Trey Vilcoq
Chief Business Development Thinker
Trey is involved in all aspects of thinksport’s business including the development of new products, execution of the sales and marketing strategy, and management of key accounts. He brings over fifteen years of sales, business development, and product management experience to thinksport. Throughout his career, Trey has played a vital role in the success of several high-growth companies including Dell Computer, pcOrder (a pioneer in e-commerce software acquired by Trilogy), and CipherTrust (a leader in messaging security acquired by Secure Computing). Trey’s passion for a healthy, active lifestyle and enthusiasm for activities such as surfing, yoga, and triathlon are reflected in thinksport’s mission to provide “safer products for healthier athletes”.
Given, your ability to work for any company on the planet, what drives you to be part of a company like thinkbaby / thinksport?
After almost three years of contributing to thinkbaby & thinksport, I’ve come to realize that I have an enormous amount of pride in what I do. I’m proud of the important mission that we are on, the high-quality products we produce, and the loyal following of thinkers that continues to grow. These days it’s always fun to answer the inevitable “So, what do you do?” question when meeting new people. And it’s great to watch their eyes light up as I talk about our company. It’s fair to say that not everyone understands the details of material safety or endocrine disruption, but everyone seems to understand what makes our sport bottles so cool! I’m also compelled to mention the people. Whether it’s the fiercely dedicated team here at thinkbaby & thinksport, the friendly buyers at our key retailers, or our health-minded customers, I love interacting with the people who I get to work with day in and day out.
What companies do you feel the strongest allegiance to and why?
On a recent flight from my home in San Diego to our headquarters in Austin, I was enjoying a personal brainstorming session. I often find my time on airplanes to be productive and creative moments (when I can stay awake that is). I was specifically thinking about a handful of companies for which I had developed a strong affinity. This short list of companies included Patagonia, Matuse (wetsuits), and Hippy Tree (surf-inspired apparel). When it came to these companies, I noticed that I purchased their products regularly, did not need a sale or discount to buy them, and happily shared my loyalty with these companies to anyone who would listen. Of all the companies out there vying for my attention, why had I developed an allegiance to these guys? In each instance, the companies produced high-quality, environmentally-minded and unique products. I had also enjoyed positive customer service from them. However, more than anything, I felt connected to these companies because they had effectively communicated to me what they were all about, and I agreed with them. Are we doing the same at thinkbaby & thinksport? While we’re always striving to do better, I feel strongly that we’re off to a good start and hope you agree.