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: [email protected] 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rei_lalo/ 
• TRIHARD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wetrihard/  

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Keep up to date on our social accounts:

• Check out our Website: http://enduranceofficer.com/ 
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Chief Endurance Officer is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/