Episode Summary
In this Prime Talk Podcast Video Sponsored by GETIDA – Al Lopez – Director of Business Development – E-Comas – talks about How to Expand Globally on Amazon, and shares his personal journey into eCommerce.
About Al Lopez of e-Comas – Grow Your Brand globally on Amazon, faster! e-Comas has a mission: to make selling on Amazon simple. e-Comas (formerly The Great Wall) was founded in 2013 by eCommerce expert Jérôme de Guigné, with the simple idea of helping brands sell products online. We quickly realized just how many companies were struggling with Amazon, facing issues including communication, strategizing, and business in general. That’s when “Amazon Made Simple” was born, which later became “eCommerce Made Simple” – e-Comas.
Find out more about GETIDA and maximize your Amazon Seller Refunds.
Find the Full Transcript Below
Yoni Mazor 0:06
Hi, everybody, welcome to another episode of Primetalk. Today I’m excited to have a special guest. Today I’m having Al Lopez. Al is the Director of Business Development at e-Comas. E-Comas is a global e-commerce marketplace agency based out of Luxembourg Europe, which is I assume a beautiful, gorgeous, wealthy place. So Al Welcome to the show.
Yoni Mazor 00:28
Thanks, YoniI see. Nice to be here with you. It is it is wealthy. I seem to get more of that. Well, you know what I mean?
Yoni Mazor 0:37
Yeah, China Rob from the dust of the wealthy. But I think Amazon might even listen to Luxembourg in Europe because it’s almost like the tax haven.
Yoni Mazor 0:50
It’s almost like the state of Delaware here in the states where you know, a lot of corporations base their just to get that tax benefits. But I guess that’s a different story for a different time. Today’s episode is really going to be the episode of Al Lopez, you know, the story of Al Lopez, you’re going to share with us, where are you? Where are you from? Where were you born? Where did you grow up? I do I enter the professional world station, but station until we get to where we are now. So without further ado, let’s jump right into it.
Al Lopez 1:18
Great. I just told you you don’t fall asleep on me. And I’m happy to go into as many details as you need.
Yoni Mazor
I’m excited. We just met just for you know, full disclosure. The first time we kind of met. And this is for me a pleasure cruise when I get to meet new people, learn about them learn new things. And it’s really it’s my pleasure to have you.
Al Lopez 1:39
Thank you, Yoni. Likewise, I actually love the platform, though. I’ve watched a couple of your episodes and honestly, you’ve done a really good job. I think it’s really, really special what you’re doing with the platform GETIDA and the software itself is great, as well giving more insights into really key figures in the industry. It’s really cool.
Yoni Mazor 1:55
Appreciate it. Appreciate it. Let’s get started Al. Go ahead and take us in.
Al Lopez 1:59
Yeah, so my full name is Eduardo. It feels we can speak Spanish. You only I think you can speak some Spanish, right? Yes, I do. Yes. Okay.
Yoni Mazor 2:08
Let’s twist the Spanish just for a second.
Yoni Mazor 2:35
So I take us in English now. Sorry about that.
Al Lopez 2:39
Yeah. So I was born in Lima, Peru. I’m a child of immigrants. I actually grew up almost my entire life. childhood I should say. In Washington DC. So just outside of DC, all that.
Yoni Mazor 2:55
So you’re born in Lima. Mira, Florida is a very nice neighborhood and the capital of Peru, which I was mentioning Tennis Fans that I have visited and been there and had a great time. But what age were you when you left Peru? And what was the circumstances for you guys leaving?
Al Lopez 3:32
Yeah, so I was six years old. I was born in 92. So I’m not 30 years. So we run my late 20s. I still have some life fe to enjoy. Just kidding. It’s a joke for everyone. But 30.
Yoni Mazor 3:20
Yeah. I’m 36 and I’m having a blast.
Al Lopez
You look young. That’s the important thing? Yeah, that’s important. Now, I don’t know if you know much about the geopolitics of early the 80s in Peru. But you know the far left insurgency in blue, that it really took a toll on a lot of is, especially the economy Peru. And so there’s a lot of repercussions for individuals working for, let’s say Western companies, and my dad was one of those.
Yoni Mazor 3:47
So which company did he work for there was there for something?
Al Lopez 3:49
My dad worked for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or otherwise known Mormons? Wow. So, yeah, a lot of dramatic novellas that occurred in the 80s and early 90s. But I was pretty clear for him that he’s one of six kids, and for a better life for him. He wanted to apply for resigning to get to the US. I’m really grateful for the sacrifices he made. So typical, obviously a while to processes his visa. And so we got to DC around 98.
Yoni Mazor 4:18
So you’re born in 1992 and in 1998 that’s where you guys emigrated and then transferred to Washington, DC area.
Al Lopez 4:23
Yeah, exactly the extra so just as a New Jersey we flew into, I remember it’s totally crazy because one of my first memories is actually seeing the New York skyline to we’re flying into JFK International. It’s kind of dramatic.
Yoni Mazor 4:36
Right, because that’s kind of the new modern way of, you know, the American dream. It used to be in the old old days through the boat through statue liberty, to kind of see that from far away. But between all the breathtaking skyline of New York, it can be overwhelming for somebody coming from almost any country unless you’re really from Hong Kong or something in a city that has a breathtaking skyline.
Al Lopez 4:56
Yeah. And even then New York is like such the epicenter of the US, you know what I mean?
Yoni Mazor 5:00
So I still strongly believe it’s not only kind of the capital of US business, but also the capital of the world economy and the world business and, you know, Wall Street financial markets, the UN United Nations, a lot of things going on.
Al Lopez 5:13
I totally agree. And yeah, and it was great. I mean, we’ve been 90x, my dad coming here before and more or less to prepare for the family sign, easy to immigrate with six kids. So he had come in 97. So after a year of not seeing my dad, we finally met in New York, and then took a little road trip down to DC. And so I grew up just outside of the urban area of DC. It’s a city called Silver Spring, and I don’t know if you’re familiar with it.
Yoni Mazor 5:39
It’s in Maryland. No. Yep, exactly. Yeah. Had Alex Sklar. He was born there. He’s from payability. I interviewed him yesterday. But when he was two years old, everybody shifted back to New York.
Al Lopez 5:51
So yeah, it’s a serious thing is it? And I really enjoyed my childhood. It’s very, it’s a very diverse area and a lot of people in a very small geographical location. Yes, I grew up we moved when I was in middle school to Rockville, just north of silver spring. And that’s really why I went through high school. And then when I was in my college years, I studied at Utah, and Utah State University just on the border in Idaho.
Yoni Mazor 6:19
Hold on. So let me ask about Utah because I believe I believe that might be a Mormon connection there. Because you guys seem to be Yeah, Mormons. Right. And yeah, that history of your illustrious father working, you know, on the church, a Mormon church in Peru, and you want to tell was that one commented on the fact that was, you know, it’s kind of a Mormon community there.
Al Lopez 6:39
Yeah, precisely. I had some siblings that were studying at BYU. And so everybody had some family out there. So I went to Utah State, which is the border of Idaho, just up north. It’s really cold. If anyone likes skiing, you should go there. I was waiting to get up close, which you know, which is like, it never gets colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Right. Logan? It’s like the average is like negative 10 degrees. But it’s a really good school. My siblings were at BYU though.
Yoni Mazor 7:11
Which one do you What’s that? What’s an acronym for that?
Al Lopez 7:16
Brigham Young University
Yoni Mazor 7:19
Brigham Young, is a famous Mormon figure, right?
Al Lopez 7:21
Yeah, it’s a private Mormon school. It’s pretty renowned. It’s like where the Mitt Romney’s went, the Huntsman’s, so prominent Mormons go there. So they were there that’s I had a connection out there. So I’m no longer practicing Mormon, but I grew up Mormon love the community. I moved out there is a really good time. And as you know, Salt Lake is more or less like the mini Silicon Valley. They call it silicon slopes. Economy out there a lot of unicorn companies out there. I think it’s the second-fastest-growing economy after Houston in the US and so shout out to Salt Lake and it’s a really cool city.
Yoni Mazor 7:57
I’ve heard great things never got a chance yet I’m really looking forward to hopefully after the pandemic, I never skied also, so I gotta check two things at the city but also the skiing.
Al Lopez 8:09
Yeah, skiing isn’t my thing. I wish. I always tease people like there’s two things to do in Utah and it’s like be Mormon or ski and I suck at both
Yoni Mazor 8:17
Do you surf at all because I know, Lima does have a surfing scene over there there’s a beach town, especially in the summer.
Al Lopez 8:22
I think Surfing is really fun I suck at it, unfortunately. But yeah I I do a little bit of like just as a for fun nothing good for the soul Yeah, I think the longest weight break the road isn’t like close to Peru.
Yoni Mazor
Yeah, there’s a whole scene of of surfing improved a whole culture there as far as I know and seen a few shows. So take us to the year where I guess you are two things. What do you major in college and when do you graduate in which year?
Al Lopez 8:54
So I studied in college to actually work in the State Department’s I studied international foreign diplomacy is the best way to describe it really. So part of that program before I finished school, I served a Mormon mission. And so that’s really where I grew up passion for international relations.
Yoni Mazor 9:12
And so what’s the Mormon mission talks about that a little bit just to you know, to broaden our horizons what is that?
Al Lopez 9:16
Yeah, so a Mormon mission is really like a let’s say like a two-year path of I don’t want to say acceptance but it’s really like the commonly, like the main service mission all Mormons should do if they want to advance like the nurtured position
Yoni Mazor 9:35
But acceptance who is supposed to accept what when you say acceptance?
Al Lopez 9:38
Yeah, like within the body of the membership like every person who is a Mormon looks at a mission like the two-year ban, because it’s two years right where you’re giving up your entire life. There’s no communication to your family, you find your own way.
Yoni Mazor 9:54
Okay, take us back. This is different than I thought I thought we just get here’s a mission soldier two years ago. Go assassinate somebody or go build something or whatever the mission is, like soldiers in the army. But this is a whole different thing. So Mormons, have a track where it’s a two-year track or when they call it a mission. Right? And you’re not, you can’t communicate with your family. What is that about?
Al Lopez 10:18
Exactly. In fact, I think today, the guidelines have changed. I served my mission almost 10 years ago. But back then you can only talk to your family twice a year, Mother’s Day and Christmas. So basically, the LDS church or the Mormon Church, they assign if you decide to go on a mission you apply, and then they assign you a location precisely write a country or city that you’re going to serve in for two years. And those two years are dedicated to what they call preaching the gospel. So basically just trying to evangelize individuals to convert to Mormonism. And so I did mine in Denver, Colorado, my brother did his in Chicago and a sister did hers in Spokane.
Yoni Mazor 10:59
What’s the years you did yours in Denver, the three years you did there, or actually yours?
Al Lopez 11:04
2011, and 2013. And so I served the Spanish-speaking mission, which is like, the Mormons are famous for like those. Usually, it’s two white guys in suits and you have the name tag. That’s a service mission I’m referring to so famous because they, so a missionary will get assigned a location and the language for two years. And so they’re all over the world, a certain mind Spanish speaking in Denver. So a lot of my projects were…
Yoni Mazor 11:34
So essentially you’re serving the Latino community in Denver, Colorado. So how did it go?
Al Lopez 11:41
It was really fun. I had a really good time. It taught me a lot about brain in principle, a person being disciplined. I really think that like, between the gap of like, high school and finishing your college degree, you really should have at least a year of dedication to something bigger than yourself. Right?
Yoni Mazor 11:58
I totally agree with that. Yeah, something that is really not focused essential, as on you, it’s, centralized on a mission, a purpose that is larger, wider, impactful, and deeper and. I find that a little bit a little bit similar to what, you know, from my background in Israel, when you turn 18. Instead of going to college, everybody goes to the idea. Yeah, the idea of Israeli Defense Forces, or whether it be men or women in a woman who has served two years and, and the men do they serve three years and serve service serving, bigger, higher purpose, and it builds a lot of character, obviously, we have, the region also has its geopolitics, I guess, just like they had back in the day, and there are real wars and combat involved, but I strongly support that ability, you know, builds character to people in a way where they become less selfish, more, you know, humble, and they know, they do not really have a mission, you know, accomplish missions or projects. I think there are larger, longer more complex, they require collaboration. So you had your own taste a sample of that kind of configuration.
Al Lopez 13:07
Yeah, I really agree. When I was in Tel Aviv, as I a couple of years ago, it was an amazing trip and going through Jerusalem and into Palestine as well. And I agree, and just having a time period, because if I’m not mistaken, I’m not a medical expert. But I don’t think you’re your brain full of develops until you’re 25 years old, or something like that. 26, I think for males, and like 24 for females. And so I think you really need to have a time period where you really learn how to do things for others, and really have a perspective as to just basically not be selfish, let’s say. So obviously, I’m no longer practicing Mormon, but it was really a really good experience. Because as a Mormon missionary, we’re spending two years where every single day, I’m not kidding, there’s no holiday, there’s no vacation every single day, you’re waking up with the mindset of how am I going to serve others? Yeah, it was a really good experience in it. And some of my closest friends today come from that experience.
Yoni Mazor 14:08
So you did that between 2011 and 2013? Colorado, the Latino community.
Al Lopez 14:14
I came back and immediately after, in the midst, I think it was my third year, my undergrad. I took, I did an internship in Spain.
Yoni Mazor 14:23
Wow, what’s it called the city?
Al Lopez 14: 14:26
So the city is Rioja. So I think it’s it’s an element related to red, but not really.
Yoni Mazor 14:37
How do you spell that?
Al Lopez14:43
So it’s basically the Napa Valley of Spain.
Yoni Mazor 14:48
Nice. And what was the context? I was aware I was a part of your school, studying learning.
Al Lopez 14:52
Exactly. Yeah. Because that goes Sam’s studying foreign diplomacy and so yes, New Year, abroad, and so I did mine in Spain. It was a really, really good time. I looked with the Spanish family out there. And that’s where I met my now wife, Swiss German.
Yoni Mazor 15:09
What was she doing there?
Al Lopez 15:14
She was studying Spanish and finalizing Sorry, excuse me, her master’s degree in Spain. So we met there were friends for a long time, you would never expect a like Latino in America to hook up with like a, you know, a German, like very organized, very pragmatic woman. Very structured. Yeah, yeah, I feel very lucky. But it’s very met. And so that’s more or less my routine grew up where I’m at today, with Annabel’s her name, I went back to Utah to finish my undergrad. And again, shout out to Logan, Utah, but I should say, because it was a really good experience at Utah State. And when I finished my degree, I took the decision to go out to Germany, because my wife and now at that time wasn’t my wife, but she accepted a job in Switzerland.
Yoni Mazor 16:02
So hold on, when you’re in Spain, essentially love came knocking at your door and swept you into the world of Europe. Right. So you finished a degree in the States. And then you were compelled to go to Europe and, you know, develop, you know, the relationship with your now wife. Isabella said, Yeah. And okay, so why did you move to a study to move to Germany?
Al Lopez16:26
In 2016. So it’s been almost five years and moved out here.
Yoni Mazor 16:32
Guys. So hold on what were the school years you did, how long were you in school?
Al Lopez 16:35
I started in 2010. Right, and then a two-year pass. And it finished in 2016. So right after my undergrad.
Yoni Mazor 16:42
Wow, so this is about six years of you know, coming because you do this with the structure of the Mormon faith. So you saw the track, instead of having three, four years of college, it’s more like six years, because in between you do the mission. And then we were also in this international, you know, diplomacy route. So you did another year in Spain, and then another actual three years where you got to actually, you know, learn all these subjects and get your degree and all the credits and get your degree. So Wow, that’s pretty, pretty intensive six years 2010, 2016. Alright so 2016 you pack up your belongings, you move to Germany?
Al Lopez 17:19
Yeah, so we are exactly what we did today in Sydney. Lorrach
Yoni Mazor 17:25
And how do you spell that?
AL Lopez 17:26
Loorrach.
Al Lopez 17:33
It’s a small city, about 10 minutes outside of Basel, Switzerland. And so basil is just on the border of France and Germany and Switzerland and about an hour west of Zurich. Zurich, I should say.
Yoni Mazor 17:52
Got it, so this is the Basel Zurich area of Switzerland. So you guys, like a satellite nevertheless, on the German side of things?
Al Lopez 18:00
Exactly. Yeah. And so I work this thing because we’ll get to e-commerce eventually. But e-commerce is in Luxembourg. And I work especially with zoom. Now, you know, we can work from anywhere but just a couple of hours drive away from work. But it is a really nice city. If you guys ever get a chance to have to come out you can swim on the Rhine River. There’s loads of activities to do. It’s called Basil’s more or less like the art capital of sorts. And there’s a lot of really fun museums, a lot of really big companies out here Novartis Roche, with their headquarters here so it’s a really fun city because there’s a lot of expats a lot of different languages. It’s a nice…
Yoni Mazor 18:39
Cosmopolitical politics, it’s I love Switzerland. I love the fresh air, the landscape you know, it’s
full disclosure, I mentioned to this earlier my sister-in-law, she lives in Geneva. I was really really impressed by him when I went to visit Switzerland, and I think it’s a great place to do business to live in just good vibes alone.
Al Lopez 19:00
Yeah, yeah. We have a lot of family members out in Switzerland from Annabel but we’re in the German side.
Yoni Mazor 19:07
But technically Annabel is a, she’s a German or she’s a Swiss?
Al Lopez 19:12
Yep, so a German with Swiss roots I guess is the best way to put it because here if you ever if anyone wants to get carried away in some Wikipedia reading you just look up the people and that’s what’s basically the capital of the people…
Yoni Mazor 19:28
So it means Germany right the German people?
Al Lopez 19:31
When you speak Spanish so like Germany in Spanish is Edmonia right? And in France is Almond…
Yoni Mazor 19:38
But in Hebrew it’s actually we say, for example, also interacting in Russian they say that so that’s also a lot of people said German or Germany. What’s that about?
Al Lopez 19:46
So yeah, Germany like that about your friends like Germany used to be a lot of different kingdoms and different empires. And at one point that unified including you know, the other region.
Yoni Mazor 19:57
This happened more, do you know during or after the Prussian empire right? That’s when they had clans and wars and kingdoms or whatever and then kind of after the Prussian Empire, they kind of configured himself as a German and then we have other darker moments, but that’s beside the point.
Al Lopez 20:15
Yeah, of course. Yeah. But I think 1871 is when Germany decided to unify actually brought in. So I live in Baton Gutenberg, right? And the region even though we’re right next to Basel, that’s where a lot of the influence of this city is out of. It’s kind of special because a lot of the influences from Switzerland even though we’re in Germany, right that capital my state is actually in Stuttgart. Uh, yeah, Mercedes Porsche. I’m not sure if Mercedes but I know Porsche for a fact probably Mercedes, too. Different companies like Philips and whatnot. So the barrier, like the economic hub is in Germany.
Yoni Mazor 20:58
Right, hear also good things about Germany from my parents. I haven’t visited there but they said also very impressive. Okay, so now lets you know, you land in Germany, and what do you do? I mean, okay, love brought you there. But professionally, what do you do? What what are your about?
AL Lopez 21:09
College. Yeah, one of my good friends while I was in school, I was working and one of my good friends from that network. He was launching a business, an Amazon agency out of there. And they wanted, they saw a huge opportunity in providing services right to European consumers. Because Amazon USA is a really strong e-commerce platform. A lot of consumers are familiar with it. Where Europe at that time. There was still a lot of room to grow. And so they basically knew me and their network and they asked if I was interested in weeding out their European development side. And so since I was moving out there anyway accepted. And that’s really where I started my work experience really started there and helping businesses.
Yoni Mazor 21:54
So you’re telling me that e-commerce the e-commerce community came knocking on your door at you know, in Switzerland slash Germany out of all places coming actually from the Utah area? I know that there’s a really strong presence of large established Amazon sellers. Didn’t happen there but it happened more on the European side.
Al Lopez 21:12
Yeah, a company today is known as Buy Box experts. I don’t know
