Did you know that 75% of beauty products marketed to Black women contain harmful chemicals? 

Clean Beauty for Black Girls founder Hannah McCall shares staggering truths about our favorite skincare, haircare and makeup products, how to switch to non-toxic beauty options without overhauling your entire routine and the legislation that could change the US beauty industry for the better.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The two major toxic chemicals Black women should avoid
• The difference between “organic,” “clean,” and “natural” labels and why none of them are regulated
• A surprising truth about fragrances and parfums hiding in your products
• The best free apps to scan your products and find out what’s really in them
• Why the Safer Beauty Bill is a game changer for Black women’s health and US beauty product regulation

Connect with Hannah McCall
Website → cleanbeautyforblackgirls.org
Instagram → @cleanbeautyforblackgirls

Resources:

• Clearya
• Redify App (Google)
• Redify App (Apple) 
• Environmental Working Group 

📧 Your curated dose of Black culture, brand spotlights & real inspiration. Join the newsletter → kerihenderson.com/newsletter

📲 Stay in the loop:
Instagram → @kerilhenderson | @thekickbackwithkeri
YouTube → @kerilhenderson
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If you’ve recently been laid off, or you’re thinking about leaving corporate, this episode will teach you how to turn your experience into a profitable consulting business.

In this episode, marketing strategist and messaging expert Candice Jackson Long shares how she went from a devastating layoff to building a thriving consulting business, and how you can too.

Whether you're starting from scratch or trying to attract better clients, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build a business rooted in your expertise.

 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to turn your corporate experience into a consulting business that generates income
• The #1 mistake new consultants make when trying to market their services
• Why defining the problem you solve is the key to attracting the right clients
• How to build a visibility strategy that converts (not just grows followers)
• What to focus on first if you're starting a business after a layoff

Connect with Candice Jackson Long
Website → candicejacksonlong.com
LinkedIn → @candicejacksonlong

📧 Your curated dose of Black culture, brand spotlights & real inspiration. Join the newsletter → kerihenderson.com/newsletter

📲 Stay in the loop:
Instagram → @kerilhenderson | @thekickbackwithkeri
YouTube → @kerilhenderson
TikTok @thekickbackwithkeri

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In this episode of The Kickback Briefing, Keri breaks down three major stories shaping business and culture right now; from the ongoing Target boycott to a beloved Black-owned fashion brand pausing production, and the controversial legacy of America’s Next Top Model. Along the way, she shares powerful lessons on brand trust, communication in business, and why staying true to your mission matters when building a brand.

This week we discuss:

• What the Target boycott reveals about brand loyalty and public trust
• Why “all press isn’t good press” in today’s business landscape
• The communication lessons small business owners can learn from Hanifa’s production pause
• The importance of giving grace when supporting small and Black-owned brands
• What the America’s Next Top Model documentary teaches about legacy, virality, and staying true to your purpose

Resources:

CNBC
USA Today
The Cut
BET

📧 Your curated dose of Black culture, brand spotlights & real inspiration. Join the newsletter → kerihenderson.com/newsletter

📲 Stay in the loop:
Instagram → @kerilhenderson | @thekickbackwithkeri
YouTube → @kerilhenderson
TikTok @thekickbackwithkeri

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Anna Cobb almost lost her life to a synthetic energy supplement. That experience made her to rethink what she was consuming and ultimately led to her creating the first okra sparkling water on the market.

In this episode, Anna shares the story behind building O’kra, the wellness beverage brand that went from an idea to being on the shelves at 11 Erewhon luxury grocery stores in California and a nationwide launch in Sprouts in May 2026. We talk about navigating the beverage industry, pivoting until you find product-market fit, and why okra was the best choice to create a beverage brand.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Pivoting without quitting and the importance of isolation before launching
• Why okra has deeps roots in Black history and the benefits often overlooked
• What beverage founders can learn from brands like Poppi and Olipop
• How a viral LinkedIn post helped generate early momentum
• The strategy behind securing retail partnerships and scaling

🚨 Special Offer: Receive $10 off your O’kra purchase: https://loox.io/z/pjgYoi6Cf

Connect with Anna Cobb:
Website → drinkokra.com
Instagram → @drinkokra | @theherbalhottie
TikTok → @drinkokra

📧 Your curated dose of Black culture, brand spotlights & real inspiration. Join the newsletter → kerihenderson.com/newsletter

📲 Stay in the loop:
Instagram → @kerilhenderson | @thekickbackwithkeri
YouTube → @kerilhenderson
TikTok @thekickbackwithkeri

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What do you do when you can’t find a Mother’s Day card for your friends?

For Krystal Henry, founder of Around the Way Parchment, that simple frustration turned into a growing stationery brand built with intention, representation, and community at its core.

Krystal shares how she went from blogging about motherhood to launching a greeting card company, winning nearly $45,000 in grants and pitch competitions, and creating space for Black women entrepreneurs in an industry that often overlooks them.

We talk about funding, grief, community, manufacturing, and the truth about building a product-based business from the ground up.

In this episode, you'll learn

• How Around The Way Parchment fills a gap in the greeting card industry
• Why grants and non-dilutive funding should be on every founder's radar
• The role community, specifically Black women, plays in building a business
• Why all money ain’t good money and the importance of alignment

Connect with Krystal Henry:
Website → aroundthewayparchment.com
Instagram → @atwparchment
TikTok → @atwparchment
Facebook → @atwparchment

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Boyd Cru Wines
• The Well / She's Well Network: Early Entrepreneur Growth Program
• Community College of Baltimore County: Center for Business Innovation and Trade

📧 Your curated dose of Black culture, brand spotlights & real inspiration. Join the newsletter → kerihenderson.com/newsletter

📲 Stay in the loop:
Instagram → @kerilhenderson | @thekickbackwithkeri
YouTube → @kerilhenderson
TikTok @thekickbackwithkeri

🖤 Enjoying the podcast? Leave a tip here.

There comes a point in many of our careers when pushing through no longer feels like strength; it feels like survival.

Nutrition coach, pharmacist, and fitness instructor Melanie Smith shares what it looked like to navigate burnout, workplace microaggressions, and the quiet signs that something wasn’t right. We talk about the emotional toll of staying too long, the clarity that came through therapy, and how she ultimately prepared to walk away and build her business Moves with Melanie.

Listen to the full episode here.

Connect with Melanie Smith:
Website → mymoveswithmelanie.com
Instagram → @moveswithmelanie
TikTok → @moveswithmelanie
YouTube → @moveswithmelanie

📧 Your curated dose of Black culture, brand spotlights & real inspiration. Join the newsletter → kerihenderson.com/newsletter

📲 Stay in the loop:
Instagram → @kerilhenderson | @thekickbackwithkeri
YouTube → @kerilhenderson
TikTok @thekickbackwithkeri

🖤 Enjoying the podcast? Leave a tip here.

Welcome to the first episode of The Kickback Briefing — a new format breaking down the latest wins, challenges, and stories shaping business and culture and the lessons we can learn from them. 

This week we discuss:

• The latest update in the Uncle Nearest $108M loan lawsuit
• Whether the brand could be forced into a sale
• Nike’s MLK “Honor the King” sneaker controversy
• The difference between brand intent vs. cultural impact
• Netflix signing podcast deals and competing with YouTube
• What founders can learn from major platform pivots

Articles for Reference:

• Lexington Herald Leader
• Distillery Trail
• The Spirits Business
• Yahoo Sports
• Time
• Tech Crunch
• Business Insider

📧 Your curated dose of Black culture, brand spotlights & real inspiration. Join the newsletter → kerihenderson.com/newsletter

📲 Stay in the loop:
Instagram → @kerilhenderson | @thekickbackwithkeri
YouTube → @kerilhenderson
TikTok @thekickbackwithkeri

🖤 Enjoying the podcast? Leave a tip here.

What do you do when you feel like you’re being called to go in a different direction? Don’t ignore the whisper. In this hot take, former celebrity makeup artist Brittany Ingram shares the one piece of advice she leaned into when she felt that she was being called to leave her thriving Hollywood career behind for a life as a stay at home mom, military wife and a more purposeful lifestyle in Japan.

Listen to the full episode here.

Connect with Brittany Ingram:
IG  → @brittanyingrambeauty
YouTube  → @brittanyingrambeauty

📧 Your curated dose of Black culture, brand spotlights & real inspiration. Join the newsletter → kerihenderson.com/newsletter

📲 Stay in the loop:
Instagram → @kerilhenderson | @thekickbackwithkeri
YouTube → @kerilhenderson
TikTok @thekickbackwithkeri

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What do you do when a massive opportunity shows up before your business is ready?

In this Hot Take, the founders of Bell’s Reines share why they turned down a request to produce 3 million cookies after one free advertisement and how that decision protected their business. We talk about the reality of scaling too fast, understanding your true capacity, and why infrastructure before income can make or break a food product brand.

You’ll hear practical advice for food entrepreneurs navigating growth, funding, and ownership, plus lessons on saying “not yet” without fear or guilt. This episode is a must-listen for founders building sustainable businesses on their own timeline.

Listen to full episode here. 

Support Bell’s Reines and indulge in their delicious, family-inspired creations:
Website → bellsreines.com
Blog → dulcetscintilla.com
YouTube → Dulcet Scintilla
IG → @bellsreines

📧 Your curated dose of Black culture, brand spotlights & real inspiration. Join the newsletter → kerihenderson.com/newsletter

📲 Stay in the loop:
Instagram → @kerilhenderson | @thekickbackwithkeri
YouTube → @kerilhenderson
TikTok @thekickbackwithkeri

🖤 Enjoying the podcast? Leave a tip here.

Women don’t hold themselves back at work because they lack skill or experience; it’s because they are seeking permission to be themselves.

Wardrobe stylist and image consultant Naana Badu shares the limiting beliefs women of color have when it comes to their style and reminds us that professionalism is not defined by your wardrobe;  it’s defined by your expertise, authority, and presence.

Listen to full episode here. 

Connect with Naana Badu:
Website → https://www.badubasics.com/
LinkedIn → @badubasics

📧 Your curated dose of Black culture, brand spotlights & real inspiration. Join the newsletter → kerihenderson.com/newsletter

📲 Stay in the loop:
Instagram → @kerilhenderson | @thekickbackwithkeri
YouTube → @kerilhenderson
TikTok @thekickbackwithkeri

🖤 Enjoying the podcast? Leave a tip here.