A quick update from host, Kutloano Skosana Ricci.  Have a happy summer 😎 LINKS Visit the podcast website: https://shadesandlayers.com Pitch your story to be a guest, subscribe to the companion newsletter and browse the back catalog of episodes.  Follow the podcast on Instagram <a href='https://instagram.com/shadesandlayerspodcast'>@shadesandlayerspodcast </a> If you haven't already, please consider subscribing to Shades and Layers on your favorite listening app. Also if you enjoy the show, it would also be great if you could help others to find us by leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. <a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1014520/support">Support the show</a>JOIN THE SQUAD, Stay in the loop and subscribe to our <a href='https://shadesandlayers.beehiiv.com'>newsletter</a>

A quick update from host, Kutloano Skosana Ricci. Have a happy summer 😎 LINKS Visit the podcast website: https://shadesandlayers.com Pitch your story to be a guest, subscribe to the companion newsletter and browse the back catalog of episodes. Follow the podcast on Instagram @shadesandlayerspodcast If you haven't already, please consider subscribing to Shades and Layers on your favorite listening app. Also if you enjoy the show, it would also be great if you could help others to find us by leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Support the showJOIN THE SQUAD, Stay in the loop and subscribe to our newsletter

A quick update from host, Kutloano Skosana Ricci.&nbsp; Have a happy summer 😎 LINKS Visit the podcast website: https://shadesandlayers.com Pitch your story to be a guest, subscribe to the companion newsletter and browse the back catalog of episodes.&nbsp; Follow the podcast on Instagram <a href="https://instagram.com/shadesandlayerspodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">@shadesandlayerspodcast </a> If you haven't already, please consider subscribing to Shades and Layers on your favorite listening app. Also if you enjoy the show, it would also be great if you could help others to find us by leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. <a href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1014520/support" rel="noopener noreferrer">Support the show</a>JOIN THE SQUAD, Stay in the loop and subscribe to our <a href="https://shadesandlayers.beehiiv.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">newsletter</a>

BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT

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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