Title: 1) Founder and Chief Executive Officer; 2) Executive Coach
Company: 1) Rum Cake Escape; 2) Today’s The Day Crew
Location: Houston, Texas, United States
Colton Trout, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Rum Cake Escape and Executive Coach at Today’s The Day Crew, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Business Owners for dedication, achievements and leadership in the Food and Beverage Industry.
Mr. Trout has established himself as an expert in his field, with a career marked by entrepreneurial leadership, strategic vision and a commitment to social impact. As the founder and chief executive officer of Rum Cake Escape since 2016, he has guided the company through a decade of growth, overseeing all aspects of product development, brand strategy and multichannel sales. Under Mr. Trout’s direction, Rum Cake Escape has expanded its business-to-business partnerships and launched enterprise-level campaigns, while maintaining a focus on quality and customer experience.
Lauded as a premier business known for its alcohol-infused cakes, Rum Cake Escape partners with retailers throughout the Houston and Clear Lake areas of Texas. The company also ships nationwide year-round and caters to corporate clientele. Rum Cake Escape sells a variety of cakes infused with spirits beyond rum, including whiskey, bourbon, vodka and tequila, and they are available in various sizes to accommodate groups of two to 18.
In addition to his work at Rum Cake Escape, Mr. Trout is known for his expertise in providing executive coaching and advisory services as the founder of Today’s The Day Crew. As a coach, speaker and author since 2018, he has provided coaching services to chief executive officers and senior leadership teams, supporting leadership development, strategic decision-making and organizational direction. Mr. Trout’s proficiency in executive leadership development, organizational strategy, marketing execution and go-to-market planning for both business-to-consumer and business-to-business markets is widely recognized. In addition to one-on-one coaching, he offers speaking engagements to both small and large groups, as well as workshops and keynotes.
Leveraging his expertise, Mr. Trout served as the executive director of the Bay Area Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau from 2023 to 2024. In this capacity, he was responsible for promoting tourism and economic development in the region, collaborating with local stakeholders to enhance the area’s visibility as a destination.
From 2019 to 2022, Mr. Trout owned his first business, Paradise Tropical Wines Kemah LLC, where he managed operations for a wine and beer bar. He purchased the establishment at age 22 in late 2019, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite unprecedented challenges facing the hospitality industry during the pandemic, Mr. Trout successfully kept the business running.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Trout excelled as a regional manager at Primerica from 2015 to 2018. In this role, he developed skills in financial services management and team leadership. His professional journey began at Mrs. Gatti’s Gourmet in 2012, where he managed operations for the bakery, specializing in gourmet cupcakes and rum cakes.
Mr. Trout’s academic background included earning a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Houston in 2018. Aside from his work-related endeavors, he serves on the board of directors for HIGHER UP TEXAS™, contributing his expertise to initiatives that empower youth and promote community advancement. Mr. Trout’s most notable achievement was his work developing transitional housing for youths aging out of foster care. He is currently involved in building one of the largest facilities of its kind in the United States, having assembled a group of developers and like-minded individuals to address this critical issue.
A respected writer, Mr. Trout co-authored “The PIVOT Anthology: 20 Personal Experiences of Experts Getting Out of Their Own Way” in 2020. He is currently writing another book titled “A Christian Who Happens to Be Gay. A Hermeneutical Analysis of Affirming and Conservative Theology.” Mr. Trout’s interest in Christian theology informs much of his writing and public speaking.
Attributing his success to relentless dedication to change, Mr. Trout also maintains an enduring curiosity about all aspects of business, how they function, why they succeed and how their principles can be applied for the benefit of others. Looking ahead, he aspires to scale Rum Cake Escape into a national franchise while continuing to speak on larger stages to further promote his brand and message.
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