The Paper Fold

Evergreen Podcasts
  • 4.8 (25)
  • DESIGN
  • UPDATED MONTHLY
The Paper Fold

Get your design fix in the stationery community's only all-paper salon, where Sarah hosts a charming mishmosh of personalities & players.

  1. JUN 30

    Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. (2 of 2)

    For Anna Bond, being a creative is certainly about generating jaw-dropping imagery to be presented just so on irresistible products — but creativity is also a key to enabling this CEO to navigate Rifle Paper Co. forward as both a business and a brand. In Part 2 of our chat, we discuss subtly evolving the Rifle look to keep it consistently looking fresh and new, yet true to its signature style, as time passes and tastes evolve. We also delve into navigating the larger challenges facing small businesses, such as tariffs. It's rather unsurprising that Anna often feels like she is facing a wily carnival Whack-A-Mole. And while I knew my listeners and I would be treated to an incredible Nerd Note, even *I* was wowed by her childhood correspondence! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min

  2. MAY 30

    Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co.

    In 2009, freelance illustrator Anna Bond and her musician husband Nathan debuted Rifle Paper Co. to the trade in a double booth buried deep in the back aisles of the National Stationery Show. They were but one of dozens upon dozens of small (often forgotten) stationery brands showing there, but in Rifle's case, a stationery, gift and lifestyle star was born those five days in May. Rifle's dizzying trajectory into the collective American design unconscious was singularly dramatic, with Anna's signature hand-painted artwork and vibrant color palette having headlining collaborations over the years with Keds, Target and Pottery Barn Kids, among seemingly countless other high-profile brands. Meanwhile, every stationery maker setting up shop dreams of a similar ascent. Still, at the core of every Rifle offering remains the brand's tagline: 'We create moments of unexpected beauty in the real world.' So when I was given the real-world opportunity to interview Anna — now Rifle CEO — of course I had questions! In this, part one of two, we discuss Rifle's humble origins, how Anna differentiated it from the very start, dealt with imitators over the years, and grew the brand alongside Nathan as they simultaneously grew their own family. With five young children and an ever-growing brand and body of work, Anna's strategy of success may surprise you as much as it did me! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    38 min

  3. APR 23

    Sally Diguette (2 of 2)

    Don't miss Part 2 of my chat with type A über-creative Sally Diguette! In Sally's role as specialty buyer for Anthropologie, the merchandise she painstakingly sources from small, quirky makers are often where the brand's fans find the connection and community they seek as they shop. Sally honed this expertise at Atlanta's Citizen Suppy, an artisan marketplace that showcases handmade goods, clothing, and standout finds from independent makers. Sally joined the Ponce City Market venue at its inception in 2017 to build all operations — and then heralded it through COVID, finessing her skill set all the more. These lessons and skills are put to great use in her independent consultancy — and we close discussing the types of challenges we see our small maker clients grappling with, and our approaches to solving them. Finally, epistolary lovers will be utterly knocked out by Sally's precious Nerd Note — it's definitely Anthropologie shelf-worthy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    29 min

  4. MAR 27

    Sally Diguette

    This Type A über-creative wears a lot of hats, every last one of them impressive and fabulous. Sally Diguette is a specialty retail buyer for Anthropologie, tasked with buying in the stationery and related gift and home categories, as well as spearheading collaborations such as Papier x Anthropologie. But Anthropologie is also where many a small maker gets her first big break — even if it's just one greeting card on its enormous website. Not only does Sally undertake the enormous task of selecting each maker to tell certain trend stories across every inch of Anthropologie retail space (both actual + virtual), she also offers consulting services to help brands get shelf-ready. Sally and I delve into defining the Anthropologie magic — and the nuts and bolts of generating it. How does she navigate the overstimulation of trade shows to ascertain the trend stories to fill store shelves? What catches Sally's eye — and what are the design must-haves on a given product? With that kind of perspective and drive, I was thrilled to have audience with her here, and accordingly, this is the first of two episodes of our interview! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    34 min

  5. FEB 20

    Catherine Hildner of KMB/Shade Tree Greetings

    For many in our community, running a stationery brand turns out to be but a single milestone on an incredible larger journey. That's the case with Catherine Hildner of Kitty Meow Boutique, now a part of Shade Tree Greetings. Over the past several years, this dynamo — also my guest in episode 20 — not only established her own brand, she also helped create the Ultimate Product Party series of events and podcasts to empower other product-based creatives (mostly women) to bring their own visions to life. But part of being a smart entrepreneur is knowing when it's time to move on. And in Catherine's case, it turns out that I actually helped jumpstart the process just over a year ago, at the February edition of NY NOW 2024. Tune in to hear this fantastic tale and what's next for Catherine! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    39 min

  6. JAN 22

    Susan January

    How better to kick off January 2025 — and the eighth season of this podcast — than with a visit from this bona fide industry legend? While Susan January has been at the helm of Leanin' Tree, a mid-sized Colorado house of stationery, for over a quarter century, she has also served as president of the Greeting Card Association, from 2011 to 2013. More recently, she spearheaded a team of women from across generations to debut Willow & Ivy, a boutique brand devised solely for our times — and the women navigating them. With such an illustrious career under her stylish belt, Susan's perspective on the greeting card category is unparalleled. Our discussion delves into how diverse, rich voices — from Emily McDowell to The Noble Paperie to Colleen Harrington to many, many others — have united to create a dynamic marketplace awash with offerings that authentically speak to today's discerning greeting card audience. In this forum, ideally no one should feel isolated — all that's required is the right card in the right card sender's hands. Meanwhile, the distinctive path upon which Willow & Ivy was brought to exquisite life enabled it to truly reflect the 21st-century woman's shared experiences, dreams, and needs, regardless of generation, as it seeks to connect us. Whatever you already know about greeting cards and stationery, prepare to have your perspective tweaked, courtesy of this month's five-star guest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 5m

  7. 12/18/2024

    Michele Ferron of Good Tuesday

    How does what began as a pandemic pastime become the UK's first stationery B Corp? For Michele Feron of Good Tuesday, her sustainable brand came to life in 2020 on Etsy as Once Upon a Tuesday. Her then-eight-year-old daughter Flora created the name, but as this color-driven Cornwall brand grew, Michele realized a big evolution was in order. However, the rebranding paled next to becoming a B Corp. Michele shares how the transition is far more than an icon to place on one's site — it represents a dramatic change in perspective to every conceivable area of her business. While all Good Tuesday merchandise was always 100% recycled, the transition entails a fresh emphasis on employees, environmental footprint, waste management, sourcing materials, ethical and transparent practices, customer service, impact on local community and involvement in social causes.  Thus as Michele sagely points out, receiving the official the designation only represents the first chapter of many positive changes, some small, some large, but all together they represent a complete transformation. You become a B Corp, she explains, and it becomes you. Michele gives a colorful glimpse into the ever-growing B Corp community — and plenty of inspiration for other stationery makers on this side of the pond to consider taking the plunge as well!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    34 min
  8. Michele from Meant to be Calligraphy & Amy from Penny Post

    11/26/2024

    Michele from Meant to be Calligraphy & Amy from Penny Post

    Since its premiere seven seasons ago, the Netflix reality show Love is Blind has only tightened its grasp on pop culture. According to Nielsen, Americans watcher over 1.1 billion million minutes of the most recent season of this will-they or won't-they get married show, set in Washington, D.C. — and that doesn't include infinite video discussions and gossip on social media. While those can get somewhat seamy, the season's fan favorite couple, Taylor and Garrett, put an enormous national spotlight on how stationery, correspondence and calligraphy can connect, capture and elevate a relationship, now and forever — with a little help from their local paper nerd friends, that is! In episode 10, the engaged couple had a televised calligraphy lesson at Old Alexandria's Penny Post, owned by Amy Rutherford and taught by Michele Hatty Fritz of Meant to Be Calligraphy. Predictably, the segment detailed the gorgeous art of calligraphy, presented through Michele's most capable hands. Surprisingly, the discussion delved into how Taylor and Garrett's practice of leaving notes for one another not only kept them connected to each other, but also honored departed family members who did the same thing. The concept was so meaningful to them, they decided during filming to actually have what is perhaps the world's first letter-writing station at their wedding — and of course only, Michele could run it! Both Amy and Michele take listeners behind the scenes of this larger-than-life experience. From prepping the cozy shop for shooting, to stuffing crew members in its ADA accessible bathroom, from selling the crew stationery after shooting ended for the day, to that nuptial letter-writing station viewers were never shown, they spill it all! It all begs the larger question, could we be seeing a resurgence in stationery? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    53 min
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4.8
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Get your design fix in the stationery community's only all-paper salon, where Sarah hosts a charming mishmosh of personalities & players.

Information

  • Creator
    Evergreen Podcasts
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    75
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Evergreen Podcasts 2025
  • Show Website
    The Paper Fold

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