ABOUT ME
BRAND CONSULTANT & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
For over 25 years, I have partnered with agencies, founders, and companies across Canada and the U.S., shaping not only brands but the ecosystems they live in. My work has always lived at the intersection of business strategy, creative intuition, and cultural relevance, where insight becomes identity and brands grow into something people can believe in.
I founded and led MAKE, a boutique brand studio known for collaborative, soul-forward work in lifestyle, wellness, and CPG. Over the years I learned what makes brands thrive, and equally, what makes them falter. That experience showed me the importance of having not just designers and strategists, but a guide who can help founders navigate the high stakes decisions that define success.
Today, I work independently as a brand consultant. My role is to bring clarity, perspective, and judgment to founders who need a trusted ally at their side. I help them align their goals with the realities of the market, source the right partners, and ensure that their business, brand, and lifestyle move in harmony.
My approach is rooted in listening and observation, in reading the brief behind the brief, and in tuning into the values driving a business. I call this way of working Empathic Strategies, a practice of translating insight into decisions, creative direction, and brand platforms that feel clear, human, and resonant.
This mindset also helps me bring the right people into a project and support teams in working together with ease. When a team is aligned, the work speaks louder and with more heart.
I help brands say something real. I help founders make decisions with confidence. And I love solving complex brand problems that others shy away from.
Let’s build something that lasts.
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Autumn Sons Baking Co.
Burnbarrel FX
Christine LaPerriere
Fine Tune Pilates
GG & CO Creative
Glenn’s Edibles
Handfuel
Insource Corp
Jinlet Beverages
Leader In Motion
Liva Date Sugar
Luc Seesing Machinery
Midday Squares
Mindful Movement Centre
Misfitstudio
NAGI Energy Bars
Nomz
PURE Batteries
Plant 48
The Greater Goods
THiS Flax!
TODO Ontario
Torch Wellness
Tonica Kombucha
Sahajan Beauty
Sarah Abaza Jewelry
Sterling Forest Lodge
Supreme Cannabis
Wholesome Canine
Independent Brand Experience
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Campbell’s
Cadbury Adams
Canada Bread
Chapmans
Continental Foods
General Mills
Hershey’s
Irving Paper
Kraft Canada
Kraft Mondelez
Kroger
Cadbury Adams
Loblaws
Clover Leaf
General Mills
Canada Bread
ConAgra
PepsiCo
New Dominion Stores
Purina
Safeway US
Shopper’s Drug Mart
Pfizer
Unilever
VH
Walmart Canada & US
Weston Foods
National & Multinational Experience
Perspectives
"Michelle inspired the full vision and aligned it with my true purpose. She has an extraordinary ability to distill complexity into clarity, a true brand alchemist. Whatever you call it, it works, and I’m deeply grateful."
Kamoy Nicola, Toronto (Client)
"Working with Michelle is like experiencing the perfect creative cocktail: one part skilled strategist, one part open collaborator, two parts intuitive visionary, all garnished with the unexpected magic that sparks lasting impact.
Blake Whitman, Vermont (Client)
"Michelle leads with clarity and creativity, pairing sharp design instincts with a deep understanding of brand. She knows how to elevate ideas, bring fresh perspectives, and guide teams toward meaningful, memorable outcomes.
Jason Vandenberg (Designer)
"Michelle is our secret weapon, a quiet force behind the scenes who helped translate our ideas into a brand that truly resonates. Her strategic intuition made all the difference."
Dylan Cooper, Toronto (Client)
"Michelle has an intuitive sense for building teams, leading creative collaboration, and steering brand systems from vision to execution."
Nick Samson
Working with Michelle is a piece of brioche (cake is far too common). Professional, strategic with an attention to detail, Michelle combines pretty much everything you’d want in a creative with pretty much everything you’d want in a human being. Like I said, brioche.
Jonathan Weiss (Copywriter)
GREAT BRANDS EMERGE
THROUGH GREAT CONVERSATIONS.
Awards
Silver Pentawards
Creativity International Awards
PAC Global Awards
Logo Lounge Awards
Hermes Creative Awards
Education
1996-2000
Ontario College of Art + Design
Bachelor of Art
Package Design, Advertising & Communications