Raki Pérez & Xènia Fuertes
Lámparas Pakita
“Two thinking minds create something greater”
How did you meet and what inspires you most about each other?
Raki: We met ten years ago in Formentera when we were sharing a house. I was already working here in a school and she came for two months to work the season. I am inspired by her head full of ideas, she is a very creative person, and also the involvement she has with others, with projects and with her decisions. And for Xènia it’s about my generosity, my kindness and the attitude I have towards life.
What do you each individually contribute to the relationship and the business?
R: Xènia contributes both to the relationship and at the work level, the organizational part, the timing and the more artistic part, and I contribute the energy to carry out the projects that she thinks up. It’s like she creates and I make it happen – we complement each other quite well like that.
What big challenges have you had to overcome?
R: Working together is already a challenge in itself, as is working at home, because we have the workshop in our house. But the major challenge has been to dedicate ourselves to something that we have been discovering little by little and learning every day, in a self-taught way. And we laugh a lot because our motto is always: we are learning.
Why do you think it is better to work together than separately?
R: Because two thinking minds create something greater, thanks to the trust there is in the other person and because you can delegate and trust their ability. But it also has its own side, the serious part where you have to know how to separate work from your relationship.
Any advice you can give us about work-life balance?
R: It’s about communication, above all else, and each person having their personal and individual space to be able to say, I’m going to yoga, I’m going for a walk… Small individual projects and trust are also important. We balance each other very well because we are very different people, but throughout this process each one has naturally found their roles within the couple and at the work level.
