Meet Trisha LaCoste: Photographer | Videographer | Web Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Trisha LaCoste and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Trisha, what role has risk played in your life or career?
My life has been all about taking risks. At 31 years old, I was recently divorced, had just finished college, had four small kids, and was working as an insurance producer. I spent every day in a cubicle and it felt like my soul was dying. I knew if I didn’t make a change, I would wake up one day feeling like I had wasted my life. I’ve always been creative. Photography has been my passion since high school. So at the end of 2011, I told my boss I wanted to put all my efforts into my photography business. I quit my job without knowing how I would make it work. Nothing pushes you more than the urgency that comes with quitting a full-time job to pursue your passions. It’s been nine years and I’ve never had to get another job. I’ve provided for my family by doing something I love. Not many people can say that. If I hadn’t taken that risk (it’s just one of MANY), I don’t think I would be happy. For me, I think the thrill of the unknown pushes me. Sometimes it’s terrifying, but taking risks teaches us what we’re made of. Taking risks forces us to grow. There have been many “failures” over the last 9 years, but I look at them as lessons to point me in a better direction. We only fail when we quit, so I just refuse to quit! It’s not always easy, but I choose my passion over security every single day, and I don’t think I’ll ever regret that. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
It’s hard to make my story concise because life has taken me down so many paths and created so many different areas of passion in me. It started with photography and then music videos became my favorite projects. (Music videos are STILL some of my favorites!) But at this point in my career, I do a little bit of everything. I follow my heart and pursue projects that fulfill me. I shoot everything from portraits to sports to branding images for businesses. I work with influencers and musicians to create social media content. I worked with Mannie Fresh on a music video a couple weeks ago which was so much fun. In September, I worked on a project with Express that was a blast as well. I think what sets me apart is my creative eye and my ability to turn things around quickly. If we’re honest, creatives can sometimes be flaky. We fly by the seat of our pants and we aren’t always the most organized. However, I’ve worked really hard to discipline myself to always do what I say I’m going to do. I have a 24-hour turnaround time on photography sessions. I pride myself on my quality and I always under promise and over deliver. The coolest part about living your passions is the twists and turns that you take to get where you actually want to be. In the beginning, you don’t know where you want to be. You just blindly accept any and all jobs trying to make ends meet. But as you journey through life, you find ways to combine other passions with your art. It takes time and self reflection and a whole lot of hard work! I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned was to figure out what I want out of life (not what other people want for me) and just go after it. I realized that traveling was my passion so a decade ago I started praying that I could travel the world and document moments that matter. In the last 10 years I’ve been all over the world with my camera! Some of my favorite places I’ve been are Uganda, Australia, Scotland, Switzerland, India, and Bali. I have a few things that I’m super passionate about that get most of my attention. Adoption has been a huge part of my life as I have three adopted siblings and an adopted son. So in 2018, I started The Dream Village (thedreamvillage.co) which is an organization that documents and shares adoption stories. In February, I traveled to India to document a couple meeting their daughter for the first time. That was my second time going to India for an adoption story and I’ve also been to China as well. These stories light me up in a way that nothing else does. It’s an honor to share such intimate moments with a family. Recently, I’ve come to learn the power of manifestation in my life thanks to my brother and sister-in-law. My sister-in-law, Sunni, is my life coach and has taught me so much about the power of mindset. We decided to join forces to co-host what we’ve called The Abundance Experience. This is a luxury experience where we rent a house and luxury cars to create photos and affirmation videos for our attendees. We’re basically putting them in their own vision boards. First, each person meets with Sunni to clarify goals and affirmations… to get their mindset right. Then we shoot photos and videos of them to help them see themselves in a new light. Manifestation is not so much about being rich and having nice cars… but it’s about seeing ourselves as WORTHY of having those things. We are trying to close that gap between how people currently see themselves and how they WANT to see themselves. (manifestationvisuals.com/abundance-experience/) Last but not least, the other thing that excites me is shooting sports! All four of my kids have played sports at some point, and I always loved the challenge of capturing the perfect action shot. In 2019, I was asked to be a partner in Franchise Sports Media, a company out of Las Vegas. Shooting photos and highlight videos for UNLV + The Raiders was going to be the most exciting part of my year until COVID reared its ugly head. We may have hit a bump in the road as far as that goes, but Franchise is still growing and we are looking forward to getting back on the sidelines as soon as possible. (www.franchisesportsmedia.com) Like I said, it’s not concise… but it’s ME. All of it is SO ME. That’s what I love about being an entrepreneur. There are no rules and I can pursue whatever my heart desires.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since I’ve only been in Houston for 5 years, I feel like I’m still learning the city, but I do have some favorite spots I like to frequent! If I had a friend in town, these are the things we would do: We’d start at my all-time favorite coffee shop — Tout Suite. Not only is their food and coffee excellent, but they are like a safe haven for creatives. They never mind if I have my camera out while I’m in there. And the vibes are just dope. Next, we would hop on some bikes downtown and just ride through the city! After that, we might stop off at Eleanor Tinsley Park. It’s a great place to shoot photos, relax, or work out. The skyline view is incredible and when the weather is nice, it’s a great place to chill. I always have to treat my out of town guests to Mexican food. For me, it’s a toss up between Gringos, Lupe Tortilla, and Pappacito’s. And I know there are so many more that I haven’t tried yet! When I want a nice glass of wine and small plates, I go to Oporto or Postino. Postino has incredible bruschetta that I’m craving as I type. Oh! And for brunch I always like to take people to Snooze. The options are overwhelming but everything is so delicious!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are honestly so many people who have helped me get to this place that it’s hard to mention just a few. When I quit my job in 2011, I had two business partners in my first photography venture (April Loyle and Ron Wainscott) who pushed me to make that decision. They will forever get credit for helping me jump off of that cliff into entrepreneurship. My current partner in a couple businesses (Terrance Quaites), has continually pushed me to improve my craft. When I met him over a decade ago, he saw more talent in me than I saw in myself. He hired me to shoot photos, but kept asking me to do things I didn’t actually know how to do. For example, he asked if I could shoot a music video in 2012. My response was, “I’ll figure it out.” I never told him I couldn’t do something. I always just figured it out. He not only pushes me to be a better creative, but he pushes me to be a better human being. A lot of the person I am today is because of his influence in my life. My friend, Danielle, is another one who saw my potential before I saw it myself. She has always helped me to see myself more clearly. She will always have my back, and I know if I ever go broke she’ll let me move in with her. 🙂 There are too many family members to mention, but my family has been a huge support even when they thought I was crazy for quitting my job. I think they were all scared for me, but they’ve been there any time I need them. Last but not least, my kids have been my main support and motivation. They have encouraged me to chase my dreams even when it meant traveling and being away from them a lot. They are truly the reason I never quit this entrepreneur thing. 🙂

Website: www.trishalacoste.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/trisha_lacoste
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishalacoste/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/trisha_lacoste
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrishaLaCosteCreative
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/trishalacostecreative
Other: www.TheDreamVillage.co www.ManifestationVisuals.com www.FranchiseSportsMedia.com

Image Credits
Main photo of me : Veronica Cinco Photography All other photos are my own.
Terrance Quaites