Before focusing on storytelling, I spent nearly a decade working in the advertising and commercial production industry in Toronto, Los Angeles, and New York.

My career began in publishing, where I worked at industry magazines covering the commercial production world.

I later moved into the technology side of the industry, working with a cloud-based platform used by advertising agencies, production companies, post-production studios, and visual effects teams collaborating on commercial projects around the world.

During that time I worked closely with directors, producers, editors, composers, and creative teams across North America and internationally.

I also attended the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity several times, surrounded by some of the most talented people working in the creative industries.

Being immersed in that environment gave me a deep appreciation for how ideas take shape — through film, music, writing, and visual media.

Early career in the creative industries

A shift toward storytelling

Everyone carries a story — shaped by experience, place, and the way they make sense of the world.

I’ve always been curious about how those stories unfold.

My own life has taken an unconventional path through the creative industries in Toronto, Los Angeles, and New York, working alongside people whose work was built around shaping ideas into something meaningful.

Along the way, I realized something simple about myself: my work has always been rooted in creativity, connection, and a deep curiosity about people.

When someone sits down and begins to share their story, something meaningful happens.

A moment of trust. A chance to understand how a life has unfolded.

My work is built around listening closely to those moments, and shaping what I hear into narratives that can be shared more widely through documentary films, oral histories, essays, and thought-leadership platforms.

ABOUT MEGHAN MACKINTOSH

The Art of Listening

Later in my career I began working more directly with creative talent, representing composers and helping place their music in commercials and documentaries.

Through that work I spent even more time thinking about how stories are structured and how ideas are communicated.

When my mother became seriously ill, I returned to Canada and began looking for work that felt more meaningful and human-centred.

That search eventually led me to Heritage Mississauga, where I began writing and directing short documentary films and oral history projects focused on community stories.

It was there that I realized something important.

After years of working around creative talent, I did not need to represent storytellers anymore.

I could become one.

Listening to stories

Today my work focuses on listening to people, and shaping what they share into narratives that can be understood, carried, and shared with others.

I’m especially drawn to stories about identity, culture, creativity, and the ways people shape the communities around them.

My work spans Indigenous oral histories, immigrant storytelling initiatives, and narrative platforms for experts who want to express their ideas more clearly in public.

What matters most to me is helping people feel seen and understood — and helping their stories take form in a way that can live beyond the moment they’re told.

When someone takes the time to sit down and share their experiences, a different kind of understanding emerges.

And once you have heard someone’s story, you never quite see them the same way again.

When we truly listen to one another, stories have the power to connect us in ways nothing else can.