Five Questions with a C5er: Marshall Meier

The team here at Column Five is made up of some very special people. They come from all walks of life. They’re creative, and they work very hard. They’re also very interesting. One staff member a week will be profiled on our blog, from our oldest project manager to our newest designer, to introduce the people behind the infographics.

Marshall Meier
Hometown: Montgomery, NY
Senior Designer
Started October 2010

In 144 characters or less, tell us about yourself.

I’m a simple guy who has a difficult time describing himself.

What are some bands that are currently on your work playlist?

At work, I tend to stick to instrumental stuff. Recently, there have been a lot of jazzy, noisy, math-rock bands on my playlist. I like to find bands that use a lot of different instruments, and I love me a good horn section! I also grew up listening to classic rock from my parents’ collections. They had all the good stuff: the Doors, the Stones, the Allman Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, you name it. Not sure exactly what I dig about it, but I still love hearing it all today.

What do you do when you’re not in the office?

Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of branding work for some local restaurants. I like surfing, but I don’t get out as much as I’d like. When I’m not working or freelancing, I like to go out for dinner and drinks with my girlfriend.

What’s your secret talent?

I’m a former high school track star.

I ran the 400 and the 800, but most notably I ran the lead-off leg for the 4×800 relay. My team went to the state meet my junior year, but we didn’t place. I’ve since retired from running, but I came out of retirement briefly last spring to do the Irvine Lake Mud Run with some other C5ers.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen, done, or experienced?

I find joy in lots of the little things I do, so it’s really hard to single out just one. I did have the opportunity to live in Croatia for a little while a few years back, which included a week where I was “homeless” in Venice, Italy. I met some interesting people. You really learn a lot about yourself when you have to rely on the hospitality of strangers.

We asked Marshall to feature some of his favorite projects that he’s worked on:

The History Channel—Alligators