When Megan Shallow first started BNL Media Consulting in Vancouver, she was focused on helping local brands tell their stories. Today, her work spans borders, with a client roster that stretches around the world.
Since completing the Trade Accelerator Program (TAP), Megan has grown her export revenue by more than 500 percent, expanding into new markets while holding true to her community-first approach to marketing. Her boutique agency blends authentic storytelling with strategic content, helping brands connect with the people who matter most to them — no matter where in the world they are.
This year, she was named Exporter of the Year at our Leaders in Export Excellence Awards. For Megan, the recognition marked more than her agency’s success abroad. It was proof that the company had emerged from a period of financial strain into a new chapter of stability, confidence, and growth.
We spoke about why she believes Canadian entrepreneurs should keep their eyes on the U.S., what really stands in the way of scaling abroad, and why TAP was the catalyst she didn’t know she needed.
Megan speaking during this year’s Leaders in Export Excellence event, the event celebrates alumni of the World Trade Centre Toronto’s Trade Accelerator Program
Q: Some Canadian entrepreneurs are hesitant to pursue the U.S. market right now. What’s your advice?
Megan Shallow: Do it. I would say, do it. My American clients have been incredible to work with. They take risks, they invest in marketing, and they stick with you even while things are still finding their way. Canadians, in my experience, will cut things faster.
Yes, the political climate can be intense. I have had clients in the U.S. get emotional and even apologize for their country. But that is not what the relationship is about. At the end of the day, we are all entrepreneurs who want to grow.
Americans trust Canadians. They know we understand their culture enough to deliver, and that we are willing to learn the details we do not know yet. That trust makes working together easier than people think.
Q: What is different about working in the U.S. compared to Canada?
MS: The speed. In the U.S., people often expect things in 48 hours, not two weeks. The competition moves fast, and you have to be ready to match it. At the same time, you need to protect your own pace so it does not turn into chaos. I have had to make sure my team can deliver quickly without burning out.
Also, it is not just about the big cities. Scottsdale has been just as rewarding as my work in Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia. Sometimes the best opportunities are in markets that are not overrun with experts.
Megan accepts her Exporter of the Year award at this year’s Leaders in Export Excellence event.
Q: What about expanding beyond North America? What challenges have you faced, and what supports could help?
MS: Time zones are the biggest challenge.
We have clients in the U.K., and one of them also operates in Singapore. An eight-hour difference makes real-time collaboration tricky. My work is very communication-heavy — we’re talking with in-house marketing teams almost every day — so that time gap can really slow things down.
The other big challenge is hiring. Every country has its own HR rules, tax systems, and ways of handling contracts. The U.K., for example, offers more employee benefits than Canada. The U.S. offers far fewer. There’s no universal playbook, and it’s confusing to navigate.
Hiring has always been interesting for me. I’ve scaled too fast before and had to scale back, so I know how important it is to have the right people in the right roles before making a leap into a new market. But if Canada had better supports for entrepreneurs hiring internationally — even just straightforward, “for the layperson” guides on what’s legal and how to set it up — it would make a huge difference.
Right now, you can Google pieces of it, or maybe ask AI for ideas, but it’s not something I would fully trust to handle the legal and HR side. It’s an area where our trade organizations could step in more. We’re shifting to a world where it’s totally possible to have a global team, but the resources haven’t caught up yet.
Q: How did TAP prepare you for this kind of growth?
MS: When I went through TAP, I had already been running my company for several years. I remember sitting in a session feeling completely out of my depth. I do not have a business degree, and the legal and tax jargon made me anxious.
Earlier in my journey, around 32, I had even thought, “Do I need to get my MBA to be able to do this?” I looked into it and thought, four years of that? No thank you.
TAP made me realize I did not need to. One of the instructors sat next to me and said, “You can make this map, Megan,” and I wanted to cry because I was not sure I could. The program broke things down so I could understand them. It showed me who I needed to talk to, and it reassured me that I was not doing anything wrong.
And the timing could not have been better. I was in what I call the “pinhole moment” for my business. It was either going to keep going or I was going to quit. Without TAP, I probably would have quit.
It was like going to business school for a few months, but with immediate, real-world application. For me, it may have been the difference between closing my business and building it into what it is today.
Q: Would you recommend TAP to other entrepreneurs?
MS: Absolutely. I tell every scaling entrepreneur I know to do it. Yes, you have to step away from the day-to-day, but the investment is worth it. Two friends I encouraged to take TAP last year are now working in the U.S. as well. They are bringing their Canadian strengths south of the border, and it is working.
I’m the biggest cheerleader for TAP. All my entrepreneur friends in Vancouver, when I know they’re scaling, I say, “Go do it, you won’t regret it.” Once you’re through the program, something will have shifted for you.
The shift is different for everyone. For some it’s clarity, for others it’s confidence, and for others it’s making the right connections. But you will come out the other side better equipped to grow outside of Canada.
"For me, (The TAP Program) may have been the difference between closing my business and building it into what it is today."
- Megan Shallow, 2025 Exporter of the Year
Q: Would you recommend TAP to other entrepreneurs?
MS: Absolutely. I tell every scaling entrepreneur I know to do it. Yes, you have to step away from the day-to-day, but the investment is worth it. Two friends I encouraged to take TAP last year are now working in the U.S. as well. They are bringing their Canadian strengths south of the border, and it is working.
I’m the biggest cheerleader for TAP. All my entrepreneur friends in Vancouver, when I know they’re scaling, I say, “Go do it, you won’t regret it.” Once you’re through the program, something will have shifted for you.
The shift is different for everyone. For some it’s clarity, for others it’s confidence, and for others it’s making the right connections. But you will come out the other side better equipped to grow outside of Canada.
