4-minute read
Jeff and his mother, Deorenaida Vilar at Jeff’s high school graduation.
For Jeff Vilar, President of Naida Communications, one of the biggest things he has learned in life is to surround yourself with people who share your values. This is a testament to how he was raised.
In 2009, Jeff launched Naida Communications, a sales and marketing growth consulting firm dedicated to helping businesses generate and elevate their sales. When thinking about naming the company it seemed obvious to him — naming it after his mother.
Jeff’s mother, Deorenaida Vilar, passed away from cancer at the age of 50 years old.
Jeff, his wife Liliane, and their two children.
“Naming the company after her is a tribute to all the hard work it took for her and my dad to raise five kids in a small two-bedroom house with no basement,” said Jeff. “The love, dedication, care and warmth she provided our family are the same values we strive to provide our customers at Naida.”
Now more than 12 years later, Jeff has a family of his own. Jeff and his wife Liliane have been together for 28 years. This is a testament to his dedication to family — not only at home but also at work.
Giving back is just something Jeff does. Growing up his mother gave so much to him. Now, it’s his turn.
This past month at The Chamber’s Small Business Forum, Jeff led attendees through a sales workshop on tools to keep in mind when speaking and selling to potential clients. Following the event, a group of young students came up to him calling his presentation inspirational.
“Over the course of my career, I have learned so many things that I now want to give back,” smiled Jeff. “One of the greatest opportunities I have in front of me is having the ability to mentor students on how to grow and budding entrepreneurs on how to scale their business.”
Jeff presenting at The Chamber’s Small Business Forum on December 9, 2021.
Part of Jeff’s business is travelling to speak to entrepreneurs, looking to scale their business through their sales. When he isn’t on the road, he ensures to spend as much quality time with his wife and kids — just as his mother did for him.
“Unfortunately, when I first started building my company it was hard to disconnect work life from home life,” said Jeff. “I’m at a point now where we have grown an amazing team here at Naida who I can rely on when I’m not around. That’s part of the struggle in growing a business, you can lose sight of what’s important in life.”
Jeff wanted to find a way to help entrepreneurs and business owners find that work-life balance too.
Recently Jeff and his partners Yvan Boisjoli and Zach Lowden founded Mimobl, an on-demand service marketplace. Mimobl is a platform that employees use to book health, personal maintenance and wellness services that come right to their office, giving employees their evenings and weekends back to spend with their families.
“I’m really proud of what we’re doing with Mimobl. With everything that’s happening with the pandemic, it’s hard for businesses to retain or attract new talent when trying to bring employees back to the office. Employers are now focusing more on finding a healthy work-life balance. Mimobl is a starting point.”
It may seem obvious, but everything Jeff does is a reflection of those values instilled in him at a young age by his parents.
Jeff’s wife and kids never got the opportunity to meet his mother, but now they can look to the values of Naida to get a glimpse of the person she was.
