BEACHWOOD, Ohio — For many 21-year olds, determining their life goals can feel just as daunting as deciding what to eat for breakfast.
However, Isaiah Finley dedicates his days to managing his store, Arlen, located inside Beachwood Place shopping mall.
On February 1st, Finley became the youngest owner of any of the businesses at Beachwood Place. Although, his path to establishing his own business is one of determination and resilience, which now enables him to share his experiences and insights with fellow entrepreneurs.
“You’re never too young, and you’re never too old,” Finley said. “It’s never too late. You have all the time in the world. What is for you is for you.”
Finley said since a child he’s always had a knack for fashion.
He grew up watching his mother — who’s been a serial entrepreneur in the Cleveland area for over two decades — tackle the obstacles of running multiple businesses.
Her liking of fashion also rubbed off on him, as he won "best dressed" in preschool. Finley’s style and creativity continued to blossom, so much so that his peers began to take notice.
“I always would come in middle school with a crazy hat or a crazy jacket and people would be like ‘what is going on? Like this is crazy, we’ve never seen this before,;" he recalled.
Finley said he began crafting his own pieces when he was in middle school, beginning with rainbow loom bracelets.
It was at Shaker Heights Middle School where he met his now-best friend, Niyah Jackson. The two would become inseparable as their love of fashion strengthened their bond.
“I remember the day I met Isaiah,” Jackson said. “He had on a gray outfit, he looked great. I was like, ‘This is my friend.’”
Finley said after high school he moved to New York City. A bold yet deep-rooted decision, Finley said it was always his dream to move to “The Big Apple” and immerse himself in the lucrative fashion industry — and he did.
He worked at fancy chain stores on SoHo and Fifth Avenue, soaking in knowledge about the ins and outs of operating a business. Though there were days where he questioned his ability.
“Obviously, New York City is hard,” Finley said. “The fashion industry is very aggressive. It’s very strenuous on your creativity and it will test you a lot.”
“Also, being a young African American, I think that it’s not many of us out there. Sometimes I’ll work in a store and I’ll be the only black person ever, and also the youngest person as well.”
After two years in New York City, Finley said he returned home to Cleveland with a plan to open his own business, Arlen, a multi-labeled brand spanning through the highest level of fashion all the way to emerging brands.
Finley said Arlen — which means oath or promise — is also his middle name. He said he wanted to purchase a space that conveyed his store’s mission and oath to fashion.
After touring dozens of locations, he finally found the perfect spot.
“I’ve been going to Beachwood (Place) Mall since before I could even remember,” Finley said. “So I was like, 'there’s no way, this is what fashion is to me,' and I just knew I had to be here for sure.”
Nevertheless, the job was far from done.
Finley said the space, which was previously allocated to Kate Spade, didn’t entirely fit the sleek-chrome nature of Arlen. Thus, additional work was required. After months of revamping and reconstruction, Arlen opened on July 20.
“When I cut that bow it was just like, Wow, like the weight off of my shoulders was just insane,” Finley said. “We really felt like okay this is where the real work starts.”
Finley said they completed over 100 transactions during their grand opening and business is continuing to flourish as they’re preparing to open a new store at Grove City Premium Outlets in Grove City, Pennsylvania. Even better, he gets to do it with his best friend, Jackson, who’s the assistant manager and creative co-director at Arlen.
“Working with Isaiah is literally like being in school again,” Jackson said. “We’re having so much fun everyday. It’s never a dull moment.”
For Finley, he’s motivated to give underserved and local business owners an opportunity to showcase and sell their brand in his store through Arlen’s Emerging Brands Program.
He said he hopes his story can inspire others to not only dream big, but share their talent and gifts with others who are less fortunate, so they too can succeed.
“We can all do it, there’s space for all of us to really be able to flourish,” Finley said. “So, I want people to really understand that anything is possible in this world.”
