Chief Endurance Officer Swim Care Revolution: The TRIHARD Story - Rei Lalo - with Greg McDonough - Episode # 136
How can a spinal injury at 17 lead to building an exciting endurance brand? In this episode, Greg McDonough sits down with Rei Lalo, the founder and CEO of TRIHARD, a company redefining personal care for athletes and swimmers. Rei shares how a life-changing injury inspired his passion for endurance sports and ultimately led him to create a brand dedicated to helping athletes protect their skin and hair from the harsh effects of chlorine. Rei and Greg discuss endurance as a mindset, entrepreneurship through uncertainty, and what it takes to turn personal challenges into industry-changing innovation.
Takeaways:
- Adversity can be your greatest teacher. Rei’s recovery from spinal surgery taught him discipline, focus, and endurance, qualities that later defined his business journey.
- Innovation starts with empathy. TRIHARD was born from Rei’s firsthand understanding of an athlete’s unmet needs, proving that great ideas often come from personal pain points.
- Adapt to unexpected markets. When COVID shut down public pools, TRIHARD thrived by identifying and serving a new audience: families with backyard pools.
- Stay laser-focused, then expand. Rei’s early decision to specialize in chlorine protection gave TRIHARD authority in a niche before branching into broader swim care.
- Persistence beats perfection. From unpaid internships to global distribution deals, Rei’s journey shows the power of doing the work before you’re “ready.”
- Wellness meets performance. Rei’s perspective on swimming as both exercise and meditation offers a reminder that endurance isn’t just physical, it’s mental.
Quote of the Show:
- " I want to get to a point when people protect themselves from chlorine, the way they protect themselves from the sun." - Rei Lalo
This Episode is Sponsored by TRIHARD! Use Code TCEO for 20% off their Website: https://www.trihard.co/?utm_source=tceo&utm_campaign=podcast
Links:
- TRIHARD Website: https://www.trihard.co/?utm_source=tceo&utm_campaign=podcast
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reilalo/
- Company website: https://www.trihard.co/
- Rei’s Email: rei@trihardus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rei_lalo/
- TRIHARD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wetrihard/
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