Finding Success Online and on the Jobsite
Morgan Molitor wrote a blog post on DIY curtains nearly 11 years ago. She barely knew what a blog was at the time, and neither did her carpenter then-boyfriend, now husband, Jamie Molitor.
But Morgan became inspired by Jamie’s home flipping side gig and soon that DIY start turned into documenting Jamie’s selections of tiles, installation, then paint choices, even relationship tidbits. The lighthearted blog quickly became a popular home improvement resource, lead generator, and eventually, the couple’s design-build and media company, construction2style.
The Molitors came from different backgrounds, as noted by their company name: one with a passion for marketing and fashion merchandising, and the other with a passion for construction. The pair merged two areas that would prove successful in 2012 when BlogSpot ranked higher than Instagram in users, and it would continue to find success more than a decade later.
“I loved the photos. I loved writing about it. I love interacting with the public world—and that was a foreign thing,” recalls Morgan. “I remember a lot of people, family included, were like, ‘I can't believe you're sharing all that online.’ It was very vulnerable, and now this is the way of life.”
Authenticity as a North Star
The Molitors’ remodeling and custom building company would grow and change just as fast as social media and marketing trends have in the last 11 years. Minneapolis-based construction2style is now a two-fold company, with one side focused on media and the other on custom building and design-build remodeling.
Their first project came from the blog, a basement finishing job, which slowly turned into more and larger construction projects, as well as more work on social media, with Jamie working on the “construction” end and Morgan on the “style” side.
“We were rolling with the punches and with the yeses,” recalls Morgan. “Throughout [the early years], I was like, ‘This is awesome.’ And we were just going with the momentum.”
Aside from the craftsmanship of Jamie’s work, the key to the company’s early success came from their raw approach to social media.
“I think [the reason for success was] being relatable and being real people, not hiding behind anything, and people watched our company grow up and evolve,” says Jamie. “We show our family life, so people know who we are as people before they hire us to do anything. Being authentic helped a lot.”
This authentic approach remains one that separates them from others, says Morgan.
“That's what I drive home is just being real.“[Professional videos] don't perform on Instagram. People want the real Reels. They want the iPhone videos pieced together.”
An Unlikely Perfect Match
Looking at the Molitors, it’s clear to see their unlikely—and uncharacteristic of the industry—combination of social media and construction has proven to be successful.
With more than 70,000 followers on Instagram, dozens of contractor clients, continuous construction work, a full design-build and media team, and an event for contractors, the duo cracked the code for construction and social media early on.
Now, they continue to grow with the constant changes in online marketing and social media and remain consistent with their recipe for success: authenticity and construction.
