TYG!

There’s a really poignant quote in one of Disney’s Oscar winning movies ‘Ratatouille’ (2009) directed by Brad Bird, where the character Gaustou says “Anyone can be a hero, but only the fearless can be great”, and I’ve always resonated with that line because people who are willing to make bold choices will always reap the benefits of success and what better than young entrepreneurs who venture out into the business world to accomplish wonders with their dreams and visions. Case in point with Shannon Erasmus, a young girl born and raised in the windy city of Port Elizabeth, made it her mission to have her own casual wear clothing line that will be found on her Instagram business page. The idea and name arose to her back in high school where she attended Westering High School and matriculated in 2011, back then it seemed but a mere dream one that wasn’t feasible but as she grew older and the more thought she gave it, the more it seemed like a good idea, something she could build given she applied herself and found resources to lift it up. Studying for her Bachelor of Arts at Nelson Mandela University and being acquaintances with the fashion students on North Campus made her realise her dream to build her own clothing is something that can very much happen. With having no job experiences prior to her teaching career, only working in casual retails stores left her with room in her free time to accomplish this clothing line dream. Not to mention working in a retail store in another influence that contributed to the idea, having background experiences in working with customers, knowing how to price the work, etc. but at the moment, all her time is being spent on her newly established brand called, TYG, Tell Your Granny. Set to be realised this winter 2021, she’s spending a fair bit of time getting the project onto the market.

Shannon believes that this doesn’t feel like work to her, and quote “I often sit up until the early hours of the morning trying to level up and better my work.” One thing that really stood out for me was her strong philosophy, she believes in the quote, “whatever you water, will grow” and she applies this quote to her business, her personal life and her friendships. She waters aspects of her life that benefits her in the long game and how she would want to lead her life forward. She believes in order to be successful, she needs to metaphorically water her work ethic, and her strong characteristics and improve on those traits in order to attain a successful and fruitful life and business. Tell Your Granny first started as an Instagram handle and soon everyone around her started addressing her as “Tell Your Granny” and soon her social media alter ego turned into an online hobby that she could profit from. The branding of the company was the result of inspiration that she took from her granny who she looked up to as a hero and role model. The logo of her brand comes from a pendent her gran gifted her many years ago and the vision and mission of her company of her grannies’ traits are evident in the company too. So her company Tell Your Granny is a way of her keeping her granny’s legacy moving forward. The brand is meant to be an extension of Shannon and her work aims to send self-love, positivity and acceptance and that we should aim to embrace ourselves and others more.

Seeking business opportunities is something Shannon spends a great deal focusing on, setting a goal and then listing the steps the steps in order to achieve her goal is the first thing, not just a matter of taking action but Shannon has a group of “advisors” around her, people who influence her life to a great deal and seeks their opinions too if an idea arises. She would like to think that this isn’t weakness or invasion but humbleness, learning from those around you will save you pain in the future she believes.

The pricing for TYG involves taking the costs of making the item, the time, effort and human resources that contribute to making and delivering the final product to the customers. All these factors get taken into considered into he t-shirts, shirts, bucket hats and beanies. Minimalism the trend she’s the biggest fan of and tries to include it into her business too. Less is definitely more. Simplicity and elegance will always be timeless.

In conclusion, future plans for the brand is making sure that Tell Your Granny is to become a platform for artists as much as a lot of the focus right now is on the fashion aspect. There’s a lot more up this young entrepreneurs sleeve and in five years’ time, we should expect great things to happen.