Rémi Thériault
Captured by François Mittins
Don’t Be a Jerk
In this talk, Rémi Thériault reflects on creativity, business ownership, burnout, and the uncomfortable reality that growth sometimes comes from being called out instead of being celebrated.
He starts in a small French-speaking town in Prince Edward Island where he never quite fit in. While the culture around him revolved around fishing, chainsaws, and Metallica, he gravitated toward skateboarding, Nirvana, photography, and art. Music became his entry point into creativity, not because he was good at it, but because he loved the feeling of being close to it. Photographing local bands eventually led to paid work and the realization that photography could maybe become a career.
After being told by an established photographer that he should leave PEI if he wanted to make it professionally, he moved back to Ottawa at 25 and threw himself fully into photography school. He photographed nonstop, built relationships early, and slowly grew a career through word of mouth, curiosity, and two personal rules: don’t suck, don’t be a jerk.
The talk traces the evolution of House of Common Studio from a solo photography practice into a full creative studio built around collaboration, storytelling, and long-term relationships. Along the way, he shares stories about chasing creative ambition in California, rebuilding after unexpected detours, learning how to lead a team, and balancing business ownership with family life.
But the emotional turning point comes years into his success, when he receives an email accusing him of being exactly what he built his company around avoiding: a jerk.
The criticism forces him to reevaluate how he works, communicates, and leads. He speaks honestly about burnout, micromanagement, people-pleasing, and the pressure of carrying a growing business while trying to stay creatively fulfilled.
houseofcommon.studio
remitheriault.com
@remitheriault
