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Lemonade Leaders
Real stories of turning life’s toughest lemons into something good. Each week, host Riannon Palmer chats with founders and changemakers about resilience, purpose, and building impact from adversity.
Lemonade Leaders
How a Stroke 7 Days After Giving Birth Inspired a Life-Changing Brand
Seven days after giving birth, Funmi Lawal’s world changed forever. A sudden stroke left her fighting for her life and facing the possibility that she might never walk or speak again. But against all odds, she relearned how to walk, endured years of dialysis, survived a kidney transplant, and went on to create Klip Knix, an award-winning adaptive underwear brand restoring dignity and independence to women worldwide.
Funmi opens up about the personal challenges that shaped her journey, from losing both her parents within a year to the devastating loss of her beloved son in 2021. Through grief, health battles, and business setbacks, she found the strength to keep going.
In this powerful conversation, she shares how her lived experience became the spark for innovation, the moment she took on Kim Kardashian in a legal battle (and won), and why passion is the fuel that keeps you moving forward.
From ICU to QVC, this is a story of resilience and unstoppable purpose.
Find Funmi and Clip-Knix at www.clip-knix.com and @clipknixuk
Welcome to Lemonade Leaders, the podcast about conversations that do good and feel good. I'm your host, Riannon Palmer, founder of Lem-uhn, A Feel Good PR agency for brands that care. Each episode, I'll be chatting to brilliant people who've turned life's lemons into something meaningful. Today I'm joined by Funmi Lewal, the powerhouse founder and CEO of Clip-Knix an award-winning social enterprise transforming adaptive underwear fund. Funmi's story is extraordinary. After a life-threatening stroke, just days after giving birth, she was told she might never walk or speak again, but she fought back relearning to walk end during kidney dialysis, surviving a transplant, and even taking on Kim Kardashian in an intellectual property battle, all while building a brand designed to give women dignity, independence, and style. This is a story of resilience, innovation, and unstoppable purpose. Hi, Funmi. We thank you so much for joining us.
Funmi Lawal:Thanks for having.
Riannon Palmer:So I have a bit of a background knowledge about your story, but I would love to hear it in your own words of that lemon to lemonade moment.
Funmi Lawal:My story started, in 2002 and, I had a baby and I was discharged at home and seven days later, the eve of the naming ceremony. it was meant to be, a small party. had a stroke. Well, I didn't know it was a stroke until they took me to hospital. lost consciousness from home, when they took me to hospital, they couldn't find a neurosurgeon that could operate. There was a clot in my brain. hemorrhage. meanwhile, I have a 7-day-old baby at home and they didn't give me a chance to survive. 24 hours later, a doctor from the United States. I was walking past and he was meant to return to the states that day and he decided to operate, but he did give a warning that I may not survive it. And if I did, I will be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I would not be able to talk, walk. In fact, I'll be a vegetable. that's what he said. And, I came through. I could recognize everybody as soon as I woke up. I was ICU for three days and they moved me back to St. Thomas'. I was in hospital for six weeks. in those six weeks, men came in on shift, women came in on shift. I lost all the privacy independence. You can't imagine when I first saw myself in the mirror, I could not believe what I was seeing I was in shock because my head was, shaved, because they had to open my, in those days, the 22 years ago they were still opening skulls and getting the clot out. No, they just put a laparoscopy and they melt the clot away. Science is moved on. so I was discharged home. I got home. I was doing rehab, speech therapy, physiotherapy, all the therapies basically. So, when I started getting my independence back, I realized that there must be something out there to help people in the same situation as me. So when I went to the, internet, I could not find anything for the life of me, and I searched and searched. And then that idea came to my mind that wouldn't be nice if someone can just sit down, lift your bone up and wear your underwear. Lying down, which in most cases I do. And, sitting down, lying down or standing up. It just brought my decency back because my dad used to stand at the, bathroom door to make sure that I was okay and my mom was looking after the baby and my eldest son, was in the house so I would go into the bathroom, struggle with my underwear. about 10 minutes to bend down and wear it so that that was stopped in somewhere in my brain. The challenges came, the dialysis and, transplants and all that high blood pressure, it all came at once and, I was able to go through that. Fast forward to 2018, I'd lost both parents within a year, 4 days apart and. I was looking after them basically because they looked after me. because mom couldn't cope with dad's needs, so I had to bring him to leave with us. So I was looking after mom in South London. I was coming back to North London to look after dad. I was speaking the kids up and all that. It was exhausting. I don't even, till now, I dunno how I did it, but I did it. my mom passed, in 2017, and then my dad passed exactly 4 days later on the eve of mom's anniversary. So I didn't have anything to do. I had only, children to take to school. So coincidentally, PPI money came in. they were advertising PPI for the last three years and I didn't think I had any. So, last. weeks. I said, let me just try and see my MBA card. I tried MBA and he came back positive I was frantic. was frantic. I just took all the money and it came in handy. And that seed I had in January, 2020, I just brought it to life. I went to Salisbury. I gave them the description of what I wanted. They came up with a design and that was the story. so the main reason was to help people in the situation like me, and then it is gone on to help other people, pregnant women, people that had surgery. elderly people.
Riannon Palmer:Yeah, I think underwear as well is such a personal thing. So I think it's incredible that you've given people back their independence, especially, you've had all this going on in your life and lots of people would take it as a chance to maybe take a step back from things, but actually you've taken it as inspiration and gone on to make your own brand.
Funmi Lawal:but the brand is not finished yet. we're planning to bring in adaptive period plans, and adaptive incontinence spans. watch out for that in the near future.
Riannon Palmer:amazing. Yeah, I think you create something and then you realize there's a need for lots of other different products that can help people as well.
Funmi Lawal:disabled people have periods. People don't believe that disabled people have periods. They just see the wheelchair and the disability and elderly people. That's why I keep saying to people, period, doesn't discriminate. It doesn't say whether you are disabled or you're not disabled. Disabled people have periods as well.
Riannon Palmer:Yeah. A hundred percent. And do you think it has been different for you being a disabled founder, do you think there's enough opportunities and support.
Funmi Lawal:Yeah. luckily, the Lilac review, is helped a lot, but we're not seeing, the results yet, but it's there. four banks have signed up for, the Lilac Review, the financial. Code of conduct. so we should begin to see the difference, in funding. it's tough for funding. It is tough for women generally in funding. And then for a black woman and a middle aged women and a Muslim, I put on all the minorities.
Riannon Palmer:Yeah, triple Wabe.
Funmi Lawal:It's harder. i've tried everything. Accelerator all the funding companies have approached them. nothing. Is just a general problem, for women in general and black people.
Riannon Palmer:Sadly the people that are investing into the companies don't look like a representation of the country. So if we had more people that had these lived experiences or new people with these lived experiences, they would see that actually this is a product that needs to be designed. If it's people that are able bodied or men, or don't have those lived experiences, they probably see there's no need for this. People can just wear ordinary pants.
Funmi Lawal:You just buy it if there's a need for it, but unfortunately, people can afford it, even 15 pounds. I found that the usual customer is middle class and upper class, lower income people still can't afford it.
Riannon Palmer:Yeah, I mean there should be more support 'cause obviously it can transform someone's life. so you think it should be something that they should be really helping people out with. But unfortunately, as I said, the world isn't built for everyone at the minute. But hopefully, with the lilac review and more impact and research into this area, there might be more support for people of different abilities.
Funmi Lawal:Yeah.
Riannon Palmer:What has been the biggest challenge since starting Clip? Nicks.
Funmi Lawal:Oh, the biggest challenge was, it took a year to finish the design in China. it came in the last shipment out of China before their lockdown. we went into the market and people were coming back with reviews that, when they start for a very long time in the wheelchair, went into their skin.
Riannon Palmer:Oh wow.
Funmi Lawal:is a new brand. I can't afford this. And then the second complaint came, and then the third complaint. So I said, that's it. we're thrown this in landfill. So 20,000 worth of orders into landfill. I cried, I cried. And then, there came a lockdown. And, I was at home and then I was listening to Rishi Sunna he said, there's a thing for, viable businesses. Huh. Wow. It was the sugar at the bottom of my tea. I just grabbed it. I, I had to listen carefully and then read it over again and, oh, I applied and then I changed production from, China to Turkey apparently, they use the wrong reach in China because the, problem with women. don't take us seriously. We don't exert enough pressure, even when we exert enough pressure, they think it's bullying or some, so I tend to go easy. black people are known for being aggressive, so I tend to step down a bit. So they took me, for granted and they used the wrong reach. Because they would think they could get away with it. So, they reached their sense initially. They didn't use that. They used another one. Maybe they ran off of stop. We'll never know. And, that was the problem.
Riannon Palmer:You think the best of people. And how did you stay motivated? Obviously you already had all these hurdles, even starting the brand and then this happened. How did you get that motivation to continue? Because for lots of people, you have a product and it doesn't work. You might think, okay, that's it, but you kept going.
Funmi Lawal:Oh, I kept going because of faith. I had faith in the project. I had passion for the product. I had faith in my own life. And then when he came back, he was encouraging, he was selling. And, QVC bought a lot. So we've run out of stock and I'm referring people to QVC that if you want to get it, you can get it from QVC and I'm sure they're getting more customers as a result. the December before QVC order. I'd written to everybody concerned with the business. I said, no more. I can't be servicing this business because it wasn't bringing enough money. I've not collected a single penny from the business. I was walking and it was going straight into the business. I had no experience of socializing, but luckily, by God, grace, they employed me. And then I became an expert at socializing I said, no more, I've decided that I'm not going through with the business again, but the passion is still there. if you have a passion for something, it keeps you going. And then January, the QVC order came and I said, sorry about the email. Ignore the email. I'm going forward with it now. So that was revival.
Riannon Palmer:how did the partnership come up with QVC?
Funmi Lawal:Oh, it is a long process. we started in January. We didn't actually deliver until May. there's so many processes to go through, and because it is our first time, it will be shorter next time They asked for everything to make sure that they go to the market with the correct. Everything. So they don't have many returns because they know their stuff. They know what they're taking out. We had to pay for testing. They tested the product. They tested everything. for washability. So many tests. And then you have to fill in all those forms.
Riannon Palmer:and such a stamp of approval.
Funmi Lawal:Yeah, it gives you visibility and then you can say, oh, my QVC stocks my product,
Riannon Palmer:and another hurdle you went through is the legal battle with Kim Kardashian's brand.
Funmi Lawal:So was hard. I, I, it was 2nd of May and on the tweet on Twitter, on, LinkedIn, everybody was calling me that, have you seen this? And I said, no. Kim Kardashian is launched a product just like yours. Wow. So I decided to write her. She didn't reply. I wrote schemes. They didn't reply, so I reluctantly got a solicitor to write them and, Eventually they withdrew the product completely from the market. I dunno what they did with the product. I could, I've bought it from them.
Riannon Palmer:That must be really incredible as a small brand to be able to see that you can have that impact. We hear so many stories of the big brands attacking the small brands. It's nice to hear that actually justice prevailed.
Funmi Lawal:you didn't get away with it.
Riannon Palmer:It's nice to hear such a positive story. you've had all of these hurdles, you've had your health hurdles, and then you had the Kim Kardashian hurdle, and then you had, the hurdle with the bad products. So what keeps you going each time and thinking, actually, I'm gonna continue and keep pushing.
Funmi Lawal:when my son died in 2021, I don't think I'll ever get over it, but at that point I saw that there was no points to anything. I wasn't suicidal, but I didn't have reason to leave and everybody kept saying, look at your daughter. Look at your daughter. There's much to leave for. I couldn't because I loved him too much. when you love a child. is way up there because I, I struggled to have him seven years. I had seven miscarriages and then he came, he was premature It just kept ringing in my head for that period. About three, four months. I was out of it. luckily the fulfillment got the orders and they were fulfilling it and everyone's social media got. didn't want to have anything to do with anybody, so I picked myself up and then continued. I just continued with more work. I enrolled for a course. just to put my mind up because if my mind is how I do, I will think about it.
Riannon Palmer:I think you've had so many struggles that have gone on for your life, but actually what you're building and your purpose of your business is helping so many people. So hopefully you can see that actually you are. Changing so many people's lives and giving them back their independence. So all of the struggles you've gone through, hopefully it will show that you are really helping so many people, which is hugely rewarding and all the work that you've been doing is incredible. and what would you, say if there was someone who had maybe had an experience like yours or the challenges and the health concerns, what advice would you give to them if they were in that position that you were in 20 years ago?
Funmi Lawal:it will get better. It has to get better. have faith in yourself. Have faith in the, doctors and nurses that are looking after you. I'm on the group, on Facebook that's called stroke survivors. And people start gradually, and then you see them improve in another six months, they're walking, they're talking. So there's always light at the end of the tunnel. There's no point giving in because it's not a thing that, should be giving into. you're the boss. He's not the boss. if you want to start a business, you want to do everything in your life, you're not limited, just go for it. And, you'll be fine.
Riannon Palmer:Amazing. That's very good advice. I know you said as well, you were also an extra, in your life as well as all the incredible careers you've had. How did that come about?
Funmi Lawal:After my dad died and the business hadn't started, my daughter came home, she's on spotlight. And she said, mom, can you do this? I said, what? And she said, extras on tv. I said, let me try. So I enjoyed it. went back and back and back and I was featured on most swims in, uk. I've got credits on, IMDB,
Riannon Palmer:Ooh.
Funmi Lawal:Consecration and, Whilst Dreaming Black. Batman I played a nun. Would you believe it?
Riannon Palmer:Oh, and how was that experience in comparison to running a business?
Funmi Lawal:It was fun, but it wasn't getting any money enough. Don't do it for the money because the money is every six weeks and you don't get jobs. If you had jobs all every day, that would be fine, but you don't get jobs every day. You get jobs, every six weeks or something. Eight weeks or two months can go without you getting a job. So it's not steady income. It's not income to run the business. If you're starting.
Riannon Palmer:But nice to have your five minutes of fame.
Funmi Lawal:Yes. I keep having my five minutes of fame down in street was high.
Riannon Palmer:Yeah, I saw your picture on, Instagram.
Funmi Lawal:with the Minister for Business,
Riannon Palmer:How did they invite you down to Downing Street?
Funmi Lawal:I was surprised 'cause I didn't think I would get into Downing Street, from my background, I had a beautiful background because I was middle class in Nigeria and then when we got here, shock, we became lower income and Council flats.
Riannon Palmer:I think sometimes it's really nice to have those moments where you get invited to things like that, because actually we're working on our business so much that we forget to take a step back and think of all the work that we've done and all the things that we've built.
Funmi Lawal:that come with it. Yeah. You don't complain about the athletes. Um, you just complain about the money.
Riannon Palmer:Oh, well, it's been so lovely to talk to you today. I think you've had such an incredible journey and you've really shown how all these things that can hit you down and you won't let them hit you down. You'll take them as inspiration and keep going and building your company. That's helping so many people. So it's such a wonderful story to hear.
Funmi Lawal:Thank you so much for having me.
Riannon Palmer:and where can people find you?
Funmi Lawal:social media, all the social media and, I'm on websites, www.clip-knix.com. And, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, WhatsApp.
Riannon Palmer:Everywhere. Thank you so much.
Funmi Lawal:Bye. Thank you for having me.
Riannon Palmer:Thank you Funmi for sharing your story. If you enjoyed today's episode of Lemonade Leaders, please hit follow and like. Until next time, keep making your own lemonade.