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Printfluencer Ricki Lawal

  • 28-Feb
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  • Founder
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Framed My Icon Story personalised print with 5 icons

Welcome to our first #Printfluencer feature of 2020. We’ve had a bit of a gap since our last one but I’m so thrilled to get these back up and running. I love reading the stories of other founders, understanding more about their journey and past experience and what led them to starting their own business.  Our Printfluencer series is also a fab way to showcase  our proposition of visually telling stories through icons. With over 2000 icons to choose from, there really is a My Icon Story in us all. 

 

It’s an honour to welcome Ricki Lawal as My Icon Story’s first #printfluencer of the year. Ricki and I met each other last year at a start-up competition called The Pitch. We practised our business pitch presentations in front of each other and instantly clicked. Ricki’s positivity, encouragement and beaming smile is infectious and I genuinely love the purpose and story behind her own business Club Melanin (which by the way is incredible!!).

We’ve since become Founder friends and Ricki even invited My Icon Story to be part of her first panel event The Good Hair Experience which you can read all about here.  But to tell you all about Club Melanin and share her journey to starting up, here is Ricki’s Printfluencer feature:

 

RICKI LAWAL, CLUB MELANIN

Ricki Lawal headshot

 

In a tweet (280 characters) what do you/your business do?

Club Melanin is the Afrocentric Hair and Beauty Booking Platform. We match women with textured hair with reputable stylists near them.

Did you have a job/career before starting your business?

I’ve had an eclectic career history to date. From running regional marketing at a tech software / services company to working as a Management Consultant in a Big 4. That said my most fun and arguably toughest job was running Shops onboard a Cruise Ship. With 3000 passengers and a global cruise for 7 months, that was an experience I’ll never forget!

Why did you decide to start your own business?

A few years ago I was lucky enough to travel the world on a cruise ship. I got to go to 32 ports in the space of 7 months and it was phenomenal. But what wasn’t phenomenal was that outside of London, I really struggled to find a hairdresser for my hair. Fast forward to now and this is still the case. I’m a huge believer in being the change I want to see in the world so I decided to start my business to fix this problem. Not just for myself but for others who face this issue too.

Tell us a bit more about Club Melanin.

Club Melanin is a marketplace that matches people looking for specific styles like  Braids, Lace Frontals, Faux Locs and more, with great stylists for them. Although Club Melanin is a marketplace solution, I actually started building it through Instagram. Manually matching women with stylists in their new home cities via instagram DMs and the location highlight stories. Now we’re launching our self service website at the end of March 2020.

If you were a recent customer of your business, what would you write in the review?

“My braids are fire! Thanks for hooking me up with this awesome stylist Club Melanin!”

 

FINISH THESE SENTENCES…

My business is amazing becauseit’s providing the much needed platform for black women everywhere to find and book a great hairdresser or beautician for them.

 

This time next year…I will be rocking a brand new style, courtesy of Club Melanin 😉

 

 

RICKI’S MY ICON STORY

Framed My Icon Story personalised print with 5 icons

Small & Mighty My Icon Story (fits 4-6 icons), white background with black icons and solid black wooden frame

 

Tell us the story behind your My Icon Story print?

  1. Being born in Ibadan, Nigeria
  2. Moving with my family to a town called Penge, London Borough of Bromley
  3. My first international internship in Shanghai
  4. Travelling around the world on the Queen Victoria
  5. Buying my first home in Elephant and Castle

What a journey! Especially as this isn’t the end!

 

JUST A BIT OF FUN…

You’re in a cocktail bar. What do you order?

2 mojitos! That way I don’t have to queue at the bar again for quite some time.

 

What’s your favourite type of shoe?

I literally live in a pair of White Puma trainers. 

 

If you could have any other job in the world, what would you be? 

Professional airbnb homes tester? Is that a job? I’d be fantastic at that.

 

THANK YOU

 

 

Thank you Ricki for sharing your story with us and for creating your very own My Icon Story. We can’t wait to support you further in your development and eagerly await all the success that will undoubtedly come your way.

 

To find out more about Club Melanin check out their website clubmelanin.com and follow Club Melanin on social:

Instagram @club_melanin

Twitter @rickilawal

 

If you’d like to nominate a founder to be featured in our Printfluencer Series, please email laura@myiconstory.com

To create your own My Icon Story visit our design-your-own here. We also offer a free icon request service so any icon you can’t find, simply drop us an email to info@myiconstory.com or use the Submit Request form on our homepage.

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  • I've ordered a few pieces from My icon Story and couldn't recommend them more. They make for amazing bespoke gifts and the service is amazing! The team are really helpful should you have any queries or issues.

    - Lisa-Kate McGrath

  • Thank you My Icon Story for helping me create a unique and personal 30th birthday present. I would recommend the website to anyone who wants to give something special as a gift.

    - Liam Whiddett

  • This beautiful bespoke piece of art will add something very personal and meaningful to our new home. Creating bespoke icons which weren't on the website was no trouble at all. The customer service was impeccable, and we are completely in love with our 'my icon story'. Thank you so much

    - Jenna Bristow

  • I'm looking forward to receiving this sentimental anniversary gift for my husband. It will be a fun and artsy reminder of the path our relationship has traveled. (I'm also thrilled to be the first US order!) Can't wait to gift more of these for friends with new babies!

    - Zahra Curtin

  • Thank you so much for all your help with designing my icon story! Nothing was ever too much trouble and being able to create the exact icons I wanted made my story so much better! A fantastic gift for anyone!!!

    - Ella Rayment

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    - Carl

  • My Icon Story really caught my eye when I saw a feature about it in Metro. It really helped me find a unique present for my wife this Xmas and our print hangs proudly in our hallway!

    - Rob Griffiths

  • Really wonderful piece, my wife loved it. Designed an icon specifically for us as well which made it extra special.

    - Ryan Taylor

  • What a great idea. I wanted something meaningful for my partner for his birthday and what better than icons denoting memories from our time together. Will definitely be telling my friends and family about My Icon Story.

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  • I came across this amazing website via the Evening Standard during a commute home. We were able to create a fantastic and very personal story of our family epic holiday to Australia via Hong Kong. Within a day, Laura even added 2 icons for the Gold Coast for us to choose....the best bit about the the whole experience was the personal service to ensure we could capture an eternal memory in such a unique way. Thanks Laura!

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  • Love love the My Icon Story I made for my wife to remind us of some travel adventures we've had over the years

    - Christian Turner

  • It brought my wife to tears with all the memories of our past she thought I had forgotten

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  • Really loved the artwork, stylish and contemporary. A wonderful memento of our daughter's trip. My Icon Story were extremely helpful from design to delivery. I would recommend My Icon Story to anyone seeking a unique and well made souvenir of their travels.

    - Jane Allden

  • Was really happy with the print. The customer service was great and it didn’t take long to arrive. Cheers!

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  • We loved our Icon Story print following a European trip. Beautifully made and framed.

    - Kayleigh Westwood

  • I purchased a print for my friends birthday and I can honestly say I am so happy with the result. The website is really easy to use, there are a huge variety of icons to choose from, but if you can't find what you are looking for, there was the option to get one designed for you.

    - Kirsty Elliot

  • My boyfriend bought me a print as a surprise after I went away travelling. I absolutely love it!, thank you! It's such a thoughtful and personal gift and a lovely reminder of my travels.

    - Diva M

  • My parents absolutely LOVED their bespoke print I gave them for their ruby wedding anniversary. What's more personal than something that reminds them of all their favourite places they've been together? I'm normally terrible at buying gifts, but you can't get it wrong with a My Icon Story print!

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  • We bought a print for a 50th birthday and selected a number of icons that reasonated. The site is really easy to use and if you cant find what you want then you just need to ask! We were delighted with the print and so was the Birthday Girl!!

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