Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Rusteberg
Hi Matt, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Since I was a young boy, I have always enjoyed creating, building, and perfecting a craft. I would get in trouble for using heavy pieces of machinery or sharp blades from the age of six. My parents eventually decided to embrace this and naturally as I grew into my teens, I started doing handyman jobs and it followed into college. I often looked forward to these side gigs through the years and as I continued to do them, word of mouth went a long way, which has been the best compliment and benefit of innovating through my passion.
When I graduated college in 2016 from SIUC with a degree in plant genetics, I struggled with understanding where I saw myself going career wise. In tandem, my class and I were entering a saturated job market in our field. So, I turned to the only way I thought would be a lucrative career path, sales (specifically designing and selling agriculture buildings). In 2018, I decided to officially start Rusteberg Design. I had an abundance of support from my family, friends, and colleagues and in turn brought me great excitement and enthusiasm. I would primarily get jobs remodeling bathrooms here and there but soon the instability became obvious, and the inconsistency brought me anxiety. Depending on an unreliable schedule had a negative effect on where I saw myself growing financially or even maintaining a consistent lifestyle.
With the levels of anxiety and uncertainty increasing, it was hard to ignore my lack of knowledge on successfully growing a business, marketing, and building customer relationships. I really felt like the business would succeed based off of my craftsmanship alone. I went back to sales which led into business development in the agriculture space. This allowed me to utilize my degree but gave me a deeper knowledge of how I could successfully operate my own business in these themes and important components I was missing prior. More importantly, it gave me the knowledge of how to properly appraise the value of my work. This drastically influenced the way I viewed my pricing structure. I learned how to confidently provide feedback to a client and have a hard stance on why my work was worth a certain dollar amount. However, I stayed in corporate America because it felt like the only way to success.
In 2024, I faced another round of layoffs and was once again tossed back into the job market. I began applying and interviewing for jobs while simultaneously everyone around me was encouraging me to open Rusteberg Design’s doors once again. There was a moment I had between the most influential people in my life supporting this idea and the new layer of education I was able to gain during my sales management experience where I felt compelled to really give my own passion a shot. I began rebranding, booking business, and building my marketing strategy; and it has felt like the stars have aligned since making this decision. I now feel that I have a purpose within my passion and get to add my unique touch and craft to spaces others live in and enjoy. I love being a vessel for my client’s unique visions and bringing them to life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As previously mentioned, my struggles never derived from performing the physical job, the struggles were the variables that are needed to be a successful entrepreneur. These details include but are not limited too; taking the time to build relationships with my clients instead of the experience being transactional, properly marketing myself and services in an intentional way, and prioritizing communication around the value of my expertise to ensure my clients receive the greatest outcome for their investment.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Rusteberg Design?
At Rusteberg Design, we value our clients feedback, questions, and insights. The most common review that I receive from my customers is that they know when they call Rusteberg Design, they will not need to call anyone else for any aspect of their project. I bring 16 years of construction, renovation, and handyman work to the table. Specializing in home renovations and handyman work, taking projects from bare bones of a building and a Pinterest board full of ideas to walking the client through the finished product. One stop shop may be the simplest way to put it, but I truly am.
What makes you happy?
A famous couple from a TV show once said, “Are you all ready to see your fixer upper?”
Though I am not sourced in Waco, TX, I get to share those moments with my clients. The flash of excitement that comes across a clients face as they get to see their visions come to life is what brings me joy. I always tell clients, “A house can’t be a home until you put your unique touch on it.” It is a blessing that I will never take for granted to be able to make a livelihood off of these moments that six-year-old me could not have dreamed of. Not only am I proudly employed by myself and doing something I love, I also made a professional relationship with the customer that will last a life time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://g.co/kgs/GB9JTqm
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rustebergdesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RustebergDesign/
- Other: https://nextdoor.com/pages/rusteberg-design-highland-il/
