Like so many innovative companies that later achieve great success, TELETIES started out in a suburban garage. In 2016, founder Lindsay Muscato was an active mom with a lifelong frustration with hair ties. Whether she was working out at the gym or getting a workout while taking care of her young children, she was constantly forced to retie her ponytail because her sub-par ties kept slipping or stretching out.
So she decided to do something about it, developing a prototype for a durable, functional hair tie that would not only stay in place but also double as a stylish stackable bracelet she’d actually want to wear.
“In making a homemade prototype, I went through many rounds of trials,” Muscato recalls. “And then once I was ready to launch the company, I started very small, and I literally launched the brand out of my garage in 2016 and haven’t looked back since.”
By 2021, with three-year revenue growth of 1,216%, TELETIES had made the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. And today, the company operates out of a 12,000-square-foot facility in Maitland, Florida, where Muscato and her growing team of 37 employees have sold more than 20 million TELETIES worldwide since launch.
Entrepreneurial spirit
TELETIES wasn’t exactly Muscato’s first rodeo — she’s had a mind for business her whole life. Inspired by a project she did for a high school art class, she launched her first company at the age of 16, called Switchflops, a brand of flip-flops with removable, interchangeable straps. The innovative, award-winning design was patented in 2004, and by 2010 the brand was available in more than 4,000 stores, winning her Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award. In 2013, she sold the brand, by then renamed Lindsay-Phillips, to footwear player Trimfoot Co.
One of the secrets to TELETIES’ initial success was Muscato’s knack for playful, engaging branding, with product names like Eat Glitter for Breakfast and Talk to the Sand. The vision played perfectly on social media, where lifestyle influencers quickly spread the word.
“From the get-go, I wanted to have really great images, because I think that it’s really important to use social media to your advantage in a way that can sell products,” Muscato says. The resulting growth was nothing short of phenomenal. “We’ve been very lucky because nothing we do is paid. It’s all word of mouth,” she explains.
“Greatest hair ties ever”
It doesn’t hurt that TELETIES makes what Muscato describes as “only the greatest hair ties ever,” with features like a unique spiral design that results in a very strong hold, fewer headaches, and reduced hair damage. Or as Muscato likes to put it, her “strong grip, no rip” accessories take you “from hair woes to hair wows.”
“I’m not just selling a product, I’m solving a problem,” she says. “We’ve created something that’s fashionable and truly believe that we have something that’s life-changing.”
The line is known for its deep roster of fun patterns, colors, and styles, plus special releases and collections that are always in popular demand. The Spring collection comes in pretty colors like Blue-tiful, Oopsie Daisy, and Sherbert, or if you’re looking for something with a Spring Break theme, try the TELETIES in Bermuda, Cozumel, and Maui colorways.
You can also channel your inner rock star with metallic ties in flavors like Electric Silver, Millennial Pink, and Sunset Gold, or go for animal prints like tortoise, leopard, giraffe, or zebra. And always check back for great surprises like Spartina x TELETIES, a collaboration with lifestyle brand Spartina 449, in cool styles like Oyster Factory and Pepper Hall. There’s even a new headband. TELETIES come in tiny, small, and large, so there’s a fit that’s just right for everyone, and if you’re unsure what’s right for you, you can take their size quiz.
Family ties
For Muscato, there’s a deeper mission at work, too. TELETIES has partnered with FORCE, or Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, a nonprofit that seeks to improve the lives of people and families affected by hereditary breast, ovarian, and other related cancers. Genetic mutations that increase the risk for these cancers affect millions, and early detection is crucial to helping those affected live longer, healthier lives.
“My grandmother died at the age of 36 from breast cancer, and 10 years ago my dad found out that he had the BRCA1 gene,” Muscato explains. “So it’s something that really touches home, and I’m glad that I can help an organization that is literally saving lives.”
For every product sold, TELETIES makes a donation to FORCE, so these very special hair ties let you put your hair up with pride in more ways than one.
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