Meet Denise Rawls
Founder
Strange Fruit Greeting Cards
Headquartered in east London, Strange Fruit create colourful cards for colourful people.
Founded by Denise Rawls, the company was conceived to provide a range of greeting cards reflective of Denise’s young black British family.
Launched in October 2010, Strange Fruit was a finalist for Start-up Business of the Year at the 2011 Precious Awards.
Why did you decide to start your company?
I thought about starting a greeting card company years ago but life kept getting in the way. When I got married in October 2009 in New York City, we were given lots of cards from our American family that reflected us; a young black couple.
When we came home and had a party in London to celebrate our marriage we didn’t get any cards with black people on. I started drafting the business plan in my head that night.
What’s the story behind your brand name?
“Strange Fruit” is a poem written by a Jewish teacher from the Bronx, NYC in 1936, it was his reaction to the lynchings in the South. The poem was set to music and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939 when it became a civil rights anthem.
Calling my company Strange Fruit is my way of giving a nod of respect to the past and being enthused by the future. The fact that my husband Cory is from the Bronx and my Dad is Jewish and was an English teacher adds even more meaning to the already moving poem.
What was your career path prior to starting Strange Fruit?
Writing is what comes naturally to me; I still have my day job which I love – working in a busy press office.
When I decided I was going to start a greeting card company I was half way through my Masters in Creative Writing. My aim at the time was to find a publisher for the novel I had completed.
I knew that I couldn’t work, spend time with my family, edit a book and start a business at the same time so the book is on hold until I can edit it and send it back to my agent. Fortunately the book is set in the 1970s so it isn’t time sensitive.
Did you always know that you would start your own business?
I think so yes. I knew I would do the things I wanted when the time was right. I was a single parent until my daughter was 12. Looking after her, focusing on my career and studying for my degree was about as much as I could manage then.
Getting married and writing my books gave me the confidence, self belief and support I needed to just get on and do it rather than dream about starting my own business.
What steps did you take to secure your first stockist?
I approached Sublime in Clerkenwell directly and the owner said she loved the cards and would stock them in both of her shops. I thought it would be plain sailing after that – but I have since learnt that not every shop owner is as forward thinking.
What are you working on at the moment?
Too many things. The business has been going a year now and my main task is to check my deliverables against the business plan and reassess where I am at what the next steps are.
I am enjoying the business to business side of social stationery and will be spending more time developing the packages I have for corporate clients.
Can you describe your typical work day?
Very busy. I have breakfast with my son and then head off to work in central London. I use this time to do my planning and read emails.
I don’t bring Strange Fruit to the office – it is important to me that I continue to deliver a great job and do what I get paid to do with no blurring of lines. I use lunch time to check and send emails and make any phone calls I need to make.
Once I get home we have dinner together and then I focus on Strange Fruit work for about two – three hours. Paying invoices, working on new lines, packing up orders to post on my way into the office in the morning.
My bag is huge – I carry a full set of cards, stationery and everything I need to send a parcel so I can be sure that online orders get sent without delay.
What have been the highlights of running your own business?
Getting my first print run delivered was great – it took a year from deciding I was going to do it, to having a product that could be purchased in a shop.
I am amazed that Strange Fruit was nominated for a Precious Start-up Business Award – but that is a pretty good feeling.
What is the hardest part of running your own business?
There are two things really – not having the time I need to focus solely on the business and not having a development budget. I sold a couple of pairs of designer shoes on Ebay to cover my start up costs and first print run as I didn’t want me starting a business to impact financially on my family.
I don’t believe in debt so now that I am ready to develop the business it is really frustrating that the only support out there for start ups is reserved for people under 30.
Are there any business resources you’ve found to be indispensable?
No. My biggest resource is me. I have always read loads and have stored away lots of that information in my brain. I love Twitter; I am always ‘favourite-ing’ tweets with business information to read properly later.
What has been your proudest business moment so far?
Seeing my son point out the cards in a stockist.
What, or who, inspires and motivates you?
I am inspired by people that make a positive difference to others and the world around them.
I am motivated by people who are really quite mean. Those kind of people motivate me to work harder to ensure that my children have the tools they need to achieve whatever they decide to do.
Fast forward five years, where do you think your business will be in 2016?
Five years! Ask me in two – I am working on a three-year plan which does include hiring staff next year.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering starting a greeting card business?
Research, research, research. Spend a lot of time in card shops and understand what makes both you and your cards different from the rest.
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For more information visit www.ilovestrangefruit.com. You can also find Strange Fruit on Twitter.
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Denise Rawls was interviewed by Octavia Goredema, founder of the Twenty Ten Club.
The Twenty Ten Club is an award-winning social enterprise designed to connect, inspire and
support Black female entrepreneurs. You can also find Twenty Ten Club on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Do you have a question for Denise? If so, please feel free to post a comment below:
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Awards
Future 100 social enterprise award winner, 2010
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