Hello Podfriend!

Happy new month! January is over. Hallelujah! Hopefully the kids have settled back into their school routines. Now let’s get to work.

My hope is that you are still on track with your goals for the New Year and that you’ve maintained the big energy that comes with the start of a new year. It’s easy to get distracted and lose hope. So, HIGH FIVE!

Up here in the Northeast of the USA, there’s a big freeze sweeping through in many ways. Temperatures have been below 0*C for what feels like an eternity. Downtown Boston recently got a taste of the White House mandated ICE with the immigration raids, as well as echoes of fear and chaos they have left leave behind. Student protests against the genocide in Gaza have died down. There’s promise of immigration raids extending to schools, churches and hospitals. Things are turning very dark, very quickly.

That brings me to this month’s lead picture which not only serves as a nostalgic throwback to my trip to the Big Apple last January, but also a reminder on the (partial) story of how immigration is central to the foundation of the USA, and the importance of the role of the arts in talking truth to power, so to speak. See more in the ‘On My Mind This Month’ section of the newsletter.

If you’re reading this on the web, the cover pic of Broadway is provided by Sudan Ouyang via Unsplash.

Here’s what else we have in this edition:

-Studio Update - A focus on “Dignify Afro Beauty” in our latest episode

-Companion Listening - "Isangs Hair and Body” is small by design

-On My Mind This Month, and

-Giving me Joy and Pause

Psstt, before we get into it, remember that sharing is caring, so ask your friends to join our squad. If this edition was shared with you, please subscribe.

LET’S GO!

STUDIO UPDATE

DIGNIFY AFRO BEAUTY

Look. At. Those. Curls! They are definitely testimony to the quality of Dignify Afro Beauty Founder Amanda Sebolai’s Johannesburg-born haircare brand, as well as her seriousness as an entrepreneur. Before I sing more of her praises, here’s a quick disclaimer: I went to high school with Amanda and we have very similar experiences when it comes to hair and identity.

Amanda’s journey to founding her brand, is rooted in motherhood. She realized that her growing daughters had never seen her with natural hair, and she wanted to embody the ‘lead by example’ maxim of parenting. In our conversation, find out how her hair journey moved from kitchen recipes to lab manufactured products for sale. And how her brand has a mission that speaks to its customers beyond haircare products and tips.

COMPANION LISTENING

Isangs Hair and Body is a Copenhagen-born and based brand co-founded by Sundra Essien. The shop is definitely worth a visit if you ever find yourself there. It has been an absolute pleasure to watch the brand’s evolution since it was first featured on SAL in the first season of the podcast back in 2020. The brand has stayed true to its ‘small by design’ founding principle and proudly serves a local market of loyal customers with products made by hand on site, and a series of hands-on educational workshops. They remain true to their principles of ‘fair trade’, social justice and sustainability. Do visit their Insta page to see how they walk the talk, to learn a few things about ‘natural’ products and cut through buzzwords like ‘chemical free’. Click below to find out more about the brand and its American-born co-founder, Sundra Essien.

ON MY MIND THIS MONTH