JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — We're proud to share the Stories of Service of the brave men and women who wear the uniforms of our armed forces. But we're also proud to share the success stories of those servicemembers when they transition to civilian life.
In this week's Stories of Service we profile an Air Force veteran who puts on a different type of uniform these days.
"I think my most lasting memory is when I was overseas in Qatar and that team that we had, we were under constant stress," recalled Angel Johnson, an Air Force veteran who served our country for 8 years.
Johnson left the Air Force as a captain in 2021, but her second career as an activewear executive began while she was still in the Air Force.
"I started because I got tired of having activewear that wasn't squat proof in the gym," said Johnson, "so I would spend tons of money on leggings and they would be see through and that's so embarrassing, especially in a military gym."
And this was born the company ICONI, which stands for 'I Can Overcome, Nothing's Impossible'. The company was a success almost instantly. ICONI was featured as one of Oprah's Favorite Things and this happened while Johnson was still in the Air Force. A post about ICONI as 'Oprah's Favorite Things' from 2020 can be read here: https://iconi.com/blogs/news/oprahs-favorite-things-2020
"I got to work one day and they had the article printed out," said Johnson, "my squadron commander said 'I'm going to put this up, I know you' and it was good to see my military family support me."
It was the confidence that she learned as a student at the Citadel and an officer in the Air Force that led her to launch her post-military career.
"Being in the military makes me feel like I can do anything, so starting an activewear brand, I can do this, the military has shown me that I can do a lot more than I think I'm capable of," said Johnson.
10% of ICONI's profits are donated to more than half a dozen non-profit foundations. More information about Air Force veteran Angel Johnson and the activewear brand ICONI can be found here: https://iconi.com/
If you have a Story of Service that you would like us to profile, send us an email to storiesofservice@firstcoastnews.com.