Afro Leads

This week's guest and former "man crush Monday" post is a fabulous husband, father, teacher (former-principle no less✊🏾✊🏿✊🏽) and author... Mr Jeffrey Boakye! He was born and raised in Brixton, of Ghanaian heritage, and now resides in Yorkshire. Jeffrey has written several books- his most recent “I heard what you said” is a timely exploration of how we can dismantle racism in the classroom and do better by all our students. Jeffrey shares his insights as a former Black student, English teacher and headmaster who has often felt on the margins of the British education system. The book includes enlightening encounters based on the often challenging and sometimes outrageous things people have said to him or about him. 2023 is earmarked for the first of 3 fictional books due to be released: “Kofi and the rap battle summer” we are here for this! Jeffrey was a delight to speak to and get to know more and the pearls of wisdom which filled our conversation were fascinating and enlightening. We hope you enjoy listening to this fabulous man and author whose current and up and coming publications are a beacon of light for all society.

Hello listeners! Thanks for coming back and boy, do we have a treat in store for you this week! Our guest this episode is interior designer and entrepreneur Ms Rochelle Dalphinis! After graduating in 2009 from her degree in interior design and environmental architecture, she worked in design studios in London and Bangkok. Whilst purchasing and decorating her own home, Rochelle noticed a lack of affordable wall art and set about making her own. Her enterprise "luna spot" @lunaspotdesign was born! The brand offers an array of “beautiful, unique home design, accessories and gifting” options- most designed or made by Rochelle or thoughtfully curated by her. Find; wall prints; cutlery; tote bags bearing her key phrases from the show “champagne taste lemonade money” & “mould to gold”; candles; cups and saucers and much more! We thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet and speak with Rochelle - her positivity, warmth and wisdom are as infectious as her laughter- a real gem of a person! Happy listening!

This week's guest is Dan Sheriffe – a King who is a business owner and man with a passion for community projects in his home city of Leeds. . We first became aware of Dan’s passion for the Black community through a simple Whatsapp group – and like many, became involved with business conversations, enterprise meetings and supporting Black business ventures across the city. . Those that know Dan, know that it’s not always been plain sailing. During his youth, he had a promising career playing international football, having football scholarships and many eyes awaiting his professional football career. Unfortunately, an incident in his early twenties led to his life and work taking a different direction. He did not allow disappointment to be his legacy however. He spent his time reading and educating himself and carved the foundations of his own successful Gas Engineer enterprise. . Conversation with Dan is always enriching - enjoy the listen!

We were honoured to have Kandace Chimbiri (who writes under the name K. N. Chimbiri) – an incredible author of Black history books for children as our guest on this week's podcast! . Her books include: "Secrets of the Afro Comb: 6,000 Years of Art and Culture"; "The Story of Early Ancient Egypt"; "Step Back in Time to Ancient Kush"; "The Story of the Windrush", (a tribute to the Windrush Generation pioneers) and her latest book, "The Story of Britain’s Black Airmen" is out now! . She has also worked with museums on children’s trails, workshops, outreach projects and tours. In 2013 she was part of the community committee for the Origins of the Afro Comb: 6,000 Years Of Art and Culture exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. . Kandace Chimbiri really embodies being the change you want to see. We couldn’t be more honoured to have her on our podcast!

Today's guest is entrepreneur and co-founder of "By Aaron Wallace", Lina Barker! The is a brand was originally launched in 2016 from the "Shear and Shine" Barbershop in South London. It uses top quality natural ingredients in it's vast range of products for skin, hair and beards for Black men. Years of innovation, investigation and development by Lina and her business partner- Aaron Wallace, has paid off -By Aaron Wallace is a multi award winning brand that caters for Black men! We love to see it! It was fascinating to meet and talk to Lina to discover more about her, the brand and how it continues to evolve and grow! Enjoy listening!

Designer and entrepreneur extraordinaire Tihara Smith is wonderful - everything about her vision, passion, heritage and motivation is soooooo #afroleads. . She studied for her BA Fashion at the University for the Creative Arts Epsom. Her Windrush inspired collection is inspirational... have a look on her page to see the influence of social history and political slogans in her work. It’s plain to see the references to the #windrush movement of people from the Caribbean to the UK in the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s, celebrated across her work... provoking her own identity or stamp across each stunning piece. . One of our favourites??? 👀 The ‘You Called, We Came’ statement that is emblazoned on her stylish embroidered bags, recognising the HUGE contribution the Windrush generation have made and continue to make to the British society and the responsibility of decision makers in the industry to hire people from a wide variety of backgrounds. . It was a pleasure and honour to meet the creative behind the brand and to get the opportunity to delve a little deeper- enjoy the listen!

This week we are joined by the lovely Natel Allen, CEO of indie nail polish brand "Télle Moi". It was a genuine pleasure to meet and connect with a modest and quietly determined entrepreneur who is wired to create and discover how to do most things herself- limited colour palate for nude nail polishes and lacquer's? Natel worked out how to make her own. Website- no problem, Natel googled how to code one and it is so sophisticated! Incredible MO and the results are impeccable and Natel has done the hard work so you don't have to! An inspiring listen!

Our first guest for this new season was such a blessing- such a passionate woman clearly walking in her purpose and through it, enabling others to do the same. Bayile Adeoti is an inspiring social entrepreneur and hospitality industry expert who founded Dechomai Ltd - a social enterprise which works to empower women and youth form diverse ethnic backgrounds in leadership and enterprise through education and employment. Sit back, relax and receive the words of wisdom from this hardworking businesswomen, social entrepreneur, wife and mother.

Yes, we are BACK! Sisters Julie and Steph are on a mission to celebrate and elevate Black British Business and culture and boy do they have a season in store for you! Join them as they reflect on the journey so far and update on hopes and aspirations for the future.

What a fitting end to this season's podcast- this week's guest is non-other than Mr Mark De-Lisser! Mark is a renowned arranger, choral director, vocal coach and presenter. Mark’s musical journey started in his local church in Brixton where he went from teaching himself piano to leading the youth choir by age 15! Mark went on to formalise his musical education when he studied Vocal Music at the colchester institute, followed by an MA in vocal studies from The Central School of Speech and Drama AND a PCGE in Musical Education from the Institute of Education. This King 👑 is qualified and has taught at a number of institutions including The Brit School. Mark has coached a number of well known artists and he was also the master arranger behind the delightful rendition of “Stand by Me” sung by the Kingdom Choir at the 2018 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Always committed to improving the world through singing, Mark established choirs such as community choir Singologychoir in 2003 and the award-winning ACM gospel choir in 2008. His 2019 “Meet the Street at Christmas” show gave us a glimpse into his work and how community singing can be a powerful force against the scourge of loneliness. This passion has continued throughout the lockdowns- tune in to find out more!

This week we have been honoured by the company of barrister, youtube sensation and author, Christian Weaver. Hailing from Nottingham, this King has kept his eye on the prize from a young age. After studying for his Law degree (LLB) and then went onto study the BPTC (the course to qualify as a Barrister). Christian was called to the bar aged just 22 and he is a barrister Garden Court North Chambers. Christian is passionate about law being accessible to all and providing strong representation to those most vulnerable in society (we love to hear it)!!! This passion led for him to create – 60 second bite sized legal videos on YouTube giving the audience powerful and useful insight and education in the UK legal system. ‘The Law in 60 seconds, know your rights’ is soon to be launched in paper back – pre-order yours today! https://www.waterstones.com/book/know-your-rights/christian-weaver/9781788166492. Prepare to be educated and inspired by this incredible rising star! Instagram: @thelawin60seconds Twitter: @ChristianKamali

This week we are joined by Chrissy Patrick, founder of Ara and Obi. Ara and Obi specialise in bamboo bedding, blankets and towels, and evangelise the benefits of using bamboo based products for bedroom and bathroom linen. Through this brand we have learnt that bamboo has incredible rewards not just for the environment but also as a fabric. It’s been great to educate ourselves whilst supporting the business. Chrissy started the business in 2020 building on research undertaken when her eldest child had bad eczema which was really distressing for both mother and baby. When her son was born with similar skin sensitivities, she didn’t want to repeat the same process and frustrations. She decided to take matters into her own hands and create a brand she knew would work not only for her family, but for families everywhere. We loved meeting and finding out more about this Queen, her background, her family, and what’s next for her and the brand and we are sure you will too!

This week we are blessed with the presence of Instagram sensation, the fabulous and talented Kazvare! For those who haven’t seen her work, where have you been? You are missing out on a combination of witty and playful influences mixed with popular culture and current affairs! @Kazvaremadeit’s art and illustrative talents focus on Black culture, celebrate the Black experience and really share her sense of humour. What we love about her work, is that whether the message and illustration is a comical observation or more serious topic, the combination of her creative talent and her love of words can be seen and felt by her followers. #blackgirlmagic – each and EVERY time! We are big fans, love seeing her fanbase grow and along with many, we eagerly await each of her posts!

This week’s guest is Neal Gruer aka The Scotch Bonnet - an incredible photographer with an exceptional ability to focus on people. His amazing style and skill of using both analogue and digital cameras to portray both “philosophical intrigue and visual poetry” is insane! We feel privileged to shine a light on his sophisticated, educated and melanated journey! Born in Scotland to a Ghanaian mother and an Aberdonian father, he was raised in the suburbs of Glasgow’s Southside. He went on to study law at Edinburgh University. Following 7 years of study, he took a year-long break to travel around the world and take photographs. It was on these travels that his passion for photography firmly took hold. When he returned to the UK, he qualified as a solicitor in London and went on to practice for two years...knowing he wasn’t satisfied he searched for more and left law in 2015 to pursue photography and writing. It was soon afterwards that, in 2016 that he reached the quarter-final of Sky One Arts TV talent competition, “Master of Photography” and this King found his calling ...and has been glued to his camera ever since. In 2019, he featured in the Black & Scottish documentary by Stewart Kyasimire.

Today we are joined by the founder of Black Aristocrat Art – Glory Samjolly, a graduate of the University of the Arts London. Her brand, Black Aristocrat Art, aims to decolonise myths within art history. She also showcases her wonderful artworks on @glorysamjollyart. What we resonated with instantly, was that Black Aristocrat Art aims to remove the misconception that Black history started with the transatlantic slave trade. It paints a more accurate picture of the nobility that have been white washed and silenced through history. We also love the narrative that Black Aristocrat Art brings – that of not just highlighting beautiful art, but showing the rich stories and lives that these individuals led. What an honour to have this talented Queen on the podcast!

This week we are blessed by the presence of Jumoke Abdullahi, one half of the fabulous “Triple Cripples” – a brand and platform created by two Queens who want to represent and shine a light on disabled Black Women & Non-Binary people of colour living with disabilities. Jumoke is of Nigerian-British heritage, and an accomplished writer, speaker, expert lecturer, consultant and someone that has a great passion for social justice. She has lived experience of the intersectionality of being Black and disabled. We are truly inspired by Jumoke’s instagram travel blog @JayonLife – where you can keep up to date with her travels, recommendations and perspectives on how accessible her chosen destinations are – we definitely recommend you follow! Jumoke also is an ambassador for a charity called Star Children Initiative that works to enable and advocate for disabled youths and women in her home nation of Nigeria, as well as providing support for parents here in the UK. Listen in to get to know more about this Queen!

Needing some #movementmotivation? Look no further than this week's guest, Mr Darryl Edwards aka the fitness explorer!!! Darryl is a certified personal trainer, nutritionist, international speaker, award-winning best-selling author and movement and health coach. Darryl has developed his holistic approach to health through making lifestyle changes to improve his own health. In doing so, he discovered the joy of movement and play and has developed unique ways to inspire people “regardless of age, ability or disability to transform their health by making physical activity fun and engaging” and part of the everyday. Darryl shares his philosophy through his books such as "Paleo Fitness", "Paleo from A to Z" and "Animal moves". There are also handy card decks for home, office and kids as the fitness explorer is “on a mission to change lives through the power of primal movement and active play. "Primal Play" is the platform through which Mr Edwards has brought “a focus on fun, functional and challenging movement” that can be adapted for all, AND encourages adults to give themselves “permission” to play - check out the website!!! https://www.primalplay.com/

The first guest of season 3 is the incredible Gemma Cairney! This Queen is a multi-award winning broadcaster, author and founder of the Boomshakalaka production company. We have admired her career starting as a radio broadcaster on BBC radio 1 and Radio 6 music and also as she has broadcast on a variety of TV programmes. Gemma Cairney has written for a number of prestigious publications and of course published her book: "Open - a toolkit for how magic and messed up life can be" in 2017. Tune in to listen how this wonderful and generous "joy activist" shares more about her journey to date and mission in life.

A very warm welcome back to Season Three of our podcast! . To start things off, we look back and reflect on our fabulous guests from Season Two. . Enjoy! . Artwork by @leanne_creative Music by @antoinekiim 🎥 and podcast production by @kofi_smiles .

This week, we were joined by not one, not two but three queens! Renée Cottle and her daughters Leilani (aged 16) and Avaiyia (aged 12)! . These Queens are the proud owners and operators of 5 businesses between them! Mum Renée has @lovestormcakecakecompany, founded in 2009 and makes incredible custom cakes for all occasions; Leilani is the founder of @lovestormcupcakesbyleilani (amazing cupcakes) and @leisrags (du rags and face masks); Avaiyia is the founder of @thekookiekid (custom cookies) and @raeraesvegansauces! . This incredible family has rightly captured the attention of Forbes Magazine: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katehardcastle/2020/07/26/i-want-to-see-my-sauces-on-the-shelves-in-waitrose-as-soon-as-possible-12-year-old-entrepreneur-has-big-ambitions/?sh=14a3aa0b95cd and Avaiyia has a gofund me page https://uk.gofundme.com/f/12-year-old-creator-and-business-owner to help her upscale her budding enterprise! . Tune in to find out what makes this inspirational trio tick, how they manage to do what they do and how it all works and how their enterprises complement each other and to learn how to instil such great belief and self-determination in young people.

This week, we are joined by Mr Samuel Mensah - CEO of Uncle John’s Bakery - the No 1 Ghanaian bakery in the UK! https://theunclejohnsbakery.com/ . The company was established over 25 years ago by Samuel’s parents (John and Emelia). It was created out of the necessity of not being able to find decent substitutes for bread and other baked goods on emigrating to the UK from Ghana in 1982. The business carries the legacy and family recipes of Samuel’s grandmothers and their quality Ghanaian baked and associated goods, can now be found all over the UK, including in major retailers such as Morrison’s. They also export internationally! . If that is not enough, Samuel and 2 other entrepreneurial friends launched “The End Goal” podcast in May this year, delving into pertinent business topics, how to navigate the effects of the pandemic as well as tackling the world of business from a black perspective - an interesting and informative listen. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-end-goal-podcast/id1516700094

This week we are joined by the lovely Michael Scott and Johnathan Scott- cousins whom have teamed up to bring the world Box Lab Experience and Ultimate Learning! It all started with science teacher Michael whom was encouraged to start his Youtube channel, Ultimate Learning to reach more children with his inspiring and unique way of not only representing within education but in the field of science also. Having cousin Johnathan onboard to finesse the videos and build on the ideas has been a welcome addition to the evolution of the Ultimate Learning and now Box Lab brands. The latter is a means to have a box filled with exciting experiments for children aged 7-12 to enjoy at home- perfect for these home schooling times! Check them out: Ultimate Learning channel on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSkN-DD5zk0uLrGq-as3uA and Box Lab Experience on https://boxlab.store/ you and your kids will not be disappointed!

Today we are joined by the one, the only @sanchezpayne! . This King has been in the spotlight since the tender age of 7 when he was interviewed for and featured in the groundbreaking “7 up 2000” documentary. . Since then, @sanchezpayne honed his skills on the football ⚽️ pitch and played for @leedsunited and @hydeunitedofficial. . Cut to now and @sanchezpayne has enjoyed success in the music industry as a DJ with a residency in Ibiza, music event organiser with his brands @dbaeventsuk and @legacy.uk and also as a presenter on @bbcradioleeds. . @sanchezpayne has recently been announced as the first ever day time radio presenter on the newly launched BBC Radio Bradford weekdays 10am till 2pm! Check him out online, DAB or the BBC sounds app for great guests, music and conversation!

This week's lovely guest is Deborah Ajaja, the talented and creative queen who founded Colour Celebrations after the birth of her son in 2018. https://colourcelebrations.com/ Deborah has created the only company that offers baby milestone cards and luxury gifting for Black and mixed race babies. What we love is that Colour Celebrations empowers parents to celebrate both developmental baby milestones and cultural milestones in a fun and impactful way #representationmatters! Additionally Deborah is Head of Change Managed Services at KPMG!!! Is there anything that this Queen cannot do? Listen to find out more about her and this fabulous brand.

This week, we are joined by the inspirational multi-award winning entrepreneur, international speaker, martial artist, engineer & pilot! Mr Nathaniel Peat! Nathaniel is the founder of the multi-award winning social enterprise The Safety Box®; a company whose training and development programmes helps with reducing youth violence & helps young people develop important social and commercial skills. https://www.thesafetybox.org/. Nathaniel is also: a patron of the Ernst & Young (or “EY”) Foundation; Chairman of Jamaicans Inspired https://www.jamaicans-inspired.com/; and co-founder of GeNNex Solar to name but a few of the enterprises he is involved with https://gennex.co/ELITE/. In 2017 Mr Peat was entered into the UK Black Powerlist and BAME 100 Top Board Index List. Listen to find out more about the man behind the brand, what drives him and what makes him strive for more and to help others in the process.

This week we are blessed by the presence of fabulous guest, the wonderful Athena Kugblenu. This incredible multi-award winning comedian is a member of the BBC Comedy Room 2019/20 a 2017 nominee for the 99 Club Female Comedians’ Bursary regularly writes for @BBCRadio4. Athena has written for Horrible Histories, The Russell Howard Hour and Radio 4’s The Lenny Henry Show to name just a few of the comedy shows she has contributed to. Since 2017, Athena has featured at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with her show "KMT" aka "kiss mi teeth". Her second celebrated hour was "Follow the Leader", a political show with a personal twist. She’s a founding member of Do the Right Scene, a London based improv group: https://www.hooplaimpro.com/BAME Athena also has a fabulous podcast: Keeping Athena Company, which we love! https://www.athenakugblenu.co.uk/podcast/ Check out her website for more information about up and coming gigs and further projects: https://www.athenakugblenu.co.uk/

Today we are joined by the sensational multi-award wining Marverine Cole: journalist,TV, radio and podcast presenter, broadcaster, radio producer, screenwriter, media trainer, lecturer AND beer sommelier. Marverine is a fine ambassador for her home city of Birmingham and has worked with several household networks including 5 news and Sky news. Her “Black girls don’t cry” documentary on BBC Radio 4 was awarded the Bupa Mind Media Journalist of the year award in 2019. Marverine is passionate about beer, so much so that she is an accredited beer sommelier, has been writing about it for over 10 years including on her former blog, Beer Beauty and is now a recent addition as a beer writer for BBC Good Food. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/best-beer-gifts Her podcast, “Fabulous Woman Podcast” is available on Spotify and Apple which is all about being intentional about bringing “inspiration, triumph and joy”, something the world most definitely needs more of! You can listen here: https://open.spotify.com/show/7DE5mpDR0W59spBvfZVjZN?si=PbaWzLStSSuBkywS7O2uuA Marverine BBC Good Food: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/author/marverinecole BBC 4 "Black Girls Don't Cry"" https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b9zfws. Artwork by @leanne_creative Music by @antoinekiim Podcast produced by @kofi_smiles

Today we are blessed with the presence and wisdom of Mr Ayo Akinwolere WORLD Record Swimmer, writer, dj and award-winning broadcaster! We delve into finding more about his background- what it was like immigrating to UK at age 8 and learn about his experiences growing up in Birmingham. We discuss everything from: - assimilation - appreciation of one's culture and heritage - the journey to becoming one's authentic self - how he came to reclaim his Nigerian roots - Ayo's glittering career to date - THAT swim challenge - what he is currently working on at the moment! What a King, one whom continually uses his platform to encourage, educate and empower others to BE better and DO better for a brighter future for all! We need more people like you in the world

Hello and a very warm welcome back to Season Two! In this week's episode, founders Steph and Julie look back and reflect on our fabulous guests from Season One. We hope you enjoy this stroll down memory lane! Artwork by @leanne_creative Music by @aintoinekiim Production by @kofi_smiles

Today we are blessed by the presence of a phenomenal woman- daughter, sister, wife, mother, multi-award winning GP including North West Faculty GP of the year 2019, Transformational speaker and Coach, diversity and inclusion advocate and founder of Black Women In Health @bwihnetwork! Dr Omon Imohi MD, MRCGP, DFSRH no less! Since recording- @dromon_imohi has added podcast host and author to her many achievements!!! https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/elevate-omon-imohi-8DZE32QcW-y/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/7Rs-Greatness-Awaken-Within/dp/B08KJ66FDT In addition to delivering excellence in her medical career, Dr Imohi strives to make the world better for others through her transformational speaking and coaching. Find out more about what drives this exceptional woman to strive for and deliver excellence in all that she does. Be it in medicine, coaching, business - whatever she turns her hands to, Dr Imohi gives it her all and encourages those around her to do the same and to unleash their full potential - A true inspiration and a fitting end to season one!

This week, we have been blessed by the presence, drive and wisdom of Ms Chloé Elliott- the Founder and creator of @curlygalchlo and @odysseyboxuk! Find out more about the incredible woman and force behind both brands and about how they both came to be. Both brands seek to educate and empower and uplift the culture and black businesses and after meeting Ms Elliott, it is clear why! Join us, and prepare to be motivated and inspired! Artwork by @leanne_creative Music by @antoinekiim Podcast produced by @kofi_smiles

We are blessed by the presence of illustrator and entrepreneur Ms Nicola Lespeare- founder of the eponymously named greeting card and gift company @nicolalespeare! Like so many great creatives, Ms Lespeare put her energy into using her talent to create a solution to her frustration at the lack of representation in the greeting card industry- one we are thrilled with as it truly benefits and blesses us all. Listen into Nicola share the journey of her brand to date and share pearls of wisdom for a healthy and positive attitude to life, entrepreneurship and for doing your part in uplifting the community. Artwork by @leanne_creative; Music by @antoinekiim; Podcast produced by @kofi_smiles.

We have been humbled by the presence of 2 Queens- Olivia Lynch @liv_21 and Danyelle @danyelle_mx the hosts of the fabulously entertaining Up The M1 Podcast @UpTheM1Podcast. These two fellow Yorkshire lasses did not disappoint- we love their energy and enthusiasm and dedication to adding to and broadening the perception of Black Britain. We love how they delve into pop culture and also topical events with incredible insights and passion and how they effortlessly segway between the light and not so light topics. Artwork by @leanne_creative Music by @antoinekiim Podcast produced by @kofi_smiles

We speak to the wonderfully talented NikNak DJ @niknakdjmusic aka Nicole Raymond - DJ/turntablist, qualified sound engineer and radio presenter! We talk about her incredible and varied career and how she brings sweet and eclectic tunes to the masses. We discuss her inspiration and notable people she has worked with and also touch on passions within her life besides music. Artwork by @leanne_creative Music by @antoinekiim Podcast produced by @kofi_smiles

Today we speak to the incredible designer and creative force behind the @urbanizedneckwear brand, SJ! @sjdesigneruk. Let this fabulous woman bless you with her wisdom and uplifting manner. We talk about the launch of her business, how it has developed into a brand and how it grew from a place of healing after combating adversity. The embodiment of positivity- her energy is infectious and her talent, undeniable! Artwork by @leanne_creative Music by @antoinekiim Podcast produced by @kofi_smiles.

The delightful and wonderfully innovative Okungbaiye brothers (John and Joshua), founders of @highspiritbags join us today. We discuss the birth of their brand which has brought stylish anti-theft backpacks with their unique patented solution to the world- definite must haves for keeping “stylishly secure”. We enjoyed getting to know more about the men behind the brand, their journey to date and plans for the future. Artwork by @leanne_creative Music by @antoinekiim Podcast produced by @kofi_smiles

We are honoured by the presence of Editor Extraordinare- Mr JJ Anisiobi @jjanisiobi, the deputy digital content director of OKonline! He gives us a candid glimpse into his international media career. It is refreshing to learn how at each stage he was mentored by others in the culture and how he strives to do the same- and on an even larger scale through the @BlackBritishMediaSociety he and others have recently founded. That’s not all- this King is also a dj- one part of the @orangesodaduo. Sit back, relax and enjoy this entertaining wordsmith relay his journey and plant seeds of encouragement for us all. Jasmine Lord OK Magazine article: https://www.ok.co.uk/lifestyle/under-representation-women-colour-work-22155668 Artwork by @leanne_creative Music by @antoinekiim Podcast produced by @kofi_smiles

We are joined by the fabulous Leanne Armstrong: illustrator, graphic designer and entrepreneur whom designed our podcast artwork!!!! @leanne_creative. We find out about her business’s inception on Etsy following success as an illustrator in an international competition. In addition to the fabulous designs which leanne has made available on a range of cards and gifts- Leanne also illustrates books. We find out more about this incredible woman, her other passions in life and plans for the future…. Artwork by @leanne_creative Music by @antoinekiim Podcast produced by @kofi_smiles.

Welcome to the first episode of Afro Leads- the podcast! Join us, the founders Steph Amor and Julie Duodu as we discuss why we created our @afro_leads instagram page and why we have now branched out into the world of podcasts. Listen in as we provide our own answers to the “melanin magic” question Find out more about the two Queens behind the brand! Artwork by @leanne_creative Music by @antoinekiim Podcast produced by @kofi_smiles

Join us as we bring our unique instagram page and content to life through conversations with the great men and women, the Kings and Queens, behind the brilliant brands and incredible achievements we have posted about on @afro_leads. We endeavour to dig even deeper and to further uplift and empower the culture. We are indebted to each of our fabulous guests whom have given up their time for our podcast- we hope their presence and gems of wisdom bless you as it has blessed us! Tune in every week for great conversation, encouragement and a celebration of UK Black Business and Culture. Artwork by @leanne_creative Music by @antoinekiim Podcast produced by @kofi_smiles.