TALKING TITTIES with Being Frank

Guys, guys, guys.

Sam here.

For a brief moment in time, one glorious Joburg morning early this November, I felt cool. Cool and chic and effortlessly awesome. Being in the company of our Episode 8 guests, the duo that make up social entrepreneurial art club Being Frank, upped my game considerably. For two short hours I forgot about the strange colour of my son’s shit that morning and that I’d jammed to The Wiggles and Mr Golden Sun halfway to the interview before realising I could put my own music on. I was in the presence of Awesome People doing Awesome Things.

This was me capturing evidence of how cool I was at the time. Okay so, moments after taking this pic I stood up too quickly and hit my head on the shelf behind me, which sent an edgy, artsy and cooler-than-me ceramic baby ornament flying off the shelf to shatter on the floor. Cool status denied. Sorry, Shannon.

Enough about my cool game. Let me tell you about the Awesome People and the Awesome Things. Founded by freelance art directors Shannon Davis and Jo Theron, Being Frank is a social entrepreneurial art club that seeks to make a change through creativity and design. For instance, earlier this year, the duo launched a campaign called Pimp My Street Kitchen, which helped three Joburg street vendors brand their businesses, simultaneously helping beautify the city streets. Shannon and Jo not only raised enough money to buy each vendor a new street kitchen, but they also mentored the women in building their brands, understanding marketing, and saving money so they could grow their business further.

The three street vendors that benefited from Being Frank’s Pimp My Kitchen Initiative: Lady Jo’s Kitchen, Ali’s Kitchen and Busi’s Kitchen.

Okay, but let’s get to the titties part. Being Frank’s latest endeavour, inspired by Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is the Tees for Titties initiative. Shannon and Jo have partnered with Knitted Knockers South Africa for the benefit of South African women who have braved breast cancer. Think of Knitted Knockers as the Park Run of breast cancer awareness. It’s not an NGO or a profit-making scheme. It’s just a group of women, represented internationally, who come together to knit prosthetic breasts for women who have had a mastectomy and cannot afford reconstructive surgery or the more expensive prosthetic alternatives. Made with Colourspun handmade environment-friendly yarn and stuffed with pure Merino wool filling, Knitted Knockers come in your preferred breast size and skin tone.

Anyone can buy a knocker kit from the Knitted Knockers site for R50, and the finished knocker can be dropped off at any cancer clinic across South Africa. Women in need can pick one up at a clinic or they can request a knocker from the site. Either way, the knockers are free.

Colourspun works together with Knitted Knockers South Africa, providing the initiative with earth-friendly wool that’s not harsh on the environment or your skin.

Jo and Shannon, however, took it one step further. Through the Tees for Titties initiative, not only are they empowering the women who receive a knocker, they are empowering elderly ladies (and gents!), giving them purpose through each Being Frank t-shirt they sell. By buying a t-shirt from Being Frank, you donate one Knitted Knocker kit to be hand-delivered by Jo and Shannon to an elderly person in the city who will knit that knocker for someone in need.

I dunno about you guys, but not having to knit the knocker (and knowing someone else will) and getting to rock an awesome tee kinda floats my boat. Smiles all round, people. Being Frank is made up of Awesome People, doing Awesome Things and I was privileged enough to bask in their coolness for two hours one fine November morning. Colour me happy.

Here’s the full interview with Being Frank. Please like and share the love. Muchos gracias.

Look at me shine. Me (Sam Herbst, not thinking about the colour of my son’s shit that morning), with Being Frank’s Jo Theron and Shannon Davis.

Now on days I start feeling kak about myself, I don my Being Frank shirt and immediately feel better. You should do it too. It’s important to feel not-kak about yourself.

Stay strong, Mom (or Dad!).