Enterprenuer
Walter Gonzalez is an entrepreneur by nature. He built GOJA from scratch more than 12 years back using his combined expertise in e-commerce, finance, legal, and accounting.
These skillsets make the company one of the fastest-growing marketplace sellers on amazon.com.
Walter’s vision for GOJA is to be the leading operator in the Amazon aggregator market and be a dominant resource for driving the new online marketplace-dominated landscape.
Walter’s solid and proven experience selling on Amazon has helped him scale GOJA to year over year growth.
With a plan to make GOJA the next unicorn company worth $1B within five years, he continues to guide the company as an integrator, powerhouse operator, and aggregator.
What is the story of GOJA?
Thirteen years ago, I fell in love with marketplaces. I remember being part of a company that owned $600,000. It was owned by a client who couldn’t pay.
There is no way we are going to lose this money.
Walter Gonzalez
But then eBay sprung up. This marketplace brought all that inventory to eager buyers across the globe. This was a turning point for me.
Marketplaces were set to revolutionize retail. A built-in customer base, retail infrastructure, and the ability to sell like us were tremendous opportunities.
How do you stay productive?
My day begins with my daughters taking me to school. My day starts with 30 minutes spent in the car, which is my favorite part.
It sets the tone for the rest.
For the first two to three hours of my workday, I do my best to be by myself.
I don’t schedule appointments to plan for the next day and get in the right mindset before meeting with my leadership team.
GOJA uses a “5-15” format where each team member takes 15 minutes to share their weekly updates, plans, short-term goals and discuss how they fit into the larger monthly goals.
Meetings will cover various topics: management, recruiting, nurturing GOJA’s culture, and building relationships with investors.
I spend five minutes going through the big picture and strategic planning after each leader has delivered their updates.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Studying law and finance in Florence, Italy, has impacted my ability to create ideas.
The creative and logical parts of my brain are involved in my opinions.
They often come together to make things happen.
At the same time, many people believe that the logical vertical is responsible for starting and growing businesses.
I find it the creative part of my brain that generates ideas.
The rational side helps me break them down and present them to understand.
The ideas’ maturity and creativity or logic will determine how I bring them to life. It doesn’t matter if it’s new and creative.
I won’t get it to the VP Supply Chain to implement a strategy because it isn’t mature enough.
The context in which an idea should be realized and the part of the creative/logical spectrum will determine the execution framework.
Ideas must be more extensive and complicated to build and grow businesses.
It is possible to have an idea come true, but I must save it for the right people at the right time to make it a reality.
What’s your favorite trend?
I am fascinated by e-commerce and its impact on the world. It’s going nowhere, which is the most exciting part about it.
While Amazon is a relatively new market, selling and buying products has been a part of the Amazon ecosystem for some time.
Brand launching is one of the most recent trends.
Ecommerce platforms are becoming more popular, blurring the boundaries between generic and non-household brands.
Small businesses thrive because people can launch brands from anywhere globally and reach their target audience instantly.
Ecommerce has seen a lot of growth over the past decade, but branding and marketing via e-commerce are here to stay.
My favorite thing about eCommerce is its ability to give small businesses and entrepreneurs an edge over generic brands.
What habits make you productive?
My imagination is unlimited. I don’t ever say “no” to myself. I’m realistic about my capacity, but I don’t tell myself it is impossible.
What’s your advice for the Noob?
For a long time, I believed that I had to be an expert in certain areas or have previous experience before starting something new.
If I had the chance to go back and offer advice, I would advise myself to get started with GOJA sooner.
While there will always be learning curves when starting a new business, the best way is to do it hands-on.
GOJA would not have been possible if I hadn’t gone through the trials and errors of my first business.
These may seem contradictory, but I would advise my younger self to try sooner and be patient.
What is one thing we can all agree on?
To start a business, you don’t necessarily need to have money.
Entrepreneurs often tell me, “I have a great idea, but I don’t have enough money to make it a reality.”
You can do anything if you have the right people to support you, whether it’s your mom, your wife, or your bank.
You can achieve anything if you have the proper credit and credibility who believe in you.
What do you recommend as an entrepreneur?
Social media is something I avoid. I don’t have Instagram or Facebook to protect my brain’s information.
It was hard for me to remember seeing Instagram posts of people having fun at work or others who were more successful than me.
I ignored all the noise to focus on my business growth and take back control.
I learn my information in other ways, such as reading reliable information and personal experiences relevant to GOJA.
I don’t get the same from social media posts.
What’s your rich strategy?
I’ve been told “no” many times in my professional career. But that didn’t stop me from moving forward and following my instincts.
I have found it crucial not to pay too much attention to the outside world.
There are many challenges involved in starting, maintaining, and growing your business.
I find it most helpful to concentrate on my immediate and long-term/short-term goals.
I try to embody Henry Ford’s quote, “Whether you think that you can, or think that you can’t-you are right.”
My reality is curated based on my expectations and not those of others. My team at GOJA should do the same.
How do you overcome Failure?
Recently, I started using the term “failure” for the first time. My past attempts weren’t a failure, but they inspired me to do what I believe.
Fortunately, none worked out, and I am here today because they did.
Although my Limo company failed, I would not have invested 100% of my time and effort into it.
It is essential to put your time and effort into any ideas.
You don’t have to invest in the money.
If you want to become a successful entrepreneur, you must grow your business instead of making capital investments.
Can you share a business idea?
The software can be built and used for your business. Many software products have yet to create.
Many people will say they don’t know enough about software and don’t have the resources or tools to create it.
I’m afraid I have to disagree.
You can make concrete tools for very little money if you understand the business process and identify specific needs within your company.
What’s your recent best buy?
My extended family gathers every Sunday for dinner. Last week, I bought steaks for my extended family and prepared grilled asparagus for them all.
We value family dinners. The sense of “togetherness” with our loved ones allows us to relax and prepare for the week ahead.
What are your favorite Softwares or Apps?
Microsoft One Note allows me to be more productive. It’s just as valuable as Excel and Teams if you can get to a high user level.
Which book would you recommend?
The Secret of Happy Families Bruce Vailer. This book is a treasure trove of ideas to help you build a successful family.
It’s all about communication openly, respecting your coworkers, and adapting quickly but carefully to changes.
What’s your favorite quote?
“Play like a champion today.”
TL;DR; Walter Gonzalez could offer to Enterprenuer readers?:
You can do anything if you have the right people around you and the drive for success.
Your ideas must be more extensive and more complicated to grow a business.
It is possible to have an idea come true, but it is crucial to keep it safe for the right people at the right time to make it a reality.
Amazon is changing retail. Brands have a tremendous opportunity to succeed with an existing customer base.
This gives small businesses and entrepreneurs an advantage over generic brands.
