We recently connected with Monique Trevett and have shared our conversation below.

Monique, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Hi my name is Monique Antoinette and I am the owner of Hello From Sur La Route. The name goes back a ways to when I was in high school. I originally had Sur La Route set as my Tumblr name when I was into blogging. Over the years it just stuck as I went on to travel quite a bit. I love being on the road and traveling so I got to thinking well what does on the road mean in French? I’m part French and thought it would be a cute way to spruce up the idea and that’s how Sur La Route came to be. The hello from came after when I was trying to think of my Instagram handle. I really liked that the abbreviation came out to HFSLR which to me just reminds me of single lens reflex, a basic camera acronym.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Originally getting into the business was a long time coming. I started with a film camera developing my film rolls in high school. As I grew I picked up a digital camera and continued to shoot. It wasn’t until I was in college that I really started to develop more client-related work through college grad photos. Down the line a couple of years later, college grads turned into repeat clients for engagements and weddings.

I would say I am most proud of the growth and opportunities being a photographer has brought me. When I was in high school, classic cliche, my parents said you would never be able to make a career out of that. To this day it’s one of those things I laugh at because it has not only become my career but has helped me to be able to experience a lot more than a traditional workspace.

When I’m not working with clients I am off traveling and taking travel & food-related photography as it is what I am most passionate about. Someday I would really love to be able to work more closely with non-profits and ocean conservation whether it be as a photographer, content creator, or videographer.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I would say one of the greatest lessons I had to unlearn was taking in all of the negativity and doubt of others. It took me so long to let go of this, but in turn, letting it go made me realize it was holding me back from pursing more opportunities because it filled me with as lot of self-doubt.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I would say what helped me build my reputation was a slow ascent. I tend to keep my prices pretty low for certain sessions. As I saw competitors in the space grow, I noticed how much they started to raise their rates on grad sessions or family sessions. For me, I just couldn’t justify charging $300 for a grad session. Instead by keeping my rates at a more reasonable price, I began to see repeat clients 2-3 times a year over multiple years. I love being able to work with repeat clients as it builds a sense of community, I feel so connected with my repeat clients and they love to share that with their friends and families. I’ve been able to really survive because they consistently refer me to people they know. I am so grateful for them and their support.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hellofromslr.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellofromslr/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/SurlaroutebyMonique
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniqueatrevett/
• Other: Video Portfolio: https://www.moniquetrevett.com

Image Credits
credit images: alliecrumpcreative & pepperpicsaz on instagram