Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobby Morong.
Hi Bobby, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Training Ties® were invented by me, Bobby Morong or as my students knew me “Mr. M”. I had been a Physical Education and Special Education Elementary School Teacher in and around Boston for over 20 years. Unfortunately, COVID caused my district to eliminate my position in early 2020 so after all of my life being a teacher, I suddenly found myself at a loss without a career.
I had always made it a point to teach my students how to tie their shoes. It was one of my favorite units to teach in class because of the instant pride that exudes from each student after they learn. My favorite reaction is when they would run over to a friend who didn’t know yet and they’d show their friend how to tie their shoes…and on and on it would go. I take pride in instilling confidence and independence within my students. Telling someone how to do something is one thing, but showing them how to do it themselves is what it’s all about for me.
For years during my shoe tying lessons, I’d make little tools and provide numerous methods for my students to try to learn. As I kept tinkering with tools that helped my students learn shoe tying, I stumbled on a simple tool and method that revolutionized shoe tying in my classes. The process of teaching students to tie their shoes went from a multiple week unit…to a one day unit in which over 90% of my students, regardless of their age or ability level were able to successfully tie their shoes after just one lesson. For years I’ve been using this simple tool in my classes with unbelievable success.
After being let go due to COVID, my beautiful and intelligent wife suggested I start a business based on my simple tool. So…I did! I invented Training Ties to aid in the learning process like Training Wheels does for bike riding. Training Ties DO NOT tie your shoes for you, they help you learn HOW to tie shoes. Other shoe tying aids like Velcro, Lock Laces, Hickies, etc. all skip the learning, which eventually leads to becoming reliant on them.
Training Ties also help KEEP laces tied throughout the day so seniors, people with back pain, my wife when she was pregnant and anyone who doesn’t want to bend over to tie their shoes throughout the day doesn’t have to anymore. My son who is 5 months old wears Training Ties and so do his grandparents.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nope! But I wouldn’t change a thing. I wasn’t sure where to start as far as manufacturing a product that I had invented and had been making for my students. I tried to find manufacturers all over the country, but kept striking out. Eventually, I found a leather manufacturer in the town I used to work (Randolph, MA) called Curry’s Leather who have been amazing.
I had no funds to start so I attempted to run a Kickstarter, but my first attempt failed. Luckily, during my first attempt, I had someone reach out to me saying they loved my idea and they’d like to help me run a successful Kickstarter campaign and they did. With that money and from a loan from my local credit union I had the money I needed to manufacture Training Ties and build a quality website.
I’ve spent countless hours and money on learning things that I rarely ended up using (Amazon Seller, Jungle Scout, Facebook Ads courses, Clickfunnels, countless work platforms like BaseCamp, ClickUp, Trello, etc. I’ve taken so many online courses learning how to do so many skills that I still haven’t become proficient in but I’m still trying! I’ve hired a number of Virtual Assistant companies that have not gone well and have cost me money and time. I’ve been a part of Virtual Expo’s with little success. I’ve done a number of popup markets, often with not an ideal target population that resulted in very few sales or exposure.
It has been hard leaving a career that I was so confident in to enter a world that I knew nothing about, but with all the missteps I have a chance to learn and grow which I’m very thankful for.
We’ve been impressed with Training Ties®, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Training Ties® are the only on-shoe, shoe tying tool geared towards learning how to tie shoes. They are a very simple product designed to encourage independence and learning. They also help to keep shoes tied throughout the day, plus they look great! We are also releasing Bi-Color laces soon which are laces that are split in the middle into two different colors. They’re great for teaching/learning and of course, they look great too!
We’ve had success with schools that have bought Training Ties® for their students, we’ve had PTOs buy for their schools and have had parents buy Training Ties for their child’s classrooms.
What sets us apart is that there isn’t anything that helps kids or people with special needs LEARN to tie their own shoes. There are different tools to learn off of a shoe, but nothing on their own shoe. Often times parents are left to just buy Velcro or Crocs for their kids who are struggling to learn and lots of teachers don’t teach shoe tying because they have limited time to teach their subjects that are mandated by the schools.
I’m most proud that Training Ties fosters Independence and Learning as well as being responsible for lots of smiles! I was a child that struggled with shoe tying and would often hide my knotted laces by tucking them into my shoes because I was embarrassed to ask for help so I’m very aware of kids feeling the same thing. I’m also proud that I get to work alongside my wife who owns her own successful Financial Planning company.
I’d like your readers to know that there’s help for learning to tie shoes! It doesn’t need to be a painful process and can actually be a lot of fun. Teaching kids to learn also gives parents/teachers a break from constantly tying shoes. I had kindergarten classes back when I taught of 60+ students and tying shoes was so overwhelming and time consuming I had to find an answer and so I’d like teachers to know that there’s help for shoe tying as well. We offer discounts for orders of 5 or more pairs and offer special discounts to schools as well! Training Ties are also proudly made in the US.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
My wife has helped me expand my comfort zone of risk taking. Leaving a teaching career, pension, security of a paycheck, years of education and degrees behind to start a company based on a tool I invented that nobody has ever heard about with no business experience has certainly been a risk that I would have likely never taken if it wasn’t for the encouragement and belief my wife had in me.
We also just moved out here to San Diego from Boston in January. We sold our 2 family home, packed up the car with our son and two Pitbulls and drove out here to chase the sun and life that San Diego provides. It was hard because we were leaving my family behind and our friends, but ultimately we decided that the risk was worth it and it’s been so incredible living here that the risk was certainly worth it. We wanted our son to grow up with access to the outdoors and sun, ocean etc. as an option all year long so we’re very excited to see him grow up as the first member of our family on the west coast!
My wife Nicky and I talk about taking risks all the time. We try to go out for coffee each morning together and that’s where we often have our talks about life, our upcoming events and it gives us each a chance to bounce ideas off of the other one. I used to be pretty closed-minded and didn’t take many risks, but now I think we both like to take risks as long as we both discuss and understand the pros and cons of our decisions before.
Pricing:
- $15 per pair. Buys 2 and receive a third pair free with code “INDEPENDENCE”
- Price per pair goes down to $10 with purchase of 10 or more pairs
- Bulk orders of more than 20 (classrooms, schools, retirement homes, etc) also receive discounted prices
- Bi-Color laces are also $15 per pair
Contact Info:
- Email: Bobby@TrainingTies.com
- Website: trainingties.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trainingties/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainingTiesLLC
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrainingTies
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPMExfHnGozvsv6FhJPUlEg
- Other: shoetyinghelp.com for 5 free tips about shoe tying
Image Credits
Bobby Morong
