The hit Netflix reality dating show Love Is Blind features Illinois State University alum Chassidy Mickale ’09.
Mickale is appearing in season two of the hit series, which began airing February 11. The show attempts to answer the question of whether love is truly blind by pairing eligible singles and assigning them to separate cells, or pods, where they can talk to each other but cannot see each other. After 10 days of dating in the pods, couples who have formed a strong connection have the possibility of becoming engaged. Once an engagement is accepted, couples go on a retreat to spend quality time with each other and meet the other couples from the season. After paradise, it’s back to the real world to plan their weddings. Season two was filmed in 2021 in Chicago, where all of the cast resides.
Although Mickale’s journey did not end in an engagement, she is still open to finding love. Mickale said, “this experience has helped me become more vulnerable and a better communicator, which are both essential in a relationship. And yes, I still believe Love Is Blind, but for me, love becomes blind.”
“I leaned on being open and truly OK with who I am. I accept who I am, I love who I am, and I know that I have good intentions. And I want to inspire others, especially those that look and feel like me. It gives others hope. It wasn’t just a cliché of what size you are, how you look, the color of your skin—that didn’t matter.”
Chassidy Mickale
“Being on the show felt like I was in college all over again. Everyone was so diverse. These are relationships and friendships that I can see carrying on. I was in a space of being my most vulnerable, and I had to depend on strangers for advice and trust them with intimate conversations,” Mickale said.
In 2020, when the Chicago native turned 33 years old, she promised herself that this would be the time in her life when she wanted to learn more about herself and find love. A friend of Mickale referred her to the show’s production team.
“I’m a hopeless romantic. I fell in love with the show and how easily everyone seemed in sync. When you’re in the pod, you should be able to feel that spark, energy, and chemistry that elevates, regardless of where you are—that’s what drew me in,” she said.
One of the biggest challenges for Mickale was airing her love life in front of cameras, especially since she keeps most of her life private.
“I leaned on being open and truly OK with who I am. I accept who I am, I love who I am, and I know that I have good intentions. And I want to inspire others, especially those that look and feel like me. It gives others hope,” she said. “It wasn’t just the cliché of what size are you, how you look, the color of your skin—that didn’t matter.”
Mickale hopes to inspire other women in their journey to find love, too. She said she wants to “make women feel more celebrated of who we are, no matter how we look.” In Chicago, Mickale is the owner of a beauty concierge service. Your Image Matters LLC is a company that provides beauty services, such as image consulting, hairstyling, and makeup artistry at a client’s convenience.
Mickale, who majored in fashion design and merchandising at Illinois State, always had an interest in the beauty industry even before stepping onto campus. She attended the University because her older sister was an ISU student at the time. Her parents knew that the school offered three majors that had Mickale’s interest, plus the comfort of her sibling being there made it their number one choice.
“I was able to develop various relationships and learn about different cultures at ISU. Being in a diverse environment helped build my character, and it inspired me,” Mickale said.
After filming the reality show, Mickale said she’s looking forward to what’s next in her journey—hosting classes on a variety of beauty topics like makeup and how to live and feel glamorous.
“For many years, I’ve worked behind the scenes, and now, I’m ready to expand,” she said.
Mickale shared a message to Redbirds and those finding love: “To never try is giving up. You don’t know unless you try. It’s OK to take a leap and bet on yourself. Even though you don’t know what the outcome may be, you can find something there that will take you throughout life.”
