the BLK + GRN podcast

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Episode 39 - Kaike - Keli Smith Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

In addressing the ideology that black women need to use excessive products to look and feel better about themselves, Keli Smith decided to add sugar to the spice and not so nice skincare industry with Kaike, a plant-based brand that empowers black women to celebrate the beauty of the skin they're in.

While understanding black women's exposure to a variety of harmful chemicals, Keli was determined to provide black women with a more joyful and holistic experience in their beauty routine with natural products that transport them to a place of comfort and well-being.

Quote from interviewee for call-out box:

"It was around that time that I was researching green beauty and kind of transitioning to a more holistic lifestyle that I got more curious but also disappointed with a lot of what I was seeing on the shelves."

– Keli Smith

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss

The messaging in modern products revolve around black women comparing their skin type rather than embracing the skin they have needs to change.
Black women who are embarking on their big chop journey should be mindful of the products they use that may contain harmful ingredients.
A steaming washcloth is used to open your pores to release the dirt and the grime that would be left behind in removing toxins.

Check Out These Highlights:

The inspiration that led to Keli's creation of Kaike after her big chop journey (14:43)
Details on Kaike's three best-selling products and their benefits (17:39)
The advantage of using castor oil cleanser and oils to remove toxins and impurities from your skin (20:29)

Quotes:

"The mission of Kaike is to really create a product that causes a desire to really want to celebrate yourself through the products."
"It was actually surprising to me to know how many [Black] women suffer from dry skin when I always had the assumption that everyone had oily skin."
"One of the things that I'm very passionate about is wanting to be able to help other women who want to embark on that journey of balancing the importance of family, but also the desire to grow something and create a business that serves a purpose and how to really grow business and baby."

Episode 38 - Golden Flourish - Rachael Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

Following her postgraduate self-care journey, Rachel realized that drinking tea is a great way to stay healthy and increase her quality of life. After working in an herbalism apprenticeship, Rachel founded Golden Flourish to share what she learned about self-care through tea drinking while empowering the lives of future generations on their self-care journey.

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water and can be found in almost 80% of all U.S. households. Whether it's used to disconnect from daily routines or boost your immune system, Rachel aspires to utilize her background in herbalism to encourage inner and outer wellbeing through tea consumption.

Quote from interviewee for call-out box:

"A lot of herbs have had different we call it "actions," but different ways that it can support you in your self-care or in your health that have been passed down from generation to generation to generation."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

Ginger tea contains antioxidants that can help strengthen your immunity, digestive system and help with nausea.
Tea is a great alternative for coffee.
You can get into the habit of staying present by lending all your senses to not only preparing your tea but to enjoying every part of the process.

Check Out These Highlights:

Rachel shares how she creates and combines different herbs to benefit her customers (4:45)
Healthy alternatives for sugar in your tea (7:36)
Rachel describes how to be intentional in what you consume and understand the messages your food sends you (17:59)

Quotes:

"There [are] so many herbs, so many ways that it can benefit our bodies. And, yeah, that's what I want people to reconnect to."
"Each blend that I create at Golden Flourish, I think about something that can support me and those around me or others that want to drink tea and self-care."
"I feel like that's like the important teacher is our body. If we really listen to it or tune into what we're feeling, we'll know what we can do to feel better and understand the journey that we're on."

Episode 37: CEO and Executive Coach, Patrice Ford Lyn Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

Patrice Ford Lynn, an executive coach, and transformational facilitator, brings a refreshing approach to wellness and personal growth. Her journey took a remarkable turn during the pandemic when she became a certified Yin yoga practitioner, using it as a tool to cultivate energy management and relaxation skills for herself and her clients. Transitioning from a management consultant to a transformational coach, Patrice discovered her true calling after her wife recognized her innate gifts. She took small tests, achieved her income goals, and that success fueled her drive to pursue coaching full-time.

Passionate about sparking transformation in others, Patrice's coaching style revolves around accountability, empowering individuals to challenge their limits and dismantle obstacles. She emphasizes the significance of embracing fear as a natural emotion while summoning the courage to push forward. She also highlights the power of mindfulness practices in navigating challenges. She concludes with an empowering message for entrepreneurs and executives, reminding them that they are not alone and that there are people who genuinely want to see them thrive.

Quote from interviewee for callout box:

"I fully believe one conversation can change our lives and if your coach isn't in that first conversation inspiring you in a different way, find somebody who can."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

Working with Bunlack women is important because it allows for understanding and holding space for their truths.
Fear is a natural human emotion, but it's important to be courageous and manage it through mindfulness and understanding its lessons.
Black executives often doubt themselves and need a safe space to discuss race, power, and safety.

Check Out These Highlights:

Patrice explains the reason behind the biggest roadblocks her clients face by anchoring to their past instead of their possibilities. (9:35)
Patrice emphasizes the importance of community for health and well-being (17:54)
Patrice shares how working with Black women allows for a deep understanding of their experiences and the creation of a safe and seen space where they can discuss race, power, and safety (22:02)

Quotes:

"I have a saying that it's okay to be scared, but it's important to be courageous."
"We are living in a society that does not affirm us when we speak into rooms and folks don't hear us, but somebody else says the same thing, and they hear them."
"We know how to survive, but there is something beyond survival. You named it: Thriving is beyond that, and we have to put down the tools that no longer work for us and pick up the ones that do."

Episode 36: Her Poppy - Lauren Gregory Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

Lauren Gregory, the founder of Her Poppy, ignites a meaningful conversation and shares her inspiring journey towards prioritizing her health and wellness after her father passed from pancreatic cancer, which had also affected previous generations in her family. Despite her long-standing battle with severe period pain and being prescribed birth control and Ibuprofen for years, she embraced a natural approach, developing a formula that alleviated the pain, bloating, and mood swings during menstrual cycles. Her product has been a resounding success, and it has helped many improve their menstrual cycle experiences.

Lauren encourages a different way of thinking and challenges societal norms and expectations surrounding menstrual health. She encourages women to unpack these outdated beliefs and celebrate the biology that created the unique bodies women live in and breathe out of. Through Her Poppy, Lauren implores women to understand their menstrual cycles, working concertedly with healthcare providers to maximize the benefits and optimize their health. With passion and ambition, Lauren inspires women everywhere to ask questions about their health and take control of their bodies.

Quote from interviewee for callout box:

"As I started to understand my period health, my fertility health, my menstrual cycle health, I noticed a huge gap in access to information."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

It's important for women to listen to their bodies and avoid masking or curing period pain with medication without understanding the root cause.
A women's menstrual cycles is a physical representation of their ability to create life and give birth to ideas and visions
It may not be easy to make time during your menstrual cycle, but being aware and finding ways to take care of yourself can have positive impacts on your mental, emotional, and physical health.

Check Out These Highlights:

Lauren shares what inspired her to create products that were healthier alternatives (5:37)
Lauren talks about the normalization of suffering for black women and how it affects their menstrual health (25:28)
Lauren goes into detail on the benefits of the menstrual cycle (12:36)

Quotes:

"Just like we measure heart rate and breathing for women, our menstrual cycle is kind of like a fifth vital sign, if you will."
"We give birth to humans. We give birth to ideas. We give birth to visions. And I think our fertility, our menstrual cycles are a physical representation of that."
"Let's love ourselves and our bodies. And I mean that in the deepest intentional way possible."

Episode 35: Cecile's Bath & Body - Jackie Granchamps Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

Jackie Granchamps is the founder of Cecile's Bath and Body. Jackie's journey began in 2011 when she started making soap as a hobby while unemployed. However, as she began experimenting with different formulas and ingredients, she quickly realized the profit potential of luxury handmade skincare and decided to turn her passion into a business.

Despite starting with only old pots and pans and a small investment of $250, Jackie's dedication and drive helped her business snowball. She spent two years developing her formula, refining her techniques, and creating her brand. She shares her insights and experiences in building a successful business from scratch, including the challenges she faced, the lessons she learned along the way, and the importance of resilience, determination, and staying true to her vision.

Quote from interviewee for callout box:

"I hope at least this gives people a sense of hope that you can start with nothing. $250 is nothing to start a business. But you have to have the passion and the drive and the follow through."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

People's passion may not match yours, and it is crucial to have enough skills and confidence to move and make the first step in the business, even if you are scared or doubting yourself.
Nature has everything that we need and that chemicals are imitations of the real thing.
Red beans have a natural enzyme that helps to balance melanin production in the skin and also helps with skin damage and aging.

Check Out These Highlights:

Jackie explains how as women, we are often taught to ask for permission and get community buy-in, but it's important to break that stigma and trust in our skills and abilities. (5:39)
Jackie shares what was the biggest fear that she had overcome to create her brand (15:12)
Jackie emphasizes the importance of following your passion and being guided by an ancestral voice and intuition (23:09)

Quotes:

"I started my business with old pots and pans, stainless steel pots and pans and maybe $250, but it snowballed quickly. But it was good. It's been a good experience."
"So as women, we're always taught to ask for permission we're put into this box and being a nice Caribbean girl from a strict family, it's almost like you got to get community buy in, right. And you shouldn't do things alone. It doesn't look right for a woman to do things by herself."
"Make the move even if you're scared, even if you're doubting, because three months down the line, guaranteed you're going to be kicking yourself."

Episode 34: Vigor Roots - Nathalee DuRose Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

Nathalee DuRose, Chief Executive Officer of Vigor Roots, aims to help women struggling with hair loss, poor hair growth or scalp issues regain healthy and vibrant hair. Nathalee's journey to redefine hair and scalp care began with her struggles with prolonged scalp irritation and delayed hair growth. After her daughter was born, she knew she wanted to protect her daughter from going through the same problem she experienced with her hair.

Nathalee's commitment to revolutionizing hair care practices is further evident from her observation of the lack of healthy hair products and scalp care information available for her and her daughter's hair type, ultimately leading to the creation of Vigor Roots. She emphasizes the significance of educating people on preventable hair loss and shares her challenges and how she implemented self-care into her life to allow room for growth.

Quote from interviewee for callout box:

"The scalp is where the life is, and that's where we really need to nurture, just like our plants."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

The scalp is like the root of a plant in the sense that they both provide the foundation for growth. Without a healthy scalp, the hair follicles may not receive the necessary nutrients and blood flow needed for healthy hair growth, just as a plant without healthy roots may not receive the necessary nutrients and water to grow properly.
Having a simple hair care routine that works for you is more important than following complicated routines that you can't maintain.
In educating young women about preventable hair loss and promoting healthier scalp care routines younger generations will be able to prevent scalp damage and have healthier hair growth.

Check Out These Highlights:

Nathalee shares preventable measures that you could practice to help make your hair healthy (9:36)
Kristian and Nathalee discuss the beauty of self-care, constant change and learning, and the importance of being nimble and adaptable. (13:10)
Nathalee talks about the challenges of balancing a full-time job and running her own business and emphasizes the importance of time management and self-discipline. (6:10)

Quotes:

"I feel like constant change is growth. So, if it's changing, I'm growing."
"I truly believe if we educate younger women like teenagers coming up from today about preventable hair loss, they will be in a better space than a lot of women my age today."
" I'd like to be the place where customers are able to come just to get into information on what to do for scalp care."

Episode 33: Gently Soap - Kristen Dunning Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

Kristen Dunning, the founder of Gently Soap, shares her journey of creating a natural soap product that is both science-backed and clean. Growing up in a family with direct roots in sustainable farming and aquaculture, Kristen witnessed firsthand the connection between black farmers and nature. As someone with sensitive skin, Kristen struggled to find a product that was both natural and effective. She realized that there were limited products that combined both natural ingredients and science-backed research, so she decided to create her own.

After studying agricultural communication and horticulture at the University of Georgia, Kristen pioneered her own research project utilizing her horticulture work and herbal knowledge to create a solid foundation for building an influential brand that ensures customers feel good about the products they use on their skin. She highlights the importance of minorities returning to agriculture, transparency, natural remedies, and what is next for her brand.

Quote from interviewee for callout box:

"It was interesting how things can be marketed and portrayed to not be natural. But when you dig down to it, it actually isn't."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

Returning to heritage and agriculture is crucial for minority communities to reclaim what was taken away from them and restore a sense of cultural identity and empowerment, building resilience and strength in the face of ongoing oppression and discrimination resulting from the lasting impact of white people's exploitation and harm towards other communities.
Avoid greenwashing, where products are marketed as natural or sustainable but contain harmful ingredients and are not ethically sourced.
Calendula is a versatile and natural ingredient that can provide various health benefits with anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and soothing properties; It can also be used in tea to improve digestive health.

Check Out These Highlights:

Kristen talks about her background and familial history in black farming, sharecropping, and sustainable farming (1:28)
Kristen's shares how her grandmother's entrepreneurial spirit inspired her, and she became an accidental entrepreneur after realizing the need for a product that didn't exist in the market (7:00)
Kristen discusses the importance of good sourcing, which includes knowing where the product originated from and whether it is sourced ethically and sustainably (24:14)

Quotes:

"People are starting to really understand that what we put on our skin is just as important as what we put in our bodies."
" I am very driven by making sure people have options within sensitive skincare, especially within something that's so ingrained into our daily lives."
"I became an entrepreneur by accident. I always say that I didn't decide to be there. It kind of chose me."

Episode 32: Adrina Fanore - Adrina Nelson Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

Adrina Nelson is the mastermind behind Adrina Fanore, a chic lifestyle brand that seamlessly blends slow living, health and wellness, and sustainable living into high-end fashion and vegan beauty products. Having founded the brand in 2012 in Brooklyn, New York, Adrina decided to redefine her brand's purpose during the pandemic, leading to a newfound focus on the pursuit of a high-quality lifestyle, and the addition of her vegan nail polish collection.

Raised in the south, Adrina was captivated by the elegant aesthetics of femininity and the luxurious experience of nail polish. She recognized that nail polish was a powerful form of self-expression and a means of empowering women to embrace their individuality. This speaks about how this realization inspired her to create a nail polish collection that celebrates the multifaceted boldness and softness that embodies different aspects of black womanhood, using a diverse range of colors to do so.

Quote from interviewee for call-out box:

"[My brand] stands for a very high quality of life. I think that is very important. And by that, I mean when you look at my products, they're sustainable. So, what I sell is not harmful to you. It hasn't harmed anyone, any animal or anything in the process of being made."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

Capitalism has led to the promotion of products that promise immediate solutions to skin problems but are not always safe and can cause long-term health issues.
Historically, the black community did not have the wealth to buy commercialized products, and hence relied on more natural and organic products.
Using natural products can be a way to combat health disparities and other issues affecting the black community.

Check Out These Highlights:

Adrina explains what makes her nail polish different from others (11:21)
Adrina shares why she believes Black women are multifaceted, and how she chose colors that represent various aspects of black womanhood (13:11)
The commitment to veganism is coming from Adriana's heart and is based on the belief that organic living is better for black women (22:31)

Quotes:

"Also, just the media and the messages that I put out, whether that's in marketing or whatever, it's always a story. It's always something that people can relate to on a basic human level, however that is."

"Nail polish is a representation of growing up as a little girl in the south and having to, I guess you can say, abide by certain aesthetics for to present femininity."

"I think a lot of black women who own businesses are like that in general because we just typically like, we see an issue and you can check it out the list. Like we're going to find a solution for it."

Episode 31: Yawoni - Diara Chukuigwe Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

For Diara Chukuigwe, starting her own brand, Yawoni, has been a deeply personal endeavor. She infuses the brand with her passion for natural remedies and oils, which she learned about from her mother and grandmother, who imported them from Mali. The brand name, Yawoni, is a combination of her mother's nickname, "Ya," and the word "woni," which means "beloved" in her grandmother's Moorish language.

Diara is driven by her desire to honor the West African traditions of her heritage and share her connection to nature with others. As an expectant mother, she wants to create a legacy she can pass down to her children. Despite the challenges of starting a business, Diara finds balance by incorporating self-care rituals and valuing family.

Quote from interviewee for call-out box:

"My dream and my vision is to also have this two way communication with Mali where I empower the people back home because I sourced some of my ingredients from back there."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

Yawoni's products include Shea butter, mango butter, and cocoa butter, which are staples in traditional beauty products from Mali.
Personal care and beauty products contain several ingredients that often include a wide range of endocrine-disrupting (hormonal system) chemicals like phthalates, parabens, phenols and toxic metals.
Body butters can be used in your self-care rituals not only to provide moisture but also a spa-like and healing experience.

Check Out These Highlights:

How Daria is balancing self-care (18:55)
The motivation that drives Daria to keep pursuing her vision and brand (25:13)
Daria expresses gratitude for transparent all natural products and BLK+GRN (34:14)

Quotes:

"You have to give yourself these times where you allow yourself to take breath, because it's not a race, it's a marathon."
"Growing up, my mom, my grandmother were very into natural remedies and oils and shea butters and all kinds of natural ingredients that we would import from my home country, from Mali."
"So [my brand] was very personal it was definitely more than just business. It was something that I could put my soul into and share with the world and not focus on loss, but just creating."
"I just want to create a path for women back home to become more independent and have something of their own."

Episode 30: Mar Na's Body Shop - Mar Na Carter Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

Mar Na Carter's is on a mission to demystify skincare with a more holistic approach so that people can experience non-toxic and less complicated skincare. Her journey in creating natural body care products began after witnessing her family members battle with skin issues. With no luck or relief from store bought products, Mar Na took matters into her own hands by researching natural alternatives and, as a result, successfully created a body butter that rejuvenated and cleared up her family member's skin.

After receiving a high demand for her natural creations from family and friends, Mar Na's Body Shop was created based on natural health and wellness principles. She speaks on many fascinating topics, such as her challenges with starting her brand and her natural hair journey, and also goes into detail to share how the importance of her "setting the mood" and making time for herself has helped her in her self-care journey.

Quote from interviewee for call out box:

"Once you find out the research of what's in certain name brands in the store, it's kind of scary."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

Self-care is vital for building resilience toward those stressors in life that you can't eliminate.
Trusting yourself means treating yourself with love and compassion, rather than strive for perfection
Hair relaxers alter the curl pattern of the hair by breaking down the structure of the cuticle making it straighter. However, this process can damage the hair, leaving it weak, brittle, and more likely to break.

Check Out These Highlights:

Some of the self-care practices that Mar Na does to stay rounded and in balance (8:55)
What inspired Mar Na to create more products in addition to body butters (15:05)
Some tips to help women find out their hair type (20:03)

Quotes:

"I wanted to explore different things that you can be proud to put on your skin, your hair, on your body, and know that I'm not adding certain chemicals to it that can harm your skin."
"You have to trust yourself and trust your judgment and your discernment. Always discern. Your discernment will not steer you wrong."
"I always call it God winks because sometimes you're ready to give up and God will give you a wink to let you know to keep pressing."

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