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David Vobora knows a little bit about overcoming adversity. He was the very last player to be drafted in the 2008 NFL draft, earning him the not-so-coveted title of “Mr. Irrelevant,” the unofficial name given to the player that the league figures will have zero impact going forward. Vobora didn’t let the label slow him down though, as he began working his way up to starting linebacker for the St. Louis Rams, and then the Seattle Seahawks 3 years later. He achieved many personal goals during his time in the NFL, and got to play against his childhood hero, Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. By the time he was 28 however, the regular pummeling that comes along with being a professional football player had taken its toll on Vobora, and he decided to retire from the game.

David didn’t slow down at all however, and in 2012 he opened Performance Vault Inc., an elite training facility in Dallas, Texas. He didn’t stop there either; in 2014, Vobora opened Adaptive Training Foundation, a non-profit organization that seeks to empower and redefine the limitations facing individuals with disabilities. ATF also features free training for wounded veterans, and goes to great lengths to help restore a sense of community and purpose through training. The organization provides a much-needed support system and sense of accountability to the wounded warriors that enter the program, and the resulting empowerment and sense of self that they are able to reclaim through the program is invaluable to all parties involved.

We were lucky enough to be able to hop on a call with David recently, and talked with him about the program he runs for wounded veterans at Adaptive Training Foundation, as well as what gets him out of bed in the morning and how he stays motivated even when the going gets tough. We hope you enjoy learning about David and the incredible work he and his team are doing as much as we enjoyed talking with him!

LALO: For those of our followers who don’t know, could you summarize in a sentence or two what the Adaptive Training Foundation’s mission is?
DV: Our mission is to empower the human athlete, restore hope through movement and redefine the limits of individuals with disabilities. Our goal through the Adaptive Training Foundation is to offer optimization for people with physical impairment through our customized physical training programs. We believe that any person can seek to become a better version of themselves physically and mentally through our program. We serve the adaptive athlete, both veteran and civilian; primarily, but not limited to amputees and spinal cord injuries.

LALO: How do you choose to take people in to train at Adaptive Training Foundation?
DV: We have an application process that’s about 13 or 14 pages.  It goes through a wide variety of questions, from medical questions down to some motivation and quality of life questions. We ask people how much pain they’re in, we talk to them about how motivated are they to attain goals both physically and emotionally and mentally; how ready are they to take that next step?  Again, we roll 10 new applicants—10 new adaptive athletes—through our program, every 9 weeks. So that application process, I have a stack of applications of people that want to get into our program. This upcoming class that starts this Monday will be our first time bringing athletes nationally, housing them and then bringing them through our 9-week redefine program. The application can be found online through our athlete tab on our website, and people can come to the gym physically here in Dallas and pick one up as well.

I go present to my board of directors and to my team, explaining whom it is that I think really needs that last push. If someone can go to a typical gym and workout, they may not be a really great fit for our program—that’s not to say we wouldn’t allow them to come in if their application is such that we felt that they’d be a really good fit, and they are ready for that next step though. The goal then, as we grow, is to offer potential parallel classes. We like the idea of keeping classes at no more than ten people per-class; that really creates that tribal community. It creates the opportunity for them to know everyone that they’re training alongside during group sessions, or with everyone that they see during that nine-week period. It gives the ability for really strong relationships to form, which is absolutely critical to the success of our program.

LALO: Playing in front of tens of thousands of people every week like you did in the NFL must’ve been quite a rush! Not to compare apples and oranges, but is there an aspect of what you’re doing now that brings a similar sense of excitement or enthusiasm?
DV: Well, you nailed it, there’s no rush quite like running out in front of 80,000 screaming people. The feeling that what you’re doing on the field echoes—not only in the physical sense right in front of you when you make those plays—but kind of in eternity as well, is special, and I don’t think you can replicate that feeling. All of that said, my dream was to play in the NFL, and I fulfilled that, but I lacked the [feeling of] fulfillment because I had to have such tunnel vision to get there and to have success, that I got kind of near-sighted. I was robbed of some of the joy along the way. What I mean is, it’s not that I didn’t care about people during that journey, because I think I was still the same David, but I think the way that I export who I am now, the fulfillment and the excitement that I get to see when I utilize my gifts to help our adaptive athletes, these wounded warriors, when I see them get that breakthrough, when they hit that goal, whether it’s something as seemingly insignificant as someone standing up again on their own, taking their first steps unassisted, being able to push up a wheelchair ramp by themselves, I mean these are all goals that our athletes have had and have attained—all the way up to athletes that are competing in the Paralympics,  they’re making the U.S. Team, they’re competing in Ironman races, they’re going and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and doing these massive feats. I get immeasurable amounts of joy from that. It’s truly rewarding.

Although the “Grid Iron” isn’t where I’m seeking that same type of excitement anymore, I definitely still get the rush from when I see them break through, and that’s truly incredible for me. So what we do is we recalibrate these competitors, offer them the opportunity to compete again, and through that they find a way to come alive, and those milestones, when they reach them, are just as significant for me.

LALO: Do you ever have any days when you don’t want to get out of bed in the morning? What keeps you motivated?
DV: Anyone that tells you that they don’t have mornings where they wake up and they want to hit that snooze button is lying! I’m a morning person, I wake up really early and I’ve always just sort of been wired that way. I remember being a little kid and waking up early to steal Pop-Tarts out of the pantry to go curl up and watch cartoons even before my parents got up, so I think part of that is just innate. You know, for me, with my football career especially, I formed this habit of getting up and getting my work in before my competitor, because I always felt like I had to be the first one to say that I made that deposit at the bank; that no one was going to beat me to it and that no one was going to work harder than me. So I think that hard work factor has always played a big key role in my motivation. Working hard is easy, but for me, I think you’ve got to work smarter, and that’s where I’m looking for balance at this point in my life.  I’m looking to not have to just “white knuckle” it and bleed for what I do on a daily basis anymore. You know in football, it was a very easy kind of “X+Y=Z”, and in this non-profit space in the business world, kind of as an entrepreneur and someone that is developing the different facets of business and in his life, it’s really easy for me to kind of go all in and recognize that it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way.

So, I definitely have days where I have to find that motivation and dig deep, and it’s really easy for me; I have two little girls and I don’t have to look any further than them, my wife, these warriors that I work with, you know they all motivate me. For me, it’s an easy, easy response when I recognize that I have something to offer daily. And I want people to be encouraged to recognize that, even when they’re down to nothing, God is up to something. And if they’re willing to just take a step out, step out in faith—and whether you have a really active faith in religion, spirituality, or not, there’s a saying, “Don’t be so worried about doing the right thing next, just do the next thing right.” There’s been times in my life where it has not been clear what my path was, but I’ve just put one foot in front of the other, and when the fog cleared I recognized that I had gained ground. Definitely look for motivation. Find someone that has something that you want in their life, and learn from them. Be able to walk alongside them and gain knowledge around why they have something special—not tangible things, you know, I don’t mean cars and money—I mean someone that has a “Why.” Even if you lack your “Why”, you can come along people that are passionate about something in their life, and that can make all the difference.

LALO: You clearly have a strong respect and appreciation for our country’s servicemen and women; when did that develop?
DV: I come from 3 generations of Marines, so it’s in my blood to a certain extent. My grandfather was my hero, and I would make him tell me war stories all the time. So yeah, it’s kind of in my blood. But back when I was playing for the St. Louis Rams, we would go to Scott Air Force base, where we would play with the kids for the NFL’s “Play 60” program. One of the servicemen I ran into while we were out there, he said “thank you,” which really took me by surprise; I thought it was ridiculous that he was thanking me, given the service he’s done for our country. But he told me, he said, “When we’re on deployment, for the 3 hours we’re watching the game, we’re home.” I had never thought of it that way before, and I thought that was so cool. That was a light bulb moment for me; that mutual respect and appreciation that we had for each other, it showed me that there was a real commonality between our warriors and athletes.

I think humans were built for connectedness, we’re built for community. Even though those service members are over there doing the real job, they’re the true heroes, what we’re doing here matters. There’s a ripple effect, and that’s powerful. So the commonality between the warriors and athletes is this idea that we had to have this tunnel vision when we were going out there to put it on the line. Suddenly now when you’re removed from that, that opportunity, whether it’s football or whether it’s retiring from the service, you lack the next ridgeline, and you also miss the brother next to you. So that’s why it’s so critical for us to pick the pack back up and get back in the fight in some capacity at the community and local level. You need a call, and that call is built into the human experience I think. The ability to create ways to export that is everything; being honest to recognize when you need help and how to ask for help is such a critical piece. I just love what our flag stands for man; I’m as patriotic as anybody, and I love to celebrate the ones who put it all on the line to protect our freedom.

LALO: Without trying to state the obvious, Adaptive Training Foundation—and you specifically—are known for coming up with innovative ways to rehabilitate and train veterans that may not be able to perform more traditional exercises; what is your philosophy when it comes to training, especially when it comes to altering more traditional training to meet the needs of the individual you’re working with at any given time?
DV: I’ve always thought that creativity is clever rearrangement. For me, creativity and being able to improvise has always been important, back from the days when I was still “Mr. Irrelevant,” and I had to prove myself every day. If you were a business, you’d reinvest to grow— so I got faster, stronger. I had always wanted to know the “how and the why” of training, and I have a knack for understanding and learning quickly. What I found was that a lot of traditional methods were putting athletes at high risk, so I began to look for better ways to train.

People ask all the time, “How did you get into this? What did you study? Etc.” I say look, human performance is what I had to know to give my career longevity in the NFL. When people ask how did I get into training these guys and what are my philosophies, I tell them I train them like a pro-athlete. Why not? Who cares if their bodies look a little bit different, if it’s missing some limbs or if it’s missing the capability to lift a leg or move out of a wheelchair. I really think that they come alive when they see the fact that I’m not going to give them sympathy.

And I’ve had some incredible mentors along the way; Gavin McMillan from Sports Science Labs in California absolutely taught me about training through such a different lens. It wasn’t about just “pain and gain” and sweating without purpose, it was about being intentional and finding creative ways so that training builds towards what you want to perform at. What a novel idea, right? There’s no twenty-fifth hour in the day, but you can create your own by integrating what you’re doing and what you’re practicing, as long as it directly correlates to what you’re going out to test yourself in. I don’t care if it’s tactically speaking or if it’s sport or if it’s in the fine arts. I’m sort of an engineer’s mind when it comes to training, but I’m definitely not [an engineer], aside from maybe changing the oil on my car, I couldn’t tell you anything about modern engineering. But I could tell you, when someone says, “hey look, here’s what we want to get to fire,” I could come up with maybe 20-50 ways to tell you how I would get it to do it, and then find innovative ways to approach it so that it doesn’t feel like rehab.

At ATF we don’t use words like “recover,” or “heal,” and that’s really intentional, because we come in post-rehabilitation; it’s like, sure, we’re creating psycho-social healing that is definitely rehabilitating these men and women, but it’s not from the stance of being soft about it, or being touchy about it. It’s just about saying, “Hey look man, we can use good pain to push out bad pain.” Through sweating together we can galvanize relationships and then people will open up. I think there’s a brilliance in people that are willing to share their scars, whether they’re physical or emotional or however you look at it. There’s this saying that I say quite often, that I don’t trust an “unbroken man.” I don’t want to be standing next to somebody who says that they’ve got it all put together, because those who are willing to share their scars are proof that they’re moving beyond them—and that’s a message for all people.

LALO: Adaptive Training Foundation is unique, in that you connect two pretty different worlds, that of the wounded veteran, and the aspiring professional athlete. Have you noticed either of those two cultures influencing the other? Do you see any similarities between the work ethic or goals of the up-and-coming athletes and the veterans you work with?
DV: I think the brilliance of the opportunity to train Travis Mills, a quadruple amputee, was the first time I saw that our NFL athletes could no longer complain about their pinky toe being sore.  It was just a paradigm shift in perspective. We get certain perspective shifts in life, maybe because of some tragic news to you or to someone you know, maybe it’s because of a certain circumstance or situation that abruptly happens, and if those happen, it offers you some type of a revelation; that is typically what motivates people to change action. So what Travis became was a catalyst; he became this catalyst for a paradigm shift and a perspective awakening for so many of my “able-bodied” athletes. So even though you’ve got two groups of people who may look different from the outside, they’ve got a whole lot of will and a whole lot of grit and a bunch of spirit of people that are saying, “hey look, I have my individual goals that I’m working towards, but collectively as part of this tribe that trains inside of these four walls, I can find a gear that’s greater than my known capacity.” When you step into my facility it doesn’t feel like a gym. There’s no mirrors, and that’s intentional; we do have one mirror that we use that’s on wheels that we pull around to use as feedback for coaching, but it doesn’t feel like a gym, it feels like you’re coming to get some work in. It’s not pretentious, it doesn’t feel polished, and that’s very intentional. That’s that common thread again of the soldier and the athlete. There’s a lot of similar mindsets and common respect for being able to push past where you’re comfortable, and that’s what we embody between the Adaptive Training Foundation and then my Performance Vault lead athletes.

LALO: If you could train anyone—or train WITH anyone—whom would you train?
DV: Chuck Norris. Enough said.

LALO: Do you have a favorite game that you ever played in? Which was it and why?
DV: That’s a tough one… But my rookie year, the first-ever snap I had at linebacker in the NFL, that was pretty great. Then the first game I ever got to play against Brett Favre, my hero; that was tremendous. My first game beating my old team, the Seattle Seahawks, when I was playing with the Rams, that was definitely a highlight—you know, because you always want to go back and beat the team that traded you. I made a big sack against the Seahawks, which felt great. But I’d have to go with my first snap at line backer against Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.

LALO: Who were your biggest supporters/mentors growing up? Are there any lessons of theirs that you still carry with you to this day?
DV: It’s got to be my parents and all the lessons they taught me. I’m a lot like my mom personality wise, but I’m more like my dad psychologically. They both taught me about the inherent worth of others. They taught me that when I commit, I need to see it through to the end. Sometimes you face mass adversity and it gets tough, but the understanding that I committed and need to persevere, there’re lessons to learn there.

My parents also taught me that all people deserve to be treated equally, and that all people have worth; you see people as whole people, you talk to people, you look them in the eye, you shake their hand, and so on. When you approach life that way, your eyes are constantly open to the brilliance of all that’s around you. That’s how you recognize that you’ve got this awareness, this ability of how to champion other people; how to make other people feel special. I’ve had plenty of people that taught me so much, my parents, my high school coach—a coach of mine that taught me so much in the weight room at 6am in the morning before high school, where I was learning the lessons of what it was going to take for me to be successful, all the way down to, you know, finding Gavin McMillan and what he’s done now for helping me with what I do for my vocation training people, there’s definitely been some pivotal moments.

LALO: What is your favorite professional sports team? Do you have a favorite player(s)?
DV: It’s interesting, because when you’ve played in the NFL, it’s tough to just watch the game as a spectator anymore; it’s difficult to take it for entertainment value. But I grew up a huge Niners fan, and then I became a Green Bay fan because of Brett Favre. I’ll put it this way; when I’m watching the NFL, I root for the teams my buddies are on. Other than that, I always love to root for the underdog. Then across all pro sports, team sports, nobody roots harder for the USA in international sports that I do. I yell and jump up and down and get totally into it! As far as Individual professionals that I respect, I like Steph Curry; I love how he handles himself in public, in his interviews, and with the fans, as well as how he puts his family first.

LALO: What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for?
DV: I’d like to be remembered for being the type of guy who walks into a room and says, “There you are.” A lot of guys like to say, “Here I am;” I want to say there you are. I don’t care who you are, or what you see yourself as, I believe there’s capability in all of us. People tend to put leadership just outside of arms reach for themselves, but they could all build others up. I want to be the guy who recognizes the potential and the capability in the people that I meet, not the one who tries to impress on others how great I am.

In January, LALO Tactical and LALO Women were fortunate enough to meet Bree MacHaffie a.k.a “GunGirlBree” at the 2016 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. Bree struck us as an incredibly motivated and kind person, and someone who we wanted to get to know better as well as share with the world. Once the dust settled from all things SHOT, we were able to catch up with her to get an inside view of how she continues to seamlessly juggle being a single mom of three boys, working as a substitute teacher to special needs children, and playing a large role in paving the way for current and future competitive female shooters. Her dedication to a happy life is unmatched and certainly a fine example and inspiration for all!

LW: What led you to become a professional competitive shooter? How long have you been shooting-competitively or not?
GGB: I had been to the range a few times right out of high school but didn’t really start shooting until 2012. I shot my first match, a ladies only match, and was hooked.

LW: What was the biggest fear you had to overcome when learning how to shoot?
GGB: The fear of failure. It’s something that everyone has in the back of his or her minds but it really jumped out to me when I realized this was completely unknown territory.

LW: There is an obvious gender gap in the world of competitive shooting-how do you explain this and what is your viewpoint on changing that?
GGB: Although there is a gender gap, women are the largest growing section of the outdoors industry. I want to change that, I am always inviting women to the range or to participate in matches even when they are just watching their significant other shooting. I’m working hard to change the face of women in the industry by “keeping it classy”. You will never see me post a picture that’s overly sexualized, there’s enough out there already that turn women away and I don’t want to be a reason why they don’t get involved.

LW: What are some of the challenges you face being a female in a predominately male dominated profession? How do you handle those challenges?
GGB: I try to take it one step at a time. There are some men that still see this as the good ole’ boys’ club and women are coming crashing in. I hangout with the guys during and after matches, have a drink with them, and show them I’m not just another woman looking to find a guy on the range.

LW: Before becoming a competitive shooter, what was a day in the life of Sabrina?
GGB: My days are jam-packed. I have 3 kids, I work as a substitute special needs teacher, I write for Bearing Arms, and I do volunteer work with a local hospice

LW: How has competitive training changed that for you?
GGB: Training doesn’t happen with live fire as much as I like. I’ve substituted with a lot more dry firing. My kids come first.



LW: What are some of your biggest goals-personal and professional?
GGB: I am hoping to finish my bachelor’s degree so I can teach full time within the school district. I’m also in the pursuit of furthering my shooting by making the jump to higher rankings within the different disciplines.

LW: What types of activities do you incorporate into your days and weeks for stress relief and happiness?
GGB: You’d be shocked to know how much playing with my boys relieves my stress. Going outside and running around seems to help the stress melt away. I’m also trying to get back into yoga.

LW: To be a competitive shooter you obviously have to be in shape. What does your exercise regime look like and what is your favorite way to stay in shooting shape?
GGB: If you’ve never chased 3 boys, lifting them up, and throwing them around it’s a work out all by itself. I also get on my elliptical as often as possible.

LW: Favorite moment(s) at SHOT 2016?
GGB: Making new friends and seeing old ones are my highlights from most of the industry events. Sitting down to dinner with them and having dinner and drinks is amazing. It’s a break from my normal chaos.

LW: You are a contributing writer for bearingarms.com. What is your favorite article you’ve written to date and why? Where is your favorite place to get your writing done? Where do you draw your inspiration?
GGB: My favorite article thus far has to be the one on “Gun Bunnies”, I caught a lot of flak for it but it’s something that I have strong feelings about.  I often find myself in my bedroom laying down listening to Lindsay Sterling when I write. I am their competitive shooting writer so if there is a match I’ve attended or gear I find interesting or maybe a new gun on the market I’m more than happy to take that and run with it.

LW: What is your advice to people to help them achieve their goals? What advice do you live by/give yourself?
GGB: Don’t quit! No matter what negative things people say you’ll regret giving up. If I had quit the first time I had an inkling of doubt I wouldn’t have found this joy and success in this industry. There is no better feeling to me than the “I told you I could” moment.

How have you overcome adversity in your life?
GGB:  I’ve been through quite a lot. I lost my first husband very young a month leaving me a single mother, a month and a half later lost the house I was living in (my mother’s) to a tornado, and followed that up with a marriage that went south. In all that I learned who supported me the most and the strength I have. I know I can go through hell and keep on swinging.

LW: Being a school teacher, I am sure you get to see many young kids grow up right before your eyes in this ever changing world. What are your hopes for young girls & boys today?
GGB: My hope for my students is that they learn responsibility, perseverance, and their own strength. There is so much doubt and anger in the world it is easy to get sucked into it.

LW: You’re a mom—How many children do you have? Tell us about them!
GGB: I have 3 wonderful boys, 11, 7, and 5. They really keep me on my toes and I couldn’t be prouder of them. My oldest is in a national honor society and volunteers with me at Hospice. My two younger ones read at grade levels well above their ages and have A’s. I have great sons.

LW: Favorite downtime activity?
GGB: Reading quietly away from everything. I also love going to the local park.

LW: Coffee or tea?
GGB: Coffee, coffee, and more coffee.

LW: Morning person or late night owl?
GGB: Morning person and it drives people on the range nuts. LOL. Lots of people ask how I can be so perky in the morning? I say the day hasn’t exhausted me yet.

LW: Do you have a motto you live by? What is it?
GGB: Don’t give up just because someone says you can’t/won’t. Use that motivation to push harder and go further.

LW: Beer or wine, or liquor or none?
GGB: Yes! Haha. I usually drink wine with dinner and liquor while just hanging out with friends.

Follow Sabrina @gungirlbree on Instagram and be sure to check out her articles at bearingarms.com

Thanks Sabrina!

By Jay Taylor
CEO LALO Tactical
jay@lalotactical.com
September 2015

They tell me it’s about the journey, not the destination and wherever you go…that's where you are.

About one month before my grandfather passed away, we were sitting on the back deck of the house my grandparents shared with my family. It was an old boarding home in a small farming town in the interior of British Columbia, and it housed workers during harvest seasons. The house had undergone many renovations in its 100-year history and was finally converted into two separate residences. My grandparents needed some assistance day to day and apparently I needed some guidance – so it was a perfect arrangement.

Little did I know at the time, but on the back deck of that house my grandfather bestowed on me a few words of wisdom that continue to resonate with me today. Being 17 years old at the time, the conversation registered, but I truly didn't appreciate the gravity of it until much later in life. I believe my grandfather knew his days were numbered, and this was a time to pound some sense into my thick skull.

The first of which came during a conversation (it turned a little philosophical) after a fairly major screw up on my behalf….(I was 17, what can I say?). Once the verbal dressing down for being a jackass was over and he clarified the necessity for me to understand the overall importance of being a respectable human being, he explained that my major goal in life should be to make the greatest contribution to society I could.

The greatest contribution to society I could make? Whatever, Grandfather. At the time it didn't really equate. My journey to this point in life included playing every single competitive sport I could play within the high school I attended, and ski racing to fill in the gaps. Summer breaks were filled with work on a local farm or two and as much time on the lakes as I could manage. Clearly the message was lost on me at this point in my life.

Before I was released from the back deck, a few other words of wisdom were dispensed. “Work like you don't need the money and put in a full days worth of effort at 100% of your capabilities for the person or company that hired you; it will not go unnoticed and it will pay off in the long run.”

Lastly, you meet people twice in life. The first time you meet, one of you will need assistance and the other will be in a position to offer it up. His advice was to trust that if I was to help someone unconditionally, the favor will be returned when the roles are reversed. If I were to take advantage of the situation when I needed a hand it would likely be the last time someone would ever offer me assistance when I needed it.

In fact the opposite would happen, I would be on my own in a world that was growing ever complex.

So how does all of this advice relate to a small startup company?

As a company, I believe we have a responsibility to every individual we engage with. They deserve our very best at every single interaction. If we deliver our very best then the brand will evolve along with the “society” that has chosen to interact with it. It’s important to remember, people can choose to leave as quickly as they come.

Startups are tough. The young companies get bumped and bruised a little as they grow. If they survive they have to work like they don't need the money. The customers of the company essentially own it; they are the employers of the people operating it. LALO has to give its all, work hard, efficiently, and effectively to keep its employers engaged. We respect them immensely and it is painful to all of us when we don't deliver in a way we should.

Like people, you meet a brand twice in life. The first time is when you learn about it and decide if it has the same values as you do personally. Does it fit with your lifestyle and does it represent you well? At the core of each brand are people, and they are responsible for ensuring your time is well spent. Large companies spend an inordinate about of time chasing new customers and measuring the cost of customer acquisition. I often wonder if they focused more on retention how different there business would be. You have our commitment at LALO that we will be laser focused on retaining our community, as I am not keen on meeting you when you stop interacting with us. We want to meet you on the way up and foster a dedicated, long-term relationship that stands the test of time.

Maybe the lessons learned on the back porch from a wiser older man are managing to make a difference to this young business. I think he would be proud to see his message sinking in and being absorbed by a group of people that aren’t afraid to make a contribution, work hard and respect those they interact with.

V/r
Jay

About LALO Tactical:
LALO was founded to serve the needs of Special Forces Operators. LALO uses top tier materials to create some of the best and hardest working tactical boots and athletic footwear for those that rise to the toughest occasions. The LALO Shadow, the ultimate Special Forces tactical boot, features a unique patent including a drainage system, a composite forefoot plate, a fast-dry component and the lightest weight materials on the market. The LALO Athletic line is a direct result of briefings received from Special Forces Operators. The need was to build a lightweight, packable, breathable shoe they could cross train and run in – a shoe they could count on, whether training or deployed. LALO’s designs put an emphasis on noise reduction, support and game day performance; gear that hits the mark time after time. Whether your path leads you to a career in the military, competing in an adventure race, cross training, tackling an urban athletic workout, or running a 5K, LALO has the shoe for you. www.lalotactical.com

LALO TACTICAL is a privately held wholly by LALO LLC, a California LLC

By Jay Taylor
CEO LALO Tactical
jay@lalotactical.com

YOU'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES, BUT IT WILL TAKE EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT.
 
The Naval Special Warfare groups adopted a saying many years ago, “The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday”. The motto has been associated with them since the inception of the Amphibious Scout and Raider school in Fort Pierce, Florida in 1942.

The Naval Special Warfare groups evolved from the Scouts and Raiders to Naval Combat Units, Operational Swimmers, Underwater Demolition Teams, and then eventually around the Vietnam War, to the SEAL Teams as we know them today.

To make it through BUD/s an individual has to successfully get from evolution to evolution through each phase of training. There is also the infamous “Hell Week,” 5½ days of training where each candidate gets no more than 4 hours of sleep during the entire evolution. Boat crews are formed, and re-formed depending upon who is surviving the program. The people you end up with at the end of the week are those that are truly committed to the program and especially their teammates.

When I think back, I realize since we re-financed LALO in October of 2013, we have been through our own version of “Hell Week.” The struggles have been real. We delivered our first round of athletic product to market 12 months later than we had originally planned. The factory that developed our product moved from Southern China to Vietnam and couldn't take LALO in the transfer. Strangely enough, we were very lucky; the factory burned down just after it opened due to a dispute between the Chinese and Vietnamese governments over fishing rights and thankfully, our product wasn’t in it.

For a while I thought we weren’t ever going to get LALO to market. We had a sourcing partner that was in charge of the personnel on the project, and unfortunately, a developer and product inspector were let go off of the project. These bumps in the road delayed the product launch by a few months. It was one thing after another.

I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. It’s all part of getting a brand to market, and I guess if it was easy everyone would be doing it…

Fast forward to October of 2014, bake in a West Coast port strike and four weeks at customs for a random inspection and it was evident we were burning much needed cash. We finally delivered tactical boots to the market in early November.

We moved from being a Seinfeld episode, a show about nothing, to a struggling startup having its first taste of success. To define “success” in our case means we were actually shipping product. Baby steps. The Amphibian and Intruder boots seemed to be well received and selling at what we believe to be a remarkable rate.

Part of our ever-evolving business plan is to create awareness around our products. After the Shadow launched, the BUD/s athletic product was to follow – the Grinder, BloodBird and Zodiac Recon shoes were all set to arrive in early April.
 
If Hell Week is 5 and a half days long, we were in day 2 at this point and fairing well with no sleep…
 
Little did we know that the “awareness” we were creating was actual demand for the shoes. We had some idea people were interested based upon pre-orders for the product, but when it hit the warehouse on April 4^th and we were able to start shipping, we realized that we had underestimated that interest. To put it mildly, we got crushed. By April 25^th it was all over, we had very little left in inventory. In fact, a few thousand units of shoes oversold and we didn't know what had hit us - a champagne problem that needed a solution.
 
When we finally had a chance to do a postmortem on the situation we realized that our order entry system wasn't working exactly the way we wanted it to. It wasn't reducing inventory as the orders were being entered, only when the orders shipped. Needless to say we were deep in Day 3 of Hell Week and we were feeling a little beat up.
 
As I write this, we are a little dinged up, bruised but not broken, and in fact getting stronger by the day. We have an amazing “boat crew”. Everyone is committed to the overall success of LALO. Everyone is solution-oriented and will find a way – putting the whole of the brand before the individual. Each member of our small, but mighty crew has sacrificed for the team and refused to ring the bell. They should be very proud of what they have done so far and of what the future holds. I am incredibly honored to be a part of the crew. You may in fact have had the pleasure of interacting with a one or two of them and we hope those interactions have been memorable in the most positive way.
 
Without the dedication and hard work of our Vancouver and San Diego crews LALO wouldn’t be the unbreakable team it is.
 
We tried to run an actual “Hell Week” at LALO, but the Division of Labor and Standards of California shut us down…but I think we have found a crew that refuses to ring the bell, they fight the good fight and understand that it pays to be a winner. LALO wouldn't be where it is without them, and it certainly wouldn’t be anywhere without you. Speaking for all of us – we are very grateful for your support.

Until the next installment of 7 Days of Monday....
 
V/r,
Jay



About LALO Tactical:
LALO was founded to serve the needs of Special Forces Operators. LALO uses top tier materials to create some of the best and hardest working tactical boots and athletic footwear for those that rise to the toughest occasions. The LALO Shadow, the ultimate Special Forces tactical boot, features a unique patent including a drainage system, a composite forefoot plate, a fast-dry component and the lightest weight materials on the market. The LALO Athletic line is a direct result of briefings received from Special Forces Operators. The need was to build a lightweight, packable, breathable shoe they could cross train and run in – a shoe they could count on, whether training or deployed. LALO’s designs put an emphasis on noise reduction, support and game day performance; gear that hits the mark time after time. Whether your path leads you to a career in the military, competing in an adventure race, cross training, tackling an urban athletic workout, or running a 5K, LALO has the shoe for you. www.lalotactical.com

LALO TACTICAL is a privately held wholly by LALO LLC, a California LLC.

By Jay Taylor
CEO / LALO Tactical
jay@lalotactical.com

7 days of Mondays…

Startups aren’t for the faint of heart and certainly not for those that are used to a set work schedule. Job descriptions are broad and all encompassing and the workdays start, but never seem to have a set end. One week quickly flows into the next and then before you know it you are 6 months into getting a “Brand” off the ground and functioning in the market. If you thrive on adversity, have a tolerance for risk, and believe failure is not an option, then a startup company is for you.

Startups usually come with some bumps in the road and LALO was / is no exception. No matter how good a plan you have, people you have, and story you have, expect the unexpected. Stuff happens, it has to us. Development delays, factories missing deadlines, and manufacturing problems are all part of the headaches I deal with on what seems to be a daily basis.

Footwear is a capital-intensive business start. Development molds, production molds, materials, material overage charges, sample rounds, freight bills…the cash outlay never seems to stop and all the while you need to have a dedicated group of people to make it all happen. LALO is extremely fortunate to have a mix of veteran footwear people and young ambitious go-getters. Then…there is me, the middle aged serial entrepreneur, arguably the least talented and most expendable guy in the room; Jack-of-all-trades and master of none, happy to be in the mix with a great group of people who love what they do and are really good at it.

LALO was founded in 2009 with the vision of putting purpose built tactical boots on Naval Special Forces Operators or SEAL/s as they are more commonly known. The product was developed by deep collaboration with the SEAL/s, active duty and a few who had recently left the TEAMs. The feedback was invaluable when it comes to designing and developing products. If you ever want to know if your product is deficient or needs to be improved, ask a Special Forces Operator…and be prepared for the feedback, it is detailed and awesome.

None of what we do would be remotely possible without the people that support the LALO brand. In my experience they are gracious, kind, generous and forgiving.  Every single one of us at LALO Tactical is forever in their debt. I would like to tell you about a few of them that I have been fortunate enough to meet along the way.

Scott Wood was introduced to us by Austin Weiss. Scott is a veteran who has given much to his county and has not been on the right side of the ledger for the sacrifices he has made. We are always humbled when Scott takes the time out of his day to engage with us. He has a very inspirational story and he motivates all of us at LALO to bust our asses every day to do a better job to help support those that have served.

We sent out one of our first email newsletters and wanted to check if anyone actually received it, let alone opened it. This is how we met Michael Brown. I am not sure which one of us was more surprised on the phone, me for the fact that Michael was kind enough to answer, or him for getting a call from a random stranger. Michael is a veteran who embodies the spirit of what we do at LALO. He is a proud father of 2 beautiful girls, a husband to a fantastic woman, and an advocate for bringing awareness and support to prevent Veteran suicide. He is relentless in this pursuit and we support his efforts in any way we can. You can follow him at Team Arise https://www.facebook.com/TeamAriseLLC - support them, we do, and every little bit helps.

I have no clue what its like to deal with constant pain and PTSD, but I get a glimpse of what the challenges are on a day to day basis from Brendan Fitzgerald. Brendan is a proud Marine veteran, husband and half of the Brendan and Russell (his service dog) team. Brendan shares with us some of the challenges he goes through on a day-to-day basis and most importantly the day-to-day victories. He is an all star and I look forward to the updates I get from him. They are nothing short of awesome. Russell is a rock star too and the two of them raise awareness around service dogs and PTSD.

It’s rare in life to meet someone as generous with their time and support as Mr. Fletcher. A Texas native and busy executive, he finds the time to train everyday. Mr. Fletcher was one of the very first people we were able to get a pair of LALO boots to. I dare say he may have the largest quiver of LALO product outside of our sample room. Read into this he is an excellent negotiator and has a very tolerant wife. Support and generosity come in many forms, but Mr. Fletcher embodies them all. I think its fair to say he has become our very first official product tester. We love working with him and are humbled by the time he takes to give us feedback on our products and branding. It is invaluable to us and we listen very carefully.

There are a lot of components that go into having a successful business. The most important in my opinion are the people. It's the people that have chosen to interact with the LALO Brand. As a team we are grateful for the airtime and mindshare we get.

I think the people we attract share the same values we do as a company:

• LALO exists to elevate the standard against which all other Tactical and Athletic brands are measured – in product design, content authenticity, customer service, and social stewardship.
• We engineer gear that solves problems, moves the bar forward and ultimately improves the performance of our end users.
• We have a collaborative process for product design and development that we follow with discipline.
• Corporate excellence is in every interaction.
• Excellence is never an accident – we work towards it every day.
• Attracting, retaining and developing the best talent for our business matters.
• Our customers define us and the products we will put through our process to bring to market
• We are one TEAM. No Exceptions. We are unified by a clear common purpose.
• We take risks and confront failure openly. Success is repeated aggressively.

On behalf of all of us at LALO I would like to personally thank you for being part of our TEAM – it means the world to us.

My goal is to write a new post every month as we get a lot of questions about what a startup is like. I will do my best to describe the trials and tribulations, successes and failures. Some of these we can tell you about and others…well they are classified.

If you are interested in seeing some of the new concepts we are working on and some behind the scenes photos of our world…jay_taylor5 @ Instagram is the place to find them. Or you can always reach me at jay@lalotactical.com

 Until the next installment of 7 Days of Monday…

About LALO Tactical:
LALO was founded to serve the needs of Special Forces Operators. LALO uses top tier materials to create some of the best and hardest working tactical boots and athletic footwear for those that rise to the toughest occasions. The LALO Shadow, the ultimate Special Forces tactical boot, features a unique patent including a drainage system, a composite forefoot plate, a fast-dry component and the lightest weight materials on the market. The LALO Athletic line is a direct result of briefings received from Special Forces Operators. The need was to build a lightweight, packable, breathable shoe they could cross train and run in – a shoe they could count on, whether training or deployed. LALO’s designs put an emphasis on noise reduction, support and game day performance; gear that hits the mark time after time. Whether your path leads you to a career in the military, competing in an adventure race, cross training, tackling an urban athletic workout, or running a 5K, LALO has the shoe for you. www.lalotactical.com

LALO TACTICAL is privately held wholly by LALO LLC, a California LLC.