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
Unsun Cosmetics with Katonya Breaux (S2, E11)
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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