Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandana Bolourchi.
Mandana, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in Iran and raised between Tehran, Dubai & Los Angeles. Since I was a child, I had a keen eye for details. My fondness for the arts began by me always sketching various buildings, landscapes, and outfits for my dolls and I later became a concert pianist at the age of 11. I got art inspiration from all the traveling at a young age. Being immersed in various cultures stirred this inner craving of bringing each special part of those cultures into my home. I would incorporate certain elements from trips to recreate a sense of each place but with an extra touch of femininity, glamour, elegance, and a distinct striking feature of each country visited into our residences. This passion then led me to take on a few large design projects which directed me into the world of interior design. I must say so many things in my childhood really shaped me to the person who I am today. About a year ago, I wanted a big change and decided to move full-time from Dubai to Los Angeles.
For as long as I can remember, I had so many friends who would ask me for various tips and advice and one day, I thought why not showcase my lifestyle publicly and share all my favorite insights into beauty, health, travel, food and business for others to see and benefit from as well. It is so fun waking up each morning and incorporating social media into a part of my day. I love seeing people’s reactions, questions, and comments on things that I do or things that I love. It keeps me motivated! You will not believe how many people reach out to me with such positivity and gratitude for posting a tip. I learned you never know how many people share a liking for similar things as you until you have the bravery to post it publicly and be so vulnerable. Yes, there is always some people who choose to send a negative message here or there, but overall that is all overshadowed by such a light of happiness and positivity from a majority of my social media followers. All in all, each aspiration in life that I had a longing for has come into reality for me, and for that I am very grateful!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Let’s be honest, who’s life is a smooth road…..that would be so boring! I would say one of the biggest challenges in my life was defining myself both in my business and personal life without being in a man’s shadow, especially all while being in the Middle East. Culturally business-wise, it is hard for them to take women as serious as they take men. I was so lucky to be raised in an open-minded and educated family but even then, it has been difficult. It was not easy to come out of my super private life to publicly sharing my daily routines such as my lifestyle, my artistic side, business achievements or even my hobbies like for example having different glam sessions and tutorials publicly on Instagram live with my glam team. I was raised in a culture in which a girl that has everything she needs financially and comes from a well-respected family should not show herself to others much and should remain private.
Honestly, that could not work for me as I never liked living my life in the shadows. I recently endured a big emotional trauma, as one of my dearest friends/makeup artists had a tragic accident in Miami leaving him in a coma. It has been an extremely difficult time and I pray every day for his recovery and am keeping my head high that things will look up soon. He always had the best energy and would light up any room he walked into. It is hard going about my day-to-day routines missing an integral part of my life and someone so close to me. I sometimes see or hear him right next to me while I am doing things that I usually would be doing with him. Life is so fragile and unfortunately, I am learning that the hard way. So these are a few of the private struggles I have endured. But my biggest advice to anyone is to chase their dreams and to feel brave enough to stand for what you love and not look back, there will be roadblocks in anything you do but you can’t let that stop you.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Well, I currently am a lifestyle influencer, interior designer, business owner, and investor. You can go on my Instagram page, The.Mandana, and check it out. I post anything and everything that I feel is useful for anyone to know or something that I wish somebody taught me. I specialize more in the fashion/beauty side of the industry. I think if you ask others, I am known for being a little over the top sometimes but hey life is too short to be boring. What really sets me apart from others is my drive to succeed and this in itself keeps me on track in achieving my end goals.
What’s next?
I think the more proper question would be what is not in my plan for the future! I have been doing lots of photoshoots, and recently my billboard launched in Los Angeles on the corner of San Vincente and Olympic. A big part of my life pre-pandemic revolved around hosting various social events but as we all know that quickly became a thing of the past. I recently had my first small social event since covid and it was so very difficult to decide whether or not I should again cancel it this year, but I was so lucky to find a company that ensures covid compliance and safety. They managed the whole event and oversaw all testing and vaccination records. It was so successful, I can’t stop hearing people rave about it and I look forward to hosting many social events in the near future when it gets safer to be out publicly.
I am specifically excited for hopefully hosting lots of women’s events focusing on all aspects of things that we women love, a place where we can chat, innovate, collaborate, and bond! I love making a difference in the community around me and can’t wait to also get back into my philanthropic efforts as things look up and allow us to all reconvene safely. I think the world now knows how important it is to stick together as humanity and help one another out. My plans for the future also include a refined focus on my creative/artistic side. I have always loved beauty products and cosmetics as it is an integral part of my daily routine. Because of this, I have ventured through so many avenues in the industry and there are so many secret projects in the making. Stay tuned on my Instagram as I will be making many exciting announcements as they come along.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.themandanaco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.mandana
