Mikeal Jinae shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Mikeal, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I enjoy this question so much. There have been many changes in my life since the end of 2024. I stepped into 2025 with a different vision, a different purpose, and a different alignment. Once I decided to choose me and focus on me, it felt like a whole new world opened up and I was aligning with my purpose. I chose to invest into my health, my mental, and my new career of acting. I chose to level up on self love by going to the gym, eating well, building life goals with my village, and learned to live and honor my values. One thing I know is, when you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, everything truly aligns on that path. So when asked, am I walking in my path or wandering, I know I am walking in my PURPOSE. Everything feels so right and I am thankful for my new beginning and excited to share it with you all.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Most know me as Mikeal Jinae the fashionista and former fashion designer. Others know me as a self care brand owner and former professional dancer. Although I am still all of those things, I would like to introduce you to Mikeal Jinae the actress.
After a life changing event, I decided to embark on the journey of acting. This was a career move I have been wanting to do for years but I was not confident to take the leap of faith. In September 2024, I decided I wanted to bet on myself and get back in front of the camera. I had missed being on set so much. One day, I was talking to a talented and beautiful friend of mine who was also my co-worker, and I shared that I wanted to get into acting. I will say this, I am so thankful that there are still people in this world that want to see you win, because she replied ” I know a great acting coach who I think you will love, here is his number”. I had been asking for acting direction for months, and finally the path opened up for me. I reached out to that number so fast because I knew this was my time and there was no need to wait. I am forever thankful for my girl Dajah for introducing me to my now acting coach. THANK YOU GIRL!
You know when someone see’s something in you before you even notice it? My mother told me for years that I should act. She always said, ” You are really funny, I think you would be a great actress”. 2 years later, here I am pursuing exactly what she said. Sometimes it takes a while for you to get out of your own way to finally shine, My mom knew this whole time. She was just waiting on me to just do it. Ive done commercials and have worked on film projects but never did I see this new career in my future.
Taking the leap of faith has landed me a role in a new film that will be releasing late this year. I was blessed to work with amazing actors who have been in the industry for years and are actively working. Not only did I land my first film, I landed my first lead role!!! It felt so good to be back doing what I love. I am so excited for whats next for me. All I can say is, pray, stay focused, stay consistent, keep pouring into yourself, and keep a good village around you. This is now my second career in entertainment and I couldn’t be more happy and excited to be back in front of the camera.
One thing I want to share with anyone who has a passion or a dream is, once you learn how to remove obstacles in your pathway, the universe will do the rest. Don’t let anything or anyone make you feel like you can’t do what you want or live your dream. Manifestation is real. Dreams are real. What you put out is what you will receive.
I remember having a conversation with my friends about pursuing acting and told them, “ I want to book my first movie in 2025. I am going to make it happen.” Not too long ago my best friend reminded me of that conversation and said “You really did it!”.
Please know, anything you want can be yours, just stay focused, and believe in yourself.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Ive always been very free spirited and enjoyed spreading joy through my energy. I do believe that as you go through different journeys, that those experiences can change you. Being in the corporate world you are told to tame your energy, and are told what professionalism is. Some jobs express they want you to be creative but there is always a limit of how much creativity you can offer or how much you can truly be yourself.
Who was I? I was a young girl who enjoyed life. My confidence was not determined by my success. My success was determined by my drive. I truly enjoyed life in its capacity. As an entertainer, I never allowed the “NO’s” to discourage me. I was raised to never give up and to be relentless. I always had a goal and pushed towards that goal. With great support from my family and friends, I was able to make my dreams become a reality.
Although society tells you there are steps to take in order to be successful in your life, relationships, and career, one thing I accepted is what is meant for you is for you. I learned to be open to changes and learn how to apply them in a way that assist me on my life journey. I am very proud of who I am becoming today and completely in love with the new chapter I have begun,
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, I would share with my younger self to embrace yourself through it all, be gentle to yourself, and to always have grace with yourself. Understanding that you cant control the outcome of things, can be a challenge. You don’t always have to understand why something happened the way that it did. As long as you did your best and exercised all your options, you can then understand that what is meant for you is meant for you. There is always a choice. You can either choose to learn from your experiences or regret them. With understanding I am the leader of my journey, I choose to learn from my experiences and grow. This allows me to have grace and move with grace.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closets friends would say that loyalty, love, and trust is what really matters to me, I believe that loyalty shows true character in how invested you are into our connection. Trust allows me to know without a doubt you have my best interest in mind. Trust also means that I feel safe mentally, emotionally, and physically. I am able to be unapologetically me without feeling judged and truly be accepted. It’s important that my village is as open minded and free spirited as I am. Im blessed to have a tribe of folks who all share the same values as I do. Love is where I am able to be vulnerable and build a deeper connection. All of my closest friends know I have a very big heart and will do anything for them. These three values make up who I am to the core and I’m thankful for my closest friends for never taking it for granted. Ive had enough life experiences to truly value the people in my life, and Im blessed to call them my friends.
Lastly, I have to recognize my family for bringing me up and raising me in love. Without them, my values wouldn’t have the same grand meaning. I love you all.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
I feel the most peace when I am spending time with nature. I really enjoy the sound of waves crashing, birds chirping, or the still sound of nature. It allows my brain to pause and breathe. My life is in a constant state of movement so to be still is relieving. Another way I feel most at peace, is when I am listening to good music with candles lit. I love to set the ambience when I get home from a long day and relax. There are many days when I don’t turn on the TV. Something about silence or calming music really puts me in the best mood.
In addition, I also feel most at peace when my heart feels full. When everything in my life is aligned. This lets me know, I am right where I need to be.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @mikealjinae
Image Credits
Tiarra Fuller @photographybytiarra
