Episode 70: ICONI Leggings & Angel Johnson

     Angel Johnson is sort of a world traveler. Her feet have touched down in many places, such as Kuwait, Qatar, and Afghanistan. However, she is still a true Southern girl.  

 

     Originally from Charleston, SC, she attended the Citadel Military College there and is one of the first one hundred black women to graduate from there in its 150 year history. Her next move, she was commissioned into the United States Air Force as a Second Lieutenant and enjoyed an eight-year career there, obtaining the rank of Captain while, of course, traveling abroad.  

 

     All of her experiences have shaped Angel into the person she is. Today, she resides in Denver, CO, and owns ICONI. “I consider myself a start-up founder that likes leggings,” Angel says. Her company offers products for men and women, such as leggings, sports bras, shirts, shorts, and tops. Angel adds, “ICONI activewear delivers motivation and empowerment, and we guarantee to safeguard and support our customers’ bodies. More importantly, we aim to ensure our customers can focus on their workouts instead of see-through, non-supportive, low-quality, and boring activewear.”

 

     ICONI is an acronym for “I Can Overcome, Nothing Is Impossible”.”The ICONI logo represents power, strength, and versatility. The base is a power button representing your power to accomplish your goals. The overlay is the Adinkra symbol for strength and versatility. It takes all these elements to control your total wellness, especially when starting a fitness journey.”

 

     While still in the military, Angel started her company. The idea came about in October 2019, but the company was launched in January 2020. Angel says, “I got tired of spending so much money on activewear. I never understood why women’s activewear was see-through, and I wanted to change that. I also learned that other women shared the same concern, as well as others regarding active wear.”

 

     To build the ICONI brand, Angel utilized the power of social media. “I asked questions about the issue other women had about activewear. One thing I learned was the issue they had with leggings falling down. I thought to myself, well, I need to ensure that leggings will not fall while my clients work out. I need to make sure they are not see-through and have compression. I used social media and the feedback from my friends to help create the best products.”

 

     In addition to finding ICONI products on their website, they can be purchased from their Amazon store. Their goal is also to have them available in five to seven boutique stores and gyms by the end of 2023. “We are moving slowly with distribution because gyms will reach out to us to have our products available in their business, but they are not an inclusive environment. We only want to work with inclusive environments because our customer base is very diverse.”

 

     Angel credits her mother, Pearl, with having the most considerable influence on her life. “She has always taught me the value of having a hard work ethic. She taught me the value of working hard at some things and keep going,” Angel said.  

 

     After launching her brand, Angel faced the challenge of the Covid 19 pandemic. She had an activewear line, and her original marketing goal was to go into the gyms, but most gyms across the country were closed. She overcame this challenge by networking and applying to various databases and even hired a marketing company to assist with her marketing needs—those challenges Angel shares have only made her a stronger and wiser businesswoman.

 

     There have been some highs and lows with running her company.  One high was when it was listed as one of Oprah Winfrey’s favorite things in November 2020. Angel says that experience turned her side hustle mentality into a fully-fledged business. Since its inception, they have done over half a million do