Arthur J. Rutledge is a thought leader with an unwavering mission to enhance, cultivate, and empower over a million leaders to fulfill their pure potential in life. Starting from a young age, his love for people became fundamental and sparked his passion for giving back by supporting people in their personal growth. 2024 marked the fruition of that endured vision with the new book " 11 Pillars of Confidence, build and Lead an Empowered You." He is also an entrepreneur, owner of Kap Group Events NYC, and co-founder of the online store People Pride Shoes. His abetment in life is to continue helping people to reinvent and reinforce the vertical mindset, the words he is known to say as an encouragement to all, "Shine on!"
Arthur J. Rutledge, Author and Leadership Speaker
Can you share your background and what were the moments that you believe put you on the road to success?
I was born and raised in a modest neighborhood by my mother in a small family on the Eastside of Detroit, Michigan. My aspirations lead me to move onward to New York City and is now where I currently reside.
At a young age, I had an average child with simple joys like dancing, basketball, and singing in a choir. I was brought up in a local Baptist church. It was there where foundational principles of connection, collaboration, and self-belief were instilled within me.
There were many moments that gave me the indication I was moving in the right direction or felt states of accomplishment. If Anyone dares to take on life’s adventures, grand experiences are sure to be had. I remember Oil billionaire H. L. Hunt asserted, “There are only two real requirements for success: decide what you want. Two, determine the price you will have to pay to get, and resolve to pay that price.” I was naive about paying the price and amped for the adventure.
At 10 years old, after going on a field trip, I discovered the notion of entrepreneurship. I decided from that point on that I would own my own destiny. Then, I started to conceive ideas of what I would do. I guess you can say that was the beginning of my search for purpose.
At 11 years old, my first glimpse of the world came through my 7th grade geography class, and with the caring guidance of my teacher, that enthusiasm brought the world to me an hour a day. From then on, I promised myself and aspired to explore the world. By way of that, my imagination spread its wings. It added a better knowing of what I wanted for myself.
At 12 years old, with my mother’s permission and with excitement, I embarked on my first job at the local Burger King. I noticed none of my contemporaries had such ambitions nor wanted to. I can’t tell you why that aspect gave me an even bigger sense of accomplishment. I didn’t expect half of my check to be taken away due to taxes and miscellaneous, but the experience swiftly made me aware why I wouldn’t end up working for someone else for the rest of my life.
Furthermore, it gave me pride in knowing that I had the persistence to endure the difficulties
that are associated with building character on my way to success.
A mentor helped me get the first glance and start into the lessons of entrepreneurship with the start of a model referral agency named U-model Agency LLC, which was life-changing. At the age of 19, I was fatigued from both the running of a new business and 2nd-year university. I was holding down two jobs to sustain my ownership, which you can imagine was overwhelming. One had to go, and I chose college. I thought, why stay in college and study when I can start living out my dreams now? I didn’t know it then, but it was the right path for me. These types of choices, although risky, put my attention to a strong skillset, self-trust, and emotional agility.
Moreover, it led me to invaluable lessons. I worked many jobs, which helped me realize my own volition and that I needed to own my own place in the world. I had exhilarating moments and tons of setbacks. Through it all, I obtained the evaluated lessons that are the touchstones and are necessary to any entrepreneur that gets to have an adequate amount of specialized knowledge.
Qualities of decisiveness, discipline, fortitude, self-awareness, loving patience, delayed gratification, and gratitude, amongst others, are the ones that prepared me as the learning sojourner I am in my life. Also, the vertical mindset maven I am today.
What inspired you to step into mindset and leadership speaking/coaching?
I feel that in today’s society is the biggest call in history for mindfulness.
I felt people needed to identify why they have a lack of satisfaction, feelings of inadequacy and/or an
unidentified sense of purpose.
I often say leadership is significant because it happens as an extension of us correctly leading ourselves. When I understood that as a principle it made me work harder on myself to be an example to others that want a higher quality of life for themselves.
I know for a fact that good leadership can change societies and create legacies. Therein, when one can lead themselves accordingly they have the power to change not just self but the trajectory of generations.
Congratulations on your new book, 11 Pillar of Confidence: Build and Lead an Empowered You. What inspired you to talk about confidence?
Thank you.
The lack of self-value, the unknowing of personal worth, the lack of confidence, and the uncertainty of finding their purpose had left people lost in knowing themselves. I did several searches on the plights and woes of people around the lack of fulfillment. What came up amongst these more than the search for happiness and the insufficiencies of self-belief were; the lack of self-value, the unknowing of personal worth, the lack of confidence, and uncertainty of finding their purpose had left people lost in knowing themselves. I realized that it’s essential to know what the journey looks like along the way and be able to respect the perils that come with acceptance of those. Constitutional and creative thinking must be practiced and acted upon. I saw a disconnect with how people saw themselves in their dreams and in reality. Every person is an extension of their self-esteem and tenacity towards what they believe in. “The strength of the effort is the measure of the result.” – James Allen.
Therefore, I wanted to remind people that their courage gets to be had with the confidence, persistence, self-belief, self-trust, and freedom of creativity it deserves. Distraction is made a normal part of our existence without knowing we are able to refocus and get our life moving as a smooth engine. My intention dared me to compose a book that can embody change and hope. In my endeavors to help people follow through and/or stay in integrity to their intentions for success. The search for confidence is a long road of the soul and unforgiving at times. This book gives supportive tools and ideas to step into the future that’s made for them to overcome and win.
How do you suggest dealing with setbacks or failures in a way that doesn't diminish one's accomplishment?
It starts with not allowing ourselves to take on the banner of being a failure but instead knowing that we are not our failures or faults. Stay away from blame and self-judgement. We grow stronger through our mistakes and if we look for the lesson in the mistakes, we can improve any situation that we come across. We are the culmination of how we trust in our pure potential, and we only strive for that by persevering in an optimistic state of being. Looking at our setbacks from an optimistic point of view helps give us clarity on what’s possible from where we are in our lives. I suggest people write down as many wins they encountered at the end of each day. This helps us to bring in gratitude, which fuels our purpose.
Also, clearing of the mind is necessary and mediation is one of the best ways to practice that. Daily positive affirmations can give us a kickstart in the morning to face our day and at night before we go to sleep to give us a restful sleep.
Finally, I would say being kind to ourselves is often forgotten during all the struggles we go through during our lives. Whatever is closest to our heart or whatever makes us happiest at heart should always be focused on. These things lead to a peaceful mind.
What are some qualities that you cultivated to gain awareness as a leader?
As a leader, it’s important to stay present to whatever environment I’m growing in. The practice of being a servant leader lends assurance, confidence, kindness, gratitude, and healthy attitudes. Always be attentive to concerns to address underlying issues that might slow down the process of trust. I found, a long time ago, that leading with vulnerability not only led to self-trust but signaled the trust of others who would be empathetic to my vision. Then, together as a whole, collaboration is made simple. Other characteristics I found that increase leadership and broader impact are in the acronym I found for L.E.A.D.E.R.S.H.I.P; Learning and listening, Endurance, Awareness and accountability, Decisiveness and disciple, Empathetic to needs, Reflectiveness, Servant/Student mindset, Humility – humble thinking helps with flexibility in thinking, Integrability, Patience and a persistence to keep going and growing.
As a speaker what are three important aspects you would like people to take with them when they leave rooms and auditoriums throughout the world?
There are three that come to mind:
Act now: Instant action on the tools that they heard and wrote down to combat the tendency called the law of diminishing intentions. Every day a person stays inactive with the promise that they set for themselves will lose bits of their passion. A desire that is not in front of you will always take last. Essentially the thing that was primary falls into a state of fear.
Take on no more than 2-3 goals at a time: This is important almost for the same reasons as Act Now. There is a tendency to do too much out of the need to accomplish more sooner. That is a mistake that most fall into. It’s never about accomplishing more but effectively progressing. Focus takes the refining of one’s strengths. If the goal is to give people your best, two or three areas with fierce attention will hit the mark and simplify the significance of your message and mission.
Prioritize personal development: Get to a place in your life where you make reading daily, listen to audiobooks, write, self-introspection, and self-belief. This will create the best in wins and serve you during your worst losses. It serves by giving you executive mentoring from some of the best critical thinkers of our time. To have the wealth reality checks of these writings from these scholars, sages, philosophers, and knowledge seekers, can always serve as an arrow on the compass of life. Direction - North Star.
I have read over 450 books over the last 6 years, and I learned during that experience that the confidence that I read about from others made me realize that I had that same tenacity to live to the utmost. You never know what book is going to strike a paradigm shift and change your entire frame of thinking. I would not have recognized that within myself if I didn’t see a bigger picture; the one that I was not in automatically but was self-made from seeing myself on a journey. Sometimes you have to believe in the strength of character that someone else displays until you’re able to resemble that courage in yourself.
What would you advise aspiring speakers to communicate effectively in their spaces?
Practice effective communication for a bigger impact on your audience.
Speak from the heart to hit the points you want to convey with precision.
Always remember when you are speaking to other people you have to practice the ability of take yourself out of the picture. This way you allow participants in the room to sharpen your message without the ego disrupting the message.
Clarity of purpose means you have to be able to want to help others. A lot of times as a speaker we have to remember that you are there to deliver the message, not to impress or use the platform to draw attention to one’s self.
Pay attention and connect with the feeling in the room.
Lastly, only speak about things that you have knowledge of. Prepare from where you are currently at. Don't wing it.
Finally, have fun! People are drawn and connected to an authentic message on fire.
How do you maintain harmony in your life?
My ideas of balance and Harmony differ. Example: see-saw or tightrope walker. Get from one side to another with the stick wabbles. Both of these examples take assessing self-awareness and attention to the present. Find the thing(s) that matters to you most and that needs to become your primary focus. When a tightrope walker is on this thin long line going from one point to another, the pole serves as a mechanism to stay balanced.
Similarly, when a person is on a seesaw, the person across from them serves as an anchor to them in the highs and lows. Whether you have a tool in your hand that keeps you present or a person that serves as the tool to stay anchored, we get involved in a kinetic system of trust. We lean into our vulnerability in the thing(s) that help us gain the best vantage point so that we can take on the tools that are afforded to us in life. This means creating collaboration and delegating the right things in our lives through the means at our fingertips. Courses, coaching, mentoring, self-help books, mastermind alliances, and anybody who is open-minded and growing towards their success serve as nature and help to create harmony with the things in our lives, no matter what pillar we choose in our season.
The practice of saying the right things to ourselves, mirror work, and speaking into the self as we are walking door to door or door to destination total in self-awareness, self-worth, and a disciplined mind. As James Allen would say, “These are the fruits of effort. They are thoughts completed; objects accomplished that turn into visions realized.”
What are some key takeaways or messages that you hope readers will gain?
I have gone through trial and error and have had success in over 50 job positions throughout my life. I went through uncertainty and disarray. I fought through all my obstacles and trails, and all have shown me that I can overcome anything with knowing. I am the person I am, and I do the work I do because I see the same in you. I show myself that even with knowing that I am at the foot of the mountain and uncertain, it is only during my climb that I figure out how to reach the top. Doubt and fear subside with persistence over time. Collect self-respect and a skill to abound in excellence by learning to adapt to adversity. That’s the proof that will cover you like a roof. I stand and live by helping as many people as I can to make that a reality. I can’t wait to be of assistance to you to act on your dreams and desires.
“Beam with your dream by putting fire on your desire.” Shine on! – Arthur J Rutledge.
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