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Meet Our Staff
Wendi Baird is the Editor-in-Chief for Texas Lifestyle Magazine. As a fifth generation Texan, her roots run deep in the Lone Star State. Wendi fell in love with writing at a young age after reading her great grandmother’s journal detailing the family’s travels across Texas in a covered wagon. After studying journalism in high school, Wendi decided to pursue a journalism degree in college.
Wendi grew up in San Antonio but has always loved exploring Texas, whether it’s camping along the Frio River, taking sandcastle lessons in Port Aransas, or sipping a glass of wine at a winery in Fredericksburg. Her wanderlust isn’t limited to Texas, though. She especially loves touring old castles and chateaux in Europe, learning about their histories and the people who once lived within their walls. But she also never turns down an opportunity to relax on a nice beach.
Wendi and her husband, Freddie, live in Round Rock with their two children. Like many Texas families, they are a house divided with a daughter who recently graduated from Texas A&M University and a son who attends The University of Texas at Austin. Jedi, their dog, completes the family circle.
Marika Flatt, Travel Editor and co-owner of Texas Lifestyle Magazine, launched her magazine writing career in 2002, combining her love of travel, journalism, media and public relations. Marika has been travel writing non-stop since then and feels that part of her success in delivering an enticing travel feature is because her “day job” is running a literary PR agency, PR by the Book. A cum laude graduate of Texas A&M University, she lives in Austin with her husband, Doug, co-publisher of TLM. She was heard on the statewide NPR show "Texas Standard" offering her bi-monthly "Weekend Trip Tips" for 5 years until Covid.
Now, Marika is a regular travel expert on TV shows around the state, including: Good Morning Dallas, San Antonio Living, Daytime (statewide), KVUE-TV (ABC/Austin) and Spectrum News (statewide). She was awarded Outstanding Austin Communicator in 2021.
At the launch of Texas Lifestyle Magazine, Doug Flatt was new to publishing, but no stranger to small business. Flatt has now been growing and scaling small businesses for 20 years.
Doug has a degree in Marketing from Texas A&M University. He and his wife, Marika, have three children. In his free time, he enjoys a round of golf, mountain biking and spending time with his kids.
Emily Hord is an Assistant Editor at Texas Lifestyle Magazine from Houston, Tx. She graduated cum laude from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Communications and Journalism.
In her free time, she enjoys going to see live music, reading books and spending time with friends and family. She was born and raised in Houston and loves her hometown team of the Astros as well as attending the Houston Rodeo.
Leean Vargas is an Editorial Assistant and Contributing Writer at Texas Lifestyle Magazine. She graduated cum laude from Texas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and minor in Communication Studies.
In her free time, she enjoys singing her heart out at concerts, snapping cool photos, and painting with loved ones. She’s a born and raised Austinite who has a love for animals, traveling to new cities and discovering the best food & drink hotspots.