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
The Great Resignation IRL with Melodee Ndigaye (S3, E6)
Welcome to Episode 6 of Season 3
So, you’ve read and heard a lot about the change in the future of work and of course, all the excitement centers the so-called "Great Resignation". Many professionals and business owners have either pivoted or left their jobs to pursue something new.
That is the case with my guest today, Melodee Ndigaye, a Danish creative professional who left her corporate job to start her social media strategy consultancy, Cre8tive Social. She also has a personal blog (melodeendigaye.com) where she posts about mental health and her life journey. Definitely read her essays on there!
Our conversation was recorded during the summer of 2021 and we got to reflect on the one year plus duration of the Covid-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter, self-reliance, the security of a job versus the reward of being your own boss, and of course navigating race and identity as an immigrant, in a place where open conversation on the topic is brand new and maybe public discourse is not yet nuanced.
But mainly, I wanted to speak to Melodee because she took the brave step of breaking out during the most uncertain period of our generation....You will enjoy her easy manner, open heart and joyous nature.
Thanks for sharing your story @melodeendigaye It was a great pleasure talking to you 😊
Link in profile to hear the episode.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
A Seat At The Table Podcast by Naima Yasin and Ingrid Baraka
Mary Consolata Namagambe - https://maryconsolatanamagambe.com/
Lucia Odoom Vesterlund
Lesley Ann Brown - Author of Decolonial Daughter: Letters from a Black Woman to Her European Son and the platform that was my lifeline during my stay in Denmark Black Girl on Mars
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