Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Donna Renay Patrick. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Donna Renay, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.
My very FIRST boss was my BEST boss! He was the Recorder of Deeds for Macon County, Illinois. That meant his office was the repository for every deed to property, whether residential or commercial all over Macon County. If you bought or sold property anywhere in Macon County, Illinois, you had to visit his office to record the Deed, of whatever type. During my senior year in high school I attended class in the morning, and went to work in the business world in the afternoon. That turned into my summer job for most of my college years, as well. When I came home from attending college in Texas, I always had a job working for Mr. Bill Tangney. He was such a kind and helpful man. He did not tolerate rudeness in any of his employees. He was so willing to train, and make a positive impact on those who worked for him. The office environment was always upbeat and friendly – not only among staff, but we were expected to treat the public who came into our office with dignity and respect. That is what he modeled on a daily basis. My Mother often said that no organization is any greater than its leader. This was certainly true in the Macon County Recorder’s Office with Bill Tangney at the helm. I will always remember him in a great way.
Another GREAT boss I had was a Pastor; Dr. Jerome E. McNeil, Jr. I served on his music staff for 10 years. He was simply the best Pastor I have ever served with. He was not only a gifted preacher of the gospel, but he was a very influential leader, mentor, teacher, worshipper, and caster of vision. He shared his vision for the music ministry with the music staff, and we knew what to do from there. Anyone on his staff was on a level playing field because he saw to that. He was not a dictator; he was a team-player, and all of his ministry leaders had to get on board. But we wanted to get on board becuse he was a very approachable, compassionate leader of people. He was well respected not only in his congregation, but in the community, as well. He genuinely cared about people; never placing himself above anyone. He held a doctorate in family counseling, but he didn’t care if you knew it. He was not one for titles and pomp. He was a very humble man who did not see the need to announce himself. I remember when I was pursuing my Master’s in Christian Education I utilized his personal library a lot. When I called to ask him if he had any information on a particular topic, he would say, “I don’t know, but come on by. If I’m not here, Linda will let you in the office.” If he wasn’t there I always left a note to let him know what books I had taken. If he was there, I made sure he knew what I had, and when he could expect them back. That is just one example of his care and generosity. He was well respected not because of his titles, but because of his personality and leadership style. He died very suddenly after completing his Sunday sermon. He left behind an entire congregation of heartbroken people! It was so hard to move forward without him. That’s just the kind of leader and friend he was. With his family’s permission I dedicated my second book, It’s In Your Praise, to him. He wrote the Foreword for my first, At All Times.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
One of my passions is to serve as a global influencer to those who feel they have no purpose; no reason for being. Every man, woman, and child alive has a purpose that God himself has uniquely fitted them for. How many people do you know who lived and died with their life’s work still inside them? My mission is to see that you are not one of those people. Years ago there was a sports show on television called, “Wide World of Sports.” In the opening credits you heard a man’s voice saying, “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports. The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat.” The show was about athletes who were excelling in their chosen sport to the level the entire world was taking notice. It was about those who had the courage to keep going; even in what appeared to be defeat. While walking in your unique purpose gives you a reason to get up in the morning, and guides your decisions, it also takes an incredible amount of courage. The message that must be conveyed is that walking in your purpose is not for the faint of heart because sometimes the people you most want support and acceptance from cannot (or will not) deliver it. I am so committed to helping others understand how important it is to live out their purpose every day, and why NOW is the time. The problem is too many people don’t believe they have a purpose. They feel they are too old, or they have missed their opportunity. But I help them understand that they DO have a purpose, and it is yet inside of them. It’s always been there; they just need to reach down deep for it.
I remember a time when I had planned an online conference and the registrations were not what I had hoped. I had marketed it through social media, email, text messaging, live video, flyers, etc. But even the day before, when registrations had not improved, a small piece of me thought, “Just cancel it. The people aren’t going to come.” But I had to show up for the few people who DID register out of their desire to go to another level in their role as worship leaders. I understood that purpose is never about me, but about serving others. So I facilitated that online conference with 5 people. But that was alright with me because I was walking in my purpose; I knew what committment to my purpose meant, so I showed up for the people who chose to show up for themselves. One of the things that no one tells you about your purpose is, there is a process, and there is pain. It was painful to have such high expectations for the success of my conference, and then only 5 people came. But the promise from God was that He would never leave me. He was going to be with me no matter what. There were individuals who wanted what I had to offer them, and they came to receive it.
As one who coaches and mentors others in the area of purpose, what makes me different is I don’t just share with my clients how fulfilling it is to walk in your purpose. I tell them how painful it can be, too. I tell them there is a process awaiting all of us who dare to live every day with a clear purpose. I tell them it takes courage to accept your purpose and go for it. Another factor that sets me apart is that everyone won’t be happy for you when you choose to stay focused in your purpose. People need to know that. Some people who truly love you won’t understand your commitment to purpose. Purpose can take you into some uncomfortable territory, and you have to be okay with that.
I am living in my purpose now, but it hasn’t always been that way. There was a time when negative thoughts plagued my mind. For years I bullied myself with what I had not accomplished, as opposed to what I had. There was a time when my self-esteem took a beating every time my bank account dipped below a certain point. My self-image was tied to the size of my bank account. That meant when I had a lot of money in the bank I felt good about myself. If I didn’t, I felt bad about myself. Too much of my self-image was tied to my bank account. Money is how I gauged success. For me, sucess was spelled m-o-n-e-y. I worried about money all the time. But I didn’t realize that the more I worried, the more I attracted scarcity in my life. I didn’t understand I was sabotaging my own progress with my thought life and with my words. I wanted increase in my finances, but I was so focused on the job I hated, and the financial struggle that seemed to hang on, it seemed like a never-ending cycle.
The turning point came when I was teaching at a convention in Detroit, Michigan. The Lord began to talk to me about my thoughts and what I was feeding them. He began to show me 7 areas where I had dishonored Him, and held myself back It was an inside job – it started with me. It didn’t start with a better job, or even making more money. It started with me letting go of the negative, self-defeating thoughts, the constant anxiety, the limiting beliefs, the fear, not fully accepting who God created me to be, and bullying myself. I dubbed these attitudes “The UNperfect 7.” I began to avoid these types of thoughts at all costs. I refused to live beneath my God-given potential any longer. God not only revealed to me this UNperfect 7, but He gave me scripture to back it up. God showed me in scripture that He has already given me everything I need to be a successful in my mission, my purpose, and life’s goals. Everything changed for me when I changed my thinking.
As a multi-faceted person – as most of us are, helping others realize the importance of walking in their unique purpose is only part of my brand. Another passion of mine is making biblical worship real in the life of every believer in Jesus Christ. One of the purposes that God has given to all of us is the freedom to praise and worship Him. But the problem is we tend to limit worship to the great music, the powerful singers, and the rockstar worship leader. God desires so much more from us than just on-stage performances on Sunday morning. What I want all of us to know is that we are all under divine mandate to worship God; not only on Sunday morning, but every day because He’s not just God on Sunday, but Monday through Saturday, He is God. He has put a fire inside me to train and develop others in the Body of Christ to embrace worship as a daily lifestyle, and praise Him for the small things as well as the big ones. Praise really IS what I do, and my joy is to train others to understand why it should be priority for them, too.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I was raised in a Christian home where we never went to bed hungry. We always had sufficient clothes, and a house to call our own. However, there was a scarcity mindset in the atmosphere that followed me into adulthood. I learned to color inside the lines, dodge failure at all costs, do what was expected, and live a “normal” life. Don’t take risks; stay in the “safe” zone. Finish college, get a job, and work for someone else for the rest of your days because working for yourself doesn’t come with a guaranteed paycheck twice a month. I had to unlearn planting myself in the safe zone. I had to unlearn NOT taking risks, and not coloring outside the lines. Corporate America is where I wanted to be after college, so that’s what I did. Several years in, though, I knew God had more. I knew that’s not where I was destined to be for the rest of my life. But at the time I did not have the courage to go for what I really wanted; or I would start and then stop because it was outside my comfort zone.
When I had obtained another degree I kept the job I had, but was miserable there. I searched for positions in the area of my new degree (M.A., Christian Education), but no success. So when I got laid off from that job, it was then that I was kicked out of my comfort zone, and forced to flow in risky territory. Yes, it was scary, but I took the leap! I discovered a new courage and resilience I didn’t know I had. That’s when I got serious about what I knew was inside me all along. That’s when I learned that some great things can happen outside your comfort zone. I experienced so much personal and spiritual growth when I stopped settling for safe, and launched out into the deep water of unknown territory. God showed me parts of me that I had been afraid to confront. But so much freedom and fresh insight came when I truly recognized what was there all the time; I had just been afraid to go for it.
What happened when I unlearned the scarcity mindset lesson? I learned that God is not a God of scarcity; He is a God of abundance. He is a God of favor. As I embraced those lessons I began seeking out opportunities to do more training and development in worship ministry, and in the area of knowing your purpose. I began attracting those opportunities by increasing my marketing efforts – all because I accepted who God created me to be and experienced some very important mindset shifts.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I believe consistency is what helped build my reputation within my market. Because I love what I do as a speaker, trainer in worship ministry, and purpose coach and mentor, my social media posts reflect those things. I keep showing up in my niche because I have a passion for it; it feeds me. Those who know me, and some who are yet getting to know me through podcasting, know I am here to serve them. None of what I do is about me; I’m here to serve others. I’m here to help them step into uncharted territory step-by-step like I have. Consistency takes time and effort, but worth every minute. And I’m loving it!
Contact Info:
- Website: H
- Facebook: R
- Linkedin: R
- Twitter: R