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Shades & Layers

Shades & Layers

De : Kutloano Skosana Ricci
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Shades and Layers is a storytelling platform celebrating Black women and women of colour who are building something of their own — on the African continent and across the diaspora.


The podcast launched in 2020 and is now more than 100 episodes strong. In 2025, the show was nominated for Best Long-Time Podcast at the Black Podcasting Awards.


In each conversation, host Kutloano Skosana sits down with founders to explore business ownership, representation, and what sustainability and success really mean in a complex, interconnected world. The conversations are wide-ranging — part masterclass in entrepreneurship, part wisdom for living well — and always a space for women to be fully human: to share the quirks, the doubts, and the vulnerabilities behind the highlight reel.


These days, Shades and Layers is two things woven together. Alongside the podcast, Kutloano — now exploring a new chapter of her own in Italy — sends Life Notes: honest monthly letters on identity, motherhood, reinvention, and the business of building a life.


Shades and Layers’ founding philosophy is: a story well told can change your life, you don't need big accolades for your entrepreneurial journey to matter.


The guests span beauty, fashion, and wellness, North and South: Dr. Theo Mothoa-Frendo on building a science-based African skincare range with USO; Taryn Gill of The Perfect Hair on supply chains and brand-building; Katonya Breux of Unsun Cosmetics on melanin and sunscreen for every skin tone; Abiola Akanni of IYA Well on non-performance in yoga; and designers like the late Maria McCloy of her eponymous fashion label, Nkuli Mlangeni-Berg of The Ninevites, and Candace Lawrence of Modern Gesture, championing handmade, custom, and circular production.


Whether you're here to listen, to read, or to build something of your own — welcome to the circle.


© 2026 Shades & Layers
Art Direction Economie Management et direction Sciences sociales
Épisodes
  • A Simple Bank Account System for Business Sustainability
    Mar 18 2026

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    This is an oldie but goodie from the archives. This conversation was recorded in 2024, but its principles and teachings are timeless. Susanne Mariga is an expert in finance and she's been doing taxes for clients since she was a 14-year old in her dad's accounting office.

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    If your business is busy but your bank balance never reflects it, something is broken and it’s not your work ethic. Suzanne Mariga, CPA, fractional CFO, and CEO of the award-winning Mariga Group joins me in a conversation about the money mistake she sees again and again: founders pushing for years, sometimes decades, and still having nothing to show for it.

    Suzanne explains the Profit First method in plain language, including the five-bank-account setup that creates instant clarity around cash flow management: income, profit, owner’s pay, tax, and operating expenses. She explains why focusing on building net worth is a better strategy than “saving tax” through spending. She says, pay yourself properly so that your business stops quietly relying on your unpaid labour.

    Other topics we discuss include:

    • Preparing for a leap from corporate life
    • The art of remaining flexible and open to change
    • How fractional C-suite fiance support helps build stronger accounting systems
    • A quick chat about AI Tools for Small Business.


    If you want healthier margins, better cash flow, and a business you could one day sell, press play.

    Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.


    LOST IN TRANSLATION

    Roth IRA - The American retirement fund - similar to the RA contribution for South Africans and private pension funds of the EU region.

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    27 min
  • Speak with Confidence, Cash in With Clarity (Magogodi Makhene)
    Feb 10 2026

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    In this episode we connect with Magogodi oaMphela Makhene, author, speaker and founder of Love As A Kind of Cure and thought leadership coach. We trace her entrepreneurial journey from her focus on social enterprises, how she was led to writing and then became a coach who helps Women of Color to turn their stories into intellectual property and income.

    Magogodi is a sought after keynote speaker and communicator who walks the talk. Her trademarked C.R.O.W.N framework is built around her lived experience, which she shares with vulnerability and generosity in our conversation.

    Magogodi originates from my hometown, Soweto. She is the author of the award-winning short story collection Innards and a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop programme. Find out how she made the pivot from business school to literature and how she combines the two today in her work. You will also discover how she helps her clients to see and honour their value.

    If you haven’t already, I encourage you to check out her podcast, Madame Speaker Says, you will be so inspired by all the guests that she has on there. And if you like this episode, please share it with a friend and send me a message to let me know what you think.


    Support the show

    NEWSLETTER, stay in the loop and subscribe to our newsletter

    SUPPORT this work so that we can keep it free. Become a MONTHLY SUPPORTER

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    56 min
  • Embracing Fear and Following Your Dreams with Bisila Bokoko (S9,E12)
    Sep 16 2025

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    Bisila Bokoko is an international business woman who got her start in the corporate world in Spain and then eventually in the USA. Today she shares her journey from corporate executive to international entrepreneur, wine brand founder, and creator of the Bisila Bokoko African Literacy Project.

    Born to African parents from Equatorial Guinea in Spain, she jokingly calls herself a Decaf African and had a tough time navigating her African identity within a European culture. She now sees herself as a a bridge between the two cultures. Over the years she has also learned to understand and embrace her own fears, and learned how to transform obstacles into opportunities.

    Today, we get into the scope of her work as an entrepreneur, author and philanthropist. We discuss her latest book: The Fear and I: An Unexpected Story, how she founder her wine brand Bisila's Wines and her philanthropy work with the Bisila Bokoko African Literacy Project.

    For the candid moments of our chat, she talks about mindset and how she rejects the phrases "I don't have time" and "I don't have money" to advance her aims. She also recommends surrounding yourself with cheerleaders, mentors, and accountability partners.

    Find Bisila Bokoko on Instagram, LinkedIn, or through her website.


    Support the show

    NEWSLETTER, stay in the loop and subscribe to our newsletter

    SUPPORT this work so that we can keep it free. Become a MONTHLY SUPPORTER

    LISTEN ON Apple and Spotify

    FOLLOW US ON Instagram and Facebook


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    47 min
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