Shades & Layers
Shades and Layers is a podcast focused on black women entrepreneurs from across the globe. It is a platform for exploring issues and challenges around business ownership, representation and holistic discussions about the meaning of sustainability in an increasingly complex global context. Conversations are wide- ranging and serve not only as a Masterclass in Entrepreneurship but also provide wisdom and tools for Successful Living. It is a space for meaningful conversation, a place for black and other women of color to be fully human and openly share their quirks and vulnerabilities.
Guests include prominent figurers in the beauty, fashion and wellness industries both in the Northern Hemisphere and the Global South.
Dr. Theo Mothoa-Frendo of USO Skincare discusses her journey from being product junkie to creating an African science-based skincare range. Taryn Gill of The Perfect Hair is a brand development whizz who discusses supply chain and distribution of her haircare brands. Katonya Breux discusses melanin and sunscreen and how she addresses the needs of a range of skin tones with her Unsun Cosmetics products.
We discuss inclusion in the wellness industry with Helen Rose Skincare and Yoga and Nectarines Founder , Day Bibb. Abiola Akani emphasizes non-performance in yoga with her IYA Wellness brand and Anesu Mbizho shares her journey to yoga and the ecosystem she's created through her business The Nest Space.
Fashion is all about handmade, custom made and circular production with featured guests like fashion designer Maria McCloy of Maria McCloy Accessories; Founder and textile/homeware designer Nkuli Mlangeni Berg of The Ninevites as well as Candice Lawrence, founder of the lighting design company Modern Gesture. These are just a few the conversations on the podcast over the past three years.
Shades & Layers
Mamakashaka with Nandi Dlepu (S3, E9)
Today’s guest is South African visionary creative, founder and uber curator of experiences, Nandi Dlepu aka, Mamakashaka.
She’s a self-confessed romantic and I hope you will be inspired by her approach to life.
After graduating from film school, she worked for many years in television and advertising, establishing herself as a top tier creative. And in 2017, seeing new opportunities for expressing her talents and serving her community, she gathered the courage to jump into entrepreneurship and created her very own marketing agency, Mamakashaka.
Today she designs curated events for clients, she’s a sought-after speaker, Interviewer and gives talks on various aspects of creative entrepreneurship. She’s the founder of the music-driven events Feel Good Series (@feelgoodseries), the fashion-centered Pantone Sundays (@pantonesundays), as well as co-founder of the women’s gathering Women In Bloom (@womeninbloom_johannesburg).
In our conversation, we get into the details and greater purpose of each brand. To Nandi and her team, it’s not worth doing if it does not entertain, empower or inspire.
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