20 Questions with Nazanin Mandi

Hi, my name is Nazanin Mandi, and I’m on the set today for Modeliste Magazine for their October cover issue.

Where are you from?
I’m from Valencia, California.

What does empowerment mean to you?
Empowerment means to be authentically you. I’m very fortunate enough to be around very strong, authentic people, especially women that I have in my life, and we all rub off on each other. So, when you’re authentically yourself, to me, you are the most powerful, and empowering, and motivating.

You’ve been a singer and a dancer since the age of three, a model from the age of 10. How has growing up in the entertainment industry influenced the way that you see it today?
Growing up in the entertainment industry is night and day from when I was younger. Social media has made a huge impact in the industry. Now you see all different walks of talent, and Instagram is now the modern day resume, honestly. It’s a blessing and a curse at times. It’s a blessing because you can literally be anything you want to be. And if you just live in it and promote it, like people will really get into it. And a lot of people have made careers out of it. So, that’s an amazing part of it. And of course, it has its dark side, which you guys know what that is. But, it’s literally night and day from when I was child.

Which brings us to, you are a certified life coach and on your podcast called Ladies Like Us you openly discuss problems women face daily. Can you share what inspired you to become a life coach and create this amazing podcast?
What inspired me to become a life coach was, I actually started out on Instagram just putting up my own experiences, and I would write them in certain ways. And a lot of people would relate, they would DM me. I went through depression, I went through anxiety, and I started talking about it. And then I would start putting up quotes that I live by, or stuff that I really resonate with, or believe in. And that really got people’s attention. And I was like, “You know what? I love to make people feel good.” I would DM them back, we would talk. And I was like, “You know what? This is something I could really do.” I have a career, and I believe I have a purpose. And my purpose, I truly feel, is to help people reach their fullest potential. So I was like, “You know what? I want to take this seriously. Let me become a certified life coach.” And that’s what I did.

Modeliste: Can you share your morning beauty routine?
Coffee. Let’s start with that. Let’s start with coffee. And after that, I wash my face, I put some lotion on it, and I start my day. My beauty routine really takes place at night, to be honest with you. But I try to keep things pretty minimal. I try to keep things pretty organic. So, I don’t do much. I’m not going to lie. But I’m consistent. Consistency is key. I don’t sleep with my makeup, unless I’m drunk. Like, that’s the only … That’s it.

How have the current restrictions motivated you to get more creative?
Oh. The current restrictions have motivated me, in actually a lot of ways. I’ve had to get more creative at home with in-home shoots. But it has also taught me to slow down. And I needed, apparently, something like this to help me slow down. And it has. And it has taught me to live in the present moment a lot more. To really not take certain situations for granted. But yeah, it definitely has changed the way I move while working at home. Definitely.

As an actress, what has been your favorite project to work on?
Oh, that’s hard. As an actress, one of my favorite projects would have to be the movie I wrapped, which was my first leading role. It’s called The Last Conception. And for me, it really shaped me as an actor. It was like a bootcamp. And I learned so much, and I had to be on point, because we shot pretty fast. But that was one of my most beneficial experiences. Now, the most fun was probably my guest star on Twenties. That was hilarious. The actors are phenomenal. I learned so much there as well. But I can take away a lot of things from all of my projects.

 As a public figure, you’ve done an amazing job standing for body positivity and confidence for women. What advice do you carry into your daily life?
When it comes to body positivity, I think it’s really important to stress that it’s okay if you are not consistently positive about your body image. I’m not. I struggle with it. Sometimes I feel great, and sometimes I don’t. And I think it’s really important to talk about that. No woman every day is waking up like, “Yes. Oh my God, I feel amazing.” You know, whatever quotes I put up, I feel it’s not true. So, let’s start with that. But I do feel it’s important to show the evolution of a body image. My weight has gone from super low, and then I’ve been really curvy. And then I show how consistent I am with working out. But yeah, when it comes to body positivity, please just don’t know like, every day doesn’t feel like your best day. And that’s okay.

We love your style! Who inspires your everyday looks?
Oh, that’s hard. So, my all-time favorite style icon is Bianca Jagger. She’s classic. She’s edgy. She, to me, in my opinion, was before her time. I just love her and everything she wore back in the day. But currently, I love what Miley Cyrus is wearing. Always Rihanna. Let me see. I’m a Kate Moss fan. I mean, god, Bella Hadid. I love the way she dresses. I mean, the list could go on.

Are you working on any exciting projects you can share with us?
I can’t share it. I booked a new show, and we start filming in January. I also booked another show, and it comes out in October, but I can’t talk about it. You guys will hear about it in probably like a week. So, sorry.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Driven, consistent, and giving.

What is something that you enjoy doing in your spare time?
In my spare time, I love to read. I love to just watch the trashiest TV, I’m not going to lie. Like I just love to sit there and not think about things, because my mind is like constantly going. So, if I put something on, and it doesn’t take much thinking, I’m fully relaxed. I love to spend time with my friends, and my husband, and just chill. I don’t take those things for granted. So, and I love to be with my cats, honestly.

Speaking of your husband, you and Miguel knew each other since the age of 18, and have been married for nearly three years now. Our Modeliste readers want to know, how is it?Nazanin Mandi: It feels the same, but it doesn’t feel the same. Marriage was like, okay, we’ve solidified it. We’re good. But, I felt that way before. It’s amazing. You know? And then, again, no couple is perfect. Some days are fabulous, and other days we’re annoyed with each other. It is what it is.

What is your favorite Miguel song?
I actually don’t have a favorite Miguel song. That’s hard. A lot of his songs obviously have a deeper meaning, and I connect with them differently. But I can’t pick just one.

What would you like to say to your fans?
I would like to say, thank you, seriously. All these years, all of your support. I try to answer your comments and I try to DM back, but if sometimes I don’t, please don’t take it personally. I appreciate every word. It’s overwhelming sometimes, to be honest, but I appreciate you all more than you know.

What are you most excited about, being on the next cover of Modeliste?
I’m most excited about everyone seeing how well our team did today. I mean, everybody killed it. Everybody was on point. Stylist, hair, makeup, photographer. I mean, we did the damn thing, so, stay tuned.