Shades & Layers

Send us Fan Mail Embark on an inspiring journey with the remarkable Kirstie Fleur, a Ghanaian-American beacon of creativity and advocacy. Our conversation explores her multi-disciplinary artistry that finds expression in all her life's pursuits, from her brave transition from the American Air Force to fashion's forefront, to her passionate embodiment of social entrepreneurship with her b...

Send us Fan Mail Unlock the secrets of securing investment and mastering entrepreneurship with our esteemed guest, Jennifer Dyer. As a five-time CEO and seasoned mentor, Jennifer brings a treasure trove of insights from her experience in raising over $13 million, particularly for women and minority entrepreneurs. This episode is a candid exploration into the world of alternative funding, where we...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Margaret Towolawi is a physician whose canvas stretches from her medical clinic to the entrepreneurial landscape of wellness and skincare. Her story is an inspiring tale of transition, as she harmonizes the six pillars of lifestyle medicine with heartfelt entrepreneurship. In our conversation, we discuss the nurturing environment of her Nurture Well Center, the innovative skin...

Send us Fan Mail We've come to the end of Season 7 and we end it with a special episode featuring the creation of the first inclusive swimming cap. Swimma Caps is founded with inclusion at heart. They are more than a product company, they are a catalyst for change. Since inception, the Swimma team have been challenging hair discrimination in many areas including South African schools and maki...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s episode is about overcoming fear of uncertainty, getting out of your comfort zone and pivoting with purpose.  My guest on Shades and Layers is Stefanie Julia Moton, a business coach for online fitness coaches who shares how she transitioned from a career in federal law enforcement to becoming the founder of Catch Flights and Fitness and Profitable Passion and Purpose (P3)....

Send us Fan Mail THE BLACK MERMAID Zandile Ndhlovu is the founder of The Black Mermaid Foundation , an organization dedicated to changing mindsets and bringing people (particularly for Black and Brown people) closer to the ocean. She is South Africa’s first Black free-diving instructor and through this work, Zandi is providing equitable access to nature and showing that our beliefs about the ocean...

Send us Fan Mail Elevate your style and gain cutting-edge insights into the fashion-tech industry with our special guest, Evelina Kauna Nailenge , the trailblazing co-founder of The Closet Runway. This Cape Town-based luxury fashion rental company seamlessly blends affordability, sustainability, and luxury, serving as a beacon for circular fashion. As we journey through Evelina's entrepreneur...

Send us Fan Mail Ever felt trapped in the corporate hamster wheel, yearning for something more meaningful? Alison Hall, founder of Change Agent Coaching for Women and co-founder of the Boldest Me, certainly did and she joins me in this episode to share her remarkable journey. It's not every day that you meet a corporate veteran turned personal trainer, real estate investor, and certified divo...

Send us Fan Mail Today, we are excited to bring you a candid conversation with the unstoppable force that is Shalita Grant - a Tony Award-nominated actress, an NCIS New Orleans alumna, and the mastermind behind the disruptive haircare brand, Four Naturals Hair. Have you ever wondered about the hair journey of black actresses, the hurdles they face, and the lack of specialized hair care options for...

Send us Fan Mail It’s impossible not to be inspired by Taryn Gill, the go-getter behind the phenomenal haircare brand The Perfect Hair. Her insights and experiences are an education in and of themselves. From her journey in scaling her brand through strategic partnerships, to her lessons on the power of letting go for brand expansion, Taryn candidly shares how her entrepreneurial journey has evolv...

Send us Fan Mail Kenyan-born entrepreneur Vava Angwenyi is a specialty coffee exporter, producer and roaster. She founded Vava Coffee Inc , which is B-Corp Certified entity and later co-founded Gente Del Futuro with a Tanzania-based Colombian partner, with the mission of having a meaningful impact on the monopolized coffee trade in East Africa. This episode takes us deep into the rich tapestry of...

Send us Fan Mail We're back for a new season! Are you ready to start the conversation with some insights on how we think about and how we speak more openly about menstrual health? Leading the charge shift attitudes in South Africa is Zizipho Ntobongwana, the dynamic founder of Sheba Feminine . Our conversation sheds light on the importance of organic and biodegradable products and we discuss...

Send us Fan Mail Today my guest is Keziah Dhamma , founder and CEO of Swirly Curly Hair , a luxury natural hair care and education company.  So, what started out as a company making snap-on hair ties (Snapees) for curly and kinky haired folks, has evolved into a fully-fledged product company with an education platform to support individuals on their natural hair journey.   With more than 10 thousa...

Send us Fan Mail Personal care conversations/discussions for black and brown people are still largely dominated by hair care, but now we see more and more conversations about skin care concerns that are specific to people of color.  Today we are focusing on a black-owned skincare brand that uses science-based solutions to address the needs specific to people of color and encourages us to Love Your...

Send us Fan Mail There is so much available out there  in the personal development space and if you are not careful, you will be taking a new course and following a new guru or coach every week. And so, this week, you will get a glimpse into what makes a good personal development curriculum from my guest, Naketa Thigpen, Founder and CEO of Thigpro Balance & Relationship Management Institute.  ...

Send us Fan Mail The idea to create Black Beauty Collective was planted 10 years ago and quickly became a project that was dear to founder and CEO, Leslie Roberson’s heart. The growing ownership and access disparities within the beauty industry posed a deep concern for her. For example, despite spending 9 times more than any other beauty product consumers, black ownership in the space only account...

Send us Fan Mail Today we conclude our fashion conversations by visiting, Changing Narratives  in Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique.  Changing Narratives is the love child of Mozambican business and creative partners, Wacy Zacarias and Djamila DeSousa. These Mozambican textile and accessirues designers are on a mission to preserve traditional Mozambican and more broadly, African craft and kno...

Send us Fan Mail My guest today is Lydia Endora, Founder, Creative Designer and Buyer at her self-titled fashion label.  The seeds of a love for fashion were planted in Lydia’s heart at a very young age by her grandmother. Combined with education and a work ethic modeled by her mother, she has tapped into her creative spirit and skills to find her own corner in the athleisure space of the fashion...

Send us Fan Mail SAVING WALLETS AND LANDFILLS We are continuing with our focus on fashion and this week my guest is  Zuhairah Washington , President and COO of Otrium , a Dutch-born  end to end marketplace that she calls, the best kept secret in fashion.  Otrium is a digital platform where you can buy end of season clothing at accessible prices.  What does that mean?  All those clothes that brands...

Send us Fan Mail This week, we have nothing but love, and you will find out why as you listen to the interview with, my guest today, Nthatuoa Makhapa. She is the founder and creative director of the knitwear brand, Nthatuoa Crafts where everything is made by hand and inspired by her home country of Lesotho. Launched in 2019, the brand is growing from strength to strength along with its founder who...

Send us Fan Mail Noite Rose is an affordable luxury loungewear brand that was founded during the pandemic by digital marketing and branding professional, Diandra Harvin . After graduating with a degree in Arts and Fashion Merchandising and (later earning an MBA), she worked in the fashion industry, but  found herself in a toxic environment that pushed her out of the industry for several years.  Fa...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season 6! Shades and Layers is here with a brand new season, featuring fashion and textile designers, as well as other black women crafters and makers shaping culture across the world. In between there will be episodes from beauty, hair and personal care entrepreneurs. The first guest for the season is South Africa's quintessential multi-hyphenate, Maria McCloy. Sh...

Send us Fan Mail Orion Brown, founder and CEO of the multicultural lifestyle brand BlackTravelBox . They make travel-size hair and skincare for black and other travelers of color. Their mission is to bring ease to the travel experience.  Heaven knows how many times so many have had their business or even holiday trips ruined by hotel shampoos and lotions.  Orion is a frequent traveler herself and...

Send us Fan Mail At this time of year we are all looking at our bank balances and regretting whatever questionable spending decisions we made over the festive season. And so, we are talking about money today with my guest, Vangile Makwakwa, founder and wealth coach at Wealthy Money and co-founder of Property Magician Stokvel.   Vangile Makwakwa graduated with a finance degree from the prestigious...

Send us Fan Mail 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...