Your Momentum is My Inertia
Swapping out the corporate halls of tech sales, Trey Chastain plunges into the uncharted realms of his imagination - a place even his wife finds daunting. Embracing the adventurous spirit of his thirteen-year-old self, he delves into crafting fantastical worlds and devising intricate games, replacing spreadsheets with spells and transforming sales pitches into captivating tales.
Raised in the outskirts of Oklahoma City, Trey's childhood home buzzed with the energy of a (then pesky) younger brother and a surprise sister (who took sixteen years to arrive). It was his mother who ignited his passion for gaming, sharing late-night quests on the SNES in his bedroom, where they battled side-by-side in Donkey Kong, Mario, and all manner of other games.
After he gave up on the dozenth sport his dad enrolled him in, his dad further nurtured his nerdy side, taking his nine year-old self to the local game shop for his Pokémon tournaments every weekend. A hobby that later morphed to Magic, Mage Knight, and all forms of other games.
He was fortunate to have his grandparents just a stone's throw away in the next neighborhood, and his Nana and Papa have been a huge influence on his life. It’s probably his Papa’s fault (credit?) he ended up as an engineer - Trey still remembers doing three and four digit multiplication in his head, while climbing the backside of their staircase, at his Papa’s insistence. But even a burgeoning mind needs respite: soon Nana would swoop in, and together, they'd transform their playroom into a labyrinth of sewing thread, stretching from table legs to doorknobs, through toys and over beds, weaving a complex maze that, for Trey, was all fun and games. To this day, he marvels at the untold hours that must have been spent unraveling the aftermath of their adventures.
Trey is an adventurer at heart, whether it’s to the mysteries that lie beneath the Atlantic's waves, the hidden depths of Tennessee's caverns, or a remote village in Japan. Every journey is an opportunity to explore, to learn, to grow, and he can’t wait for his two young boys to be able to join him.
Almost by chance, Trey found himself with degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. While he was at it, he picked up a minor in Japanese from spending a year in Japan - though this skill feels like a whisper of what it was once. But while math and science may have come naturally to Trey, engineering definitely wasn’t his calling. So after less than a year in his career, Trey found himself in tech sales, an ironic choice for an introvert.
This is where he has spent the last decade, both as an high performing individual contributor, and as an empathetic manager of diverse teams across several industries. It’s only been recently, as life has started to balance out (slightly, if such a thing is possible), that he’s been able to really pick up and devote significant cycles to two passions of his - weaving immersive tales and crafting enthralling board games.
His wife, Claire, is an unwavering supporter and cheerleader. Their sons, Brigan and Cedric, bring a childlike joy and wonder into their lives, brightening event he darkest of days. They’re both blessed with significant support from extended family, both in Austin, TX where they live, as well as up in Oklahoma City. Help is only a phone call away.
