The founder of Paper Bunny will go online after 8 years – Wired PR Lifestyle Story

When it comes to local brands, few are as iconic and established as they are Paper Bunny. They are firmly established as a go-to for beautiful planners and elegant postcards.

By going to sustainable products and livelihoods, we have found even more to love them.

Like some home brands that have been very successful on the net, for example love beautiful and SOJAO, have made the move to open brick shops. As we are creatures on the internet, we need to finally get out of the covers and dare in the real world.

For Jamie Lee, the founder of The Paper Bunny, there was no rush to move from the online and real world.

After all, Covid-19 has slowed down retail sales a lot, but for him, opening The Paper Bunny’s first retail store was a wonderful opportunity to arrive at the right time.

Eight years of network success

The last days of December are always synonymous with The Paper Bunny’s new beginnings and pastel-colored planners, at least for me. With each notebook and greeting card, The Paper Bunny has gathered a cult following that has given Jamie the confidence to grow its product range to the present day.

Jamie wasn’t actively looking for a physical space, apparently The Paper Bunny customers were looking for something more.

After eight years of successfully building our digital presence, it has become more important than ever to provide a personal experience to our growing customer, where they can experience the brand and our products in real life.

It may seem like a dangerous time to try something new, but we think it’s the right time for a paper rabbit.

Jamie Lee, co-founder and co-founder of The Paper Bunny

Paper Bunny is not a mark of rest on the laurel. When this particular unit was created, Jamie accidentally knew that this was the right place to open his first store, even in the midst of all the uncertainty we are now experiencing.

In fact, the store is an oasis of tranquility for its in-line products and brands like Stasher and Slow House. An island in the middle of the store is made up of an island covered with a signature line of paper products that forms the basis of The Paper Bunny.

Everything in The Paper Bunny store is a conscious effort not to have “another place to buy things”.

Jamie noted that customers are constantly bombarded with offers everywhere; What people are looking for is “a new story, a holistic channel shopping experience, a brand story to follow.”

After all, their goal has always been to deliberately create functional, practical, and everyday pieces for everyday life. It is hoped that these pieces will provide new insights that continue to add value to The Paper Bunny’s customers.

Physical store in the digital world

For online experts or digital nomads, having a physical notebook or greeting cards seems redundant in a world that runs with Google invitations. However, the need to have something tangible to write and hold persists.

“Digital processes are great, but nothing can replace a handwritten sensitive note or writing your thoughts in a physical book,” Jamie explains.

“There’s something about the raw, organic authenticity of a thought written in a notebook with the cold uniformity of a digital type in a digital folder somewhere on your computer.”

Jamie attributed this to the freedom offered by a pen and paper; this quality is not like typing on the phone or easily replacing it with all the conveniences of the digital world. Well, his philosophy is definitely worth it.

The warm welcome at The Paper Bunny store is a testament to the strength of the brand and that physical touch we still want.

Of course, as any entrepreneur will tell you, the path to where you are today is wide open with serious self-doubt, anxiety, and uncertainty. Jamie was no stranger to this, and although his business continues to grow, new and different challenges are beginning to emerge.

From practicing law to selling papermaking

Before introducing tropical-themed living room clothes and functional four-way bags, Jamie was a lawyer, a fan of design, fashion, art, and aesthetics.

The opportunity to design a wedding stationery for a friend was the moment for the light bulb. “[I wanted to] it was really mine to create art but to reach so many people, ”Jamie rejoiced.

He launched the brand in November 2013 and two years later officially left the business world.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but I really believed that The Paper Bunny still had a lot to give and that we could do so much.”

Running a business is never easy; there is much more to design paperwork. There are some less funny parts of Jamie having to cut her teeth with her co-founder and husband.

We had to pick everything up on our own and move on as we progressed, we had no prior experience in e-commerce, business, shipping methods, pricing and so on.

Learning to deal with discouragement, failures, mistakes, and negative feedback, and learning from each of them, was just one part of the process.

Jamie Lee, co-founder and co-founder of The Paper Bunny

Eight years later, these initial challenges have developed along with the business. As mentioned earlier, the brand has graduated in paper products and started designing clothing.

“The bigger you are, the bigger your problems are, and learning never ends. Everything good and anything good is achieved in a small step, with resilience and perseverance ”.

This mantra, which he hopes to share with early entrepreneurs, has helped Jamie through his low and difficult times.

“You don’t have to know everything or have everything to do something you’re proud of,” Jamie continued. “I try to remember that no one is good at everything.”

For Jamie, the way to work on this is to be aware of one’s abilities and to know that social media can be a double-edged sword.

I realize that what I am good at and what I am not, along with hard work and resilience, I can focus on what I am good at and work around with the right team. complete my strengths and weaknesses (both at home and at work).

Jamie Lee, co-founder and co-founder of The Paper Bunny

The the future of the local market

Jamie reflected on how far local brands have come in being one of the first brands to explode on the scene.

“The local creative scene isn’t similar to what it was when we started eight to 10 years ago,” Jamie said. “In the past, online shopping was not uncommon, and was seen as a creative or educational alternative.”

If local brands are growing, it is clear that the local market is a creative and vibrant space.

By giving more support to #supportlocal, this would encourage local creators to improve and continue to innovate their craft.

“This healthy cycle gives the local creative industry hope, opportunities, better talent and a more prosperous future.”

Featured Image Credit: The Paper Bunny