At a time when her eldest child was stepping into the world of school, Rachel Walter found herself craving a different way of working – one that allowed her to be fully present for the moments that matter most in family life. Taking over Paper Heart Design, the business reflects her belief that meaningful work and parenting don’t have to compete, but can grow side by side, capturing the fleeting milestones of childhood along the way. Combining years of print expertise with mum life, Rachel creates New Zealand-designed and printed keepsakes, milestone books and memory journals to help families document and celebrate life’s special moments. Here, she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the passion behind what she does, how she balances work and family life, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
The opportunity to take over Paper Heart Design came along not long after my oldest turned five, at a time when our family was stepping into a new season. He was starting school, and I could feel how important it was for me to be present for that transition, to support him emotionally, and to be available for all the little moments that come with school life, assemblies, classroom help and events that only happen once.
The business was founded and lovingly built by Nicky, who was ready to pass it on, and when the opportunity arose, it felt like one of those moments where timing and intuition align. I had been craving more flexibility, not just in my work hours, but in the way my work fitted around our family. I did not want to feel torn between being a present mum and meeting the demands of a traditional work structure.
With qualifications in signwriting, digital printing and graphic design, stepping into Paper Heart Design felt incredibly natural. It brought together my creative background, my love for meaningful design and my desire to build something that could grow alongside my family. The products themselves, keepsake books and printed pieces that help families capture memories and milestones, resonated deeply with me as a parent. I know how quickly these years pass, and how precious it is to have something tangible to look back on.
What truly inspired me was the idea that work and motherhood did not have to be in conflict. Paper Heart Design gave me the opportunity to create a business that supports families while also supporting my own. It allows me to show my children that you can build something meaningful, flexible and values-led, without sacrificing presence or connection at home.
Paper Heart Design is more than just a business to me. It is a reflection of this season of life, of choosing family, creativity and intention, and of building something that honours the moments that matter most.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
Starting out with Paper Heart Design was both exciting and quietly daunting, all at the same time. I stepped into the business with a small but meaningful range, six core keepsake book designs and eleven prints, all of which already held a lot of heart and history. Taking over an existing brand came with a strong sense of responsibility to honour what had been built, while also gently making it my own.
What makes that early period even more memorable is that I officially took over the business just one week after having major surgery on my elbow. I was very much in recovery mode, learning how to manage pain, limited movement and healing, while also learning the ins and outs of a new business. It was not the most sensible timing on paper, but sometimes life does not wait for the “perfect” moment.
Those first weeks were a real exercise in patience and adaptability. There were systems to understand, processes to refine and countless decisions happening behind the scenes, all while balancing family life and physical recovery. Growth was never about rushing. It came in steady steps, expanding the core range, refining designs, and eventually introducing new seasonal keepsake books that reflected how families actually live and celebrate their memories.
One of the most overwhelming and humbling parts of those early days was the support from customers. Existing customers embraced the transition with such kindness and encouragement, which gave me the confidence to keep moving forward. The Christmas season in particular was a turning point. Seeing orders roll in, along with heartfelt messages from customers choosing Paper Heart Design to capture their family memories, made every late night and challenge feel worthwhile.
There were moments of self-doubt, plenty of problem-solving and a lot of learning on the go, but those early challenges shaped the business in the best way. They taught me resilience, flexibility and the importance of trusting the process, even when things feel a little messy. Looking back, those beginnings laid a strong foundation for everything that Paper Heart Design has grown into today.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
One of the biggest breakthroughs for me has been the continued success of the My School Days school record books. What started as one part of the range has grown into a clear favourite with families, and seeing it resonate so strongly has been incredibly affirming. It showed me that there is a real need for thoughtfully designed, practical keepsakes that support parents through the everyday milestones, not just the big moments.
That success gave me clarity and confidence in the direction of Paper Heart Design. It confirmed that families are looking for products that are simple to use, meaningful and designed with real life in mind. The feedback from customers, especially parents sharing how much they value having everything captured in one place, has been a huge motivator and has shaped how I think about future designs and expansions.
This breakthrough has also opened my eyes to what could be possible beyond direct-to-customer sales. As the My School Days range continues to grow, I have started exploring the idea of wholesale as a way to make these keepsakes more accessible to families through aligned retailers. That shift in thinking, from simply running a small online store to considering how the brand could live in other spaces, has felt like a real turning point.
For me, innovation has not been about reinventing everything overnight. It has been about listening closely to customers, recognising what is working and allowing that insight to guide the next steps. The success of My School Days has given me both momentum and confidence to keep building intentionally, one thoughtful product at a time.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Balancing work and family is a constant dance for me, and one that changes with the seasons of family life. Running my business alongside raising my children means my days are shaped around school drop-offs, pick-ups and all the in-between moments that matter so much. I work on new designs while the kids are at school or preschool, and once the house quiets down in the evening and they are tucked up in bed, that is when I pack orders and catch up on the behind-the-scenes work that keeps everything moving.
I have always been a bit of a night owl, so this rhythm suits me well. While it can be tiring at times, it allows me to be present for my kids during the day and still pour my creativity and focus into my work when the world slows down. I love knowing that my business fits around our family life, rather than competing with it, even if that means my to-do list stretches late into the night.
It is not always easy, and there are definitely moments where the juggle feels heavy, but I am grateful for the flexibility it gives me. I get to build something meaningful while still being there for the everyday moments with my children and my husband, which feels like a true reflection of balance for me, even if it does not look perfectly neat or calm from the outside.
