Meet Arnold Ruelas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Arnold Ruelas.

Hi Arnold, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey truly started when I graduated high school and accepted a position in the retail world working with my best friend. The company I worked for specializes in wardrobe styling head-to-toe and that’s where my passion for styling started.

Fast forward 6 years, I quit retail and went into the fitness world full-time coaching fitness classes and working at a local studio. While working there I started gaining wardrobe styling clients and I was doing closet clean-outs left and right but I was really only doing it as a side hustle. I was then recruited to manage a local boutique and went back to retail full-time, while still doing closet clean-outs and coaching classes on the side.

At this time I started making a name for myself in the Chattanooga community and growing a small following on Instagram. I competed in our local Dancing with the Stars and raised $26k for the Kidney Foundation and won 3rd place for my dance! My fellow Chattanooga residents began giving me the title of ” Micro-Influencer” and I fought that word for about a year and then decided to run with it.

I was getting products from local and national brands and trading for content creation. 2020 happened and it forced us all to take a step back and decide what it was that truly made us happy. I knew I wanted to be my own boss but was not sure what exactly that looked like.

After a conversation with my mom, I realized I am multi-faceted and enjoy many things so I decided to start Arnold Alexis, LLC- a New Age Marketing company!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Getting to the point of owning my own business was not easy.

My own insecurities and voices in my head were one of my biggest obstacles. I am a first-generation Mexican American born to immigrant parents and they wanted me to live out the “American dream” and go to college to become a doctor, lawyer, or something of the sort. I had to beg my parents to let me change my major from biology (which I failed miserably) to art.

After a few semesters in college, I decided it wasn’t for me and wanted to work full time and that was like a dagger in the heart of my parents. At the time they didn’t believe I would make it without a degree but I assured them that I knew whatever I was going to do was going to be based on my talents and not a degree.

I had so many people tell me “You’re not going to be able to survive by turning your hobbies into a career” “Content creating isn’t a real job” “Are you going to find a job while you try and make this a business?” But that pushed me to prove to them, my parents, and myself that I could do it!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My title of Image Consultant allows me to wear many hats and do many things for clients. Some are Wardrobe Styling, Branding, and Social Media Management.

I do anything from closet clean-outs to personal styling, influencer marketing, content creating, branding packages, and much more. Everything I’ve done in the past has truly taught me and shaped me to start my business. I’m able to pull knowledge from my prior jobs and use them with my current clients.

I love being able to research trending styles, brands, and the ever-changing Instagram algorithm. I am so thankful that I am able to do what I love and get paid to do so!

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I would definitely say there are scenarios in my business that have been lucky for example: Being an influencer in Chattanooga I’ve been able to attend many of the local galas to provide a social media takeover for the evening to raise awareness and money and I’ve been lucky to have been chosen to attend.

But overall for my business, I believe manifestation and networking, and a little luck have pushed me to where I am today. I’m lucky that my clients in the past have introduced me to other clients via word of mouth and I’m lucky to do what I do!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: arnoldalexis.com
• Instagram: @arnoldaruelas

Image Credits
@julieholderphotography