Jennifer Cooper, E! Entertainment Whether you're hosting a birthday brunch, planning a graduation party, or inviting friends and family to your wedding, there's one thing you won't be able to make it without—an invitation. And for these soirées, you can't just settle for an old generic piece of paper, daresay a boring Facebook invite. But with Paperless Post just a click away, designing stylish, personalized invites just got a whole lot easier.
Founded by brother and sister duo Alexa and James Hirschfeld, Paperless Post provides a one-stop source for all of your online and print invitations, no matter the occasion. But it's not all parties and festivities for this duo—read on to find out just what goes into a day in the office with these trendsetters!
What was your first job?
AH: Writing for a guidebook series called Let's Go for their Greece 2004 edition.
JH: This is actually the only job I've ever had!
How did you get started in your career?
AH: A phone call with my brother when I was 23.
JH: I founded Paperless Post with my sister Alexa while I was still at Harvard.
What is a typical day like for you?
AH: No day is typical for me!
JH: I wake up at 8:30 a.m., go for a morning run, and get to the office by 10:00 a.m. The rest of my day is spent working directly with our designers, brand team, and my fellow managers. I try to leave the office by 7 p.m. whenever possible.
Tell us about your office décor. What was your inspiration?
AH: The wall paper at Indochine in N.Y.C.
JH: My office has two main notable features: 1) a wall covered in Scalamandre's zebra wallpaper, which I've always admired (partly because I'm colorblind and can see the bright red) and 2) a pin board covered with interesting invitations I've received.
What's the best part of your job?
AH: Helping millions of people go to parties.
JH: Having the chance to create an innovative consumer product that people use for their most important occasions.
List five things that are on your desk right now:
AH: Club Soda mixed with lemonade, a hair clip, a new ATM card, earphones, sea salt.
JH: Smart water bottle, Bernard Maisner paper weight, Metropolitan Opera's season calendar, sunglasses and my iPhone.
Where are a few of your favorite places to shop for work clothes?
AH: J. Brand, belgianshoes.com.
JH: Steven Allen, Acne, APC, Odin, James Perse.
How did you come up with the concept for Paperless Post?
AH: My brother James came up with it, and I trusted him.
JH: I was throwing a big 21st birthday party, and was disappointed by the online invitation options. Nothing reflected the time and care I was putting into my event.
What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?
AH: Never lose your gut.
What are the sources of your design inspiration?
JH: It depends on the season… anything from textiles to interior design to midcentury illustration.
Who are some of your career heroes?
AH: My heroes tend not to be that famous to the public—I look up to people who are quietly successful and respected in their field.
JH: Wes Anderson, Jony Ive & Scott Rudin
What's the most daring career risk you've ever taken at work?
AH: Quitting my day job and hemorrhaging my savings while we launched Paperless Post.
JH: Starting a company.
Finish the sentences below (Alexa):
Today for lunch I had… chicken souvlaki.
The first website I log onto every day is…www.paperlesspost.com
The beauty product you can always find in my purse is… lots of hair bands and a broken hair clip.
My usual Starbucks order is… skim chai latte.
If I wasn't doing this job, I would… be doing something to help creative people succeed commercially.
My favorite type of manicure is… pink.
Instagram or Twitter…Twitter for learning, Instagram for looking at animal pictures.
(James):
Today for lunch I had… Thai food.
The first website I log onto every day is… www.paperlesspost.com
My usual Starbucks order is… skim cappuccino.
If I wasn't doing this job, I would…want to work in film.
Instagram or Twitter… Instagram.