We recently connected with Reka Juhasz and have shared our conversation below.
Reka , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My parents. Two doctors raising three children in the post-communist era was not a walk in the park in Eastern Europe. Though we lived a comfortable life, we were firmly positioned in the lower-middle class, as the medical profession in Hungary at that time was not financially rewarding. Lots of things my parents couldn’t afford were just made by them. What they could not afford to buy, they crafted themselves—whether it was a meticulously designed Barbie dollhouse or the interior wood paneling for our second-floor roof. They undertook the construction of our home with their own hands, contributing alongside the workers, despite their demanding full-time jobs, night shifts, and the responsibilities of parenthood. They never hesitated to take on challenging tasks, even when lacking formal training or experience. My mother would often say, “If we’ve started this, we might as well do it right.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Paperreka is a boutique branding studio focusing on clients within the health, wellness, and eco-conscious space. I love a good whole-hearted business owner who is not afraid to delve into the intricacies of their brand DNA (as I like to call it) allowing me to translate our insights into a meaningful, sustainable, and visually cohesive brand ecosystem. Academically, I started with psychology and extended into graphic design, while also exploring personal development, yoga, and reiki trainings over the years. Through these adventures, I’ve always arrived at the same conclusion—that no matter what we do, to do it well, we must do it intentionally. This philosophy permeates all aspects of life for me. We must continue to excavate into the depths of our human experiences to create beauty and magic in the world.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked in non-profit, agency, and now freelance environments. I love creating brands from mere ideas in people’s heads and I’m slowly learning how to protect my energy and time better to foster a sustainable lifestyle in the same manner I advise my clients.
Being curious has helped me tremendously over the years. I hopped on an airplane when I was 18 to move to the US and have never looked back. I started with psychology and ended with graphic design and I have never looked back. I bought a letterpress machine on eBay without knowing anything about printing—and I have never looked back. I am now renovating a very very old historic home with so much charm and character and it has ignited a newfound passion for interior design.
Branding will always be my main focus. However, I will unapologetically pursue any path that aligns with my core values of beauty and freedom. Tactile paper, minimalist designs, organized closets, colorful walls—it’s all in the vein of how to create an intentional life worth living.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Trust. You have to absolutely and blindly trust your gut. Especially at the beginning. Especially when it’s hard and it doesn’t look like much it’s so easy to give up. Exercise this muscle early and often.
Unplugging. Figure out what nourishes you the most. I like working out, walking my dog, sitting in silence, doing breathwork, audiobooks, therapy, and taking vacations (even if it’s just camping to get me out of my head).
Accountability buddies/support system. As humans, we are inherently wired for human connection. Just ask Brene Brown. Find the one or two people with whom you can go deep and intimate. You don’t need to (and sometimes can’t) do it alone.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed: A collection of anonymous letters submitted to her blog asking for advice read by her. It will break your heart and glue it back together all at once. Our human experience is worth sharing.
Anything Brene Brown. Gifts of Imperfection in particular probably. The part about Ellen dancing in the department store… ahh, you just have to read it.
Two books I read once a year: Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and The Essentialism by Greg McKeown, who says “We often think of choice as a thing. But choice is not a thing. Our options may be things, but a choice is an action.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://paperreka.com
- Instagram: @paperreka, @brand.anatomy
Image Credits
Katie Mathews
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