Daily Inspiration: Meet Irma Lake

Today we’d like to introduce you to Irma Lake.

Hi Irma, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up as a painfully shy girl in a poor family in a small Russian town. Since then, I’ve lived in nine countries, traveled to more than forty, and experienced things I could never have imagined. But perhaps my favorite story is how I finally became an actress. I dreamed of acting since childhood, yet by 30, I had never even stepped onto a film set. Hollywood seemed like an impossible dream. So, for my 30th birthday, I gave myself an unusual present: an acting course at the legendary Lee Strasberg school in Los Angeles. I flew there alone, thinking, “If I can’t make my Hollywood dream come true, at least I can touch it!” During that trip, I met producers, directors, and casting directors. And absolutely nothing happened! No auditions, no offers, no red carpet. I returned home with wonderful memories and a lighter bank account. But dreams sometimes work behind the scenes when you least expect it. Two years later, I reconnected with one of those producers. We became a couple, and during COVID, we made our first film, The Moderator, with me playing the lead role. At 32, I had my movie released worldwide! Today, I live in Miami, work across film, fashion, and business, and have written a book inspired by my extraordinary journey. So when someone tells me it’s too late to follow their dreams, I smile. Sometimes your dream is simply waiting for you to show up.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth? My very first day filming The Moderator almost became my last! We were shooting a chase scene: a police officer was running after me with a gun, and I had to sprint, jump onto a stone wall, stop, and deliver my lines. Sounds simple, right? Except behind that wall was a drop and a fence with a narrow gap between them. And I was wearing enormous, heavy boots. After several takes, I jumped onto the wall, lost my balance, and disappeared into the gap. Like Alice falling down the rabbit hole, except Wonderland was less comfortable! The entire set went silent. I even have a video of everyone staring at the spot where their leading actress had vanished. Remember, this was our very first day of filming! Luckily, Gary Dourdun, partner on the scene pulled me out. But that wasn’t my only challenge. Moving between countries, learning languages, starting over, experiencing heartbreak, and feeling lonely in new places have all tested me. Yet every experience taught me that even when life doesn’t go according to plan, there’s always a way. I waited 30 years to make my Hollywood dream come true, and on my very first day, I almost disappeared into a hole! I suppose Hollywood wanted to make sure my entrance was dramatic. It certainly made my first exit unforgettable.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve worked in fashion, film, and business, produced movies and commercials, and lived in nine countries. But one of my proudest achievements is my book, From Zero to Hero in New Places. The idea came from sharing stories about my adventures with friends in my hometown. They often told me how inspired they felt, but one friend’s experience truly changed everything. She was attending an event surrounded by celebrities and influential people. Normally, she would never have dared to approach anyone. But remembering my stories, she found the courage to introduce herself—and landed a job with a major brand! That was my lightbulb moment. If my stories over coffee could inspire one friend to change her life, imagine what an entire book could do! So I wrote From Zero to Hero in New Places to share what I’ve learned about connecting with people, overcoming fear, and creating opportunities. I know what it’s like to arrive somewhere new without connections, feel shy or out of place, and wonder why opportunities seem available to everyone else. My book combines personal experiences with practical lessons about communication, confidence, relationships, and building a new life. What makes my approach different is that I didn’t learn these lessons from textbooks. I learned them through real adventures, mistakes, and sometimes very uncomfortable situations. Because sometimes, the only thing standing between you and an extraordinary opportunity is the courage to say hello.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’ve taken plenty of risks, from moving to new countries without financial security to trusting complete strangers with important things. Some of my decisions would probably give a professional risk-management consultant a heart attack! Once, I urgently needed my passport delivered from Germany to Switzerland. My friend had it in Germany, and we had almost no time. So I suggested a brilliant—or perhaps completely crazy—plan: go to the airport, find someone flying to Switzerland, and ask them to carry my passport. Yes, my actual passport. With a complete stranger! She arrived at an almost empty airport, approached a man heading toward check-in, and begged him to help. Unbelievably, he agreed! I’ll always remember his kindness. But trusting people hasn’t always ended so beautifully. Another time, someone promised to provide an essential document for my visa application. I arrived at the embassy, believing everything was arranged, only to discover the document wasn’t there. I called him repeatedly. No answer. My visa, my plans, potentially my entire future depended on that document, and he simply disappeared. Not even an apology afterward. Experiences like this can shake your faith in people. I’ve met extraordinary strangers who helped me without expecting anything in return, and others who broke important promises. Yet I still believe most people are good. Of course, I’ve learned to be more careful. Trust doesn’t mean abandoning common sense. But I’d rather occasionally be disappointed by people than spend my entire life believing nobody can be trusted. Some of my greatest opportunities came from people I barely knew, and I never want to lose that openness.

Pricing:

• https://www.amazon.com/Zero-Hero-New-Places-ebook/dp/B0GDSC5G2H/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1M4QT9FMWSI7M&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Blb8JgHsyq2KQwED1vwATewcKXQLgQ58SqdxGk21P-ZjyHrDWQJdj-ktFeIf5DaMPV4gG03NGmbgBfBRXnG0QcvPIhNamD1vC7BlGNor5XTweVydeslc0UD6Z79o96z7fEG4WBEH6_tESV6UrsSK8XwWTilhiULRD3qHQ9t9GIDfWC1f7NmE72-wyfIiVu0R-9NIqPyL7EC9i7OoughcFA.SV15BHcji2_61Akd5o8-dvnmF0fINyYXI9IOmZ8h4lE&dib_tag=se&keywords=IRMA+LAKE+BOOK&qid=1792782775&sprefix=irma+lake+book%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-1
• AUDIO BOOK 16,51 $
• HARDCOVER 37.81
• PAPERBACK 31.28 $

Contact Info:

• Website: https://WWW.IRMALAKE.COM
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irma.lake/

Image Credits
Slava Vartanov