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Hello Podfriend!

Happy November! Or is it Dezemba? Winter is settling in very nicely up here in the north, and my social feed is showing me that Dezemba may already be in full swing in the Southern Hemisphere. While I’ve learned to love a wintry December over the 15+ years I’ve been away from Mzansi, nothing will ever compare with Dezemba, and it is my goal to experience that joy again soon.

I’m fresh from the Black Podcasting Awards , which took place in Baltimore. Although we didn’t win, we already are winners since Shades and Layers was a nominee in the Best Longtime Podcast category. It was lovely to meet so many amazing Black podcasters from the USA and the diaspora. You can read more about how it all went down, later in the newsletter. You can clearly see in the main pic that a good time was had at the Motor House, a creative space with a cafe and a theatre. I quite liked their African wax print decor and the intimate theatre where the ceremony was held.

In this edition we have:

-SAL Update

-And now for that something special

-On My Mind, and

-Giving me Joy

Before we get into the newsletter, I have one favor to ask you: please share this newsletter with a friend and ask them to join the squad. If this edition was shared with you, the click on the button below to get all the editions and be the first in the know about everything SAL.

Alright pod friends, let’s do it!

SAL UPDATE

SAL STORIES YOU CAN GIFT 2025

As I’ve said many times before, Shades and Layers is nothing without you the listeners and the guests who share their time to tell their stories. This month I’m urging you to revisit an episode from Season 3 which was published in November of 2021, just over a year after launching. It features Thabisa Mjo, the vivacious and talented founder of the Johannesburg-based design company, Mash T Design Studio. The studio is famous for the Tutu Light and Mjojo Cabinet . Since it was founded nearly ten years ago, the studio has been rising in profile and growing from strength to strength, winning multiple awards and collaborating with famous international design houses, including Dolce & Gabana Casa. The aforementioned designs are part of the Louvre's collection at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾 

In this conversation we not only talk the ins and outs of running a creative company, but also the passion behind the work, the nature of collaboration in this industry, having a seat at the table, the meaning of accolades and the importance of being validated by your family. 

And now for that something special …

The reason you should hear this conversation with Thabisa again (or for the first time) is because Mash T Design Studio is featured on our upcoming inaugural Gift Guide/Inspiration as one of the founders making objects to treasure or gift to someone special. She is one of the founders who are aligned with Shades and Layers’ mission to support entrepreneurs who are dedicated to their practice and making an impact through amplifying their cultural heritage and/or preserving cultural crafts and artisanal practices. This year’s featured brands serve as catalysts to ideas for gifts, and are inspired by the conversations that Shades and Layers favors. As a newsletter subscriber you will be the first to catch a glimpse of our special guide. Please look out for it in your inbox and share it with others and encourage them to be part of the fun.

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ON MY MIND THIS MONTH