Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Guthrie.
Hi Matthew, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up in Austin, I spent much of my time in our local greenbelts or crawling around jobsites. My dad was a home builder, and my mom was an interior designer, so I was practically born on a jobsite. My passion for photography and conservation didn’t come until much later on in life.
My career started when I left college at age 20 for a “semester off” and wound up starting a construction/property management business with my father. After several years of operating that business, I landed an opportunity to build high-end custom homes with Register-Alley Custom Homes. I built with Register-Alley for a few years until landing another opportunity to build for Matt Risinger.
I started with Matt Risinger at Risinger Build as a Senior Project Manager and left as a Producer on The Build Show. It’s a long story… Matt is an ultra-high-end custom home builder but also the host of The Build Show. I spent almost two years with Matt, filming and producing educational construction content across the country.
In early 2023, I decided I was ready to head back into construction and build for myself. I partnered up with a close friend, and we created Mesrie Construction Group.
I stumbled into photography in 2017. I felt like I might enjoy it and thought I could take a “pretty good” iPhone photo, so I bought an entry-level camera. I was hooked instantly. I always had a love for the outdoors, but landscape photography is what really hooked me in.
I started exploring the Austin greenbelts like never before. This is what led me to creating Hike Austin in late 2018. Hike Austin took off right away and has led me to so many other great adventures, like joining the Board of Directors for Westcave in 2020.
Joining the board for Westcave sparked a love of conservation I didn’t realize was there. I now spend many of my free hours focused on local conservation needs and putting my resources/network to work.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are always challenges! But that’s what makes the ride so fun. Running a small business always brings challenges on a day-to-day basis. Working with family at the beginning of my career was a challenge but also very rewarding. These days the main challenges are trying to land big construction jobs and managing them successfully.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a third-generation builder; my family has been building in Austin since the early 90s. Becoming a home builder was very much in my blood. I left a dream job about a year ago to start a home-building and remodeling company with a close friend of mine called Mesrie Construction Group. We do full custom homes, remodels, and some commercial work. We pride ourselves in being able to give clients exceptional service and response. We purposely don’t take on too many jobs and really focus on the ones we do take on.
How do you define success?
Success, to me, is ongoing and not a specific point you reach. Making steps to achieve your goals daily and having success through the process. Setting big and small goals, and each time you meet one, you found success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mesriegroup.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hikeaustin & www.instagam.com/guthrie.atx
Image Credits
Matthew Guthrie
