Hello Podfriend!

Greetings from Boston! The summer just refuses to arrive in this part of the world. While writing most of this edition, I was sitting at the library (my office) with a shawl around my shoulders, it was pouring down and the temperature at a balmy 9*C. Come now, it’s almost June! Hopefully this week’s rains will be the last of the season. The lead photo is meant to summon the weather I want to experience for the next few months.

Hope all of you moms, deputy moms, aunties and other mother figures had a great Mother’s Day this year. Mine was beyond splendid! It was great to lie in on a Sunday, something that doesn’t happen often, have breakfast and lunch that I hadn’t prepared myself served to me. I also managed to squeeze in the first game of tennis for the season. Whoop!

The web edition of this newsletter features a photo of the meal that my little menfolk prepared, without assistance from the parents: grilled cheese with blueberries and grilled tomato soup. 🥰

There’s a lot to get through today, so let’s get to it: shall we? Oh, remember to share with your friends and as them to join in the fun at SAL.

Here’s what’s coming up :

-Studio Update

-Also This Month

-On My Mind This Month

Alright pod friends, let’s get to business!

STUDIO UPDATE

We’ve never had a filmmaker on the podcast, so I’m stoked that Johannesburg-based writer/director, Karabo Lediga is the first one. WOOP! She is currently riding the wave of her debut feature called Sabbatical, a mother-daughter story that must been seen by everyone for its honesty, humor and top tier entertainment value.

The main character, Lesego was a high flying corporate type on a CEO track when a professional scandal forces her to return to her childhood home and confront the truth of her relationship with her overbearing and judgmental mother, Doris. I won’t give away much about the film…

…But I will definitely tell you that my conversation with Karabo offers so many insights into the South African and Global film world. We get into her career trajectory, how to network and how funding works in the film industry. We also discuss her other credits, including Netflix’s first Africa Original, Queen Sono, her very own award-winning short film, What did You Dream . She also briefly touches on her winning partnership with her filmmaker/comedian/actor brother, Kagiso Lediga and sister-in-law, Tasmin Andersson at the independent film house, Diprente. Tasmin’s producer credits include Queen Sono and my absolute favorite good laugh, Big Nunu’s Little Heist 

PS. Sabbatical will be available on Amazon Prime from the 6th of July.

ALSO THIS MONTH

BUILDING A LEGACY

When Shaina Rainford started losing her hair due to COVID-19, she dug deep into the family vault. Five years before her own experience with hair loss, Shaina’s younger sister went through her own hair loss journey. The person who solved the puzzle both times was their mom. 🥳

When doctors told the family that her sister’s hair will never grow back, mom was not interested in the negative talk. She researched some natural ingredients and herbs that she could use on a child’s scalp, and created a concoction in her kitchen lab. Today, that formula is now Bask and Lather’s top selling product, their Hair Elixir Oil. 🪄

Shaina Rainford took that formula and built a robust family business that she plans to pass on to her children. Find out about some of Bask and Lather Co’s big milestones over the past five years of operation.

PAIR IT WITH

DERMHAIR DOC

“Not all hair loss is created equal, so there is no ‘one-size-fits-all or a magic pill to fix it.” That’s from a post on Dr. Sharleen St. Surin Lord’s Instagram account. She is a dermatologist with her own hair loss treatment and she says that getting a medical consultation before putting anything on your scalp is something she recommends. Only 1% of doctors in the US are dermatologists, so there’s a long waiting time, but she promises that it’s worth the wait. I spoke to Dr. Sharleen in July 2022 and some of her wisdom is still valid today.

ON MY MIND THIS MONTH