<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1014520/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a>This is the first episode of Shades & Layers, a podcast that celebrates the stories and lives of black women. The first season is all about black-owned indie beauty brands and the entrepreneurs within this space. Today you can enjoy a candid conversation on starting your own business, with Copenhagen-based make-up artist Barbara Mensah and host Kutloano Skosana Ricci.  In this profile interview, the two women discuss various aspects of entrepreneurship including flexibility, support structures, staying motivated and balancing all of life's aspects while staying focused. You can learn more about Barbara and her services on <a href='https://www.barbaramensah.dk/'>https://www.barbaramensah.dk/</a> or follow her column on the expat publication The International:<a href='https://www.the-intl.com/'> http://www.the-intl.com/</a> <a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1014520/support">Support the show</a>NEWSLETTER, stay in the loop and subscribe to our <a href='https://shadesandlayers.beehiiv.com'>newsletter</a> SUPPORT this work so that we can keep it free. Become a <a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/1014520/support'>MONTHLY SUPPORTER</a> LISTEN ON  <a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shades-layers/id1529101238'>Apple</a> and <a href='https://open.spotify.com/show/6niwZWqh53sBgiSuRx3299?si=c72c728ff2b64163'>Spotify</a> FOLLOW US ON <a href='https://www.instagram.com/shadesandlayerspodcast/'>Instagram</a> and <a href='https://www.facebook.com/shandesandlayerspodcast/'>Facebook</a>

Send us Fan Mail This is the first episode of Shades & Layers, a podcast that celebrates the stories and lives of black women. The first season is all about black-owned indie beauty brands and the entrepreneurs within this space. Today you can enjoy a candid conversation on starting your own business, with Copenhagen-based make-up artist Barbara Mensah and host Kutloano Skosana Ricci. In this profile interview, the two women discuss various aspects of entrepreneurship including flexibility, support structures, staying motivated and balancing all of life's aspects while staying focused. You can learn more about Barbara and her services on https://www.barbaramensah.dk/ or follow her column on the expat publication The International: http://www.the-intl.com/ Support the show NEWSLETTER, stay in the loop and subscribe to our newsletter SUPPORT this work so that we can keep it free. Become a MONTHLY SUPPORTER LISTEN ON Apple and Spotify FOLLOW US ON Instagram and Facebook

<a href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1014520/fan_mail/new" rel="noopener noreferrer">Send us Fan Mail</a>This is the first episode of Shades &amp; Layers, a podcast that celebrates the stories and lives of black women. The first season is all about black-owned indie beauty brands and the entrepreneurs within this space. Today you can enjoy a candid conversation on starting your own business, with Copenhagen-based make-up artist Barbara Mensah and host Kutloano Skosana Ricci.&nbsp; In this profile interview, the two women discuss various aspects of entrepreneurship including flexibility, support structures, staying motivated and balancing all of life's aspects while staying focused. You can learn more about Barbara and her services on <a href="https://www.barbaramensah.dk/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.barbaramensah.dk/</a> or follow her column on the expat publication The International:<a href="https://www.the-intl.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"> http://www.the-intl.com/</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1014520/support" rel="noopener noreferrer">Support the show</a>NEWSLETTER, stay in the loop and subscribe to our <a href="https://shadesandlayers.beehiiv.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">newsletter</a> SUPPORT this work so that we can keep it free. Become a <a href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1014520/support" rel="noopener noreferrer">MONTHLY SUPPORTER</a> LISTEN ON&nbsp; <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shades-layers/id1529101238" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6niwZWqh53sBgiSuRx3299?si=c72c728ff2b64163" rel="noopener noreferrer">Spotify</a> FOLLOW US ON <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shadesandlayerspodcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shandesandlayerspodcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>

Barbara Mensah Profile (S1,E1)

Shades and Layers is a storytelling platform celebrating Black women and women of colour who are building something of their own — on the African continent and across the diaspora. The podcast launched in 2020 and is now more than 100 episodes strong. In 2025, the show was nominated for Best Long-Time Podcast at the Black Podcasting Awards. In each conversation, host Kutloano Skosana sits down with founders to explore business ownership, representation, and what sustainability and success really mean in a complex, interconnected world. The conversations are wide-ranging — part masterclass in entrepreneurship, part wisdom for living well — and always a space for women to be fully human: to share the quirks, the doubts, and the vulnerabilities behind the highlight reel.&nbsp; These days, Shades and Layers is two things woven together. Alongside the podcast, Kutloano — now exploring a new chapter of her own in Italy — sends Life Notes: honest monthly letters on identity, motherhood, reinvention, and the business of building a life.&nbsp; Shades and Layers’ founding philosophy is: a story well told can change your life, you don't need big accolades&nbsp; for your entrepreneurial journey to matter. The guests span beauty, fashion, and wellness, North and South: Dr. Theo Mothoa-Frendo on building a science-based African skincare range with USO; Taryn Gill of The Perfect Hair on supply chains and brand-building; Katonya Breux of Unsun Cosmetics on melanin and sunscreen for every skin tone; Abiola Akanni of IYA Well on non-performance in yoga; and designers like the late Maria McCloy of her eponymous fashion label, Nkuli Mlangeni-Berg of The Ninevites, and Candace Lawrence of Modern Gesture, championing handmade, custom, and circular production. Whether you're here to listen, to read, or to build something of your own — welcome to the circle.

Society & Culture

Business

Entrepreneurship

Arts

Fashion & Beauty

Personal Journals

Shades and Layers is a storytelling platform celebrating Black women and women of colour who are building something of their own — on the African continent and across the diaspora. The podcast launched in 2020 and is now more than 100 episodes strong. In 2025, the show was nominated for Best Long-Time Podcast at the Black Podcasting Awards. In each conversation, host Kutloano Skosana sits down with founders to explore business ownership, representation, and what sustainability and success really mean in a complex, interconnected world. The conversations are wide-ranging — part masterclass in entrepreneurship, part wisdom for living well — and always a space for women to be fully human: to share the quirks, the doubts, and the vulnerabilities behind the highlight reel.  These days, Shades and Layers is two things woven together. Alongside the podcast, Kutloano — now exploring a new chapter of her own in Italy — sends Life Notes: honest monthly letters on identity, motherhood, reinvention, and the business of building a life.  Shades and Layers’ founding philosophy is: a story well told can change your life, you don't need big accolades  for your entrepreneurial journey to matter. The guests span beauty, fashion, and wellness, North and South: Dr. Theo Mothoa-Frendo on building a science-based African skincare range with USO; Taryn Gill of The Perfect Hair on supply chains and brand-building; Katonya Breux of Unsun Cosmetics on melanin and sunscreen for every skin tone; Abiola Akanni of IYA Well on non-performance in yoga; and designers like the late Maria McCloy of her eponymous fashion label, Nkuli Mlangeni-Berg of The Ninevites, and Candace Lawrence of Modern Gesture, championing handmade, custom, and circular production. Whether you're here to listen, to read, or to build something of your own — welcome to the circle.

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Barbara Mensah Profile (S1,E1)

Barbara Mensah Profile (S1,E1)

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