Luis Lopez is a 34-year-old serial entrepreneur from Miami Beach, FL. Luis was born and raised in Miami, FL attended Columbus High School. At a young age, Luis worked at the Country Club of Miami where he was able to hone his craft and grew his love for golf. After High School and a short college St. Luis came back to Miami and gravitated towards logistics. Out of random timing and relationship building, Luis found a niche hazmat compliance business with a demand for reliable service and speed. After revolutionizing the hazmat compliance business with Mobile onsite solutions www.gohazmathub.io.
Luis’s hazmat customers also needed other services like local deliveries, container drayage, and bonded warehouse solutions. Luis took his customers’ word and started a small division that ultimately became what is now Freight Hub Group www.gofreighthub.io. Freight Hub Group has 5 major divisions FTL Hub, Dray Hub, LTL Hub, WHSE Hub, and Hazmat Hub. All servicing specific sectors of the domestic supply chain in the USA.
Luis has become known for being a technology-driven entrepreneur, he has spun off his service-based business to add SAAS called Truck Hub www.mytruckhub.com, which is a TMS Platform that connects Shippers and Brokers with Carriers via an online trucking platform. Truck Hub is the gem of the company offering an uber like experience to all modes of transport. Luis is driven by one thing, to make a cottage based industry that is fragmented to move to the 21st century and to be recognized as an innovator, not as a follower.
How did you get started in this business?
Everything I have done in business has been connected to my golf. I think Golf is an amazing way to connect with industry leaders, decision makers, and really smart people. I have over the past 10 years met individuals who have dramatically affected my thinking on the golf course.
How do you make money?
I think it’s vital to be diversified, success comes from hard work but you also have to be smart about investing and saving. I make money in logistics, real estate, stocks, and rental properties.
How long did it take for you to become profitable?
I was profitable right away because I was a one man operation for multiple years. It took me 2 years to become profitable once I grew and added employees and became a legitimate company with structure.
When you were starting out, was there ever a time you doubted it would work? If so, how did you handle that?
I doubted if I would make it when I started buying assets and creating verticals that required me to control fuel, expenses, repairs, and payroll. Asset Heavy businesses isn’t for the faint of heart, it’s really hard to scale and grow. But I like to control my own destiny. The best way to offer reliable service in transportation is being asset-based, while brokerage is easier to scale; you cannot control services because you depend on others.
How did you get your first customer?
I knocked on every door in Miami, Broward, and West Palm Beach that was a freight forwarder or broker in logistics. It was nerve wracking and I got denied so many times but I kept fighting through the mental disappointments. Once I had no downtime to knock on doors I knew I was in a good place and could start expecting to get rewarded for all those solicitations.
What is one marketing strategy (other than referrals) that you’re using that works really well to generate new business?
I think PPC and SEO are vital to any business’ success. I have never attended a Tony Robbins event but I have seen some clips on Youtube and he really impacted me when he stated that every major relevant business has 2 things that are consistent, Marketing and Technology.
What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?
With the current market conditions being so volatile due to COVID19 this has for sure been the hardest time in my career. Not having the same demand for services that we are accustomed to has been hard emotionally and mentally. Talking to employees about how we need to pivot and change has been also challenging.
What do you think it is that makes you successful?
I am driven, I feel like as a college drop out and someone who has been working since I was 14 years old my number one advantage is my work ethic. I can be outsmarted but not outworked.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Seeing Freight Hub Group on Inc 5000 has been really exciting. https://gofreighthub.io/inc-5000-recognized-freight-hub-group-as-one-of-the-fastest-growing-companies-in-2019/
What does the future hold for your business? What are you most excited about?
I think we will evolve more into a technology company that just happens to provide transportation as a service. I am most excited about making manual outdated processes automated and using AI to dispatch and predict how we should move our assets.
What business books have inspired you?
The Art of the Start, I specifically like the part of building a team, business is not I, it’s WE and if you do not have soldiers that you can lead you will end up in a hole so dark there is no exit.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Have more empathy. Learn how to better communicate.
Are you willing to be a mentor? If so, how should someone contact you?
Yes, I am. That’s the one thing I didn’t have someone I could call for advice. Recently I have built relationships with a few business associates that I can call for advice but I winged it for 12+ years. I learned via trial and error.