Creative design coaching
for businesses.

My 25+ years design experience can help your business.

Leverage my experience to help coach you through your creative problems and get moving on your creative.

Some brands who’ve trusted me:

  • Taco Monster Logo
  • Fresh Start Mediation Logo
  • Pursuit Physio Logo
  • Girth Hitch Guiding Logo
  • Horizon logo
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Designers & DIY owners, level up your creative game!

Being responsible for your company’s website or graphic design can feel like a rollercoaster where you have to choose which way to go on the fly. Trends are fleeting, and there are more platforms than you can count, and keeping your brand intact is like solving a puzzle made of jelly. Luckily, with 25 years of experience, I am your creative GPS, guiding you through the maze with years in Adobe and Canva. Get ready to level up your creative game!

Let’s talk shop: where, what, and HOW to amp up your creative mojo.

Navigate the intricacies of creative decision-making with tailored advice on where to focus, what tools to leverage, and how to optimize your company’s creative output. Beyond Adobe expertise, receive strategic insights on social media, photography planning, and personalized problem-solving.

  • What to do first?
  • Adobe Creative Suite Coaching
  • Canva Coaching
  • Brand Management Strategy
  • Social Media Advice
Graphs and icons illustrating how cool and effective a brand standard can be
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Time to crush problems, make a creative plan, and own your success.

My coaching isn’t about business planning and research; it’s more like a brainstorming session where problems get a one-way ticket out. Solve those problems, flex those creative muscles, and move your creative forward. Let’s turn challenges into victories and make your creativity the star of the show.

Let’s get started!

I’d love to talk with you about your company and where you want to take it.

Creative design and brand coaching options

One on one creative coaching by the hour

Spent time talking through your creative questions, software, style or strategy.

  • 30 min minimum; prepaid
  • phone or zoom calls
  • $150 hr

Canva Coaching

Spent time talking through your Canva issues or how to set up a Brand Kit in the software.

  • 30 min minimum; prepaid
  • phone or zoom calls
  • $150 hr

Adobe Coaching

Spent time talking through your Adobe Creative Cloud software issues or questions.

  • 30 min minimum; prepaid
  • phone or zoom calls
  • Photoshop, Camera Raw, Indesign, Illustrator, Bridge
  • $150 hr

Brand Management Strategy

Spent time talking through your the implimentation of your brand, or where to start building one.

  • 30 min minimum; prepaid
  • phone or zoom calls
  • $200 hr

Social Media Advice

What do do if you are having trouble with social. When tyo hire a social manager, when to go it alone?

  • 30 min minimum; prepaid
  • phone or zoom calls
  • $200 hr

Let’s get started!

We’d love to talk with you about your company and where you want to take it.

Creative Design and business coach, Brian Olstad CGD

I’ve seen so many business owners and in-house designers struggling over the years and I really do want to see them excel, make good choices with their creative and push their brands forward!

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Every brand has a story.

Here are some favourites.

The Designer’s Notebook

Graphic Design Articles

Adobe Removed Pantone: What To Do

Adobe Removed Pantone: What To Do

Adobe removed Pantone due to licensing. Designers need Pantone to work. Here are some tips and learnings to help you work better.

Why Calgary & Edmonton design clients should choose Red Deer

Why Calgary & Edmonton design clients should choose Red Deer

In the weird world of graphic and web design, finding a design service provider that ticks all the boxes can often feel like navigating a complex maze. Clients in bigger cities Calgary and Edmonton find themselves grappling with a lot of challenges – from...

Some Questions I knew You’d Ask:

Are you a business coach?

No. I am neither certified nor set up to be a long term business coach. What I am is a Business Coach’s partner. They will help with the what and why. I help with how. I love working with Business Coaches!

Are you going to do work of just give me advice?

A coaching call is simply that – coaching. We will talk over your specific creative problem and I will offer suggestions based on my experience. We will not “do” work – we will talk about possible solutions, so you can get things done.

Do you know about my custom XYZ website software set up?

Maybe. But I’ve been around long enough to know where to look for most things on a website. Pro tip: sometimes you will need to either pay to have things fixed, and understand this: a lot of time it’s cheaper to start over on a broken website someone else built than fix it.

Can you train me in Canva?

I use Canva primarily as a servie to clients, and it’s not my primary go-to. I understand how it works and it’s easy for the most part. I love building the brand kits in Canva, but I equip people in Canva primarily.

What Adobe software do you use?

I use the big five: InDesign, Photoshop, Illsutrator, Bridge and Acrobat. I don’t use Aftereffects or Premier much. I have used Express, and it’s like Canva but has other advantages.

Are you a social media manager?

Nope. I work with them, so I have alot of insight into what you can do on the small scale, and when you need to start paying a professional for help. I am a great second opinion on what’s going on in the industry.