I didn’t set out to build a marketing agency. I set out to do work that felt true.
One thread runs through all of it: a deep love of meaningful stories and the people who tell them. It’s been the constant in a career that was anything but linear. I studied journalism, then went deeper into literature and creative writing. Early stops in indie publishing, educational media, and web journalism taught me how stories actually work — not just how to write them, but why they matter and who they’re for.
A Career Built on Stories
Then came a surprise turn. The head of EA Canada read an article I’d written in the Vancouver Sun and hired me.
Suddenly, I was in interactive entertainment, travelling to studios around the world to interview some of the most creative minds in gaming, paid to be professionally curious about how brilliant people think. It remains one of my happiest places.
From there, I moved into digital publishing at Canada Wide Media, launching and managing digital channels across 42 print titles. Right as the 2008 recession wiped out traditional ad revenue, I found myself working directly with brands to find new ways to reach and grow their audiences — before anyone was calling it content marketing.
That’s where something clicked.
When brands told their own stories honestly, without the schmooze and without the spin, audiences responded. Trust was built. Real connections formed. I could see that brands were becoming their own publishers, and the ones doing it with integrity were building something that actually lasted. I didn’t have a name for it yet. But I knew it mattered.
The Leap
After my son was born, I took the leap into entrepreneurship. I was teaching in SFU’s Master of Publishing program, encouraging students to build meaningful careers using digital tools, and realized I needed to follow my own advice. I was also nudged by circumstance: restructured out of a job just months after returning from maternity leave. It stung. But it pushed me, and I needed the push to get here.
I launched Forge & Spark in 2012 with a simple mission: help brands tell their own stories and grow their own audiences. The name captures the idea perfectly. The bright spark of inspiration, paired with the hard work it takes to make something real.
Building the Agency
In the early years, I worked directly with brands and alongside some wonderful agencies, learning what it truly means to show up as a trusted advisor rather than just a service provider. Over time, I found myself gravitating toward purpose-driven organizations: B Corps, nonprofits, social ventures, and mission-led leaders who cared deeply about the work they were doing but often struggled to talk about it in ways that felt both authentic and effective.
That’s still exactly who we serve.
Forge & Spark formalized as an agency in 2018 and became a Certified B Corp in 2022. That wasn’t a pivot; it was a recognition of what the work had always been about. Today, we’re a small, experienced, women-led team helping founders, CMOs, and marketing leaders across North America build the messaging, content strategies, and systems that grow audiences and earn genuine trust.
In 2025, I distilled more than two decades of learning into Content With Purpose: Authentic Messaging and Marketing to Grow Your Business, a practical guide for founders and marketing leaders who want their content to reflect both their values and their goals.
It’s the book I wish I’d had when I was figuring this out.
What I Know After 13 Years
The brands that grow with the most integrity aren’t always the loudest. They’re the clearest. They know what they stand for, they say it honestly, and they show up consistently… even when it’s slow, and even when it’s hard.
If you’re a founder or marketing leader trying to communicate your purpose with more clarity and confidence, you’re in the right place. That’s exactly the work my team does here, and it’s work I find meaningful every single day.
Go Deeper
📖 Explore Content With Purpose and the resources, workshops, and tools built around it: contentwithpurpose.com
🎓 Join our next free workshop for founders and marketing leaders: Why Your Content Isn’t Working (and What to Do About It) — Register here
✍️ Follow along on Substack, where I write about brand messaging, content strategy, and what it actually looks like to grow a purpose-driven business: contentwithpurpose.substack.com
Shannon Emmerson is the founder and CEO of Forge & Spark, a women-led, Certified B Corp content marketing agency based in Vancouver, BC. She is also the author of Content With Purpose: Authentic Messaging and Marketing to Grow Your Business. When she’s not helping purpose-driven brands find their voice, you’ll find her playing guitar with her band, The Caramilk Secret.
