Authentic Life & Leadership
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Most recent blog post…
3 Ways We Built Emotional Safety
in Our Marriage
(And Why It Changed Everything)
When people observe Larry and me today, they sometimes assume we've always had the kind of marriage we have now. We haven't. Not at all. In fact, it used to be terrible. The truth is, we built it. And building it took work. It took difficult conversations, humility,...
3 Things to Do While
Grief Takes Its Time to Heal
This week my therapist said something that has stayed with me ever since: "Grief takes time, and what you do with that time is important." I've heard people say for years, "Just give it time." There is truth in that. Grief does take time. But time alone does not heal...
When Every Day Is a Flare:
5 Things I’ve Learned About Living with Chronic Stress
Every time I see my dermatologist, we end up having the same conversation. I have a skin condition that affects my face and ears, and when stress increases, it flares. My dermatologist prescribes a cream and tells me to use it "during flares." The problem is that my...
Why Grief Never Fully Goes Away
(And Why That’s Not a Bad Thing)
Some losses are so significant they divide your life into before and after. They alter the landscape of your days. They change how you think, how you pray, how you move through the world. Even when life continues, something inside you knows it is not quite the same....
How to Stop Caring What Other People Think and Obey God Fully
One of the greatest forms of bondage in life is constantly managing other people’s opinions. Trying to avoid criticism, misunderstanding, and embarrassment is exhausting. Please understand, the last thing I want to do is hurt people. I care about loving people well....
The Hardest Part of Becoming Is Staying Soft
For a long time, I thought “becoming” mostly meant achieving. Becoming stronger. More accomplished. More influential, capable, and respected. And while none of those things are inherently wrong, life has slowly been teaching me something deeper. Becoming is also about...
Trusting God’s Timing:
It Isn’t Late, It’s Strategic
There are seasons in leadership when you don’t need more advice. You need reassurance. Because you’re doing what you know to do. You’re showing up. You’re praying. You’re leading. You’re making the best decisions you can with the information you have. And still…...
Invite Deanna to speak at your next event!
Deanna is invited to return and speak at many of the same places time and again because the result has been an overwhelmingly positive experience with lives changed, and people encouraged.
BIO
Dr. Deanna Shrodes
Dr. Deanna Doss Shrodes is an author, speaker, and leadership mentor known for helping women lead with courage, integrity, and deep faith. Her work has been featured by CBS News, People Magazine, The New Yorker, Woman’s World, GOD TV, and HuffPost. She holds a Master’s in Ministerial Leadership and a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern University, where she also serves as an adjunct professor.
Dr. Shrodes currently serves as Women’s Ministries Director for the Pen Florida District of the Assemblies of God and leads the Stronger Leadership Network, where she mentors pastors and leaders through coaching, spiritual formation, and leadership development. The author of five books and a contributing writer to five others, her most recent work, Uncommon Answers, was released by Chosen Books (a division of Baker Publishing Group) in April 2025.
Known for a warm pastoral presence and practical, thoughtful teaching, Dr. Shrodes speaks at conferences, churches, and leadership gatherings on spiritual formation, prayer, women in leadership, discernment in decision-making, and cultivating healthy ministry cultures.
She is married to her college sweetheart, Larry. Together they have three grown children and five grandchildren.
Areas of Focus:
Spiritual formation & prayer
The work of the Holy Spirit
Leadership development
Women in leadership
Mentoring and calling
Healthy ministry culture
Leadership transitions
Marriage and ministry life
Become Your Most Authentic Self
Free E-Book
Are you tired of being who and what others expect you to be, instead of who God created you to be?
If you find the pressure of other people's expectations exhausting and you are ready to be the authentic YOU that you were always meant to be, Deanna would like to gift you with an ebook, 29 Ways to Become Your Most Authentic Self.
It's time to break free and finally live according to your divine design!
