We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Samuel Diaz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Samuel below.

Samuel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My parents mean the world to me and without them I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. Growing up watching them work every single day to provide for our family while still worshipping God, cooking, cleaning, and some how they always manage to smile and be in high spirits, it was truly inspiring. The knowledge I gained from them you can’t get that right a book, you get it by watching, studying, learning from mistakes and trusting that how they are raising you will benefit you in the end! All my parents have ever done is trust my vision and plans and pump love and positivity into everything I have done in my life and I truly am grateful for that. I only wish to make them proud every day and tell them that they did an amazing job, with all of us.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m originally from Lebanon, Pennsylvania and have been in this industry for about 3 1/2 years now. I think in this line of work being a cinematographer/photographer, what sets me apart is my personality & heart. I’ve walked many paths in order to get where I am today and have dealt with a lot of confusion just trying to figure out where my life was meant to go. I’ve worked many jobs where my kindness & loyalty were abused and taken advantage of, and other jobs where my time & energy wasn’t respected. But it got to a point where i realized it really didnt matter what the profession was because my purpose was in making others feel loved, seen, & appreciated! And as a cinematographer/photographer that is the game, to make the client feel seen, heard, & understood in order to create the best product possible! My journey in this line of business started in the midst of Covid in June 2020, Joining J.Odell Production I had the opportunity to learn from the best in this production world, and my mentor James “Odell” Johnson taught me to trust my eye & to capture the moments because that is what we do and what is felt when you see the finished product! I am still a student of this game because it’s changing every day and you must learn to adapt quickly.

I only wish to create the best product for all my clients but at the same time make them feel comfortable in their own skin! The work is important don’t get me wrong but it’s the energy you feel while working with me that leaves a lasting impression.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I wasn’t always in the production business, I was once a chef for about a decade! And in that work you deal with a lot of different types of energy & egos. In this time in my life I just didn’t really take the proper precautions before jumping into a particular job that landed me in South Florida in 2017. While at this job I was managing a cafe and was just put in a bad position to where I wasn’t seeing any money and neither were the employees I had under me and I had to pay out of pocket to a point where I just couldn’t support myself. As positive as a person I am I really went through a dark time then and just really felt empty and stuck. I ended up moving back home and I remember not leaving my house for like a month because I just really felt lost, but one day it just clicked like get up and get back into it, there are no losses in life, only lessons and that one lesson propelled me to where I am mentally today.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When it comes to me, I feel like I’ve lived many lives and I’ve learned so much along the way. One thing that shows my resilience is that I don’t give up and I will always give any job 100%. Life has a way of challenging you and it’s in those challenges where you see growth and gain certain knowledge you wouldn’t get anywhere else but in those moments. I’ve been put in a few situations where my faith has been tested, but it goes back to how I was raised, I trust that God & the universe has laid my path out for me exactly how it was intended, all I have to do is just continue to live in my purpose.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/_alwaysforward?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sam.Diaz.03?mibextid=LQQJ4d