the BLK + GRN podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 29: Suki Suki Naturals - Linda Gieskes-Mwamba Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

Linda Gieskes-Mwamba, founded the South African brand Suki Suki Naturals to solve a personal need for natural hair products that were affordable and accessible for people with Black hair types. After making her hair care products using ingredients found in her kitchen, like avocados, ripe bananas, and yogurt, she realized that through Suki Sukie naturals, there was a way to share her traditions of raw ingredients sourced from the earth.

As a South African native, she wanted to showcase that an African brand can be scientifically based, well researched, well formulated, and has a place in the global market. She incorporated her love, tradition, and knowledge into Suki Suki Naturals to showcase a specially formulated, harm-free premium brand, revealing a perspective on beauty that most of the world hasn't yet seen. While sharing her journey with her brand, she shares information to help listeners determine their hair prosperity, offers transparency on where her ingredients are produced and grown, and educates people on how to make healthier purchase decisions.

Quote from interviewee for call-out box:

"The idea is to just showcase that an African brand doesn't have to be like an artisanal brand. It can be very scientific based; it can be very well researched and very well formulated."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

Kalahari Melon seed oil is rich in vitamin E and can be found in the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa.
Black hair types require more attention to texture and dryness because the scalp produces natural oils for the hair, but the hair texture may make retaining those oils down each strand more difficult.
Prickly pear oil is native to countries with arid and dry soil and climate, and it has 150 times more vitamin E than argan oil, which is celebrated for its vitamin E content.

Check Out These Highlights:

How you can determine the porosity level of your hair (7:20)
Linda educates on some of the powerful properties of the raw botanical ingredients sourced from Africa (17:53)
Linda shares some of her skincare products (24:15)

Quotes:

"Today we definitely feel like things have changed and it's also a question of knowledge and education that you realize that actually my kind of hair loves this ingredient and it's not specifically expensive…"
"The idea is to really educate and then the consumer can make better choices."
"At the time, there was so little on the South African market. The haircare industry was definitely more geared towards Caucasian hair types and we didn't have the knowledge as well."

Episode 28: Loveleaf - Shani Lincoln Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

Shani Lincoln's motivation behind her haircare and skincare business, Loveleaf, stems from her passion for discovering the healing effects of using nature's most beneficial and nourishing ingredients. After spending a lot of time perfecting her formulations for her family and friends and seeing results, she was ready to share her creation.

As she continues to navigate the barriers of maintaining a business, showing up for herself and practicing wellness is reflected in each product she offers and paves the way for others to do the same. Loveleaf has blossomed into the cultivation of botanical-forward products that offer healing and self-acceptance.

Quote from interviewee for call-out box:

"I want to make sure, no matter what the product is, that self-care is the key message behind them."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

Loveleaf's products are free of any synthetic man-made materials and use natural ingredients to address different health issues.
Natural ingredients such as arnica help to reduce swelling and discoloration caused by bruising, while Calendula helps heal common skin irritations.
By practicing gratitude, we can strengthen our relationships, improve our health, amplify our positive feelings, celebrate the present, and deal with adversity.

Check Out These Highlights:

What natural herbs people should know more about (4:47)
Information on the calming butter sold on BLK + GRN (11:01)
Shani shares some powerful words for anyone on their self-care journey (20:55)

Quotes:

"Loveleaf really spoke to my love of nature and plants and the fact that all my ingredients are natural plant-based materials"
"My key message is I want folks to understand that they are a priority in their own lives"
"I want everyone to be moisturized all day with my skin and products of course, but I also want to address skin concerns and use herbs that really support healthy hair and healthy skin."

Episode 27: Tianna Christine - Practicing Yoga Nov 04, 2022

Show notes

The practice of Yoga has been around for centuries, but it has become increasingly popular in today's busy society to help relieve mind pollution. The practice of Yoga is about more than just bending and stretching the body into different poses. Yoga is a spiritual practice that connects us to our bodies and souls and helps us find peace and calm, improving our physical and mental health. Get inspired with yoga instructor Tiana Christine who strives to empower, inspire, and ignite presence, purpose, and intention in your day. She openly discusses her inspiration behind becoming a yoga instructor after realizing the lack of people practicing Yoga. She also shares how she applies her practices on and off the mat while teaching others the gifts of Yoga and self-care.

Quote from interviewee for call-out box:

"I will say with yoga, there's the eight limbs of yoga, and you are not just practicing yoga on the mat. You're taking it off the mat with you."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

Yoga cultivates awareness of your mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and emotional state and can ultimately put you in a better frame of mind to make healthier choices.
You can actively practice yoga in the car, at school, at work, during conversations, and more
Every morning is a new beginning. Wake up remembering it is a new day and another chance for opportunity, no longer looking behind at what hasn't served you.

Check Out These Highlights:

Tiana shares how the spiritual connection exists with yoga (4:02)
Insight into how to carry Yoga practice off the mat (6:56)
Details on the activity cards Tiana created that helps women focus on mindfulness, creativity, reflection (7:24)
Tiana talks about her vegan journey (17:14)

Quotes:

"Every single day, you're a new person. So, you have to just keep going. The consistency is where you need to thrive in."
"When you are sinking your breath, your body, and you're really getting in alignment.
"If you mess up today, it's okay. Tomorrow is another day. It's a new day so, start where you are."
"A lot of the postures not only take "oh, I'm just flexible, I can get into it", it takes some focus with balance, with strength so, it's a whole total body experience."

Episode 26: Ipade - Elizabeth Dawes Gay Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

Elizabeth Dawes Gay, Founder and CEO of Ipade is sharing the new wave of inclusive co-working that serves Black women and people of color and combats microaggressions at the office. Stemming from the West African Yoruba word Ìpàdé (ee-pah-day), meaning "meeting or gathering," this co-working space doesn't just offer a place to work—it cultivates community. Despite being hit with a global pandemic that impacted many Black women and women of color in the workspace, Ipade continued to bring women together to build skills and resilience, disrupt barriers to advancement, dismantle systems of oppression, and transform society.

Elizabeth shares her journey with ipade and some inspirational advice for small businesses and entrepreneurs following their vision.

Quote from interviewee for call-out box: "We provide coworking space and memberships and day passes, along with a supportive community and event space where you can host workshops or retreats and get things done."

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss: The workplace is changing and so is the way we work. With the increase of inclusion and connection our workplaces are becoming more efficient Ipade is connecting teams to drive collaboration, nurture healthy working relationships, and promote knowledge-sharing Located in DC, ipade offers both virtual and in person coworking memberships.

Check Out These Highlights:

- Elizabeth shares how ipade adapted to safe gathering and saw the immediate connections made in the first in person coworking pop up (7:19)

- The inspiration and history behind the name ipade (9:19)

- How Elizabeth pushed through the obstacles of COVID to follow her vision (10:14)

Quotes:

"There's so many people of color here, professional people, creative folks who are innovating and doing great things for their communities, and yet we didn't have a space that we could call our own."

"There's this energy exchange that happens when you can see someone, and you all are in the same place, and you have the opportunity to actually get to know other people."

"Everyone gets no's […] say yes to yourself, trust yourself and keep going."

Episode 25: Melabebe - Kelli Clifton Ogunsanya Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

Melabebe ft. Kelly While their immune system continues to develop, children are the one age group more vulnerable to the harmful effects of environmental pollutants and toxic chemicals. As parents want to do their best to protect their little ones, walking down the children's care aisle of a local supermarket or pharmacy can be an overwhelming experience. However, for one mother, a lifestyle with products in tune with nature with your little one shouldn't be difficult to find and is worth living. Meet Kelli Clifton Ogunsanya, the founder and CEO of Melabebe, a plant-based skincare company for melanin-rich kids. Kelli founded Melabebe to fill an unmet need in the marketplace for children of color and demonstrate that moms can take career pivots and follow their entrepreneurial passions. Quote from interviewee for call-out box: "The way they marketed to kids of color or people of color always had a slightly negative connotation. It was always issue prone skin, challenging skin and that wasn't the label that I wanted to put on my kids." Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss: The beauty industry is highly unregulated and can capitalize on uneducated consumers. Because a child will use a product for a long time and in great quantity, choosing safe and effective products are important. Nostalgia and tradition shouldn't determine the products parents choose to put on their children. Check Out These Highlights: Why some companies create products with ingredients that are carcinogens (3:15) Kelly shares the kind of ingredients that are specifically geared towards children versus for adults (6:51) How Kelly balances being an entrepreneur, mom and having a full-time job (8:09) Quotes: "the skincare product industry, and especially for baby products, is north of $800 million per year." "We really focus on very clean, lightweight products that are not heavily concentrated and really will not provide or offer adverse reactions to young skin." "Self-awareness is so critical, and sometimes we don't even know what we're holding on to and what we're dealing with until we start to unpack it and motherhood is one of those things that will force you into seeing some of those things quicker than you might have otherwise."

Episode 24: My Beautiful Black Hair Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

Episode 23: Kreyol - Yve-Car Momperousse Jan 16, 2022

Show notes

Yve-Car is the CEO and cofounder of Kreyol Essence and was driven by her vision to stimulate economic activity in Haiti. In this podcast episode, Yve takes on the role of interviewing Dr. Kristian Henderson, founder of BLK+GRN, and sparks an impactful conversation on what it means to walk in your passion. Despite a tragic life-threatening car accident in 2019 that left Kristian in a coma, her recovery journey did not force her to abandon BLK+GRN. Instead, it became the chapter in her story that highlighted all things possible when you stay true to what you want to do.

Black women make up the majority of the health industry. However, despite the mandates made by the National Institutes of Health to enhance the inclusion of ethnic groups, Black women continue to be underrepresented. While carrying on her grandmother's legacy, who fought for civil rights, Kristian continues to fight for Black women in a space that makes health and wellness accessible.

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

Soon the US will have rules regulations on the toxins used in products as many other countries
BLK+GRN puts into perspective how when Black women lead, we all succeed
No founder, cofounder or maker of a business is 100% sure in moving forward; It's all about giving yourself grace and space

Check Out These Highlights:

Kristian talks about her recovery process after her life-threatening car accident (2:29)
Where Kristian's clarity and love for the black community stems from (10:50)
Kristian's next step towards providing wellness for Black women (13:46)
Using money as a tool to push your mission (33:15)

Quotes:

"it comes down to my core. I think it's in me. I think I was born with it. I was born with the spirit that fights for equality for Black women."
"I think there will be a day when all marketplaces are looking for Black and Brown people to put on the shelf."
"When people are purchasing products from BLK+GRN, they're supporting black women entrepreneurs. They're supporting people. They're supporting stories."

Episode 22: Kushae - Kimba & Dr. Barb Dec 27, 2021

Show notes

All too familiar with the big corporations that sell unsafe and far from caring products, OB-GYN Dr. Barb and ex-Pharmaceutical Sales Consultant Kimba came together to offer women pH-balanced, chemical-free, and natural-based alternatives for feminine care that are sensitive to women's sensitivities.

While feminine hygiene is a proper way in life to reduce exposure to unpleasant infections and skin irritations, many women aren't aware of the conventional and high-chemical products sold by cosmetic companies. Where many other organizations are focused on their product wealth, Dr. Barb and Kimba created a safe place to prioritize women's health through Kushae, the only doctor-formulated feminine hygiene system.

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to miss:

Women who used Johnson and Johnson's baby powder are filing lawsuits for its traces of asbestos which is linked to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.
The vaginal area has a pH of 3.5 and the best way to protect it is by keeping it balanced to prevent the bad bacteria from exposing you more infections.
Although commonly recommended for its mild formulas, Dove contains parabens and with a pH level of 7 which can disturb your natural pH.

Check Out These Highlights

Information about the twelve ingredients that have been identified by the National Institutes of Health as having very clinically relevant or scientific links to dangerous outcomes for women (21:13)
Kimba goes into detail on how the natural ingredients used in Kushae's products you can find in your garden (22:42)
Tips on ways to keep your pH balanced (27:52)

Quotes

"You always hear about, unfortunately, black women and the things that plague us the most. And part of it being we're taking care of everybody else but ourselves."
"People really need to advocate specifically because black women are still desperately treated when it comes to health care, regardless of income.
"We were adamant about making sure that our brand stayed true to our mission, which was all-natural care for down there."

Episode 21: Koya Webb Dec 19, 2021

Show notes

Many people beginning their self-care journey struggle with finding the time or don't know where to start. To break down that barrier, Koya teaches us how to reclaim our time to optimize our well-being through the practice of breathwork, gratitude, breaking bad habits, and dealing with our "human emotions.

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

The two main emotions that drive our actions and reactions are fear and love
Having plants in your house helps detox and purify your whole home.
All the elements we have in our universe work together to balance us out energetically.

Check Out These Highlights:

What it looks like when you're functioning in the darkness (17:23)
Koya shares ways to strengthen your spiritual connection (9:42)
Strategies to help escape fear-based emotions (22:44)

Quotes:

"As long as you have your breath in your body, you're able to dissolve stress and you're able to balance out your energies."
"I started the yoga teacher training because I feel like the spiritual part was being left out, like rituals and routines and products that can really nurture our own health."
"We don't have the choice over what happens to us, but we do have the choice on how we deal with what happens to us and how we beat ourselves up or shame ourselves or make ourselves wrong."

Episode 20 - Dinobi: Augie and Sylvia Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

Mom-preneur Sylvia Emuwa and her husband Augie, founders of Dinobi, were driven to create a gentle enough product to combat their family of six reoccurring skin irritations. With no response from the detergent companies to determine the ingredients used, they decided to take matters into their own hands by creating a safe detergent that's greener, cleaner, and gentle enough for people to use every day.

Many toxic chemicals in our homes are found in products that claim to protect us, such as detergents. While they leave our clothes looking spotless and smelling fresh, the detergents we use contain many known toxins that have adverse side effects on our health. Sylvia created Dinobi as a safer alternative to modern detergents that protect people from being exposed to harmful chemicals in their clothing and sheets absorbed into their bodies.

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:

The chemicals in laundry detergents leave a residue that absorbs into your clothing and skin.
Many people are burdened with skin irritations from laundry detergent without knowing the ingredients that are causing them.
Buying green laundry detergent is safer for your children's and family's health.

Check Out These Highlights:

The inspiration behind Dinobi (5:12)
Sylvia discusses her concerns on the lack of transparency in ingredients within laundry detergent (19:28)
Augie expresses the importance of being mindful of the products we buy (23:19)

Quotes:

"I turned the detergent bottle around, and I immediately noticed that they only put the ingredients that were in the plastic, not the ingredients that were in the product itself." -Augie
"It's important to be educated and not just passively consume." – Augie
"When you pick up the phone and you're trying to ask somebody what is in this and they never get back to you. That's the problem." -Sylvia
"It is important to really know what it is you're using because a lot of those things do cause issues, physical issues." -Sylvia

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