In both his personal and professional life, Michael Lee Arnold leads with consistency and kindness.

Michael’s strong character can be traced back to his roots. Born and raised in Celina, Ohio, Michael’s mother helped shape him into the man he is today. He says: “We watched each other grow up,” as he recalls the ups and downs that came with having a young, single mom (only 17 at the time of his birth) in a small town. 

He witnessed firsthand the struggles his mother faced; however, he was also there for the successes. Enduring life’s challenges while starting a company and reaching six figures in only a few years, Michael’s mother demonstrated the true meaning of perseverance and taught him to keep his head high and his goals higher. 

Michael moved to Columbus to pursue an education in professional sales and IT at Columbus State Community College and THE Ohio State University. He quickly fell in love with Columbus and the sense of belonging and acceptance he discovered here as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. 

For over three years before beginning his real estate career, Michael was working in project management for a local developer in Columbus. In early 2020, without knowledge of a future pandemic, he was hired by Barbara Corcoran’s real estate team in New York, and in anticipation of moving there the following June, Michael became a licensed REALTOR®. When met with the government-issued quarantine, he decided against moving out of Columbus and pursued his career in an epicenter. 

While it was a tough decision to make, it presented Michael with new opportunities. In the fall of that year, he was approached by Jake Bluvstein in hopes of starting the Bluvstein Group. Michael officially began his career as a REALTOR® in February of 2021 alongside Jake, and he has not looked back since! 

“My biggest role model throughout this journey has been my team lead, Jake Bluvstein,” says Michael. “He is truly the man I look up to every single day and it is such a privilege to work alongside such a successful REALTOR® and kind human being.” He thanks Jake for his personal development these past few years and is excited to see where the future takes their businesses. 

When it comes to Michael’s focus in his profession, his passion has always been the people. “Their hardships, their passions, their loves, their trials, and tribulations,” he explains. “We all share a common ground of some kind in this human experience and you never know where a person is at in life when you have the chance to cross paths.” Michael prioritizes treating all clients with kindness and love while providing the best real estate service to his abilities. 

Aside from simply loving his job, Michael also appreciates the social and monetary benefits real estate offers that can one day allow him to realize his overarching goal to start a nonprofit to identify and provide resources for youth in the rural school systems that are witnessing, experiencing, or suspecting domestic violence. Michael says: “When I have an ‘off’ day, this is what keeps me going.”

Currently, Michael gives back to his community by taking an active role in volunteer opportunities for Stonewall as well as attending fundraising events for LGBTQ+ youth. In his free time, he loves to stay busy and spends any chance he gets with friends. While he maintains a very active social calendar, he prioritizes his time alone in the gym and sees the importance of practicing mindfulness in a concentrated and intentional way.