Born to Tell Stories

 Anna Shepherd is a storyteller, creative strategist and the founder of Meerkat Creative, a content and marketing agency built on clarity, connection and bold ideas.

Raised in a family where stories mattered – her grandmother was a journalist and filmmaker –  Anna learned early that storytelling wasn’t just a creative skill, but a tool for clarity, connection and influence. After moving from Russia to Australia, she started making videos to stay in touch with her family. That instinct to create and communicate turned into a career focused on helping others find and share their story, too.

Today, she leads Meerkat Creative with a clear goal: to help brands communicate better. She’s known for capturing real, unscripted moments, the kind that actually land with an audience, and for building strategies that make creative work actually work. For Anna, creativity only counts when it has purpose. Her work is grounded in curiosity, strategy and collaboration, qualities reflected in the agency’s namesake, the meerkat.

She believes real freedom comes from ownership – of your story, your business and your future. 

 Anna brings a sharp commercial mindset and isn’t afraid to get hands-on. Over the years, she’s built a diverse property portfolio through renovation, development, and short-term rental — taking on complex projects and turning overlooked homes into high-performing assets. Her first investment was driven by instinct and a crash-course in financial discipline. Since then, she’s delivered full-scale renovations, completed successful subdivisions, and built a profitable Airbnb model that now supports her broader business ventures.

In the middle of all that, she launched Wine Chick, a wine education brand created during lockdown. It cut through because it was simple, useful and didn’t talk down to people. Within a month, it landed her a regular column. It’s one example of many where Anna’s strength lies in spotting the gap, acting fast and building something people actually want.

That’s what Meerkat is all about. When Anna started the business, the goal was survival: paying rent, building a freelance client base, and saying yes to everything. But over time, it became something far more powerful. A growing team. A culture of curiosity and care. A business that helps other businesses grow.

 What makes her different is her ability to sit at the intersection of creative thinking and commercial results. She’s not here to create for creativity’s sake, she’s here to drive impact, tell meaningful stories and help others rise with her.

These days, Anna leads Meerkat with a big vision and bigger ambition. One day, she wants to see the Meerkat logo lit up on the side of a high-rise. Not just for the skyline bragging rights, but because it represents something she’s built with intention: a brand that’s brave, values-led and just getting started.

Her work has been recognised by the Australian Small Business Awards and the Australian Women’s Small Business Awards. She also regularly shares her insights as a speaker and podcast guest – offering practical advice grounded in lived experience.

Whether she’s leading a team, renovating a kitchen, or speaking on stage, her message is consistent: own your story, back yourself and build something that matters.