We were lucky to catch up with Matthew Guthrie recently and have shared our conversation below.

Matthew, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I’m still a long way from building exactly the way I envision, but I hope to be remembered as someone who cared deeply about quality and about the impact my work had on both people and the environment. I’d like people to say I was thoughtful in how I approached each project, always striving to balance great craftsmanship with a sense of responsibility to the land. Ultimately, I hope my work inspires others to build with care for both today and tomorrow.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am born and raised here in Austin, TX. I am a third generation home builder in Texas, my dad has been building in Austin since the 80’s. I currently am the Co-Founder & Head of Construction for Format Construction. I started Format with a close friend coming on two years ago. We do custom homes, remodels and commercial work in the Austin area. I previously worked for The Build Show, Risinger Build, Register-Alley Custom Homes, and Azul Residential before heading out on my own.

Although home building pays my bills, most people know me for my Instagram accounts, @hikeaustin and @guthrie.atx. I stumbled into the social media world as I got into landscape photography several years ago. I had the idea to start Hike Austin and it took off on me from the start. That led to sparking a love of conservation I did not know I had. Fast forward to today, and I am on the board of directors for Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center, Austin Wildlife Rescue, and Friends of Pedernales Falls State Park. My involvement in conservation is purely a passion project and has become a large part of my life.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Timing is everything. But it has to be the right topic, the right app, and the right content with a bit of luck. At least that is how I see it if you want to grow a large account. But who are you and what are you really trying to accomplish? If you are not trying to be a full-time influencer then I don’t think the numbers really matter.

I think a lot of business get caught up on numbers and metrics, which I don’t think are super relevant to most businesses. I don’t believe having more than 10k followers really matters for most business, there are always exceptions though. Would it be nice to have 10k+ followers for a business? Well, yes, duh. In my opinion, social media in most cases is really a verification tool for people who might have found you elsewhere or heard about you. The conversion rates are super slow, so for you to get business from Instagram or Tiktok on a regular basis, you would have to have a HUGE following. Put your attention and money elsewhere. But make sure when someone looks you up on socials that you are there, and are posting content about what you do. Who cares if a post has 10 likes, if a potential client sees the post and feels more confident you know what you are doing then you’ve accomplished something.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Relationships trump all. At least in my business it does. My best source of new clients is old clients. Always doing the right thing and genuinely caring about the work you do will resonate with folks. If you do a good enough job for them, they will WANT to tell their friends about you. People like helping people if you give them the opportunity to, and that includes growing your business. Don’t be afraid to ask for a referral or for them to tell their friends about your business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.formatconstruction.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guthrie.atx
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-guthrie-330367226

Image Credits

Matthew Guthrie