Authentic Life & Leadership
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Most recent blog post…
3 Small Things to Look Forward To
When Life Feels Heavy
One of the quiet disciplines I’ve been practicing lately is something very simple. I keep a short list of the next three things I’m looking forward to. Not ten things.Not a long bucket list. Just three. I keep them in the notes part of my phone. And when I can check...
The Power of Self-Leadership:
Why Great Leaders Spend Half Their Time Leading Themselves
This is a busy week for me. Every week is busy, but this one is extra because I’m preparing for vacation, which means double the prep if I truly want to unplug. Even so, I had a very early doctor’s appointment today to establish care with a new physician. My former...
When Your Pastor Is the Family in Need:
Why Churches Must Care for Their Leaders
I want to start by saying this: I’m not writing this because I personally need more income.Larry and I are very well cared for, and we’re grateful. But there was a time when that wasn’t the case. And I know this post will only be truly understood when written by...
Recognizing How to Hear God’s Voice
Have you ever wondered if God was trying to speak to you—but you weren’t sure how to tell? Maybe you’ve prayed, “Lord, I want to hear You,” and then found yourself second-guessing every thought or feeling that followed. You’re not alone. I hear from God on a daily...
Enjoying the Work You Prayed For
For most of my life, I’ve gotten high on work. I used to plan events like a woman running a relay with no baton, white-knuckling the very thing I’d begged God to bless. If something was off, I felt it in my spine. If a volunteer missed a beat, I replayed it while...
7 Reasons to Keep Mentoring Even Though You Think You Have Reason to Quit
I’ll never forget the morning I opened social media and saw photos of my long-time mentee — not just a poor choice, but something shocking and public. For a moment I wanted to believe her account had been hacked. It wasn’t. It was real. She had gone off the deep end....
The Uncomfortable Trade Off Between Being Liked and Being Successful
I have never met anyone who doesn’t want to be liked. Most people I’ve met also want to be successful. (Believe it or not, a few have admitted they could care less about success.) Many of us want both. But what if the pursuit of one compromises the other? What if the...
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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
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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!
