Welcome to this week's uncovered conversation with Demi Osunsina. Demi is the co-founder and developer of Key Garden Properties, a real estate development in Lagos, Nigeria. She aspires to build homes that are both luxurious and affordable.
She is also the founder of Skinneeds, a community aimed at empowering young women and men to reflect beauty from the inside out. She is passionate about presenting the undiluted gospel in a way that resonates deeply with her generation. She recently published her first devotional centered around the importance of purity of heart, mind, body and soul.
In this conversation, we will be speaking about the intersections of finance and faith. Demi shares how her faith guides her financial decisions, personally and in business. She highlights the practical elements of her faith and how taking those practical steps have propelled her into the life of purpose she's been called to. She is a go-getter, and is passionate about nurturing a community of go-getters for the Kingdom.
Rhieme: Hi Demi, thank you so much for joining us! Can you please tell us more about yourself?
Demi: Hi Rhieme, thank you so much for having me, my name is Demilade Osunsina. I am 24, and a Christian. I own a business called Key Garden Properties, it is a property business but we’re branching into other things like facility management, renovation, interior design and all things property.
Rhieme: What’s an interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
Demi: I had a really bad hot water burn when I was younger and wore a cast for ages. In most of my baby pictures you’ll see it on my right hand. I still have a scar till today.
Rhieme: Thank you so much for sharing. So, let’s get into it. What’s your take on finances, do you see them as important?
Demi: I think finances are a means to an end. They are a great tool in achieving what God has called us to do on the earth. The Bible says we’re in the world but not of the world. So when people say money doesn’t make people happy I don’t think that is true. I think money does make people happy but happiness is not the goal. So yes, money is very important to me and what I do. It’s definitely a tool in my hands but it’s not the source of my joy or fulfilment–God is, but God uses money as a tool in His hands and the hands of His disciples.
Rhieme: I really like that because a lot of the time most people say, "if I make X amount then I’ll be happy". But when you see money as a tool, it’s something that supports you in what God has called you to do.
Rhieme: What’s the vision of your business? Where does it come from?
Demi: My vision came through opportunity. When I was in uni I remember sitting down in the library and going online to figure out what I wanted to do, I always knew I wanted to do a Masters. I wanted to go to UCL for my Masters and I remember going online and researching what I wanted to do it on and I found this course that I really wanted to do. From that moment on, I had it in mind that this is the area of my life that I want to build on as I get older. It came from opportunity because my dad does property, so I’ve been surrounded by property businesses and what it looks like on a day to day. How they are run, the way they can change a community. I think that’s what I fell in love with. I remember as a child, we’d go with my dad in raincoats and be walking on land that is full of water. Then we'd go back a year later and it’d be so beautiful, people had homes. In the real estate industry, the work you do turns a space into a thriving community.
So I did my masters in International Real Estate and Planning at UCL. Shortly after I worked in surveying–a branch of property as well. The opportunity to start this business came in 2019 and I definitely took it. It was a very challenging opportunity but it was perfect. People usually say if you can envision what you’re building then you need to dream bigger. So for me, when I received that opportunity, it was big but that was the exact reason I had to say yes to it. I said yes to it and my main vision is to build communities worldwide where people can see the excellence of God and thrive. The only way that will be possible is if I continue to live my life as a Christian, so whatever I touch will always point back to God because I want everyone to know that I love God. If they know I love God, when they see what I build, by God’s grace it’ll give glory back to Him. With Key Gardens, on a practical level, we build luxurious and affordable homes and we’re on our first project now and with thousands to come. Our unique selling point is community, creating spaces where people feel like they’re part of one. I’m also very big on replicating, creating a system. So wherever you go in the world and you spot a Key Garden property, you know it’s Key Garden because of the excellence.
Rhieme: Wow, when you spoke about the massive opportunity you got you spoke about how you went for it. On the Revival Hour calls we have, you always speak about how we need to be proactive instead of waiting for things to fall on our laps. Or, we spend so much time looking at other people that we don’t even measure our lives or what’s in front of us. You also linked excellence, God, your faith and the standard you’ve set for yourself based on that. A lot of the time, we tend to separate our career and God and think they’re not intertwined in any way. But you’ve shown that your faith is what sets the standard and it’s what pushes you to leave a mark on every building you work on. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed this, but you spoke about community when you’re building projects and that’s the same thing with Skinneeds. Your life is one, we can spin all the wheels at the same time.
Demi: I agree with that. I see everything I do as an opportunity to serve God. When people say do you have a ministry? What exactly is a ministry? A ministry is a platform that man uses to serve God and that is everything. My life, my voice, my body, my career. Everything is a sacrifice to God. I know that might sound a bit Christianese to anyone who doesn’t read the Bible or believe in God, but all we’re trying to say is, there’s a God that we can’t see but we believe in. We know He is real because we’ve experienced Him in a very tangible way and we live our lives to reconcile men to Him because He is the Way, Truth and the Life. We do that through reflecting Him in every space we occupy especially in the business world.
Rhieme: How were you able to actualise your vision with your finances?
Demi: Hm, when you first asked me to do this interview I wasn’t sure I was quite the right fit. So there’s people like me, then I have friends like Stephanie who has spreadsheets and goals. So you know me, I’m very free flowing. But having grown and having a business of my own, there are certain things I’ve had to put in place. The first thing–investing. Secondly, partnering with people who have those skills in budgeting finances. I have a project manager and he’s brilliant at making spreadsheets.
In life you cannot do everything by yourself because you’re not good at everything. So where
I might not be good at sorting out finances, I have people who are outsourced, friends, or destiny helpers who have helped me. Practically speaking, we have an investor who's pushing money into the business.
We have a budget, we’ve forecasted our budget, revenue and profit. Before building the flats, we made a spreadsheet of the likely cost we could sell that would give us the highest possible profit. We planned down to the T so we knew how much we could gain and lose. The key thing with finances and life really is planning. The Bible says what kind of man will want to build a tower but not sit down to count the cost? So, we counted the cost. There’s something called a BOQ–Bill of Quantity–which outlines the cost of everything but you apply some contingencies just in case it goes higher.
Rhieme: So good–I picked up on two things. You first spoke about working with people. Most of the time when we think about our goals, we don’t really consider other people. But from a Christian perspective, you’re not here for your goals. At the end of the day, you’re only remembered for what you contributed to society and your impact. When you include others into what you’re doing you’re also giving them the opportunity to develop their goals. You also mentioned planning– it’s so important because these days everyone just wants to start. It’s good we have the drive, but honestly anyone can start. With you and property development, when some projects are a bit slow, looking back at your goals will definitely keep you going.
Demi: That’s why the Bible says to write the vision and make it plain because that’s the only way you’ll tarry in the goal that you have and stay focused. As Christians, in life we sometimes forget that our purpose in life is to serve God, then serve people. When you don’t know what you’re living for, it’s like why, what’s the point of anything?
Rhieme: Knowing what you’re living for, that’s a whole conversation on its own. Personally, I didn’t know what I was living for before I started taking God seriously. Most people don’t realise how much they need God. We think our lives are worth living without God, but when he comes in, He is life.
Rhieme: What was the planning process like when you started?
Demi: It was intense, lots of meetings. Sometimes feeling inadequate but still asking for help. Making mistakes, even with this project there are so many things I know not to do next time. Even with property, it’s 60% planning, 40% executing. Majority of our life should be spent planning then executing in one go. We’ve done that and have seen the fruit. With finances, when you have access to them–thankfully we did–it’s quite straightforward. Using spreadsheets to calculate, figuring out what you want your profit margin to look like and trust God.
Rhieme: You mentioned how you’ve seen the fruit of planning. I know someone who recently launched her business publicly but spent a year working on it underground. Sometimes we feel like we’re not doing anything when we spend so much time planning. But you mentioned when you’re executing, you just do it at once because you have that structure there.You also mentioned how it wasn’t difficult for you to access finances to start, but what will you say to someone who doesn’t?
Demi: I’d say we need to reach out to people–they can be our best resource. We’re going to be interviewing Toni Fola-Alade on the Skinneeds platform, and he’s into raising funds. Some people have mad funds they’re willing to push forward for a great cause. There are also systematic ways like grants, communities, leveraging your network etc. But the major thing is asking, you need to be able to go out there and say "This is what I want, can you help me?". If you’re looking for money, there is money in the world. The Bible clearly points out the poor and rich–the money isn’t with everyone. It’s with specific people. He’s created us to be dependent and seek it out.
Rhieme: Bottom line is asking for help. It’s not weak. That’s why you need to know your ‘why’. If it’s so important then you will ask for help because you know how much you need to bring that idea forth. As you said there are so many opportunities. I recently came across a business based in Lagos, that got a grant from Spotify. It’s all about taking that first step and seeing where it goes.
Rhieme: What advice will you give someone who wants to go into the property industry or start a business in general?
Demi: First of all, you’ve got this. If God has placed a vision in you or even if you don’t know if it’s God and it’s something you really want to do, you can. Be very hardworking and always know your ‘why’. Your why will determine why you’re doing it. If your why is a viable reason you will run after that goal and nothing will stop you. You may have things that will cut you off or distract you but keep going. Make sure you spend a lot of time knowing why you want to develop that business or why you want to go into property.
Also leveraging, making the most of opportunities. You don’t know the thing that will lead to the thing, T.D Jakes said this in one of his interviews. Say yes, also know when to say no. Another thing I learnt from Ore Runsewe, founder of Arami Essentials, is being excellent in everything–don’t be mediocre. Even if you started your business today, treat it as a business that has a £100,000 profit every month. Don’t be lazy with yourself, start to put those principles in place. The people you start to work with, treat them well, build a community that people will enjoy. When people come into your environment, make them want to stay. Read books, resources, do the work yourself. Most importantly become one in your quiet time with God. That is where your vision will come from, ideas, favour etc. Lastly, read the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I got the recommendation from Ore Runsewe.
Rhieme: You combined faith and gave us practical tips. What really stood out was what you said about giving it your best even when you’re just starting out. Presenting your work as if you’re presenting it to the people you dream of working with. If you can't present it in front of the people you want to work with in the future, then you need to go and work on it. The way you present your work will determine if someone walks past it or stop and stare.
Demi: You’re so right. T.D Jakes was saying in an interview, you never know whose in your audience. Don’t say because you have 50 followers you’ll put out sub-par content. You don’t know if 5 of that 50 are people who might take your business to the next level.
Rhieme: Even if you have a small audience, there are still people watching you and those 5 people are still lives. As you always say on the calls, that 1 person can cause so much change. Again what you said, focus on your why and the ideas God gives you. Not necessarily how many people you’re doing it for. If you have a small audience and decide to not take action because of that, then you won't go anywhere. But at the same time, if you have a lot of people supporting you and say you’ll continue with what you’re doing because of them, you also fall into that trap of doing it for people. Not necessarily because of the vision you had.
Demi: 100%, you begin to gain your validation from people whether it’s bad or good.
Rhieme: One thing I’ve been learning is when God gives you a vision and you start executing, that’s more of a reason why you should stay close to Him. Sometimes we’re like once I have the vision I’m good to go. But we’re not because we still wouldn’t do it His way. It’s His vision. If you’re a person of faith, and you say you’ve given your life to God, all the ideas He gives you will be His. The minute you tune out of what God has to say, it’s no longer His will. Even when your business booms, some people have a tendency to move away from the vision board.
Demi: Yes, honestly Rhieme, wow that was so good.
Rhieme: Did you start planning financially for your future when you were younger? What do you think you could have started earlier that would have contributed to where you are today?
Demi: I was definitely not saving and investing but I don’t have a deep regret. My parents have never exposed me to a lot of money. I think when you’re young and you think so much about money it can have a negative effect on how you build. If the aim is money there’s no way you can focus on that goal. I definitely wish I had started investing earlier but I'm happy where I am. I see it as a means to an end.
Rhieme: What you said about not focusing too much on money as the end result is so important. As much as we should think big, you should think with your vision in mind. You shared with the community that where you work isn’t necessarily about how much you earn but rather are you doing the best with what you have?
Demi: 100%. I remember having a conversation with my dad and he said he was never ambitious he just had a goal. When you’re chasing your vision the money comes to you. When it comes that way, you can control it. If you’re always so focused on getting it then it’s controlling you. Even with financiers, you’re a custodian for wealth, the money will come. It’s not about chasing it.
Rhieme: You steward over a Christian community and you’re really grounded in your faith. Will you say it’s had an impact on how you manage your finances?
Demi: 100%, I’m always thinking of how to manage my finances and how to use them, not just to get them. The Bible talks about the parable of the talents, if God gives me £5, what am I doing to ensure it multiplies? Either I invest it, or push it into a project that can grow into something else. I also reach out to people around me who can help.
Rhieme: Thank you for sharing. Sometimes people think the Bible doesn’t have anything to say about managing your finances. But it’s more of extracting the practical steps in it. You’ve really shown that your faith covers every aspect of your life.
Rhieme: Thank you so much for sharing, do you have any last words?
Demi: I want everyone to know that I’m so proud of you. What you’re doing is fantastic and so needed. I’m so inspired by how you’re constantly stepping out of your comfort zone no matter how scary it seems or unpopular it is. You do what God has told you to do, and I can see the fruit of it. I’m very honoured to be here, thank you so much for having me.
Thank you for reading! Feel free to share your thoughts in the forum. Stay tuned for next week.
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