Meet Michal Idan | Model, Influencer, pilates instructor, nutrition advisor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michal Idan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michal, how do you think about risk?
I believe that taking risks is an essential part of personal growth and career development!!!
In my experience, embracing risk has often led to remarkable opportunities and experiences that I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. While it can be daunting to step outside of one’s comfort zone, I’ve found that the potential rewards far outweigh the uncertainties. Although! Risks as they are called, taking them may not necessarily have the result as we expected.

Taking risks has taught me valuable lessons about resilience and adaptability. Every time I faced a challenge or took a leap of faith—whether it was starting a new job, pursuing a passion project, or even making personal choices like moving to another country, to the other side of the world, when EVERYTHING is different makes me learned something new about myself and what I’m capable of achieving.

Moreover, I think that fear of failure often holds a lot of people back from pursuing their dreams, sometimes it happened to me too, of course. It’s natural to feel anxious about the unknown, but I’ve come to understand that failure is not the end. it’s an opportunity to learn and grow if you take it this way. Each risk I’ve taken has provided insights that shaped my future decisions and strengthened my resolve.

I see risks as stepping stones toward new beginnings and personal evolution (especially ) It encourage me to explore uncharted territories, push my limits, (sometimes too much haha) and ultimately lead to a more fulfilling life, and makes me be proud of myself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I born in a religious orthodox city in israel, the city was extream my family wasn’t, but modeling wasn’t part of my lifestyle. I went to school only with girls, I needed to wear t shirt and skirt, and suddenly at the age of 12 I decided to get into a very ‘not religious’ industry. It was always a struggle to mingle between the worlds that was so extreme different, the ppl was different, the events, the industry in such a young age. I didn’t know a lot about it, I learn a lot back then from my sister which was also a model for couple of years. At the age of 15 most of my work was bikinis and brides shoot, ironic I had big boobies and my body was more woman than a young girl so I got the jobs for older girls, also I feel like in the fashion industry you get brides when you are young and not older. Kind of the ‘perfect’ skin I guess.
I lived for years in a very big gap between my work and my private life. I am pretty private person, even on social media I don’t think you can feel a lot about me and that something i decided not to share the private part of my life. U won’t see my family a lot on my social media, kinda of keep it work and not mixing beetween the worlds. Any how! At the age of 20 after a year of national service in the police I decided to find an agency in abroad. Most of the agencies in Israel wasn’t working abroad so it takes time to find a manger that will find me an agency. I worked a lot in israel with almost all the Israeli brands, I did big campaigns and billboards couple of times and I wanted to step up to more countries and opportunities. My first modeling trip was to Turkey at the age of 21. I went there for 2 month, it was first time I flew alone for so long, and my english was only what I had from school, which means bad! I lived in a model apt with 5 other girls, it was 2 rooms only it was tiny, I slept with another girl in the same bed and the other girls had another room. Since I had a lot of barriers with my English the girl that stay with me in the same room helped me a lot she was from Lithuania. The other girls was pretty mean to me but with time I understood to ignore it. After two months in Turkey, I wanted to find another country, it was a lot to stay there and the work didn’t worth it, money wasn’t good and the hours we worked was insane. Like 12-14 h a day for e-commerce, I remember i changed so many clothes each shoot that I arrived home barley holding myself. models apartment wasn’t the coolest, dope thing like I thought. It was small with only one shower, The girls always changed every two weeks or so, one more one less 2 more etc.. water was cold sometimes and it was snowing outside. That was also first time I saw snow! At the age of 22 I had photoshoot in texas, I knew nothing about United State, and I didn’t even think to fly there even though I had visa, I decided to fly. A month later I was there for 3 days shoot, when it’s over I decided to try the place that everyone talk about Los Angeles.
With my English barrier, 1000 dollar in my pocket and no one I know from La I decided to go to open calles in every agency in the city. I remember the first time I order Uber was to Texas because I didn’t even know how to use it.
After a week in LA, I met a lot of people that become my family and helped me out with staying here longer. I chnged my ticket to 3 more month.
3 month passed and I knew the place I want to live is LA. I started working from israel on my portfolio, I traveled a lot for modeling to get my portfolio stronger to LA, no one except me when I was here 3 month. A year later I back for another 3 month and again, nothing. I was determined I knew there is no chance I’m giving up. I’m Taurus we don’t get no! 😛 so after 2 years with a manger I signed in LA I went to see LA models (which is also my agency till today – 5 years ) and we started plan my move.
My english got much better with time and travel and my book was much stronger, I did covers and a lot of work so I had something to show when I’m coming, not to be a new face even tho in La I was a baby. I signed on 2018 but I worked on my visa and it takes time, also I wanted to save money so on 2019 I just visited Miami. I wanted to sign there too, 4 month almost in Miami but didn’t find any agency. Again I decided to do everything I can to get one. I’m not tall and not skinny and I think that 9 years ago it was a big issue, i also had no MA which was a problem and I was more curvy than fit like today. So I went back to israel, I started working out like crazy, I was strict with food, I was so focused to get an agency especially in Miami, because I did so many bikinis, I felt like it is my place, I will work here the most. I did a lot of tests shoot with a lot of photographer while in Miami my social media was big(compared to most of the people back than and it was just easier for me to get in contact with photographers). Meanwhile, I’m working in Israel. I have Photoshoot planned in Thailand two days before the flight Covid hit. We decided to make the shoot happened anyway, we didn’t know how big it is gonna be.
I got my work visa right before Covid but then I changed obviously my plans and I decided to move only after. Two years later I moved to LA finally. I was 26, woman not a young girl anymore, everything changed after covid, the city was kind of a ghost town compared to what I knew (I went to LA five times before I moved here, each time for three months, I wanted to make sure this is the place I wanna live) on the way of being a model I met a lot of ppl, I had a lot of funny and weird stories, One time, my friend took me with her to a house party at Leonardo DiCaprio house. It was a lot of models a lot of famous people, a lot of famous faces, and I was also bad with it. Knowing names but doesn’t connect between the face and the name etc etc.. haha my friend was playing volleyball with a big group there on the beach and I was just sitting on the sand watching when this guy approached me, we was start talking about life where I am from blah blah When I ask him for his name, he said JB, now I was new in America It was one of my visiting. I thought it makes sense that someone call JB. When we left, my friend told me it was Jarad Batler, so many times of my life things like that happened, I have no idea who I’m taking with and sometimes they doesn’t even look familiar to me, so embarrassing and funny. Btw a year ago I sign up with a my mother in Mexico City Queta Rojas, who sign me up with CGM in Miami, and 10 mmgmt in Chicago and we are working on more countries!
I’m 29 I’m still dreaming big, I worked with a lot of magazines taht was my goals for years, like Vogue Ukrain and Mexico, and gymshark that was a huge success. I wanted to work with them for years. I did 8 other reasons campaign and commercial for vodka all over Japan, commercial on a Tv screens all around israel for Samsung, Jack Willis, boohoo etc etc. after sooo many no, so many disappointments, so many doors that was close for years, I got yes. Again and again. what I say is dream freaking big and don’t be afraid of changes

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I will probably take them to a road trip. I live in Los Angeles in California. I love LA but I think there is much more to see than just the city of LA and I love road trips so I will probably start at West Hollywood from there to Marina del Rey area. Malibu Venice Beach all the gym. I’m obsessed like Gold’s in Venice. I’m not very foodie, but there is a lot of food in Venice and Santa Monica area so probably some stuff on the way. From there, obviously to what everyone see, which is Universal Studios and after starting a road trip to California, probably ending in Yosemite. There is so much on the way, and the view is insane. I am more nature girl, even though I’m living in the city walking hiking camping those are my stuff.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Well I have some friends I feel that should get more recognition of the amazing work they do, the main i also work a lot is Rachael Tzeairi which is an amazing makeup artist! Shahar Arviv talented Photographer and Perla Diaz also an amazing photographer.
I think to be great in what you do is not just being talented is also to be kind to everyone, be a good person, to care about the talent you work with and to know how to get also the complaints that comes sometimes from people on the set.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michal_idan?igsh=MzJpaGZtcWd1dmhu&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Those are the names for the credits:

Perla Diaz
Rachel Tzairi
Dor lev
Marco barl
Henry Jimenez
Keitarocloward
Shahar arviv
Staceylambphoto