Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelia Henderson Lawrence.
Hi Angelia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I knew by the time I was in the 6th grade, I wanted to be a Fashion Designer and live in New York. Once I shared this with my parents, they started preparing to make my future happen. Fast forward to College graduation. After graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University, I moved to New York to pursue a career in the Garment Industry as a Fashion Designer. I was hired at a major Intimate Apparel Company as an Assistant Designer and was promoted to Designer about a year later. This company relocated to Atlanta. I loved being in Atlanta! I had grown tired of the New York hustle and bustle. I was doing great in Atlanta! Life was good, my career was good, I was making a six-figure salary. Until stop the music… the company has been acquired and we’re moving from Atlanta to a city with one movie theater, one mall, no airport, no bus or train, and no museum. The employees were given a choice to move with the new company or take a package. I felt like I didn’t have a choice because there wasn’t a garment industry in Atlanta and I believed I would have a problem finding a job, so I followed the money.
Fast forward about three years and unhappy. I asked a co-worker at the time, “How did we get here?” (meaning this city and totally unhappy). She said, “Because we didn’t have faith.” Wow, she was right! I told myself, whenever an opportunity arises to leave, I would have faith and leave. In 2015, I resigned and returned home to Atlanta. I started creating my designs and supporting women in their fitness journey. I enjoy the benefits of working out and eating healthy and wanted to share it with others. One day while working out, I became frustrated looking for my towel because I was missing out on my workout. That’s when I invented the HidPoc™ Wearable towel with a pocket. I’m so glad I did! My HidPoc™ towel is always ready to serve. I am happy to be back in Atlanta, creating and helping women in their fitness journey.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I love this question so much. I remember the first time I realized I might have some challenges. I was sewing a dress from my Angelika Fashions brand, and I had an engineering question. I walked over to my husband and said, “I need my engineer”. It hit me, I don’t have an engineer, grader, coster, sew room manager, none of the product development support that I had for the past 20 years. Having to do all these tasks myself slowed me down. I had to become conscious of doing things or not doing things to increase my productivity. I also realized I needed help understanding business. I viewed my Fashion and Fitness as two different businesses and I needed help combining the two and also understanding social media. I attended SBA workshops and worked with SCORE mentors. To this day, I have a SCORE mentor and I changed my business name to Fitness To Fashion. Lastly, my Design Patent Application for HidPoc™ Wearable Towel was filed in March of 2020. I was preparing to vend in gyms and visit stores to sell my towel. Well, soon after my Patent Application was filed, gyms closed along with a host of other businesses due to the pandemic. I have learned to be patient over the last year, and I’m looking forward to helping more people thrive in sweaty situations with my HidPoc™ Towel.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Designer and Fitness Coach. What I love about fitness and fashion is that each can make you feel good from the inside out while building confidence. I specialize in designing ladies’ clothing and accessories, however, I enjoy solving problems creatively, and I don’t limit myself to a category. Over many years of designing and fitting bras and panties on live models, I noticed the attitudes and gestures of the models when they felt good wearing a product. When designing, my goal is to capture these feelings and create products that function, make the wearer smile, and feel special. My special sauce, and what I am known for, is the quality and attention to detail I give to my designs. I like to accent the parts of the body that look good on most ladies. I’m proud to create products that make the wearer look good and feel great. I believe that when you look good and feel great, you have an unstoppable attitude All. Day. Long.
Can you talk about how you think about risk?
I haven’t taken any major risks as yet. I don’t view myself as a huge risk-taker, however, I believe some risk is necessary for growth. I’m open to it, as long as it doesn’t put the relationship with my family at risk.
Contact Info:
- Email: hidpoc@fitnesstofashion.com
- Website: www.fitnesstofashion.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/fitnesstofashionllc
