ABOUT

How It Started - Lisa

So many people ask me how TALII Towels all started.

Like most great ideas, TALII came from a need. During the summer of 2012, my cousin from Belgium and I spent time together at the cottage, and she had a beautiful towel with her. I was immediately drawn to it. It was compact, quick drying, sand resistant, and super absorbent. It was everything a towel should be.

When I went looking for something similar in Canada, I couldn’t find anything that offered the same quality, variety of sizes, or the fun, vibrant colours I was looking for.

That’s when something in me shifted.I decided to find a way to bring it here myself.

There was no roadmap, and truthfully, there was no option to fail. I was determined to make this work. I set out to find a manufacturer and spent the next year deep in research and development, learning everything I could along the way.

In May of 2014, I placed my very first order.

I hosted a launch party in my home, not knowing what to expect. That night, most of my inventory sold out. By week five, I had sold 700 of the 1000 towels. It was in that moment I realized this wasn’t just an idea anymore. I had created something people truly wanted and believed in.

But more than that, I knew I was building something bigger than just myself. I was building a brand I hoped my daughter would one day be part of, maybe even take over. Something she could grow up around, learn from, and continue in her own way.

In September 2014, I did my first event at the Bindertwine in Kleinburg. From there, things really began to grow. Customers weren’t just buying towels, they were coming back, sharing them, and telling others. I had people hunting me down for more.

That was one of the proudest and most exciting times for me.

What meant the most was hearing how people were using them in their everyday lives. Moms sharing how they saved space, dried quickly, and could be personalized with names, images, and logos. It became more than just a product. It became something people connected to.

And that’s how TALII Towels began.

— Lisa Gattoni

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How It Started - Talia

Talii Towels has always been more than a business to me. It’s something I grew up inside of.

For as long as I can remember, my mom was building this brand. Weekends weren’t weekends. They were early mornings, packed cars, long drives, and trade shows. I watched her put everything into Talii Towels, not just to create a product, but to create something people genuinely loved and came back for. And somewhere along the way, it became part of my life too.

I started helping out when I was just 13, volunteering my time and working alongside her whenever I wasn’t in school. At the time, it didn’t feel like work. It was just what we did and it put food on the table and a roof over our heads. But looking back now, those moments shaped everything. I was learning what it meant to build something from the ground up, to connect with people, and to truly care about what you create.

As I got older, I stayed involved, but I still wasn’t sure if it would one day be mine. It wasn’t until after graduating college that everything really clicked. I realized this wasn’t just something I grew up around. It was something I was meant to continue. In 2023, I officially stepped into the business.

Taking over as a young adult came with a lot of pressure and a lot of learning, but also a deep sense of pride. I wasn’t starting from scratch. I was stepping into something my mom had poured years of her life into. Something that already had heart, meaning, and a community behind it. Now, I’m learning how to make it my own. I’m bringing new ideas, new energy, and a new vision while still holding onto everything this brand was built on. The quality, the care, the personal touch… that part will never change.

Talii Towels today is a reflection of both of us.

Her foundation, my perspective, and a shared love for what this has become.

This isn’t just a business I took over.

It’s something I grew up in, something I chose, and something I’m proud to carry forward.

And we’re just getting started.

-Talia Iafrate Gattoni

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See us on TV

DRAGONS DEN

In 2015 we auditioned for Dragons Den, our pitch was on point as we caught the attention of two dragons who made an offer. We were asking for investment capital and warehousing facilities.