This feature is in our weekly Monday Morning Report newsletter, which showcases our highest-level members. Leaders You Should Know highlights community leaders who are making a notable impact in the Nashville region.
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Meet Michael Guadarrama, Business Development with Arco Murray
Tell us about yourself.
I’m a construction and business development professional whose career has spanned several areas of the industry, including design-build general contracting, MEP services, business development, and economic development. That range of experience has given me a strong understanding of how projects move from early concept and strategy through design, construction, and ultimately successful delivery.
Throughout my career, I’ve focused on aligning teams and building strong partnerships that help complex projects succeed. I enjoy working on challenging developments where technical expertise, thoughtful planning, and collaboration are required to manage risk and create efficient solutions for clients. I’ve had the opportunity to lead and support design-build initiatives, coordinate multidisciplinary teams, and help ensure projects stay on track with respect to quality, schedule, and budget.
A big part of my role has also been business development and market strategy. I’ve worked to identify growth opportunities, develop key client relationships, and build strategic partnerships that expand market presence across sectors such as commercial real estate, manufacturing, and municipal infrastructure. I enjoy connecting people, ideas, and resources in ways that move projects forward.
Tell us about your business/industry.
Our business centers on the design/build delivery model, which means we take responsibility for both design and construction, helping clients control scope and cost early, accelerate schedules, and reduce risk from change orders and coordination gaps. With this approach, we’ve completed thousands of projects for Fortune 500 companies and growing businesses, with more than 75% of annual revenue coming from repeat clients—a reflection of long-term relationships and consistent performance.
We serve a wide range of industries, including industrial and manufacturing, mission-critical/data centers, controlled environment agriculture, healthcare, self-storage, residential, retail and mixed-use, sports and entertainment, tenant improvements, and water and waste-to-value solutions. This sector diversity allows us to bring cross-industry best practices, innovative design solutions, and proven constructability insights to each new project.
What should we know about you?
I’m at my best when I’m aligning multidisciplinary teams, owners, designers, engineers, and trade partners to solve complicated problems and deliver practical, high-value solutions rather than just “checking the box” on scope. I’ve led and supported design-build initiatives, driven business development efforts, and helped open up new markets across sectors like commercial real estate, manufacturing, and municipal work. At my core, I’m someone who values integrity, clear communication, and follow-through, and I’m motivated by my Faith in Jesus Christ and by building both strong projects and strong relationships over the long term.
How did you get to your current position?
I was able to land my current role from my diverse background within the construction industry. Having a background in MEP, operations and business development on an enterprise level made me standout among others. In interviews, I was able to speak clearly about the markets I know, the relationships I bring, and how I approach winning and delivering work. I also connected my track record opening new markets, building a pursuits pipeline, and managing complex projects to the strategic goals they shared. That alignment, combined with strong referrals from people who had worked with me before, made it a good mutual fit and led to the offer.
What value do you see in Chamber involvement?
I see a lot of value in Nashville Chamber involvement because it sits right at the intersection of relationship-building, market insight, and community impact three things that matter a lot to me and to our industry. The Chamber connects you with one of the largest networks of business and civic leaders in Middle Tennessee, which is incredibly helpful for staying close to developers, end users, and partners who are shaping growth in this region.
What advice would you give your 25-year-old self?
I’d tell my 25-year-old self a few key things:
First, get clear on your lane sooner, but don’t rush your timeline. God has a plan for you and It’s okay that your path isn’t perfectly linear just keep moving toward roles that give you responsibility, visibility, and real learning, not just a fancier title.
Second, invest even more in relationships and reputation. The people you meet now will open doors for you 5–10 years from today, so follow up, stay in touch, do excellent work, and be the person others trust to deliver and to tell the truth.
Third, ask for what you want earlier stretch assignments, mentorship, feedback, and promotions. Don’t wait until you feel 100% “ready”; growth almost always happens slightly ahead of your comfort level.
Fourth, take your financial and personal well-being seriously: live below your means, protect your credit, and protect your health. The energy, confidence, and options that gives you later are huge.
Finally, worry less about impressing everyone and more about becoming someone you’re proud of—grounded, prepared, kind, and consistent. The right opportunities and people tend to find you when those pieces are in place.
How does your business support the Chamber’s mission of creating economic prosperity by facilitating community leadership?
Our business supports the Chamber’s mission in two main ways: by investing in projects that drive job creation and tax base, and by staying actively engaged in regional leadership conversations, not just our own backlog. The Chamber’s purpose is to create economic prosperity by facilitating community leadership, and we plug into that by showing up where policy, growth, and development decisions are being shaped.
On the economic side, we focus on projects that bring new employers, expand existing operations, and improve the built environment whether that’s industrial, commercial, or community-focused space directly supporting the Partnership 2030 goals around job creation, talent attraction, and quality of place. On the leadership side, we participate in Chamber programs and initiatives, and look for ways to lend our voice and expertise on issues like growth, infrastructure, and workforce so we’re helping lead, not just benefit from, Nashville’s momentum. As a board member for the Tennessee Economic Development Council (TEDC) and both board member and Tennessee State Director for the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) it is my duty to donate my time to focus heavily on growing Tennessee.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? What is the best part of working in your field?
The most rewarding part of my job is seeing something that started as a rough idea on paper turn into a real project that serves people and a community. I love being in the middle of that process helping a client clarify their goals, pulling the right team together, working through all the constraints, and then standing on-site months or years later knowing you helped make that happen. The relationships that form along the way—with clients, design partners, and trade partners—are a big part of that reward too.
The best part of working in this field is that it sits at the intersection of problem-solving, relationships, and impact. Every project has its own puzzle: risk, budget, site, schedule, politics, community concerns. You get to collaborate with smart, practical people to solve those problems, and the outcome is something tangible that creates jobs, supports businesses, and shapes how a city grows. For someone who cares about both business and community, it’s hard to find a better fit.
What do you like to do in your spare time outside of work? Where will we find you on the weekends?
Outside of work, I spend most of my spare time with my beautiful wife and our two wonderful daughters. We enjoy a lot of different activities together, from duck hunting during the season to playing family golf and traveling whenever we can to make new memories. Those trips and days outside are really where we slow down, unwind and enjoy each others company.
We also like to exercise as a family, doing early morning workouts to relieve stress, build good habits for ourselves, and set a strong example for our girls about discipline and taking care of your health. On a typical weekend, you’ll find us juggling a mix of kids’ activities, time outdoors, a workout, and usually something low-key at home like grilling out or watching a movie together.
Above all, our faith is at the center of our lives and it shapes how we spend our time, share meals, and create memories. Whether it’s church, praying together, or just talking about what we’re grateful for, our faith keeps us grounded and genuinely thankful for the time we have with each other.