Meet Rodahina Pasteurin

We recently connected with Rodahina Pasteurin and have shared our conversation below.

Rodahina, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

I am a black woman. I am also Haitian so my soup of life is very different from many other people. Oftentimes, I find that I am the only one in the room that looks like me. This used to make me feel like an underdog and an outcast. That moment was crumbling for me when I realized I was not like everybody else. I used to think being different was a weakness but now I realize that it is one of my greatest superpowers. God made me special for a reason.

 

When I notice I am the only one in the room, I realize that people don’t have any choice but to accept me for who I am –or not. I’m not for everybody. I am one-of-one and it is a privilege to be the only one in the room that looks like me. I now feel that I have the opportunity to become the best possible version of myself. Jeremiah 29 verse 11 reminds me that God’s plan for me is to prosper so, I am the only one in the room for a reason. This awareness is a powerful opportunity to let gratitude be my attitude. I constantly remind myself that I am the product of the sacrifices made by the generations that came before me which affords me the privilege of being in the room today. My mom and dad remind me to always be grateful and pray not just when I need something but also to thank God for blessing me. Thus, the spirit of gratitude is an important tool that has helped me to be successful even when I am the only one in the room that looks like me.

 

Not only am I oftentimes the only black woman in the room, I am also the only person of Haitian origin. It is a privilege to be the only one that looks like me, but also a responsibility. Representation matters and I have to represent my community. Being the only Haitian, black woman in a room full of scientists is a huge opportunity because it gives me the chance to create a potential pipeline for others like myself. This ignites in me a call to action to be intentional in what I do in life and create through my art. As a scientist and an artist, I am fueled to conceive my dreams and bring them to life. But in order to make things tangible, I have to first make them feasible. Another tool that has helped me learn to be effective is to set feasible, imaginable goals, write them down and follow through. Imaginable is defined as: “possible to be thought of or achieved” which means if you can think it, YOU CAN DO IT and if you write it, YOU WILL DO IT. Once you write something down, you are responsible for it which holds you accountable. So whenever I have an idea or even hear a golden nugget of wisdom, I write it down. My brain is a workshop for ideas, not a storehouse for information. This is a great way to declutter your mind so remember to write things down if you want to be effective. Make a decision to put a plan into effect and execute.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a photographer and videographer and I find it exciting to bring an idea to life for others to view and participate in via an audio/visual experience. As a child, I was painfully shy and sensitive so I found myself being mute most of the time to avoid agitating others or “disturbing the peace.” As a result, I found great joy and comfort in watching TV because the characters portrayed did and said the things that I felt unable to express at the time. Since then, cinema has always been a safe escape for me. My father, who is also a photographer, allowed me to work with him on various jobs and this exposure made me fall in love with the art even further. Soon, I was able to find my voice through media which allowed me to express myself and translate my thoughts and experiences to a broader audience. I realized that my hobby was more than just a pastime and was molding me into a historian and providing me a way to preserve the history of my community and its members. My first visual production was a short-film that I captured, directed and edited for my church and their response confirmed that I had a gift for storytelling. As my love of cinema evolved, I decided to expand as a professional and hone in on my skill and love for the lens. Hence, I founded RODA CAPTURED PRODUCTIONS LLC (RCP LLC) in 2022 where we specialize in documentary style filmmaking and photography projects while also producing our own line of bespoke apparel. RCP LLC seeks to inspire, educate, and edify viewers through the films we create and other works that are produced. The mission of RCP LLC is to immortalize the moment. We enjoy creating pieces that can be timeless treasures, like standalone masterpieces that can be preserved in a time capsule. My mindset is focused to always consider the next generation so I strive to create artistic works that are exceptional and can be appreciated even in the future. When we document the tales of our lives and preserve memories of special events and important milestones, history has a chance to be passed down to different generations. My love of cinema and the arts is about more than just making things look good, it’s about making a lasting impact.

Through my business, I have been fortunate to create a line of custom apparel, including but not limited to hoodies, varsity jackets, and t-shirts. As a quiet, yet gifted child, I found that one of the best ways for me to stand out was to be fashionable because it allowed me to make a statement without having to say a word. Today, I want to give others the same opportunity. I feel my apparel is a way to share a microdose of motivation with people outside of myself, on a greater scale. I am a naturally optimistic person so I readily find myself giving an unsolicited motivational speech, daily. Now, my apparel gives people the opportunity to take that microdose of motivation with them everywhere because it’s like a friendly souvenir that they can wear. Much of my apparel is also custom made as it sports my original photography so the different avenues of my creativity are still allowed to shine and are present throughout my designs. Items from my clothing line are available on my website: rodacaptured.com. We currently have a new line of varsity jackets in production that are available for pre-orders so I encourage everyone reading this to follow the social media platforms linked on this page to stay updated on all the latest releases.

I am a creative artist and a scientist and professionally, I am focused on educating my audience through film. I am the daughter of two Haitian parents who have raised me to cherish my heritage and my education. My mom often reminds me that  “education is the best medication” so naturally, I like to learn and I’ve always been rather inquisitive. I am currently a PhD student in Neuroscience and I get to learn so many fascinating things about the brain, daily. For example, the brain is so powerful that it houses a very important structure that is critical to our memory, the hippocampus. Thus, I understand that memories are important and the ability to create and recall them is too. My grandmother suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease in the later years of her life and watching her decline shaped my outlook on life. Ever since, I have made it my mission to document the world around me through film and photographs as a way to surround myself with artifacts of my existence. At the same time, I view my love of art and science as a way to share our biological and psychosocial interactions and shine a light on communities that are often overlooked. My skill behind the lens also allows me to cherish my scientific education even more and urges me to find ways to translate my knowledge to my community to improve our mental and physical wellbeing.

While being a creative artist and a scientist, I also have the pleasure of leading a faith-based family-owned company with my sister called MUVA BB MULTISERVICES LLC which is centered around the journey of motherhood and catering to the needs of expecting and new mothers, as well as their babies. MUVA BB was founded by a military mom and we are proud supporters of military personnel and first responders. We believe in the power of faith, love, and community to support mothers in their role as nurturers and caregivers. From comfortable lounge wear to pain-free pumping materials, we offer a wide range of pre and postnatal essentials. In addition to the aforementioned, we provide services that aid in the development and transition process for children. Our services also extend beyond products, as we provide consultation services and postnatal optimization support for navigating the journey of family development. From financial workshops to breastfeeding assistance, MUVA BB MULTISERVICES LLC is a family’s best resource for maternity and baby needs. From pregnancy to parenthood, we’re here to support mothers and help families navigate the joys and challenges of raising children. We have a new line of breastfeeding apparel launching soon and if you want to stay up-to-date on our most recent releases, You are invited to learn more by following our Instagram: @muvabbms.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I have acquired quite a few nuggets of wisdom that have greatly impacted my journey thus far. One of the qualities that has been helpful for me is the spirit of gratitude. My advice to folks who are early in their journey is to always be grateful and don’t forget where you came from. There is a saying that goes “He who is not satisfied with a little is satisfied with nothing” and this reminds me to be grateful because I have everything I need which is more than most. God will use you exactly where you are. So, while I pray for the things that I want, I remember to also pray for the things that I already have now and the ability to manage them well. Be happy with what you have while you pursue what you want and you will find yourself in the presence of abundance. When you do reach “the more”, please don’t forget to reach back, give back and remember where you’ve come from. Even if it’s in the form of your testimony, be willing to offer someone something positive along the way and plant a seed when you can.  Generosity generates a positive feedback loop. When you are generous and “pay it forward”, you create an opportunity for others to be blessed and inadvertently, simultaneously create room in your life to be blessed as well and receive even more than you had before.

Another quality that has positively impacted my journey is to seize the power of “NOW” and not wait for “tomorrow” to get things done. This feels like a safe space, so I will be honest with you… I used to procrastinate a lot. As an artist, I naturally like to be inspired to action and swept off my feet by great ideas. However, sometimes this “wait” for inspiration leaves a queue of tasks that eventually compound upon each other, staring back at me reminding me of the importance of the “NOW”. Inspiration finds you working so I would advise anyone reading this to seize the power of “NOW” and do your best to leave no stone unturned in life. Get into the habit of making the most of your time everyday you are on this earth and try not to put things off. Say the important words to the people you love– now. Put out that video or project– don’t wait. Whatever you do – just get it done. To my procrastinators that are just perfectionists at heart I also want to use this opportunity to inform you that “done is better than perfect because perfect never gets done.” Great things do not just happen overnight by impulse but instead by a series of small things brought together. Sometimes the best way to overcome procrastination is just by starting. My mom often tells me, “if you dont plant, you will not harvest”, so the first step is to start planting. Just start and things will fall into place accordingly.

The third skill that I’d like to share that has impacted my journey is communication. In reality communication is truly a gift because it is the foundation or ‘key” to our relationships and day-to-day endeavors. The higher functions of our brains afford us the ability to process speech, reasoning, emotions and learning. All of these abilities are facilitated through communication for the purpose of communicating. Even the cells in our bodies have a way of communicating with each other just to keep us alive. Therefore, communication is vital to survival. Realizing this has made me more efficient as a business owner because I am always considering new ways to optimize my communication with my audience. I have even noticed a positive shift in my personal life because I have also realized that people communicate differently which is why it is important to over communicate at times. My advice to folks who are early in their journey is to find ways to optimize your communication. Ways in which you can improve your communication include active listening, following-up more often, checking on others to see how they are doing, speaking to a new person everyday, writing things down, and considering your audience. There are many routes a person can explore with this topic but above all, just do your best.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
If you are reading this right now, I want you to know that you are in the right place at the right time. I am looking for other like-minded people and I am actively seeking folks to collaborate with. I champion collaboration over competition so I like to partner with individuals that are called to action and willing to make their ideas tangible, beyond the canvas of their minds. Since I have versatile interests, there are many people I would love to have the opportunity to collaborate and work with. While being a video producer and photographer, I am also a fashion designer with my own line of bespoke apparel, a musician with a deep love for the guitar, and a PhD student in Neuroscience. Creativity is limitless, hence, I think it’s great to form harmonious connections with all kinds of individuals across different disciplines. There are many people in the creative space– such as models, make-up artists, set designers, DJs, party promoters, rap artists, guitarists/ drummers/pianists and other musical artists, sound engineers, podcasters, actresses, singers, fashion designers, film directors and editors, animators/cartoonists, fellow cinematographers and even people who are just looking to start their artistic career behind the lens– that I would like to work with. Meeting different creatives presents an opportunity for me to grow because there is so much I can learn from them and possibly even teach in return. I hope that this reaches the right people because a good collaboration can be an advantageous mutually symbiotic relationship and extremely fruitful for those involved.

As aforementioned, I have versatile interests so I consider myself a bit of a polymath. As a multifaceted individual, I naturally find ways to intertwine my interests. As a scientist, I would like to connect with more individuals in the field of STEM that want to document aspects of their career but don’t have anyone to do it. Outside of filming and directing documentary-style film projects, I film and edit science education videos for doctors who want to share more about their research and work. I have a mentor that I was able to do this for at a recent science conference for which the footage can be found on my Youtube page: RODA CAPTURED. I would like to extend the invitation to other professionals that occupy the STEM space to contact me for collaboration. This includes but is not limited to: Professors and Researchers, graduate students (PhD and Masters), research assistants, engineers, Technology specialists and IT professionals, Counselors/ Advisors, undergraduate students, and even tutors of math and science. If you are an eager professional willing to appear on camera to share what it’s like to be in your field, I encourage you to contact me. Overall, I use my camera to entertain and educate so I am inspired to communicate with the general public by translating my visions into visuals. If you are still reading this and any of what you just read resonates with you, I encourage you to contact me via email requesting to connect at [email protected] with “COLLAB” in the subject line. You are also welcome to follow my social media pages and add me on LinkedIn (linked on this page) to learn more about my business.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Rodahina Pasteurin

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