Today we’d like to introduce you to Pablo Arriola.
Hi Pablo, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Since I was a teenager in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I wanted to become an attorney and work for myself. I opened my first “business” when I was 16, delivering packages with my motorcycle. That didn’t last long (1 delivery), but it cemented the idea that I wanted to work for myself.
At 18, I partnered (helped) my mother with her small transportation company and worked with her part-time while I was working selling products on the street.
I came to the US in December 1998, at the age of 21. While looking for opportunities, I did many different jobs including painting and pressure cleaning homes (roofs and walls), customer service at a credit card company, and customer service at a cellular phone carrier. In 2004, I opened my own retail store as an authorized dealer for a phone carrier. I was also an independent life insurance agent and real estate agent.
In 2010, after the financial crisis settled, I found myself heading up for an ugly divorce. Broke and with three wonderful kids, Andrea, Diego, and Matias, the future did not look promising and I didn’t want to go back into the same wheel and to the “rinse and repeat” process of businesses.
I didn’t feel defeated but frustrated. All this background to get to the point where I actually answer the question with context. I wanted to find a career that no economy or external factors (compensation changes) would affect my business. Where I can focus on my personal growth and that I could always rely on. I, at the age of 35, was considering going back to school. Shortly after my separation, I met Analia, who is now my wife and the mother of my fourth child, Sebastian. Analia supported my idea of going back to school. Since I was dealing with my own family case, I decided to attend law school and become an attorney, which meant seven years of school with while having 3 (soon 4) small children and needed to work while going to school.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were many-many challenges. As I mentioned, I went to school (Miami-Dade, FIU, and St. Thomas Law School) while working full time and having four children at home. At some point, I had to sell my car to meet my responsibilities and for a little more than two years, I used public transportation, which means getting up at 5 in the morning to get on time to the law firm in Overtown Miami. In the afternoon, I had to take the train to the government center and “the loop” to get to Miami-Dade College Wolfson Campus, and then the train back to Dadeland, hopefully on time to catch the bus back to southwest Kendall, to finally making it home at 9 or 9:30 PM.
Another challenge was obviously and definitely balancing my time with my kids, my wife, and my work-study time. It was a sacrifice that we all endured as a family. My mother (Susana) and my wife (Analia) were tremendous help and support and I could not have done it without them.
Since I was an adult student, I had no time to waste and, while working full time, I managed to take the necessary credits to graduate as a full-time student, taking up to 18 credits per semester.
I have two Associate Degrees from Miami-Dade College; a Bachelor’s Degree with two minors, and a certificate from Florida International University; and a JD and an LL.M. from St. Thomas School of Law.
We’ve been impressed with AR Law Group PLLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At AR LAW GROUP PLLC we practice law in the areas of Real Estate, Family Law, Community Associations, and the litigation that comes from those areas.
Under the area of real estate, with my partner Daniel Rudoy (the “R” of “AR”), we represent landlords and tenants in disputes, and real estate buyers and sellers. We also do title work and closings with our brother company, Southeastern Title Company.
Under the area of Family Law, I do divorce and paternity cases, enforcement of child support and alimony, petitions for modifications, domestic violence, prenups, etc.
In the area of the Community Association, we represent both, home/unit owners and homeowners/condominium associations, reviewing governing documents, conducting meetings with the board of directors and committees, handlining litigation and collections, review contracts, etc.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I think that “luck”, good or bad, plays a role with the things we can’t control, like gambling, the weather, or an accident. In life, however, I like to believe that we are in control and therefore we create our own “luck” with the decisions and risks we are willing to take and our attitude, including how we stick to the decisions or how we timely recognize the need to adapt and make changes in accordance with the challenges.
Contact Info:
- Email: pablo@arlawgroupfl.com
- Website: www.arlawgroupfl.com
- Instagram: arlawgroupfl
- Facebook: ARlawgroup
