" alt="Making Memories this Christmas">

Making Memories this Christmas

I’m thinking of taking a holiday this Christmas – a real one. A leave my laptop at home kind of holiday. I’ve run my own business for 14 years now and the longest I’ve been away from a computer is 24 hours. That was last month when my baby had to go to the Apple…

Read more...
" alt="Confessions of a brand addict">

Confessions of a brand addict

There are two kinds of women in this world: those who can cheat on their hairdresser and those who can’t. I can’t. Not on my hairdresser, my butcher, my wine store, my favourite restaurants. Now don’t get me wrong, if I’m looking for a new ‘supplier’, I have no problem dating. I’ll test out hairdressers,…

Read more...
" alt="Power of Love">

Power of Love

“We must shock this nation with the power of love,” – Reverend William Barber II. Forget right vs left. It’s time to worry about right vs wrong. I haven’t posted anything on the debacle going on to the south of us. In fact, despite who I am and what I do, I post very little…

Read more...
" alt="Who’s in your squad?">

Who’s in your squad?

As I dropped my daughter off for her last Grade 9 exam yesterday, I found myself parking the car and taking a moment. For six years, we’d made that drive to school. I remembered the anxious 8-year-old the first week of Grade 4 – new house, new school, new city. Her overwhelming worries. I thought…

Read more...
" alt="“In a gentle way you can shake the world.” – Ghandi">

“In a gentle way you can shake the world.” – Ghandi

Almost three years ago – in June 2013 – I posted a call for help on Facebook. Our home was suddenly riverfront and my husband was helplessly watching our basement fill with water… the silt-laden Elbow River water mixed with sewage was slowly encroaching on our main floor. The response to my post was swift,…

Read more...
" alt="The big beef brouhaha">

The big beef brouhaha

This morning I’m wondering what Bus Fuller has on his mind. Have he and son Stan (CEO of the Earls chain) sat down over a big old plate of Kansas beef and talked about the great beef debate of 2016? If you’ve missed it, Earls announced they were switching to Certified Humane beef this week…

Read more...
Shannon Larkins

Shannon Larkins

Hi I’m Shannon, founder of Blackcoffee. A former reporter, spin doctor and politico, I now focus on using those instincts where they matter most.

I create powerful brands for clients and help shape how their stories are understood in the world. I’m also rather addicted to my nutty family, dogs with pushed-in faces, Mexico and of course coffee ... black.