episode 050: Shannon Heth

When Shannon Heth walks into a room, it’s hard not to be drawn in by her presence. Once you’re in conversation, it’s hard not to be captivated by her intelligence. After a stint in film & wardrobe after university, Shannon found her stride as a publicist, working at agencies and with clients in both Vancouver and New York before founding her own agency, Milk Communications. She grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, the only child of academic parents—her mother was a gallery curator at the University of Alberta and her father was a psychology professor. The family traveled extensively during her childhood, allowing Shannon to experience global culture & expand her perspective at a young age. She was also an equestrian—horses were a passion for her then, and still are today. In her 10-plus years in publicity and living between Vancouver and New York, she’s found her PR niche in the art, restaurant, and fashion & lifestyle worlds. More recently, Shannon co-wrote and launched her first book with celebrity makeup artist Beau Nelson, a longtime friend of hers. In this conversation, we go deep into how travel was an essential part of her upbringing and what she learned about the world, religion & spirituality at a young age; the natural unfolding of her journey into PR; why she’s been drawn to horses since childhood; the healing journey she’s been on with plant medicine and psychedelics for the last few years; the things she has learned about her ego, love & happiness since doing the world’s most powerful psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT; what she misses about New York and why it calls to her; the process of writing her first book and how it went co-authoring with a close friend; the one thing she wants her sons to know most about who she is; and more.