Way back in 2012 and before, we shared stories about Pauldine and her sister Berdine. In 2012, Carver had nominated and won for the City of Norwalk selection into the nation's "100 Best Communities for Young People" by the Washington DC-based America's Promise Alliance. Carver also won this distinction for Norwalk in 2010 and 2011. At this 2012 Promise celebration, the Joseph sisters were our featured singers. And they have been constant Carver celebrities ever since!

You can find Pauldine’s Instagram platform here.

Here’s the interview in VoyageMIA.

Hi Pauldine, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up in a strict Haitian family where the motto was Lekol (school), Lakay (home), Legliz (church) makeup, and fashion became an escape for me at an early age. I recall spending countless hours on YouTube during my school breaks, watching beauty tutorials from the black OG YT gurus absorbing as much as I can, and practicing on myself and my friends.

Those years spent practicing makeup tutorials eventually landed me actual clients during my years as an undergrad. I was the girl in the dorms doing makeup for birthdays, parties, fashion shows, etc, I even installed a few sew-ins here and there. I started sharing my makeup videos on Instagram and OOTD pictures and my followers would message me asking for makeup application tips, product recommendations, or where I purchased an item of clothing.

It was then I realized I had “influence “ and I was building an authentic platform where my audience genuinely trusted my expertise. Fast forward to 2020, the pandemic hit, and my 9-5 transitioned to remote work which granted me more time to focus on content creating.

I used any free time outside of my day job to intentionally create and with consistency, my content took off. What started as a hobby/ side hustle evolved into a budding career that I am most certainly proud of.

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?
It has not been a smooth road at all as content creating/ influencing is not a “traditional “ career path.

I’ve definitely struggled with self-doubt, encountering creator’s block, and balancing 16 hr+ days between my full-time job and influencing.

I became my own personal assistant, photographer, videographer, editor, stylist, manager, and accountant, wearing 15 different hats is no easy feat but I wouldn’t change a thing about the journey.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I post weekly fashion/beauty-related content like hair and makeup tutorials, and OOTD Inspo, and I’m a thrift girlie so I also post reels for the girls that like to look good without breaking the bank.

What I’m most proud of is the platform I’ve been able to build just by being my authentic self. I find so much joy in curating content that resonates well with my audience. My goal is to inspire Black Women to be their bold and unique selves always, in all ways.

We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking?
I think putting yourself out there, sharing your life and your craft with the world is taking a risk.

Knowing that not everyone will be receptive to your craft, accepting that what you post is out there for any and everyone to judge and have an opinion on can be absolutely terrifying.

It was extremely hard for me at first and I’m still hard on myself sometimes but I’ve learned to put my best foot forward, create intentionally, post and just let go.