DREW MACIASZ, 37
Vice president, Harry L. Laws & Co.
Making excuses and not looking forward: Those are Drew Maciasz’s pet peeves. He’s not one to sit by and complain that change is impossible. In addition to managing one of West Baton Rouge Parish’s oldest family firms, now engaged in land management and real estate, Maciasz is on a mission to improve the quality of life in the community through his involvement in service and recreation organizations.
Inspiring book: Good to Great
I read this early in my career and it helped build a foundation of leadership and management practice.
Major professional accomplishments: Graduating college at LSU, graduating LSU School of Banking and when I get people to learn how to pronounce my last name (pronounced MACY).
Volunteer and community involvement: Coach and treasurer, WBR Baseball/Softball League; past chairman, WBR Chamber of Commerce; past president, Port Allen Rotary Club
PROFESSIONAL
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A dentist.
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it? At age 15, I was a bus boy at a New Roads restaurant; good experience but learned I didn’t want to wash dishes the rest of my life.
What is your favorite place for a business lunch in Baton Rouge? City Club of Baton Rouge.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Marrying my wife and building our life together with three children; I’ve learned a great deal from her … she’s brutally honest.
The old saying goes, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Specifically, what are you “being” to make Baton Rouge better? I’m being involved. I don’t want to be the one to sit the sidelines and say things can’t be done or create excuses and obstacles to get something accomplished. Making excuses and not looking forward are pet peeves of mine.
What ritual do you do to get pumped up before a big meeting, presentation or pitch? Crank up Stone Temple Pilots.
What has been the most fulfilling moment in your career so far? Being offered the position with my company, Harry L. Laws & Company. My company has nearly a 140-year history with a long, rich tradition in the agricultural industry.
What was your professional aha moment? Straight out of college in the early 2000’s, I tried working in my dad’s business as a financial advisor and I failed. It’s a tough business and he’s been very successful doing it for almost 30 years. I was young, thought things would be handed to me and placed in my lap. I was sorely mistaken; however, it was one of the most valuable experiences of my life.
How many times will you try something before admitting it doesn’t work? Quite a few. Then I remember the definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result.
What did you learn the hard way? Success does not get “plopped” in your lap; there is no substitute for hard work and experience.
What does your job entail that would shock customers or clients if they knew about it? My office is a one-minute walk from my house and even though my business in primarily in land and agriculture, I deal with the movie industry often as they love to film inside some of my company’s buildings.
TECHNOLOGY
Mac or PC? I use both: PC at work, MAC at home.
What’s your preferred mode of communication: text or phone call? Phone call
How low will you allow your remaining battery life to get (in %) before you have an anxiety attack? 20%
How many unread messages are in your inbox right now? None. I check messages as soon as I get them.
What app gets you through the day? Twitter and WeatherBug
Are you quick to adapt to new tech, or did you hang on to that flip phone way after it became obsolete? I always want the newest tech gadgets, however, I wait to get them after they’ve been out a while.
PERSONALITY
How many times do you hit the snooze button? Never. I usually wake up before the alarm.
Breakfast at home? Breakfast on the go? Breakfast at your desk? No breakfast at all? I eat a small breakfast at home with my three kids before they’re off to school.
Is the glass half empty or half full? What’s in the glass? My glass is always half-full, with a fine American lager.
What’s your motto? “It’s all good,” but sometimes I’m accused of being too optimistic.
When did you realize you had grown up? When I graduated from college and my parents told me I was responsible for paying for basically everything.
Which historical figure do you most identify with? Maybe I can tell you in 40 years. I think I’m a long way from identifying with any historical figure.
Which living person do you most admire? My parents. They were great providers, generous to all, taught me strong values and life lessons, and built a successful business from scratch with no guarantees.
What is your greatest extravagance? The money I spend on hunting every year.
What trend do you really wish would come back? -I love technology and social media, but I’d like to get my news when I read the morning paper.
If you could choose your age forever, what age would you choose and why? 35 is a good age; you’re old enough to know better and young enough to do a lot more.
What is your favorite journey? Going out West to the Colorado Rocky Mountains in August and hiking in the Rocky Mountain National Park.
On what occasion do you lie? I never lie!?
What is your greatest regret? Not being more serious in college.
When and where were you happiest? On the water….either enjoying a campfire with friends and family at Old River near Morganza or riding my boat and hanging out on False River.
Which talent or superpower would you most like to have and why? I wish I could fly. I like seeing things from up above and I wouldn’t have to deal with traffic.
If you worked for the CIA and needed a top-secret alias, what would yours be? Buzz Lightyear
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Sometimes I could exercise a little more patience.
What’s your most treasured possession? A MontBlanc ink pin and mechanical pencil I got as a gift when I graduated from LSU in 1999.
If you could live anywhere on this planet and take everything that you love with you, where would you choose to live and why? As a native and resident of the Westside, my roots run so deep in West Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee, I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
What do you most value in your friends? My friends are like family. We are never short on laughter, and no matter how long it’s been since we’ve spoken, it was like we were together yesterday.
What do you miss most about the ’90s? Traditional neighborhoods, where you could walk to school, walk to church, and walk to the store within minutes without many fears.
If you had to be a teacher of something, what would you teach? I would love to teach music. I love music, but can’t play anything. Music always gets everyone moving.
What is your theme song? I like all kinds of music, but I always turn up the volume when I hear Hank Williams Jr.’s “A Country Boy Can Survive.”
Who would play you in a movie? Michael Douglas
If you could go back in time 20 years, what advice would you give yourself? Listen to your parents. You think they don’t know what they’re talking about but in 20 years you’ll realize how smart they are.
What makes you laugh every time you think about it? Bill Murray’s character, Carl Spackler, in the 1980 movie Caddyshack
Who’s the most famous celebrity you’ve ever met? Lolo Jones
LOOKING AHEAD
What’s the next challenge you have planned? My company and I have identified several projects to grow our business and diversify our interests. Being the driving force behind those projects and making them become a reality will be a challenge.
Three things on your bucket list: Visit New York City at Christmas time, tour the wine country in California and have a house on the water.
If you have children, what concerns you most about the future they will inherit? I’m concerned about how my children will have to deal with paying for our country’s current national debt.
What would be your advice for future Forty Under 40 honorees? Be ambitious, but stay grounded. Surround yourself with a good team and demonstrate leadership. You can’t buy experience and the lessons you learn from it.
Do you plan to be in the Capital Region five years from now? No question about it!
Why have you chosen to make your home in the Capital Region? Ten years ago I had the opportunity to move away to Texas. My wife had gone to college there for a while and was ready to move. At the end of the day, our family roots were too strong and important to us and there is no other place with a culture as rich as ours, here in Louisiana and the Capital Region.
Have you peaked, or do you think you’ll still have it when we launch our hypothetical “Forty Over 40” awards years from now? I’ll definitely be ready for the “Top 40 Over 40” if and when the time comes. I’m still learning how to make things happen at this point.
