Reinventing the Way We Build Homes and Communities with Matthew Marshall

Matthew Marshall is the Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of New Story — a nonprofit pioneering solutions to end the global housing crisis. He serves on two nonprofit boards, CNU Atlanta and Citymakers Collective — a nonprofit teaching aspiring citymakers the holistic design principles of resilient, beautiful, and prosperous places. He holds a BBA from the University of Georgia and is a Y Combinator alumni, a World Economic Forum Global Shaper alumni, and Forbes’ 30 Under 30 leader.

This week, Barrett talks with Matthew about his experiences in countries like Haiti, Belize, Ghana, and Peru, and how that led to co-founding a nonprofit focused on the global housing crisis. They discuss New Story’s mission to provide real generational change, and their innovative approach to sustainable housing. They also explore the intricacies of creating a meaningful workplace culture, effective leadership, and how emotional health and authentic connection helps achieve organizational goals.

In this episode:

[00:00] - Intro
[07:22] - The heart and “why” of New Story
[12:30] - How Matthew and his co-founders decided what mission to pursue
[17:34] - Working with purpose
[28:40] - Building a culture of innovation and impact at New Story
[50:30] - Practices and habits of a strong organizational culture
[57:07] - The power of praise in an organization
[59:53] - Defining organizational values and culture
[01:03:18] - Building community through shared experiences
[01:10:28] - Navigating difficult conversations with emotional intelligence
[01:16:52] - Growing as a leader and the importance of voice
[01:29:42] - Foundational habits for sustaining performance
[01:34:59] - The significance of roots and community in personal and professional life

Key Takeaways

Establishing roots and living in a supportive community is crucial for long-term impact and personal well-being.
Emotional health, transparency, and clear communication are pivotal in leadership and conflict resolution.
Purpose in work is often rooted in personal experiences and exposure to social issues, driving a deeper commitment to mission-driven work.
A culture of specific, authentic praise, transparency, and shared fun experiences builds a strong, cohesive team.
Tackling root problems with a “market systems” approach can lead to more sustainable and scalable housing solutions.

Quotes

“When families have safe housing, they sleep better, which then leads to more energy, which then can lead to better economic outcomes, which can then lead to better education outcomes, which then can become generational change.” ~ Matthew Marshall

“One of my pet peeves is that we don't teach young kids at various moments how to be emotionally attuned and able to have difficult conversations and how to respond to difficult news in a way that is approachable and being able to process it and talk through it and not just tune out or get triggered.” ~ Matthew Marshall

“The local marketplace is the thing that is going to really drive the needle if there is scale.” ~ Matthew Marshall

“I'm still learning to use my voice, whether it's in those conflict situations or it's in those moments of strategy or other discussions, but to be vocal, strong, bold. I've learned I have somewhat of a tendency to hold something until it's perfect or I can articulate it well.” ~ Matthew Marshall

Links