Shades & Layers

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It is not possible to speak Wellness, Well-being and Black women and not talk about African spirituality. Today, my guest and sangoma Nokulinda Mkhize Horwood discusses her profession, her own practice, her observations of changing attitudes towards sangomas over the past 13 year's since her initiation and some of the challenges she still faces in her work.

Nokulinda is known as @noksangoma on social media and she's also well-known for her often sold-out talks, Gogo Speaks. Judging by the popularity of these talks, not only is she providing a much needed service, but she is part of the zeitgeist of the de-colonial movement of young South Africans. Her presence and visibility are both  liberating and deeply necessary for her peers.

Our discussion covers everything, from the role of family in spiritual well-being, alienation and anxiety in the city, capitalism-induced spiritual crises in South African urbanites,  Covid-19, Nokulinda's own well-being and how it's changed her approach to life in general and her practice as a sangoma.

It might all sound serious, but it's a fun conversation and we do get super silly at the end of the conversation. You will love it!

You can find Nokulinda's book, Ancestory here.


GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Indumba - A sangoma’s healing room, traditionally a hut. It is nonetheless a sacred space.

Amatwasa - Initiates training to become sangomas

Ukufemba - a healing process designed to trap and remove negative energies and/or evil spirits

uMgidi - celebratory ceremony

Amasiko - cultural ustoms

Ubuntu - I am because we are

Ubungoma - a spiritual calling

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We are revisiting an episode published during Season 4., for two reasons: first it is relevant now because we are talking about mission driven entrepreneurship and second, the healthcare statistics concerning black women in general are alarming: from maternal mortality rates, to chronic disease diagnoses to lack of empathy from caregivers.  This episode deals with the fact that even women of color in the healthcare space are not immune to these outcomes.

My guest is Dr. Omolara Uwemodimo, who is the CEO and founder of Melanin and Medicine, where she helps women of color to fund and scale their organizations to bring health justice to communities in need. She is a board-certified pediatrician, public health researcher, professor and activist. She is also co-founder and CEO of Strong Children Wellness, a multi-practice healthcare network that works with community organizations to bring services to historically marginalized youth and families. 

Dr. Omolara spent much of her career as a global pediatrician in low-income countries. She became a social entrepreneur after suffering burnout and being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Soon after her diagnosis, she discovered that she was not an exception, that many women of color in the healthcare profession need strategies and systems to help them stay healthy while navigating high pressure and often toxic work environments. Melanin and Medicine also recognizes that there are stumbling blocks for these women trying to bringing health justice to these underserved communities and they help founders to fund, scale and grow their mission driven organizations. 

So whether you missed it the first time around or you are new to Shades and Layers, I hope you find inspiration to pursue your mission driven enterprise in Dr. Omolara Uwemodimo’s story …

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My guest today is Brooke Daniels (@thebrookedaniels) who is the founder and CEO of Daniels and Co and a Go To Market Expert. Brooke has founded several companies herself and is passionate about helping other entrepreneurs to take their ideas and turn them into great businesses. She has designed a programme called Ready, Aim Launch, which is a system that is designed to help you get out of your way and achieve your business goals. Brooke has worked in startups and corporate and in a broad range of sectors including tech, food and finance. So she has a lot of experience to share with her clients. 

This Shades and Layers season is about Purspose Driven entrepreneurs, and Brooke believes she is fulfilling her purpose through her work and explains how she has found alignment in all aspects of her life.  In our conversation, we talk about what it takes to become an entrepreneur, how meditation shifted her perspective on her own business journey, how she advises her clients to think about funding and being an investor herself, what she looks for in a startup. 

As usual, this is a conversation that covers many aspects beyond business and I hope you will view your own journey through a new and different lens…

LINKS AND MENTIONS

Listen to Ame Sanders interviewing Magalie Yacinthe on the State of Inclusion Podcast
Learn more about  the Deepak Chopra meditation course
Learn More about the Cap Table Coalition 

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This week we’re talking about ageing gracefully with Carine Camara, solopreneur and founder of the lifestyle brand Carrinna. Carine believes society should do better in supporting women make a transition in to middle age and beyond. Her brand aims to fill this gap by portraying middle age as something to be celebrated and not fixed. 

 In her day-to-day Carine is a California-based acupuncturist who aims to bring beauty and wellness into the lives of those she touches. She started her solopreneur journey 12 years ago where phrases like holistic healing were not even appearing at the edges of mainstream conversation.

In our conversation today, we reflect on the shift in tone and attitude towards alternative medicine and healing modes. We also talk about the practical side of her business, from client acquisition to mindset and productivity hacks; as well as building a support structure that allows her business to function. And of course we address how Carrinna supports women in their quest to age gracefully.

 One other thing that I have to mention is that Carine feels a strong affinity with South Africa and strong believes that she was South African in her past life. And as a South African, I am totally down with that. Please enjoy my conversation with Carine Camara and let me know what you think in our Instagram DM's - @shadesandlayerspodcast 

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My guest today is Ifeoma Dike, Founder and Director at the UK-based art agency IDDUK. She founded Idioblast Dynamic Development with a mission to take art beyond galleries and museums and make it more accessible to everyone: artists, collectors and the public alike. 

 Before embarking on this road, Ifeoma was a psychologist who had a passion for art, hosting events, traveling the world and connecting people. Her experiences as an art enthusiast and  consumer left her with many questions about representation, expanding tastes and the accessibility of the market for working artists. It didn’t take long for her to see that there is a gap that needs filling and so, she launched her agency with an exhibition for a corporate client and never looked back. 

 In the ten years that she’s been doing her work at IDD UK, Ifeoma has: 

- Seamlessly incorporated her love for travel into her business operations
- Helped artists to create different revenue streams for their work, and 
- Landed some coveted works for some of her collectors. 

She also introduced unconventional ways of exhibiting and selling works, like creating blind portfolios for collectors. We go into details about how and why that strategy has worked for her so far. We also find out how these choices have informed her business decisions, from how she’s structured to the types of projects she can get involved in. 

 
Born in Benin, of Nigeria descent and educated (and sometimes living) in the UK,  enjoy this story of a nomadic art rebel and activist, Ifeoma Dike


LINKS

Artsy – marketplace www.artsy.net

IDDUK on Insta - https://www.instagram.com/idduk/ 

IDDUK on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ifeoma-d-2b360251/ 

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 Casey Ariel Richardson is the founder of Blaze Group LLC, a digital platform that gives black women entrepreneurs access to capital, knowledge and mentorship. They are also the owners of the webby award-winning bi-annual Blaze Virtual Summit, which brings together thousands of businesswomen from across the world for five days of keynotes, workshops, education, sharing, music and networking. 

 Now, it goes without saying that the Covid-19 pandemic was simultaneously a curse and a blessing. So much lost and so much gained in what was virtually a lifetime compressed into two years. Casey’s story highlights these facts about the year 2020 and we go into the details of what led up to her saying goodbye to her high-paying finance career, to launch her Work From Anywhere career in Africa during the pandemic.

This is another great interview with a mission driven founder and you will love it! Casey really brought a lot of energy and wisdom to the table. She is also vulnerable, not in a shallow way where you’ll feel like sis you’re oversharing, but in a real way, truly baring her soul. You’ll be left feeling that she is a true leader who’s going places. You will also feel empowered to navigate your personal and professional situations with strength and passion.

LINKS AND MENTIONS

Blaze Group LLC - https://www.blazegroupllc.com/
Virtual Summit (1-5 December 2022) - https://blazevirtualsummit.com/
Casey’s Memoir - Pain Unseen: The Truths That Lie Beneath My Strength
AWARD - Webby Awards 2021 

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One of the most influential movements in the beauty industry is the natural hair care movement. However, living with curly hair is still a challenge across the spectrum. My guest today, Stephanie LaFlora, who is the co-founder of a digital marketplace for hair called Crownhunt, is determined to change that. 

 She came up with the idea of a Netflix for hair, as she calls it, after a futile search for a stylist who could care for her natural coils. Stephanie was routinely turned away from hair salons and when she discovered that the problem was a gap in the cosmetology education, the solution became very clear and she set out to address this obvious need in the beauty industry.  

 Armed with a background in data-driven product development, a conviction that living with curly hair should not be as difficult as it sometimes can be and the spirit of a troublemaker, Stephanie quit her full-time job, partnered with a long-time friend and colleague, knuckled down and got to work. 

 So far, she has led Crownhunt through a round of seed funding and now they are in another phase of raising money, through a crowdfunding campaign. We get into some of the details about this process during the interview.  We also talk about betting on yourself, creating an inclusive business culture and Stephanie also shares some advice for anyone starting out with a new business idea.

LINKS AND MENTIONS

Crownhunt Pitch: https://youtu.be/y0ktS9SUTbs 
MVP - Minimum Viable Product

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So, we know that most business ideas start out with a founder who is trying to solve a problem. For today’s founder, Gwendolyn Ntsiki Bereng, it all started when she took her child to a multiracial pre-school in South Africa. 

 In 2019 she left her corporate job to launch the Johannesburg-based pre-school, Appletree Montessori where she is the Directress and leader of this institution for early childhood development. She also trains private groups of new parents in alternative ways to educate their little ones and collaborates with non-profits in the agricultural sector to educate children who are raising their own siblings. Ntsiki wants to do more than impact the children she looks after, she wants to have a positive impact in the communities where she works.

 There are many layers of complexity in this week’s conversation and I hope you walk away with some thoughts and reflection on what it takes to solve a big problem.  And also some inspiration to tackle that issue that still keeps you awake at night.


LINKS AND MENTIONS

Motseng - Setswana word for village 
ECD - Early Childhood Development 
SETA -  Sector Education and Training Authority - South African vocational skills training authority

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Today we are talking small businesses and how their founders could benefit from coaching. Our guide is Master Your Mindset Coach, Ryane LeCesne who also considers herself a healer. Ryane came across the coaching profession while looking for her next career move and went on to launch Inspire Brand Consulting seven years ago. Since launching this work-from-anywhere business, she has coached nearly one thousand high-achieving, mostly black women, to get to their next level in career and life. She helps her clients to work past Imposter Syndrome, Perfectionism, and other self-limiting beliefs.

 Our conversation covers her own personal transformation from an employee who was playing by the rules until she got stuck, to a boss who takes big bold actions while managing her fears. As you will learn, Ryane has a holistic approach to her practice. She is a strong believer in systems and says they can help when trying to build up your 3C’s, which are clarity, confidence and courage. 

 She herself uses a coach and we discuss how this individual has been helpful to her more recently as she tries to combine growing her business with being a new mother. She will also share how she incorporates the metaphysical into her practice to help her clients to internalise a winning mindset. 

 So if you’re looking to make big bold moves in your life or career, I recommend that you stick around so that you can also find out if you need a coach right now and how to select one that’s right for you.

LINKS

Michael Gerber - Non-fiction writer and author of 'The E-Myth' series - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQTTbHVU_sg

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Our first guest of the season is Nigerian-born, UK-raised and USA-based entrepreneur, Funlayo Alabi. She is the CEO and Co-founder of Shea Radiance, a Vegan all-natural body and hair care brand. Her entrepreneurial journey so far, is a brilliant account of resilience, courage, paying attention to the details of your life and what I believe to be a demonstration of feminism in real life. 

 After many years of writing code for an insurance company, Funlayo had a moment of personal reckoning that pushed her into her entrepreneurial journey. It started out as trying to find a solution to a family’s dry skin challenge, it quickly transformed into a kitchen factory serving a local farmer’s market. Today, Shea Radiance is a recognizable brand that is available online and sits on some prestigious store shelves throughout the USA.  

 Funlayo says the company has social impact at its heart. They work directly with woman-owned cooperatives in West Africa. This ensures trade-driven economic access for these shea butter producer partners and secures the company’s supply chain. She also adds that they are committed to a global community and in this spirit of community, everything they do is rooted in creating a positive and enduring impact - for their customers, women suppliers, and our planet.

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