How I Made Jesus The Boss of My Multi-Million Dollar Business
A Leader Defined by Faith and Work
Douglas Skipworth, CPA, CFA is the founder of CrestCore Realty, CoreLend Financial, and several companies that help real estate investors buy, finance, and take care of their properties. The companies provide real estate brokerage, property management, general contracting, and hard money lending to residential real estate investors in Memphis and throughout the Mid-South. Each company is a market leader, helping hundreds of investors do tens of millions of dollars of business each year. Outside of work, Douglas loves his family, faith, reading, running, and tacos!
A long-time entrepreneur and leader , Douglas has experienced the high-stakes world of finance in New York City and the foundational work of real estate in Memphis. His journey reveals a profound truth: the ultimate goal in business isn't worldly success, but Christ-centric surrender. This episode breaks down the core lessons Douglas learned about trading personal ambition for the supernatural peace that transcends all understanding.
The Trap of Success: When Ambition Becomes a "Jail"
Like many high-achieving leaders, Douglas initially pursued success, honors, and recognition. He was driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, wanting to "make it up and make it real". However, this relentless pursuit often led to spreading himself "so thin" , resulting in cash flow challenges and employee turnover. This experience revealed a painful reality that many entrepreneurs face: money, comparison, and the quest for awards are a "hamster wheel" and a "jail".
This struggle brought him to a critical realization that success can lead to spiritual peril. Referencing the "deceitfulness of riches" and the "cares of this world" , Douglas learned that pride—the feeling of "I thought I was GOD" —is the constant fight. He humbly reminds us that "apart from me you can do nothing".
Making Jesus the CEO: Surrender and Abiding
The turning point for Douglas was surrendering control and making God the true CEO of his business. This shift moved his focus from seeking the front page of the Wall Street Journal to honoring God with his work through the "godly pursuits" of "good landlording and affordable housing".
This surrender is not a one-time event; it is an act of daily "abiding in him". Douglas emphasizes that all fruit is borne through Christ. When challenges arise, he no longer seeks comfort or immediate fixes ; instead, he asks, "What is God teaching me?". He now sees every struggle as an opportunity to experience God's love and learn, thus preventing problems from endlessly repeating.
The Leadership Formula: Grace, Prayer, and the Five Gs
For Douglas, spiritual leadership in the marketplace is defined by constant reliance on grace. He states that God's grace, and not his skill, is the only reason he has persevered. To maintain this focus, he uses what he calls the "Five Gs" before every business interaction. This simple formula ensures his heart is rightly oriented:
Give the time to God.
Seek His Guidance.
Ask for His Grace (because he knows he can mess it up).
Pray to Grow through the experience.
Ensure He gets the Glory.
This intentional prayer life is paramount, remembering the essential truth: "No man can do a great and enduring work for God who isn't a man of prayer".
Worshipping the Provider, Not the Provision
The most critical and final lesson for Douglas in his decades of business is the fight to "worship the generous Provider instead of the good provision". It is easy to get lost in the gifts (the money, the business, the success) and forget the Giver.
When a miracle is needed to run payroll, Douglas has learned to rely entirely on God's "daily bread". This faith produces the promised result: "the peace that surpasses all understanding". Ultimately, the fruit of the Christian leader's obedience—the joy, peace, and patience—is not for the tree itself, but for other people (the customers, the team, the family). This makes his ministry his business.
Written by Jovilyn Dela Cruz
“One of the challenges I’ve always had is to worship the good provision instead of the generous provider.”
