Shades & Layers Podcast By Kutloano Skosana Ricci cover art

Shades & Layers

Shades & Layers

By: Kutloano Skosana Ricci
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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.

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Episodes
  • 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 mins
  • 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 mins
  • 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


    Show more Show less
    47 mins
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