?

Yes! A huge thank you to you guys at Venice Paparazzi. You guys have been a great source of support and information.

Anything else about Venice that you would like to say?

Make sure to catch the holiday boat parade in the canals, one of the best events Venice has to offer. So fun and neighborhood festive. Great for the whole family.