Rise

Meet Matt Daigle

When Matt Daigle and his wife bought their first home together, they had the audacious goal of renovating the fixer-upper just in time for their first daughter, Audrey, to be born. While he still cringes at the fact that his wife, Mallory, was up on ladders painting at 8 months pregnant, they got enough of the home completed to move in and be ready for their baby’s arrival.

This was an important time for Matt because it triggered in him a desire to think more seriously about their future and give his daughter the best world she deserved and made him realize just how tough it was to have a home that reflected their values.

Despite having a beautiful home, Matt still felt like they failed at renovating their home. He mostly came to this conclusion after he picked up their new power bill and noticed that it hadn’t changed. Despite investing over six figures into the home, they weren’t saving on the cost of running it, in any way. They had built a home that reflected their aesthetic values and style, but not their core values as a family.

Like most people, Matt and Mallory value their family’s health first and foremost. They also value their own hard-earned money and like to spend money on things that benefit their lives (as opposed to on utility bills). And, they value the natural resources our planet provides us: nutritious food, clean water, and clean air—so want to support an economy that enhances, rather than damages, our planet.

It’s pretty overwhelming to try to figure out how to do that, but our homes are one thing over which we do have control and can make a difference. And, as Matt has learned, the more we invest in a healthy, efficient, and durable home, the more benefits we get out of it—from a financial perspective (lower operating costs, higher resale value) as well as a form a comfort and health perspective.

So, as they invested more money into their home, they wanted the final product to be one that matches our values. That fueled Matt to relentlessly research home improvement alternatives—the so-called “green building” market. Pretty soon, though, he realized how difficult it is to try to have a home that is more sustainable. Why? It required research, analysis, asking for alternative bids, and sometimes it costs more—which he was willing to pay for if there is a good reason. But it should not be so hard to make smart choices for ourselves and our families.

This is why Matt started Rise—selfishly or not, trying to solve his own problem, so that we could have a home that is true to his family’s values, pocketbook while respecting our planet and being mindful of our future along the way.

Check out the series of homes and products he has discovered along the way on his Smart. Healthy. Green. Living show “Rise”, now streaming.