Ryan Rendon and Steven Butcher sit down with Matthew Mabery of Mabery Contracting for a conversation about custom home building, hard work, mentorship, integrity, and building a reputation that lasts in the Texas Hill Country.

Matthew shares his story of becoming independent at a young age, starting his own contracting business, learning through framing, hotels, commercial projects, and eventually building custom homes in Boot Ranch. They also talk about client relationships, choosing the right projects, building strong teams, mentoring younger people, giving back, handling stress, and why honesty and trust matter in every part of the construction process.

YouTube Link:

https://youtu.be/mmMCzmaMb6k

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Episode 11

00:37 Meet Matthew Mabery

01:48 Building in the Hill Country

02:24 Opening prayer

03:27 Why Matthew came on the podcast

05:37 Life at 16 and early independence

08:20 Starting with odd jobs and framing

09:07 Lady Bird Golf Course, hotels, and early opportunities

11:37 Learning through commercial construction

15:33 Breaking into Boot Ranch

16:26 The Texas Monthly model home

17:56 Building a team and stepping back

20:25 Mentorship and early guidance

23:06 Honesty, integrity, and doing the right thing

24:29 Steven’s early years in custom home building

26:44 Letting go of control

28:08 Growth, maturity, and long-term success

29:12 Choosing the right clients

31:05 Experiencing the client side of construction

32:03 Short-term rentals and reinvesting

33:55 Walking away from the wrong fit

36:32 Trusting your gut in business

38:12 Building spec homes with vision

40:50 Spec homes as a reflection of the builder

42:10 Success, motivation, and timing

44:09 Mentoring young builders

45:25 Learning through legal struggles

47:38 Matthew’s first home with his wife

50:38 Family struggles and becoming a father

53:37 Teaching young people to work hard

55:38 Giving back to the community

57:41 The joy of generosity

01:01:26 Building 67 homes in Boot Ranch

01:03:19 Earning trust in a small community

01:05:12 Living where you build

01:06:21 Relationships over the build

01:07:46 Protecting client relationships

01:11:06 The reality of being your own contractor

01:12:31 Why custom home builders earn their fee

01:16:12 Hiring the right people

01:18:40 Building loyalty through opportunity

01:21:27 Benefits, bonuses, and taking care of the team

01:24:36 Helping young people find their path

01:29:19 Why college can still matter

01:31:31 Advice for young people starting out

01:33:57 Trust, respect, and choosing the right owner

01:35:08 Final thoughts from Matthew

01:37:25 Closing prayer

01:37:48 Closing remarks

Resources and links:

Support us at : https://linktr.ee/texashillcountryinsider

Matthew Mabery

Mabery Contracting: https://www.maberycontracting.com/

Steven Butcher

Website: https://www.butcherbehrens.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butcher_behren_signature_homes/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-butcher-8678841b5/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ButcherBehrens

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@butcherbehrensighomes

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ButcherBehrensSignatureHomes/shorts

Phone: +1 210-636-5387

Ryan Rendon

Website: https://www.ryanrendon.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan_rendon_realtor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RyanRendonRealtor

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ryanrendon-RealEstate

Phone: +1 830-890-1943

Mentions

Fredericksburg

Boot Ranch

Lady Bird Golf Course

Holiday Inn Express

Comfort Inn

Hampton Inn

Boerne

San Antonio

Cross Mountain

Texas Monthly

Fredericksburg High School

Saint Mary’s

Shriner

Port Aransas

Cinnamon Shore

Colorado

Dave Ramsey

TCU

Marble Falls

Horseshoe Bay

Arrowhead Bank

Follow Texas Hill Country Insider for more conversations on local business, real estate, growth, and life across the Texas Hill Country.