Meet the Maker: The Story Behind Zestful Productions
Creativity Gets Personal
I still remember the night I scribbled the first words of my debut children’s book.
Snow was falling, my apartment was quiet, and I sat curled up under a fuzzy blanket with a half-empty cup of coffee and a notebook full of half-baked dreams.
In the corner of the page, I wrote one small question:
What if this becomes more than just a hobby?
Spoiler: it did.
Zestful Productions was born from the belief that creativity should feel alive.
It’s the home for my stories, my designs, and all the bold ideas that refuse to stay in the margins.
“Rayna Jo Zest — my pen name and creative alter ego — is the unapologetic version of me who stopped waiting for permission to dream big. She’s part me, part muse, and 100% proof that courage and creativity can share the same crown.”
I was raised in the wide-open spaces of North Dakota; the kind of place where imagination was your playground and resourcefulness was a way of life. My parents built a family restaurant from scratch, served their community with grit and grace, and taught me that passion and practicality can coexist beautifully — usually over a cup of coffee and a slice of pie.
That foundation shaped everything that would come next.
A Crown and a Vision!
Every brand starts with a story.
Mine started with a crown — and a children’s book about a cooking owl.
A Lot of heart. A little humor. 100% extra.
I didn’t plan to build a brand — I just wanted to tell stories that tasted like home: warm kitchens, wooden spoons, laughter that’s as strong as a pot of coffee.
That book was simply a way for me to honor my roots — growing up in my parents’ restaurant, discovering creativity in the kitchen, and a way to share that spark with the world.
But something about my little main character, Oliver — and the world I built around him — woke up a side of me that had been quietly waiting for permission to go big.
“The crown I wear in photos isn’t about vanity — it’s a victory crown.
It’s the symbol of saying yes after years of playing small, of choosing “what if” over “maybe later.”
The Little owl who started it all
Zestful Productions wasn’t born from a business plan — it was built from late nights, strong coffee, and a whole lot of “why not?”
I’ve always been creative — the kind of person who can’t leave an idea alone until it’s turned into something fun, meaningful, or just a little over the top. But this time, creativity had a purpose. It began by honoring my parents — two hardworking dreamers who built a life around food, family, and determination — and to carry their legacy forward in my own way.
When Oliver the Owl: The Culinary Pro launched in March 2024, inspired by my dad’s 36-year run in the restaurant business, I thought that was it — my one big creative checkmark.
But creativity is sneaky. It doesn’t clock out when the project ends.
What started as a tribute quickly became a creative spark that changed everything. This little owl with a whisk reminded me how much I love bringing ideas to life — and suddenly, Zestful Productions started to take shape: part storytelling, part design studio, part “let’s see what happens.”
By September 2024, I had another idea tapping my shoulder: Oliver the Owl: A Sweet Season — a cozy holiday story inspired by my mom and our family traditions.
But, life has a funny way of testing what you’ve just built, too.
life turned…
Just weeks after its publication, my mom was diagnosed with a terminal illness — and my world shifted overnight.
I moved in with her to be her full-time caregiver. Creativity became my outlet, my sanity, and my connection with her. We’d brainstorm, laugh, and talk about what mattered most.
“When Mom got sick, I didn’t think “creative breakthrough” was on the to-do list. But she had other plans — whispering ideas, telling me “I didn’t raise you to think small,” and pushing me back to the drawing board. Most days I worked quietly at her kitchen table listening to her nap in the recliner next to me. That’s when I realized creation doesn’t wait for perfect timing — it shows up in the messy moments that matter most.”
By November 2024, I started designing merchandise for the Oliver series — shirts, mugs and small goods that carried that same heart and humor. My Etsy shop was born at my mom’s kitchen table, surrounded by notebooks, coffee mugs, and her unwavering belief that I’d one day make this my full-time thing.
With her input, I released my third book that season — Mix, Play, Stir: Coloring & Activity Book — a playful project dedicated to my kids and rooted in her spirit.
Maybe you’ve had that person too — the one who believed in you before you believed in yourself. If you have, you already know: their voice never really leaves.
When she passed in May 2025, I leaned into the legacy both of my parents left behind. They’d spent fifty years collecting antiques and vintage treasures, each one with its own story.
By June 2025, I began adding those items into my shop — blending creativity with nostalgia and continuing the story they started.
Grief has a way of stripping life down to its essentials.
And when it did, I was left with three things: creativity, connection, and legacy.
And once you’ve been there, you can’t go back to pretending otherwise.
So I rebuilt.
That same month, I gave Zestful Productions a full rebrand — not to reinvent it, but to reveal what it had become: a celebration of storytelling, design, nostalgia, and joy.
The story’s still being written
Zestful Productions grew from late nights and coffee cups into something much bigger — a creative home for stories, designs, and projects that connect people through imagination and heart.
Today, it’s also a space where I help others bring their own stories to life — from t-shirt concepts to branding ideas, all with that same bold, playful, extra energy that built mine.
Because at its heart, Zestful Productions has never been about products or art alone.
It’s about courage, connection, and honoring the people who taught me how to build something beautiful from scratch.
Extra? Maybe. But ordinary was never the goal.
WHAT IT MEANS TODAY
Zestful Productions isn’t just a brand — it’s a heartbeat with glitter on it. ✨
It’s where stories, design, and nostalgia collide in all the best ways.
What started as one children’s book about a culinary owl has grown into a full creative studio — home to original stories, bold designs, buttery merch, vintage finds, and creative services for others who want to bring their ideas to life.
Everything under the Zestful umbrella shares one mission: to create things that make people feel something.
Whether it’s laughter, warmth, inspiration, or a little “oh my gosh, that’s so me” moment — it’s all about connection through creativity.
My parents built their lives around bringing people together through food and conversation. Now I’m doing the same thing — just with books, art, and design instead of cheese buttons and coffee cups.
Zestful Productions is for the dreamers, the doers, the “I’ll just figure it out” people.
It’s about honoring the past, designing the future, and showing up boldly — with humor, heart, and a little extra sparkle.
Because Zestful Productions isn’t just what I do — it’s who I am. 💛
JOIN THE STORY
Whether you’ve been here since Oliver the Owl first spread his wings or you just stumbled across my butter merch and thought, “Okay, that’s adorable,” — welcome.
Here, creativity isn’t polished and perfect — it’s curious, colorful, and real.
It’s about finding joy in the making, meaning in the mess, and magic in the small things that bring us together.
So go ahead — explore the shop, read a story, grab a gift, or just soak up some inspiration.
And if you’re a fellow dreamer, business owner, or creative soul ready to bring your ideas to life? Let’s chat.
Because the best stories aren’t finished — they’re still being written, one bold idea at a time. ✨
