Authentic Life & Leadership
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10 Books I’m Thankful For
(and Why They Changed My Life)
As we enter this season of gratitude, I’ve been reflecting on the voices that have shaped me this year...not just the people I love, but the words that have strengthened my soul, sharpened my leadership, and steadied my heart. Some books are enjoyable, but others...
Deanna’s 7 Sanity-Saving Business Travel Tips
My husband is a travel expert. In addition to being a pastor, he owns a travel agency, Best Memories Travel, and is a licensed travel agent. I'm not going to pretend to be the expert on that. If you're looking to book a trip -- especially a cruise -- there's no one...
You Need to Be Alone
(Whether You Know it Or Not!)
“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” —Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) One day I was reading a meme on Facebook that said something to the effect of, "If you can walk into a restaurant and eat a meal alone and be comfortable,...
How to Qualify for Mentorship
Many people believe a leader in their life such as a boss or a pastor.is obligated to mentor them. Not true! Your boss is not required to mentor you. That's like guacamole at Chipotle...it's extra! Consider yourself extraordinarily blessed if a leader decides to...
7 Ways to Free Yourself
from a Controlling Leader
Controlling leaders are out of style...not to mention ungodly! I've heard it said that you can control, or you can lead...but you can't do both. I believe this. Because to control is not really to lead. The greatest leaders know that their role is not to control, it...
How an Agnostic Helps Me
Be a Better Minister
Laura Dennis and I first met in the blogging community. Both of us are writers, her being a popular adoption, adoptee, and parenting writer, and me being a writer in several genres including Christian living as well as adoptee issues. Since we've been friends we have...
3 Reasons a Dog Means the World
My holiday break wasn't as it normally is -- a rest -- because our dog Manny (a four-year-old English bulldog) got seriously ill and had to be hospitalized several times. He swallowed a ham bone a few days before Christmas, and it messed him up, big time. He needed...
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!
