I’m Linda Arroz, a lifelong learner. My curiosity has been the driving force in the evolution of my skills as a storyteller, lifestyle writer, speaker, and advisor.
Inspired by my first computer, I quickly became an early adopter. I’m fervent for new ideas and concepts that change the landscape of our world.
My expertise encompasses the convergence of technology with life and style, allowing me to empower women of all sizes and boost their self-esteem. My desire to champion women began on the assembly line, at General Motors (GM), where I toiled as a spot welder. During my ten years at GM, I managed to climb the corporate ladder. Picked for a pilot program geared to prepare women for management positions at GM, I received a certificate in business management via a collaboration between GM and General Motors Institute. Determined to experience more out of life, I orchestrated my own personal transformation from spot welder to spokes-model as the first plus size spokesmodel to sign a contract with a major brand, Spiegel, in 1989. This exciting opportunity set the stage for the opportunity to empower women.
My experience in this realm encompassed three exciting years under contract, working with them to develop content for print, video, television, and radio. The opportunity gave me the abilities to produce TV segments, write scripts and talking points, as well as cast the models, hire the hair & make-up teams, choose and style the clothing. As a stylist, I developed a method, “If You Can Be That, You Can Wear That ™” to enhance anyone’s visual presence. I became a sought-after TV personality, and for over a decade, I dispensed fashion and lifestyle advice and makeovers on over 300 TV programs like Good Morning American and Entertainment Tonight.
After Spiegel, I secured a high-profile position as editor of several niche fashion publications, including Maternity Fashion & Beauty, and Big Beautiful Woman, both leaders in driving awareness of the demand for stylish clothing for women who wear a larger size or were expecting. Lured away by an advertiser, I became marketing director for Carole Little, a well-known department store designer brand in the 90s. I appeared regularly on HSN and Q2, a former shopping channel spinoff of QVC, aimed at higher price points, representing Carole Little by sharing anecdotes and styling tips to drive sales. As I continued to appear on daytime television, I scored a speaking cameo appearance on the soap opera Bold & Beautiful.
In the mid-nineties, I was asked to style one-minute fashion videos created for DoCoMo, the Japanese cell phone giant, long before many Americans even had cell phones. This led to styling over 150 TV commercials for brands like AT&T and Honda, and an entrée into the world of VC funded start-ups in the realm of beauty, wellness, and lifestyle.
This put me in the vanguard of connectivity as a client chose to be the editor in chief of an innovative concept within the new, at that time, realm of digital publishing, Real Size dot com. Real Size dot come was one of the first women’s hybrid lifestyle and retail portals, designed to champion women who wore larger sizes, and to sell the clothing via the editorial. Real Size introduced the “click to buy” concept, creating fashion and lifestyle content created strategically to generate community and revenue.
During these years I was named as influential in the world of specialty fashion by several media outlets. Twice I made the “25 Most Powerful Players” a list of influencers and power brokers in the Los Angeles fashion industry, by the California Apparel News. As such, I have been quoted regularly in the media, including the Associated Press, Smart Money, The New York Times, Forbes and USA Today.
One of the highlights of my career at that time, was producing “Great Women of Film,” a multi-faceted project with a hybrid book and textbook, a traveling photo exhibition, and the making of mini documentary. Over two years, I raised close to Three Hundred Thousand dollars’ worth of goods and services required to complete this ambitious work.
While the Great Recession dragged businesses down, blogs were garnering a lot of attention. I eagerly took up the gauntlet, cranking out copy and dutifully emailing friends. A colleague shared one of my posts, “Broke is the New Black” and a publisher looking for ideas wrote to me, offering me a book deal. I went from blog to book deal when all I’d been doing was looking for a job. My first book, Affordable Couture, published in 2012, captured the zeitgeist when historical dramas like Downtown Abbey reignited the desire to collect and wear vintage and vintage couture clothing.
Considered a thought leader, I’m often asked to consult or speak. Over the last few years, armed with a certificate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology executive program on Blockchain technology, I’ve spoken on this topic, as well as “The Fusion of Fashion & Design, the Modern Merging of Style.” I’ve had the pleasure to work with the nation’s best fashion retailers including Bloomingdales, Dillard’s, Nordstroms, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Without a formal degree, I’ve taught or lectured at numerous schools, including the Fashion Institute of Design in Los Angeles, and created curriculum for The University of Oklahoma with a groundbreaking course called “Networking for Success,” pre-internet.
It’s possible I might never have left that assembly line without the support of a strong network. To give back, I volunteer and mentor. Currently I sit on two committees within a powerful entertainment non-profit, Greenlight Women. I’m active in architectural preservation, and a member of the Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee. Helping to raise scholarships for deserving young women, I have provided pro bono public relations for a non-profit and was formerly a board member of Fashion Group International Foundation Los Angeles.
Originally from Flint, Michigan, the original Motor City, my roots are firmly planted in rock & roll, but my life and style is defined by the City of Angels.
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