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LOVE AFRICA

In this first episode of Season 3, Sweden-based South African designer, Nkuli Mlangeni-Berg discusses her take on Sustainability, Collaborative Partnerships on and Artisanship. Nkuli is an award-winning designer and Creative Social Entrepreneur, who uses her collaborative platform  The Ninevites, to tell stories about her beloved South Africa, amplify African voices and to reignite interest in the work of weavers and other underappreciated traditional craft makers.

Nkuli grew up in Kagiso, in the west of Johannesburg where she lived with her grandmother and her cousins. This is where she spent most of her time daydreaming and cultivating a love for fashion and the creative industries. She was also subconsciously taking in the influences of her Ndebele and Swati heritage, the echoes of which can be seen in her work. What you also get from the story behind each Ninevites rug or throw cushion is Nkuli's love for archives and deep research into South African and other African history.

She deeply believes in creativity for social good and in this conversation we discuss slow design, sustainability and being conscious about how we consume goods. You are going to love her personal story.

Mentions and Links :

Nkuli was recently part of a new international design event,  South Sweden Design Days, where she brought together her fellow South African designers to exhibit their work. In this interview she discusses her approach to creative entrepreneurship and preserving traditional crafts.

Thomas Sankara
Robert Sobukwe
Miriam Makeba
Winnie Madikizela Mandela

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Hey, welcome back! Shades and Layers is ready with a third season! But before we get started, I just wanted to thank all of you for your support during the past crazy year and your contribution to the ongoing conversation about black women entrepreneurs working in spaces where they are still largely excluded.

 If you are new to the podcast, welcome! Please feel free to explore past episodes and get some inspiration from the many amazing black women who are claiming their space in ways that are as unique as each one of them. 

 I’m Kutloano Skosana Ricci, your host, and for the remainder of 2021, we will be exploring Creative Entrepreneurship. 

The interviewees in this season contribute their own unique aesthetic to their chosen area of design, ranging from graphic design to jewelry design, to interior décor. There is a wide range of topics in each conversation, and you will hear how these women find creative solutions to business issues like sustainable production, which resources they tap into to make professional progress, how to create partnerships and successful collaborations, finding your space in places where you are not welcome, self-care, balanced living and much more.

 Shades and Layers Season 3 episodes will be available on your favorite podcast app, every fortnight, starting on Tuesday the 5th of October. 

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RISE TO THE OCCASION

Today we are talking passion, profit and impact with the founder of Helen Rose Skincare, Day Bibb (@yoga.and.nectarines) 

 Day is based in the Pacific Northwest city of Portland in Oregon, where she not only has a store, but also runs a non-profit for survivors of domestic violence called OM Thrive Foundation.

 There are multiple reasons why Day started her natural skincare company, including a mission to resolve her daughter's sever eczema , a Covid-related shove into entrepreneurship, as well as a need for a steady source of funds to keep OM Thrive going. 

 This conversation veers into discussions about creating your own alternatives, advocacy, injustice as a driver for change, balance and self-love.

 Day’s story is the perfect guide to moving from idea to implementation, realizing your true worth and rising to the occasion. 

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My guest today is Taryn Gill, South African entrepreneur and founder of haircare brands such as The Perfect Hair, Curls in Bloom, and the trademarks SuperCurl and Soft Sista. 

Taryn’s story is a true masterclass on how to manage your career, spot opportunities and using your experiences for business success. She has worked for some of the greatest names in SA publishing and media. She’s an alumna of the business reality show, Shark Tank, and the high priestess of a community built around her first brand, The Perfect Hair. 

We caught up at a time when South Africa was starting to reckon with the riots that shook the country after  former president Jacob Zuma was arrested (story linked below in the mentions). The country was also in the middle of yet another hard Covid lockdown. 

Mind you, while all of this was going on, she was also in the middle of finalizing a partnership with a local distributor and hosting Taryn’s Table Talk, a series of important conversations about natural hair under the auspices of her own brand, @curlsbytaryn

Mentioned In this Episode

South African Riots
Sowetan
Township Economics
Justice Malala
Dawn Robertson
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Jane Raphaely

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UNSUN YOUR MELANIN

This bonus episodes of Shades and Layers focuses on something that a lot of darker-skinned people barely think about: sunscreen. To many, this is something that is only of concern to the light-skinned and of course this is reinforced by the white residue that is left behind by a lot of sunscreen, leaving you with a ghostly/zombified look.

Enter Katonya Breaux and her solution: Unsun Comsmetics. They make natural and clean, tinted sunscreen products for all skin tones. For Katonya (CEO and founder of the company), this is both a personal 'victory' and a service to those, especially to women of colour, who want a natural sunscreen that does not irritate your skin and eyes like many of the chemical ones do. 

This conversation is so much fun, it's educational and  you will walk away inspired to do something. Katonya has founded two successful companies in two unrelated industries and her background has been key to how she approaches her projects and passions. She makes it sound so simple, almost natural, while acknowledging the challenges that come with learning about and running a growing business in an industry she previously knew nothing about. Most importantly she is claiming her space and diversifying  a space where women of colour are still not the default.

I hope you'll enjoy this chat. 

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SEASON FINALE - Season 2, Episode 10

Happy Birthday Shades and Layers!

Yes, it all began one year ago in June of 2020, while the world was deep in the throes of wrestling with how to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is fitting that this final episode of Season 2 (On Wellness/Well-being) brings the podcast full circle to where it all began: the beauty industry.

Mathebe Modise, Founder of BeautyontApp, is my guest on this episode. Her e-commerce company has been growing in leaps and bound during the last while, thanks to a convergence of various factors, including South Africans being more comfortable with online shopping, the recent Clicks scandal and the obsession with skincare that goes hand in hand with living under on-and-off lockdowns of the Covid-era.

Skincare has become something of a go-to ritual for self-care and wellness enthusiasts, bolstered by the launch of a countless number of celebrity skincare brands, from Alicia Keys to Pharell Williams. In South Africa, there is one main stop for all your shopping needs in this category and today's conversation is all about the company and its founder.

This conversation is very inspirational and I hope you'll enjoy Mathebe's bubbly personality, her take on how to balance a busy life, her sheer determination to succeed and her belief that it is possible to create a successful company made for black women, by a black woman.  

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We continue profiling the entrepreneurs and game changers who are changing and adding to the diversity of the wellness space and today it’s the story of life and relationship coach, Rosemary Mupambwa. Her company Rose's Life Coaching offers retreats and 1;1 coach for her clients. 

 When the Zimbabwean-born Rosemary lost her husband in the year 2000, and soon after that her parents and not long after, her siblings, she felt as though her world was ending. 

 Being the resilient person that she is, she somehow found the courage to leave her three small kids behind and seek her fortune and healing in the Americas. She has now found a home in Calgary Canada. This is where she runs her Life and Relationship Coaching business and celebrates many great successes and family milestones that you will hear about during our conversation. 

 Rosemary Mupambwa has written a book called Exhume or Heal: A Widow’s Memoir, which is both the story of her journey to healing and a toolkit for other women who are struggling to cope with their life challenges, including divorce, widowhood and other life changing events. 

 Our conversation explores some of the tools she uses in her practice, the most difficult cases she has dealt with and her no-nonsense approach to getting clients to do the work that they want to do. 

 As you will find out, it’s not all serious talk, Rosemary is a great storyteller, and she has a wicked sense of humor. First up, let’s find out how she views the work that she does … 

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EPISODE 8 OF SEASON 2

If like me, lo-fi beats have given you the peace of mind you need while working during this pandemic, then you already know something about mindful hip-hop.

And that is the topic of my conversation with Brooklyn-based hip-hop artist, Toni Blackman., who is an advocate of mindful hip-hop.

Our conversation is a journey that takes us to the start of her career in the 90s as a recording artist, through the years while using her platform for education and healing.

Toni has also been wearing many hats throughout the years; from consulting/facilitating workshops for corporates, co-creating work with  A-list celebrities and using hip-hop cyphers as a tool for healing and education in her immediate community of Brooklyn, and other parts of the world.

She was one of the first  US global hip-hop ambassador selected by the State Department, and continues this work through her artist residencies throughout the world. So far, she has taken her various hip-hop projects to 47 countries and worked with a countless number of artists in Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.

Toni's work and commitment to hip-hop has now led her to mindfulness and meditation, where she creates safe spaces for healing on various platforms including a  YouTube Channel, a podcast and a theatrical performance called 'Let The Cypher Say Amen'.

This is an awesome conversation about dedication, commitment and above all, well-being.

LINKS TO TONI'S OTHER WORK

How To Freestyle: https://youtu.be/SJWqZcewxsU
The Wisdom of the Cypher: https://youtu.be/8W4yro7ESWU
MORE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/user/ToniB104

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THE ULTIMATE DINING EXPERIENCE

This is Episode 7 of Season 2 of Shades and Layers.

This story is inspiring because it's about believing in yourself and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who support your dreams.

Rebecca Morgan, better known as Chef Bella B, She quit her restaurant job eight years ago, fashioned herself as a private chef and never looked back.

She tried a few things in her new profession as private chef and found that she truly shines when she's the host, and so she chose the tag line "The Ultimate Dining Experience". Chef Bella has also quickly earned herself a good name as the Airbnb chef, serving travelers visiting her current home city, Denver in Colorado, USA. 

Rebecca believes in food as medicine, the power of growing your own food and knowing exactly what it is you are putting into your body, whether you choose to continue eating meat or changing to a plant-based diet. 

In this conversation, she is so very open and generous in telling her story. And she has a fantastic sense of humor. You will definitely love this chat. 

Connect with me on Instagram @shadesandlayerspodcast and let me know what you think. 

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From wanting to save money on groceries to creating a whole business that changes not only her own life, but has an impact far beyond her immediate circle, Nonkululeko Britton-Masekela is an inspiration.

Speaking to her, it is evident that Kula is a soulful pursuit. Nonkululeko speaks of it as a gift to others. This is her contribution to her community and beyond. 

Our conversation centers around the importance of growing your own food. It will leave you with insights and thoughts on food security, food justice and the unresolved issue of land ownership, particularly in South Africa. 

What is also interesting about Nonkululeko's story are the many facets that feed into her entrepreneurial journey: being a full-time corporate employee,  a business school graduate with a journalism backgorund, a mother and a farmer. 

Her company Kula (@kulaorganicproduce) offers not only fresh produce, but garden services and other products that serve to feed and heal through organic herbs and plants. 

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