The Spirit of Alchemy

Bobby Forssman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyforssman/

Rehema Isa

For all enquiries: tanna@workpods.co.za

Remember: you don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

She Didn't Just Build a Brewery. She Reclaimed a Story. | Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela— Episode 8

tanna@workpods.co.za (Bobby Forssman, Rehema Isa, Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela) — Tue, 5 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we sit with Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela, founder of Tolokazi Beer & Cider and Brewsters Academy, for a conversation about ancestry, collapse, and what it takes to rebuild when everything falls apart. Apiwe was the first woman to qualify as a professional brewer in South Africa. She built a multimillion-rand brewery, lost it all during COVID, and then built it back on her own terms.

This is a story about more than beer. It is about what happens when your business becomes the vessel for something much older than yourself.

✨ In This Episode

Losing a fully funded brewery during COVID and nearly losing her home
The ancestral connection between the Tolokazi clan and African brewing traditions
Why her real passion has never been having her name on a bottle
Using indigenous ingredients like sorghum and marula to tell an African story
How a LinkedIn post led to a three-year international distribution deal
Rebuilding self-funded through consulting work in Rwanda and Malawi
The African Renaissance as a business philosophy, not just a concept
What she would do differently if she started over

🌟 Why This Story Matters

Apiwe's story is one of the most honest entrepreneurial journeys we have had on this show. She does not dress up the collapse or rush past the low points. She sat in the wreckage, worked out the worst that could happen, and then moved. What she is building now is not just a brewery. It is a living argument that African tradition belongs on the global stage, and that the people who carry those traditions forward do not always get to take the easy road.

Get in Touch with Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apiwe-nxusani-mawela-741bbb2b/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tolokazi_thebrewster?igsh=YmowMTVhN3Fzc3k2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apiwe.nxusani

Tolokazi Beer & Cider

Website: https://tolokazibeer.co.za/about-us/

Email: info@tolokazibeer.co.za

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tolokazibeer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tolokazibeer_cider?igsh=MWF1cXllYnl1MHF4OA==

Brewsters Academy

Website: https://www.brewstersacademy.co.za/

Email: info@brewstersacademy.co.za

The Spirit of Alchemy

Hosted by Bobby Forssman and Rehema Isa.

Stay Connected to the Journey ✨

The Spirit of Alchemy

Instagram: @thespiritofalchemy_

TikTok: @thespiritofalchemy

YouTube: The Spirit of Alchemy Podcast

Bobby Forssman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyforssman/

Rehema Isa

For all enquiries: tanna@workpods.co.za

Remember: you don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

Episode 7 | Thato Rampedi: From Failing Engineering to Building a Digital Empire

tanna@workpods.co.za (Bobby Forssman, Rehema Isa, Thato Rampedi) — Tue, 7 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we unpack:

How Thato’s journey into content creation started in university
The early days of YouTube in South Africa and building without validation
The difference between a content creator and an influencer
Why storytelling is the most powerful tool in a world driven by AI
The reality of content creation: consistency, patience, and no immediate rewards
Turning content into income—and why it’s harder than it looks
The shift from personal brand to building a scalable business
Lessons from failed models, experimentation, and reinvention
The importance of intentionality in building both content and life
Curating your inner circle and designing your environment for growth

The Spirit of Alchemy

Hosted by Bobby Forssman and Rehema Isa.

Stay Connected to the Journey ✨

The Spirit of Alchemy

Instagram: @thespiritofalchemy_

TikTok: @thespiritofalchemy

YouTube: The Spirit of Alchemy Podcast

Bobby Forssman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyforssman/

Rehema Isa

For all enquiries: tanna@workpods.co.za

Remember: you don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

Episode 6 | Eleve Verde: Healing, Plants & Possibility

tanna@workpods.co.za (Bobby Forssman, Rehema Isa, Eddie Nyarkoh) — Tue, 3 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Thank you for tuning into The Spirit of Alchemy, a podcast sharing entrepreneurs’ life stories of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.

In this episode, we sit with Eddie Nyarkoh, founder of Eleve Verde (meaning Elevate Green), for a fascinating conversation on healing, intention and building a wellness brand rooted in both science and spirit.

What began as a personal search for relief from chronic pain became a journey into plant medicine, conscious entrepreneurship, and global vision. From studying Math and Computer Science and working in IT to founding a cannabis-infused wellness company with dreams of exhibiting at Spannabis in Spain, Eddie’s story is one of calculated courage and intentional growth.

This is a conversation about balance, in the body, in business and in life.

✨ In This Episode

• Turning personal pain into entrepreneurial purpose

• The science behind cannabinoids and homeostasis

• What “start low, go slow” really means

• Building a wellness brand with integrity and intention

• Why culture in business is everything

• Moving beyond the idea of a “side hustle”

• Balancing corporate life with visionary entrepreneurship

• From Johannesburg to the international stage

🌟 Why This Story Matters

This Episode is a reminder that transformation often begins with discomfort. It shows us that healing can be both deeply personal and powerfully entrepreneurial and that building something meaningful requires patience, vision and daily intention.

Eddie’s journey reflects a new generation of entrepreneurs who are blending science, spirituality and strategy to create businesses that don’t just generate income but restore balance.

Because sometimes, elevating green isn’t just about plants, it’s about raising consciousness, culture and possibility.

Get in Touch with Eleve Verde:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eleveverde/

The Spirit of Alchemy

Hosted by Bobby Forssman and Rehema Isa.

Stay Connected to the Journey ✨

The Spirit of Alchemy

Instagram: @thespiritofalchemy_

TikTok: @thespiritofalchemy

YouTube: The Spirit of Alchemy Podcast

Bobby Forssman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyforssman/

Rehema Isa

For all enquiries: tanna@workpods.co.za

Remember: you don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

Where Food Becomes Love: Anele and the Practice of Nourishment

tanna@workpods.co.za (Anele Sangweni, Rehema Isa, Bobby Forssman) — Tue, 3 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Food is one of our oldest languages — a way we express love, preserve memory, and care for one another.

In this episode of The Spirit of Alchemy, hosts Bobby Forssman and Rehema Isa sit with Anele, founder of Sweet Thymes, to explore how nourishment became both her calling and her practice. Trained in accounting but shaped by her family kitchen and a deep curiosity for food, Anele shares how she chose to leave corporate life in order to build something rooted in joy, care and community.

Together, they explore growing up between worlds, honouring ancestral food knowledge, building a business alongside motherhood and creating work environments where women can thrive. This conversation reflects on village, legacy and the long view, planting seeds you may never personally harvest but trusting that they will feed generations to come.

An intimate and grounding episode about choosing softness in a hard world, and discovering where food becomes love.

The Spirit of Alchemy

Hosted by Bobby Forssman and Rehema Isa.

Stay Connected to the Journey ✨

The Spirit of Alchemy

Instagram: @thespiritofalchemy_

TikTok: @thespiritofalchemy

YouTube: The Spirit of Alchemy Podcast

Bobby Forssman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyforssman/

Rehema Isa

For all enquiries: tanna@workpods.co.za

Remember: you don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

The Silhouette of Self: KandyBoi and the Art of Becoming

tanna@workpods.co.za (Kagiso Mokoena, KandyBoi, Rehema Isa, Bobby Forssman) — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 07:18:13 +0000

The Silhouette of Self: KandyBoi and the Art of Becoming is a conversation about fashion not as trend, but as language — a way of expressing identity, confidence, and inner alignment.

In this episode of The Spirit of Alchemy, hosts Bobby and Rehema sit down with Kagiso “KandyBoi” Mokoena, South African fashion designer, stylist, and creative director, to unpack the philosophy behind his work and the personal journey that shaped it. Known for bold couture, sculptural silhouettes, and an unapologetic celebration of the feminine form, KandyBoi reveals that his brand is not built on garments alone, but on how people feel when they wear them.

From sketching designs at fourteen to officially launching his brand in 2017, Kagiso’s journey is one of self-teaching, patience, and intentional growth. He speaks openly about being “delusional” in pursuit of his vision — not as fantasy, but as disciplined self-belief and trust in his own clarity. For KandyBoi, becoming is not rushed. It is cultivated.

Together, the conversation explores:

• Fashion as an extension of identity rather than an external performance
• The female silhouette as a canvas for confidence, presence, and power
• Why how a client feels matters more than how they look
• Building a bespoke brand rooted in trust, listening, and energy alignment
• Protecting mental health as a non-negotiable part of entrepreneurship
• Learning every part of the craft before scaling or delegating
• Choosing alignment over money — even when it means walking away
• Growing alongside peers rather than chasing status or celebrity
• Patience, long-term vision, and redefining success on your own terms
• Legacy, mentorship, and creating pathways for the next generation

KandyBoi’s story challenges fast-growth culture and redefines success as self-honouring, intentional, and deeply human. It is a reminder that when identity, energy, and action align, the work speaks for itself.

This episode is an invitation to consider how you are shaping your own silhouette, and what it means to become with integrity.

The Spirit of Alchemy

Hosted by Bobby Forssman and Rehema Isa.

Stay Connected to the Journey ✨

The Spirit of Alchemy

Instagram: @thespiritofalchemy_

TikTok: @thespiritofalchemy

YouTube: The Spirit of Alchemy Podcast

Bobby Forssman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyforssman/

Rehema Isa

For all enquiries: tanna@workpods.co.za

Remember: you don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

The Circle of Ikigai: How Purpose Becomes Permanent

tanna@workpods.co.za (Gareth Miller, Bobby Forssman, Rehema Isa) — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Step into a story where purpose meets permanence: a journey shaped by artistic instinct, discipline, and the quiet alchemy of becoming.

In this episode, hosts Bobby Forssman and Rehema Isa sit with Gareth Miller, founder of Circle of Ikigai Tattoo Studio, to explore how tattooing became more than a craft, it became a philosophy of life. With no formal training and limited resources, Gareth taught himself through curiosity, repetition, and embodied learning, using his own body as a canvas and commitment to mastery as his guide.

Together, they explore:
• Losing direction and rediscovering purpose
• Ikigai as a lived philosophy, not a concept
• Tattooing as permanent storytelling and responsibility
• Learning through embodiment, discipline, and trial
• Cultural stigma, ancestral roots, and reclamation
• Choosing purpose without permission

Through honesty, humour, reflection, and lived wisdom, this conversation reveals what it truly means to align what you love, what you do, and who you are, and to allow purpose to leave a permanent mark.

The Spirit of Alchemy

Hosted by Bobby Forssman and Rehema Isa.

Stay Connected to the Journey ✨

The Spirit of Alchemy

Instagram: @thespiritofalchemy_

TikTok: @thespiritofalchemy

YouTube: The Spirit of Alchemy Podcast

Bobby Forssman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyforssman/

Rehema Isa

For all enquiries: tanna@workpods.co.za

Remember: you don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

Alchemy in the Soil: Zama’s Journey from Tradition to Transformation

tanna@workpods.co.za (Zama Shabalala, Rehema Isa, Bobby Forssman) — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Step into a story where ancestral wisdom meets modern innovation: a journey shaped in the soil of Thembisa and refined through the quiet alchemy of becoming.

In this episode, hosts Bobby and Rehema sit with Zama Shabalala, biotechnologist, entrepreneur, founder of Earthling Emily, and a son of herbalists who transformed lineage into legacy. Together, they explore:

• The influence of growing up with traditional herbal medicine and herbal healing
• How biotechnology opened the doorway to plant medicine and cannabis research
• The courage to challenge norms, including stopping a national brewery beer line
• Building Earthling Emily and pioneering accessible cannabis wellness
• The deeper mission: community upliftment, spiritual wellness, and surrendering to purpose

Through raw honesty, laughter, reflection, and the wisdom of lived experience, this conversation reveals what it truly means to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, and why surrendering to the unfolding often leads us exactly where we’re meant to be.

Connect with Zama:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zama_shabbaranks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zama.shabalala.5/

Earthling Emily:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthling_emily_/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@earthling_emily

Website: https://earthlingemily.com/

The Spirit of Alchemy

Hosted by Bobby Forssman and Rehema Isa.

Stay Connected to the Journey ✨

The Spirit of Alchemy

Instagram: @thespiritofalchemy_

TikTok: @thespiritofalchemy

YouTube: The Spirit of Alchemy Podcast

Bobby Forssman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyforssman/

Rehema Isa

For all enquiries: tanna@workpods.co.za

Remember: you don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

From Soweto to the World: The Story of Conza’s Biscuits

tanna@workpods.co.za (Bobby Forssman, Rehema Isa, Rhulani Chauke, Randzo Chauke) — Tue, 2 Dec 2025 08:10:58 +0000

Step into the fragrant world of Conza’s Biscuits, a story rooted in Soweto kitchens long before sunrise, where a mother’s love, a timeless recipe, and the unbreakable bond of sisterhood shaped a legacy that continues to rise.

In this inaugural episode of The Spirit of Alchemy, hosts Bobby and Rehema sit with sisters Rhulani and Randzu, whose journey uncovers the poetic truth of entrepreneurship: that the most powerful stories begin in ordinary moments, carried forward by extraordinary women.

Together, they explore:

• The matriarchal foundation that gave life to Conza’s Biscuits
• Growing up in the rhythm of early-morning baking and informal trade
• How sisterhood became their greatest business strength
• Fires that forged resilience: financial loss, displacement, sabotage, and rebuilding
• The creation of a reseller network empowering more than 50 families
• Their mother’s enduring influence and the legacy she passed on
• Dreams of taking Soweto’s vanilla biscuit to the world

Through laughter, truth, and deeply personal reflection, the sisters share how a single product can hold memory, meaning, and possibility. Their story is a testament to turning adversity into abundance, and transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Connect with Conza’s Biscuits:
Website: https://conzasbiscuits.co.za/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biscuits_insoweto
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@conzas_in
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1863746717218744

The Spirit of Alchemy

Hosted by Bobby Forssman and Rehema Isa.

Stay Connected to the Journey ✨

The Spirit of Alchemy

Instagram: @thespiritofalchemy_

TikTok: @thespiritofalchemy

YouTube: The Spirit of Alchemy Podcast

Bobby Forssman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyforssman/

Rehema Isa