Meet Chris Cody | Chief Creative Officer of Skillhouse

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Cody and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Let’s start by talking about what inspires Skillhouse.
Every item made by Skillhouse is directly inspired by time spent with the Lord. That means all of our client work, all of our social media, website, merch items, etc., came from intentionally spending time with God and asking Him to show us what to make. Something that we’ve heard from the Lord, and He’s been teaching us how to steward for the last several months, is that creativity starts in intimacy. He led us to Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me, and I will answer you and tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” When we apply this scripture to our business, it means that instead of looking outside to culture for inspiration, we’re going to get alone with the Lord and ask Him what’s on His heart. The Lord showed us that when we ask the Creator what to create, we get fresh ideas and can partner with Him on what to do and how to do it, and in turn, His favor is on it. We only do what God instructs us to do. If God didn’t say it, we don’t do it because Skillhouse was His idea in the first place; we’re just stewarding what He asked of us.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
We decided from the beginning that we would only start a business if the Lord asked us to do it. He led us to Exodus 35:10, our founding scripture, which states, “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded.” We believe that the natural talents and skills the Lord has given us, coupled with our dedication to steward those gifts, allow us to do everything we do for Skillhouse as an act of worship to Him. What better way to seek inspiration or design for a client than by coming to the Creator and asking Him what to create? If you want to truly be creative, you have to have the humility to understand that without Him, we’re simply rehashing what’s already been done. But with God, He provides us with ideas and strategies that we would never think of on our own.

We are creative professionals who have worked with some of the top clients in the creative industry, dedicating countless hours to our craft. However, even with all that we know, doing this without Him isn’t an option. We submit ourselves every single day to doing the Lord’s will, resisting the pull of ambition or a desire for influence. Our goal is to build something that endures with the Lord, and His plans for Skillhouse are far greater than anything we could conceive. We’re simply excited to continue being obedient and walking the path He’s destined for us.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ideally, we start the day off at Hola Cafe in Oak Cliff for an iced horchata latte. Then, we’d check out any estate sales happening around town. Estate sales are our favorite because you get to see inside people’s homes which is always so fascinating; There are always great deals on furniture and you can oftentimes find some great vintage clothing as well. From there we’d head to lunch at Thai Thai. Everything We’ve had on the menu is delicious and the Thai tea is one of our favorites! After lunch, we’d head to two Lula B’s locations for more shopping and then to the Dallas Museum of Art. There are also lots of little shops around there so we’d probably just walk around town a bit until we were ready for dinner at Canne Rosso. There are several locations now for Canne Rosso, but our favorite will always be in Deep Ellum. After dinner, we’d go to Emporium Pies and end the night sitting on the patio eating a slice of pie and sipping on coffee.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We have many people in our lives who have helped and supported us to get to where we are today. However, when we asked the Lord who we should give a shoutout to, we heard Steve Penate, the Owner and Broker of Elite Real Estate. Steve is not only a strong spiritual leader but also a brilliant businessman who encourages us to excel in every aspect of our business. He has been exceptionally generous in sharing his wisdom on how to run a business while remaining fully committed to the Lord. Steve covers us in prayer, provides us with numerous resources, and offers opportunities to connect with clients, all while demonstrating remarkable strength and humility. We are honored to consider Steve Penate a friend and mentor of Skillhouse.

Website: skillhousestudio.com

Instagram: @skillhouse.studio

Other: @skillhouse.made on Instagram

Image Credits
Fallon Michael