Ever been shopping at your favorite retailer and wondered how the Slingbox ended up on their shelf? There's a whole lot that goes into the process, and no one knows about it better than Gregg Wilkes, Sling Media's Vice President of Sales. Read on to learn a little more about this unsung Sling Media hero in this month's Sling Employee Spotlight!

Gregg, thanks for taking the time to speak with us today. Can you give us your title and a brief description of what you do?

I’m Vice President of Sales, responsible for revenue.

How long have you been with Sling Media?

I started November of 2004. I think I was number four or five in the US. A Long time considering we were incorporated in June of 2004.

Do you have any hobbies?

Work. (long pause) Watching TV…sometimes at work. (laughs) Lots of running through airports and selling. Being more serious, I would have to say golf, watching University of Maryland Basketball, and more work.

So if we asked you what it’s like to work for Sling Media, you would probably say a lot of work?

You know, it is a lot of work, a lot of hours, a lot of days, and a lot of commitment, but it’s not really work. It’s a pretty good team, and it’s very rare when you find a group of people that are that dedicated, that smart, and that hard working. And they’re fun people to be with and be around. It’s very rewarding.

What is your favorite television show?

My favorite TV show? Well, I watch ESPN religiously, so I would have to say that station.

So you’re a sports buff. What would you say your favorite team is?

University of Maryland, basketball.

How many Slingboxes would you say you have at home?

Five or six… at least. Don’t tell anybody that.

What do you have your Slingboxes hooked up to right now?

A TiVo and Comcast Cable.

So what are the other four doing?

They’re set up for strategic customers. Actually, I’ll be giving some of them to (customers involved in the sports community).

It would seem you have some important friends.

Never thought of it that way. They may not consider me a friend. (laughs). They’re acquaintances maybe. I want to get their perspectives on it since they all travel because they’re all involved in sports. I’ve made a lot of friends in sports, and they’re all involved in the media, too.

What would you say your favorite feature is on the Slingbox?

Favorite channels, to me, is great. I mean you can’t do that at home. There’s no favorite channels button on your remote control, there’s only those numbers. So, it’s one better than what you do at home. It’s amazing, really cool.

If there were one thing about the Slingbox you could change, what would it be?

I’d raise the price. (laughs)

Do you have a memorable experience you’ve had at Sling that you’d like to share?

I would, but it’s kind of blur. I’ve logged over 110,000 air miles this year, and that’s only in the United States. Although, I can still remember the first day I walked into the office. It’s just one continuous evolution, you know, just slowly climbing the hill. And I haven’t fallen yet. It just keeps getting better.

Thanks Gregg, we really enjoyed speaking with you today. Best of luck to you.

The SlingCommunity would like to thank Gregg for finding the time to speak with us, and sharing a little about himself with the rest of the community. So the next time you're watching college basketball on ESPN, give an extra cheer for the University of Maryland for Gregg. Go Terps!