Belgian Immigrant Lode M. Loyens

A GUIDE FOR NEW IMMIGRANTS IN AMERICA

The Immigrant Experience :
Belgian Immigrant, Lode M. Loyens

Being an immigrant gives you an extra edge over Americans...

Lode M. Loyens came to the US in 1977 from Belgium in pursuit of adventure and success. Having no friends, no family, no job and little or no English. Starting off was quite the challenge. With a Degree in Hotel Management from Belgium and Degree in Computer Science from UCLA, Mr. Loyens is founder of EZ-Care Nutrition, a company that specializes in the care of pregnant mothers and kids.

How hard was it starting off?
I was actually homeless for 6 months and lived in a van, cleaning myself in dirty washrooms at gas stations at 2 or 3 in the morning. I really was stranded until a stranger opened up her heart and picked me off the streets.
Do you miss home?
Tremendously
What were your goals coming to the U.S.A?
To have my very own hotel.
Have you achieved your goals?
I didn't achieve that goal but I achieved others much better and much more realistic.
Are you now living your American dream?
Pretty much, about 98%.
Tell me a little about your company
My company is EZ-Care nutrition. We specialize in providing pregnant mothers and kids up to the age of 5 years old with healthy nutritional foods.
Who started it and when?
I did 10 years ago.
What were you doing prior to this?
I owned a computer company.
What was your initial investment in the company?
$1500 to buy the food. I was lucky. I already had the place where my store is and my wife and I together with a few friends from back home did all the remodeling.I mean, we did everything, painting, building counters, laying floors, you name it, and we did it.
So that made it possible for me to get started with very little money. That was a good thing because I only had about $3000 at that time.
How far has it grown now?
Currently my store has gross annual revenue of more than $500,000. Not bad considering I don't sell to the general public.
What do you think is important for other Immigrants to know?
Believe in yourself. Don't ever quit. You can do it. It may not be easy and it may take you a while but stay focused and above all stay committed and you will get there. Being an immigrant gives you an extra edge over Americans: you bring with you your own culture and you get the chance to learn a new culture. Embrace it with open arms.
What were the hurdles if any faced by you while starting out?
I knew nobody, I had no family to lean on, I had no friends to socialize with. It's hard when you can't shoot your ideas of someone else. I also didn't know the American way of living and that made me gullible to a lot of scams the first few years I was here.
How did you overcome them?
Asking God to guide me and show me the way and telling myself that I am not stupid and I can do this. I just had to try harder, forget about what happened in the past, stay focused on the future and keep trudging ahead.
What has it taken to be where you are?
A lot of hard work, a lot of sweat, a lot of tears and a lot of commitment. But it was all worth it. I’ll do it again in a heartbeat. I learned a lot, especially I learned life.
What do you think is very important when making changes in your life?
First you put your goals in writing, set them aside for a day or two or three. Then after two, three days review your goals and if at that moment you still feel as strongly about them as the day you wrote them down, then go for it and don't look back. Secondly, plan as much as you can in advance before you make your life change. You can't plan everything but you can plan a lot. Like, what do you want to do when you get here? How are you going to do it? Do you have enough money? Can you get more money? Do you have a job lined up? And so on. The better prepared you are when you get here the better your chances for success.