Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Maass.
Hi Brian, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a native Austinite, who was actually born in Austin, lived in College Station, and then moved back to the Austin Area after college. Eleven years ago, I met an amazing woman, fell in love and got married in 2019.
Currently, I work for the State of Texas in Tourism, and I have been a contributor for Texas Lifestyle Magazine for about eight years.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life never affords people a smooth road, and there are always struggles. Luckily, my struggles have been minor, and things that could be easily worked through.
Some of the struggles in my life have been depression, which comes on every so often, and sometimes I deal with a lack of confidence in myself and my work. Fortunately, I have an amazing support group and wife who I can talk through these issues.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As I mentioned earlier, I started contributing to the online publication Texas Lifestyle Magazine (TLM), where most of my assignments are music-related. Over the course of a year, I probably attend 40 to 50 concerts and festivals, photographing the performances and writing reviews for the magazine. I also occasionally write travel articles, usually based on trips my wife and I take together.
Through my love of music, I discovered a passion for photography and for telling stories through the lens of a camera. A former editor-in-chief at TLM once asked if I could photograph concerts. At the time, I really didn’t know much about photography beyond using a point-and-shoot camera, but I decided to take a chance and say yes. That decision put me on a path I never expected. Today, I have the opportunity to cover Austin City Limits Music Festival, one of the biggest music festivals in the country, along with some of the biggest artists in music.
I’m especially proud of the work our team has done covering ACL Fest and the content we’ve created for TLM’s readers. People often say, “It’s so cool that you get to go to ACL Fest and cover all those artists,” and they’re right, it is. What they don’t see is how much work goes into that coverage. There are long days, countless photos, writing deadlines, and a lot happening behind the scenes. Seeing everything come together and knowing that we created something we’re proud to share with readers makes all of that work worth it.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Years ago, my wife had the opportunity to interview Daron K. Roberts, a leadership speaker with an interesting story and a unique way of looking at success. After hearing about the interview, I decided to read his book, Call an Audible, and it changed the way I think about challenging myself.
One of the ideas that stuck with me was his phrase, “stay in the deep end.” The idea is simple: never allow yourself to become too comfortable with what you’re doing. Keep challenging yourself and be willing to take on things you may not feel completely qualified or prepared for. That’s often where growth happens.
I also believe it’s important to fail every once in a while. Failure may be one of life’s most powerful teachers. It makes us mentally tougher, forces us to look at things differently, and sometimes opens the door to ideas we never would have considered otherwise. Most importantly, failure shows us what doesn’t work. But failure only has value if we’re willing to learn from it and use what we learned the next time around.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://texaslifestylemag.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brian_maass_adventures/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-maass-135107195/
