Unlocking Opportunities: Trevor Williams of the Williams Key

The 24/48

Unlocking Opportunities: Trevor Williams of the Williams Key

Trevor Williams has lived an extraordinary life. Born in Virginia to missionary parents, his family moved to Africa when he was just 4 years old. Living in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), Williams experienced the dangers of civil unrest firsthand during the Rwandan genocide. His family later moved to Haiti to continue their missionary work, where Williams witnessed government upheaval and violence.

After evacuating to California, Williams decided to pursue his dream of becoming a firefighter. Despite applying to over 60 departments, it took years before he was finally hired by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. While working as a volunteer firefighter and carpenter, Williams also founded a nonprofit building homes for Haitian earthquake victims.

On the job, Williams was dismayed to see firefighters continually forced to break down doors, causing costly damage. Drawing on his carpentry skills, he developed a simple tool - the Williams Key - that allowed first responders to swiftly bypass locks and enter buildings.

As word of the Williams Key spread among LA firefighters, demand skyrocketed. Williams improved the design and began selling engraved, customized versions of the tool. Viral social media videos helped drive sales even further. Today the Williams Key is used across all 50 states and over 30 countries.

The successful Williams Key brand has allowed Williams to expand his product line to a range of specialty tools for first responders, including a door hanger, slip knife, and custom door wedge. However, Williams still handcrafts some tools himself as rapid scaling remains challenging.

When asked what he needs to continue growing the business, Williams acknowledges that funding is a constant limitation. However, he hopes to maintain the Williams Key's "small business community" feel, personally handling many customer interactions.

Williams has no plans to leave his firefighter job anytime soon. Despite tremendous entrepreneurial success, he remains committed to public service and helping people in need.


Connect with The Williams Key:

·       Website: https://williamskey.com

Connect with our team:

·      Sam Massa, CEO & 24/48 Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammassa/

·      Chelsea Lassen, Marketing Director & Producer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-lassen/

·      Spencer Carter, Videographer: https://www.instagram.com/spencervisual/

·      Marina Hunter, Graphic Designer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-hunter/

·      Allison Saxon, Marketing Specialist: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tabithasaxon/

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If you want to help us support first responder-owned businesses, help spread the word by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a 5-star review!

Thank you for listening!

“The 24/48” is brought to you by HiViz LED Lighting // Produced by Chelsea Lassen // Assisted by Spencer Carter, Marina Hunter, and Allison Saxon

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