Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Feldman.
Hi Donna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I grew up in the San Fernando Valley. Raised by Israeli parents who moved to America with nothing. I would say it was a real American Dream story for my parents. We lived in West Hills until first grade where we moved to Hidden Hills. I started my modeling career when I went to FIDM, getting a degree in fashion marketing/merchandising/business management. I always had a passion for fashion and used to work with brands as their fit model which is basically like a human mannequin. This way I learned about the process of making a garment and getting that perfect fit before the item went into production. I had a local agency ask if they can send me out for print work, runway, and commercials and I figured it would be smart to be open to the opportunity. I never knew it would lead to a full-time career that it’s been all these years. Very grateful for that.
Career-wise I have worked on campaigns for brands like Visa Blackcard, Bentley, Revlon, Fila, Jockey, Bacardi, Target, Verizon, Jaguar, Wella, and Felina lingerie just to name a few. The most current campaign is for Cadillac’s most expensive and electric car. I have been on covers and featured editorials of international Esquire, GQ, Maxim, FHM, and Marie Claire magazines. Also been in music videos opposite Enrique Iglesias and Justin Timberlake, on NBC’s hit show “Deal or No Deal”, have been a series regular on tv show “fashion house” that aired in 50 countries worldwide, and had guest star roles on shows like Castle, Chuck, Two and a half men, Days of our lives, NCIS LA, Magnum PI, a little cameo in “You don’t mess with the Zohan” movie, was one of the leads in Lifetime’s “My Killer Client” and most recently was recurring guest star on Tyler Perry’s “The Oval.”
I currently am hired as a brand ambassador for certain companies I believe in and I am co-owner of a production company as well called “StrawHat Productions where we create content for brands looking to elevate their marketing imagery. We do editorials, catalogs, social media ads, as well as tv commercials. It’s a lot of fun getting to create and use my years of experience in front of and behind the camera and collaborate with teams of creatives and talent that are all talented and a pleasure to work with.
My advice I would give on how to get to the place I find myself in is to go to school and get an education, make sure to always have a support system like family or close friends around you, be on time, be professional, be nice to everyone on set, (the person who is the assistant one day can be the decision maker tomorrow) stay in touch and follow up with the photographers you work with, and know what your brand is! Don’t try to fit into some unrealistic expectations. If you actually want this to be your full-time career, you must treat it like a business. Don’t wait for your agency to set up test shoots for your portfolio or social media pages. Take charge of your career! Write a dream list of the companies you think would be a great fit for you and target those specific companies!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been ups and downs like in every career and business. Being in a freelance career you never know what your next month looks like and it’s not a business where agents or clients are necessarily in any kind of rush to pay you after you complete a job. That part has been frustrating at times but the main struggle comes with the client’s decision to hire you, not having to do with potentially being the best person for that role. (Especially these days when the casting choices are more about what’s trendy or politically correct rather than thinking who the target customer would want to see in order to gain more sales or who the casting director actually wanted to choose in the first place) It a test in patience, but also a motivator for me to finally launch my own business this year. I plan on starting a skincare product that I’m extremely excited about!
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory was walking miles with my best friend just to get a scoop of Rainbow Sherbert from Thrifty which is now Rite Aid. The freedom and safety there was compared to nowadays was amazing.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donnafeldman/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Feldman.Donna
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnafeldman
- Other: https://www.strawhatproductions.com/
Image Credits
Michael Blank/StrawHat Productions, Nuru Kimondo, David Jakle, Patrick Ecclesine, Dejan and Per, Greg Hinsdale
