My Story
COURAGEOUSb is Andy Maier. Andy is a seasoned—17 year—Graphic Designer and Brand Strategist, an entrepreneur at heart with a passion for business and a ‘thing’ for home-renos.
Long ago at the age of six Andy first discovered his passion for creativity and design. His Swiss relatives often sent him the very best watercolours and pencil crayons. Sitting next to his mom watching her ‘colour inside the lines’ Andy would for hours explore colour and learn the art of meticulous Swiss craftsmanship.
In high school, inspired by the encouragement and support of his art teacher, Andy won two International Student Art competitions. His first taste of advertising and design came at the age of 14 when he won a bus panel design competition, “The Great Graffiti Feat” for Fox & Fluevog Shoes. At the age of 16 and 17 Andy twice won an international poster design competition through Raiffeisen Bank of Austria. And by the time he was ready to graduate Andy won an Art Scholarship that took him to Emily Carr College of Art & Design.
During art school Andy began leveraging his creativity and entrepreneurial spirit with business. He never learned to play the guitar and jam with ‘the band’ so in order to keep hanging out with the cool guys in the hay-day of grunge Andy started his first business venture designing and printing band posters and T-Shirts out of his parents’ garage. The following year, after four years of design school (Foundation Year at Emily Carr and the 3yr Capilano College Graphic Design & Illustration program), he started his first of two design firms. He ran the most recent, branding based, firm from 2002 to 2007 before selling it so he could spend the next few months (wait - two years) ‘sustainably’ renovating a house with his father. Andy’s creative spirit never ends…and apparently nor does a reno!
Today Andy’s passion is to share, inform and inspire those who have the courage to think differently about their purpose on this planet. As COURAGEOUSb, Andy consults to businesses, non-profits, even individuals to define the COR, or heart, of what motivates them and to help them make an impact in their organization, their community, the world.
As a certified member of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, Andy mixes his creativity and design expertise with a visionary sense of business strategy. His greatest skills are passionately envisioning where a brand’s opportunities lie and in making the emotional connection between internal brand promise and external brand experience then translating those opportunities into strategic, distinctive and authentic creative communications.
Andy is an active volunteer in many communities. He gives back to his design community by enthusiastically volunteering as an elected Executive Board Member of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada / BC Chapter as the VP Sponsorship and Co-Chair for Graphex 2010 - Canada’s national biennial design awards. In his social community, Andy is now in his 4th year as a volunteer member on the BC Children’s Hospital Restaurant and Hospitality Committee, and from 2003 to 2006 on the Communications committee for the BC Epilepsy Society during which time he assisted in the rebranding of the BCES. Andy is a founding member of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life team, ‘Squeezin’ For A Reason.’ He is also the coach for his daughter’s U6 soccer team and is currently mentoring ambition individuals in areas of goal setting, design, leadership and social interest.
In May of 2009 Andy was a recipient of the Capilano University’s ‘40 over 40 Alumni of Inspiration’ honouring 40 of 60,000 alumni whose passion and achievements reflect Capilano’s four decades (1968-2008) of exceptional services and community involvement.
Andy enjoys life with his wife Nicole, their six year old daughter Abbey and three year old son Evan. He plays competitive soccer, golfs, kayaks and is seriously addicted to home renovations for which he is currently seeking treatment.