Steve Burns: But we’ve got our director of Europe here for another week, Hannes Maier, and we’re working. I’m going to Europe to do a tour for the month of July, and he’s got me going to, I think, eight countries so far. So I expect to be really tired by the time we get around to Sam’s birthday in August.
But Hannes, why don’t you share with everybody what this experience was like for you overall and what you see as far as the expansion of Alovea across Europe and the rest of the world?
Anis Meyer: Yeah, you know, it’s the best chance for us to connect to our mission and to really experience what we do and experience the impact which we make. I participated the second time now in this trip, and the first time it was last year, and it was already so heartwarming and so connecting. You come back with even more desire to work with the people and to bring our information out into the field, and it’s the same this year.
And I should check our suitcase as well, I think, because my wife is like yours. So I always have to check as well, so she’s really caring with children, and it was actually that situation at Charisma (home for brain damaged children). She carried that child as well for a moment, and this was really emotional and emotionally meant for many people joining.
And I saw one of our partners, Social Business Partners, is really brand new, and actually joining that trip was one of her first activities, and she just stood next to us and started crying. And these are the best moments, really showing what we actually do, not only for the children, but as well for our partners who join.
Steve Burns: And she’s a doctor.
Hannes Maier: Yes, she is.
Steve Burns: She’s a medical doctor from Germany.
Hannes Maier: Yes, she is. And that’s quite an interesting story because she had to leave our country during COVID time as authorities came after her, as she just stood up for the truth, you know.
Steve Burns: And it was great because she picked my brain clean. There’s nothing left up there. And Craig can testify that there’s nothing left up there. But we had a great time with these people. They are fascinated with what we do, the professionals that were there. And we did get to talk. We did see our old friend, Dr. Sergio. He’s studying cardiology now but working with the Ministry of Health there and working with other nonprofits and wanting to incorporate these (nutritional) technologies in other organizations as well. So it was a great, great time to be there.
Any parting thoughts about where you see us growing in Europe and how you see the progress that we’ve made so far with the IT and everything else?
Hannes Maier: Yeah, this is one of the biggest challenges, of course, to bring a U.S.-based IT system over to Europe as we are much more complex from an operational point of view, not only due to languages but as well moving into countries.
Yeah, we started with five countries three, four years ago and did what I call the “bloody pioneering work.” So we had to set up operations and anything. So we started with five countries and everything is settled now. So we are fully operational. We have a warehouse in Austria shipping to all. Operationally, we would be ready to ship into all European Union countries, but we do it part by part.
I would like to take the approach to grow organically. So wherever we see serious intention to build business in the country, we can move into. And that’s the kind of expansion I would like to see.
And actually this year, beginning of this year, we added five additional countries. So we are live in the German-speaking area:
- Austria
- Germany
- Switzerland
Switzerland is a non-European Union country already. We are ready and operational in the neighbor countries:
- Czech Republic
- Slovakia
- Hungary
- Romania
And we are live in the Netherlands, in Sweden, and Denmark, and more to come. So we are working already on next countries. And I’m looking forward to really have Europe covered in the next, let’s say, one or up to two years.
Steve Burns: And Sam, there are people in the United States that may not have a lot of connections over in Europe as we expand. But social media kind of changes that whole dynamic, doesn’t it?
Sam Caster: Well, not only that, but you’re one person away from somebody in Europe, regardless of whether you’re on social media or not. You know, years ago when I first expanded into Europe with another company, it wasn’t a lot of social media, but everybody knows somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody that lives someplace else. And social media just accelerates that, just enables you to communicate with people all over the world much, much quicker.
So one of the things I shared with the group down there after Anis talked one night is, listen, we’re all going to have businesses in Europe. And for those of you that have always dreamed of going to Europe, you could do a tax-free. I mean, it’s a business trip. Once you start, you know, finding people in Europe that want to be a part of this movement, then that becomes your business to go to Europe. It’d be better than that. And then just to join the family of Alovea all over the world and see that no matter where you’re from in the world, people are alike in their desire to make a difference. And we get to do it more effectively than most people could ever dream of, make a difference in the lives of our own family, the people that we know and love, and as a result, you know, the children of the world who, without our intervention, they have literally no hope at a quality of life. So, yeah, it’s great.
And by the way, I want to congratulate Anis because our volume doubled last year in Europe, and I’m predicting it’s going to triple next year.
Hannes Maier: Yeah, we’re looking forward. And let me add something. I have a team behind me actually really mission-minded, and it wouldn’t have been possible without that incredible team behind me. Really starting the work out of voluntary basis, and so I really am grateful and thankful for those people around me supporting us as a mission, supporting Alovea Global actually, just out of their hearts.
Steve Burns: Yeah, we also have the person kind of overseeing customer support in Europe, Mario Krebs, with us. He and his wife, Farina, they came to Mexico, and they are here as well, and it’s just a delight getting to spend time with them. And Mario’s been doing customer support via WhatsApp while here at Bear Lake, so he doesn’t miss a beat. So we love them and Alexander as well for doing all the help and the work over there. So definite shout out to those guys as well.
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