Episode 26: From Missionary to Marketplace — Building a Business, Family, and Calling Together w/ Michael Leeson

Episode Description

What happens when you leave behind everything you've known — 18 years of missionary work across 30 countries — and step into real estate with zero industry experience?

For Michael Leeson, it wasn't a pivot away from his calling. It was an expansion of it.

In this conversation, Matt sits down with Michael — husband, father of five, founder of Homecoming Real Estate in Madison, Wisconsin — to talk about identity, transition, fear, abundance, and what it looks like to bring all of who you are to the work you do every day.

This one goes deep. Don't skip it.

In This Episode You'll Hear:

• What 18 years of global ministry — including coups, crises, and trusting God for provision — actually prepared Michael for in real estate
• Why leaving vocational ministry felt like failure, and what it took to release that
• The misconception that ministry and marketplace are separate callings
• How Michael closed 40 deals in his first year — and the chaos that came with it
• Why your career cannot contain your calling (building on Benjamin Lundquist's framework from Episode 21)
• The prayer that has become the foundation of Michael's business: Lord, what do you want me to know? Now what do you want me to do?
• What a mid-30s breaking point taught Michael about identity, approval, and where he'd been getting his worth from
• The rocket ship fuel analogy for new entrepreneurs
• Why balance isn't stillness — it's tension and attention
• How to define success when the scoreboard can no longer define you

Key Takeaways

Ministry and marketplace aren't either/or. Michael isn't doing less ministry now — he has access to dining room tables, hard conversations, and real human need that a traditional ministry role would never open. Our career is a platform, not a container.

Your calling is bigger than your career. The why never changes. The what, the how, the context — those are just expressions. When we try to shrink calling into a job description, we cover the light.

Identity before strategy. When your identity isn't on the line in a transaction, everything changes. You can show up indifferent to the commission — and fully present to the person across the table. That's when real trust gets built.

The rocket ship principle. It takes disproportionate energy to launch. New entrepreneurs need to know that the intensity of the early season is normal — and temporary. Get to cruising altitude before expecting things to coast.

Balance is tension, not stillness. Look close at anyone who appears to have it all together — what you'll see is muscles twitching. It's not calm. It's focus. Seasonal intensity is okay when the family is cheering you on toward the same mission.

The two-question prayer. When you don't know what to do: Lord, what do you want me to know? Now what do you want me to do? The answer to the first question is almost always a reminder of who you are. The answer to the second almost always requires courage.

About Michael Leeson

Michael Leeson is the founder of Homecoming Real Estate, based in the Madison, Wisconsin area. He spent 18 years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), traveling to over 30 countries alongside his wife Emma and their five children. He transitioned into real estate in late 2020 and closed 40 deals in his first year. He is currently working on two devotional projects — a wisdom guide for real estate agents drawn from Proverbs, and a devotional for homebuyers rooted in faith and purpose.

Connect with Michael on Instagram: @themichaelleeson Website: homecomingmadison.com

Connect With Us

Show notes and resources: theonelifepodcast.com Follow Matt: @mattfarnham

If someone came to mind while you were listening — send it to them. That's not an accident.