Birdzeye’s Norlock is Helping Minority Owned Businesses Gain Equal Access to North American Retail & eCommerce
I had the pleasure of interviewing Trevor Norlock, a Global Consumer Revenue Executive who is passionate about developing new business for creative and dynamic start-up companies. He has a proven record managing productive business development teams while acting as a catalyst to bring cutting-edge products to national and global markets. He specializes in Identifying new lucrative markets, implementing and developing creative strategies, and fun-damental relationship building which have been pivotal in launching new products and guiding companies toward new revenue heights. Trevor talent for developing strategic partnerships that yield high returns and creating new market shares for new products is at the forefront of Birdzeye. He continues to utilize his strong business expertise including hiring/training/mentoring staff, operational planning, sales forecasting, process implementation, and launching new sales divisions.
Trevor started his career in consumer electronics in 2008, at a small startup in San Francisco called JOBY. Within two years he was managing the global sales team and responsible for the companies $28.7M global revenue. In August of 2011, he and his team had built JOBY gto be the #1 Camera Tripod (stability) brand in the world and successfully sold JOBY to the Daymen Group in Petaluma, CA; who were the owners of the world’s largest camera bag brand by revenue and volume, LowePro. A perfect exit and perfect brand marriage.
After building a few other startup and successfully selling another to GoPrio in 2016, he and his partner Alex Waddell found Birdzeye; an agency supporting Woman-Owned, Black-Owned, Minority-Owned, & Earth-Friendly brands EQUAL access to North American retail & eCommerce.
While managing Sales + Strategy over the last 5.5 years at Birdeye, he has managed and consulted for some of the world’s most innovative startups and categories including: Gaming (Deltaco + L33T), Tech Management (KeySmart + Cable Candy), Eco-Sustainable Materials (Zero Waste Movement — ZWM), Health + Wellness (Hemp & Hand), Pet CBD (ProjectPet), Water Conservation (ALTERED), Personal Care (LSC), Wireless Charging (ZENS), Audio (Defunc), Active Sports Mobile Accessories (MOC), Green Tech (Eco Fashion by Wilma, PAC), Car Smartphone Mounts (KENU), Luxury Smartphone Wallets (Edward Fields), Smart Home & Mobile Photography (Mixberry), Cable Management (Cable Candy), Smartphone Cases (Krusell), Digital Imagery (Looxcie — POV), Photo Stabilization (JOBY), Camera Bags (Lowepro), Laptop Protection (Acme Made), and Consumer Health (Better Back).
Thank you so much for joining us!
What motivated you to launch your startup?
I started my first company when I was 23; a real estate company in Phoenix, AZ in 2005. I have since started three other companies and enjoy the challenge of starting something from a concept; and brings those ideations to life and into the world’s largest and most competitive retail environment. “Thoughts become Thing” is an incredible and life altering realization of mine.
What is it that excites you about what you’re building?
I love helping people realize their dreams in creating consumer products that promote a healthy and happy lifestyle.
What has been your biggest challenge when growing your startup?
The times are a-changin’! I was told early on the “To be good is to change; to be GREAT is to change often. Rigidity of mindset is my biggest challenge both from industry buyers at retail, to investors. We bring to market DISRUPTIVE brands that come into existing categories and shake things up; offering consumers a better, healthier, sustainable option.
What are your future plans for your startup?
Birdzeye is a Bay Area agency which serves as a conduit between manufacturers and retailers through Robust Sales, Acquisition, Channel Marketing and Operational Strategies. We offer world-class products to consumers through strategic partnerships with all retail verticals from Independent to Mass–Market. We bring to market functional, aesthetic, and solution–based brands to meet the demands of consumers.
At Birdzeye, we believe a brand is more than its products. Our brands embody an inspired lifestyle that compels us to be Creative. We partner with brands that consider their environmental impact as a driving factor in their brand strategy. We represent our brands’ identity; protecting their cultural values while using our local market competence to build brand awareness.
Our business is built on our brands’ success.
If you had to share, “words of wisdom,” with a Founder who’s about to start their own startup, what would they be?
“As we move to meet the growing demands of consumers in a mobile society, our concept of the workplace must extend beyond place and embrace process. An agency in the modern business climate cannot be office-bound; rather its borders must be defined by the lives of its partners.”
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Trevor J. Norlock / Birdzeye
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevorjnorlock/
Birdzeye- https://www.linkedin.com/company/11178375/admin/
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/birdzeye_sf/
Hemp & Hand
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hempandhand
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/hempandhand/
LinkedIN — https://www.linkedin.com/company/70990644/admin/
The Press Hook — https://www.presshook.com/brands/hemp-hand/
Natural Grocers Association — https://naturalgrocers.org/featured-item/hemp-hand/
Web 3.0 — Marble — https://marble.app/hempandhand
This was very insightful. Thank you so much for joining us!
