We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kendra DeLarge a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kendra, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Rejection and Abandonment. I know it sounds strange, but those things were (are)  the foundational fuel to push me into my purpose and empower my intense passion. We have been conditioned – and rightfully so – to expect and ‘depend’ on friends, family/relatives, and other systems to encourage, support, and invest in our dreams, visions, aspirations, or simply us, in general. Unfortunately, in this world, with imperfect, flawed, free willed humans, that is not often the case – and it wasn’t for me. Initially, when I started experiencing rejection and abandonment, particularly from those I loved or were close to, it gave me much pain, and disappointment. I would often feel angry and hurt and tend to isolate myself because I felt unwanted and unvalued. One day, while sitting in a park near the lake, I was reflecting on this recurring issue in my life and had the unction to shift the perspective. At that point, I recognized a pattern – whenever I endured that type of treatment and found myself alone, that is when the innovative concepts, ideas, and projects would be born. They were like ‘seeds’ planted in the darkness, alone, under the weight of heavy dirt, having to push through in order to develop, grow, and mature.  Consistently maneuvering through the soil, something that weighs more than the seed itself… until it emerges, strong, deeply rooted, secure, and blossoming. And that’s what I have done. The rejection and abandonment became restoration and aspiration. Had I not walked through those doors, I would have no actual story, no content or ripe fruit for the books, articles, speaking engagements, interviews, international missions, social media posts, blogs…  and the most refreshing part is that, absolutely no one can take the credit for or claim any part of what has been birthed through me – the wisdom, strength, freethinking, warrior, nurturing, and power. No one on this Earth can steal or lay claim to any aspect of it. My purpose is not predicated upon anyone else’s feelings, opinions, or stigmas, and this makes me glad.

Kendra, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am the founder and visionary of International Kendra, is a phenomenal global movement committed to fearlessly crossing ethnic, religious, cultural, and societal barriers to break systemic chains of oppression, ignorance, brokenness, victimization, and hopelessness through strategic speaking events, social media, international humanitarian efforts, and mentoring. Since the conception of International Kendra in 2000, and the official incorporation in 2016, I have traveled to several international countries(Malaysia, Ghana, and Nigeria, to name a few), for speaking events, missionary trips, and other humanitarian efforts. I also served as Acting Ambassador for the 2019 International Women’s Empowerment Summit, through the Organization of International Missionaries (OIM) in Ghana – and more!

Out of that vision came The Safe Haven, a rising initiative to establish transitional shelters in specific African countries for women/girls who are victims of heinous acts of violence (i.e. rape, human trafficking, grievous domestic abuse, incest) due to the imbalances and prejudices in culture and society. Within this refuge, the women will not only find a place to physically and mentally heal, but also a beacon of hope, empowerment, strength, and advocacy.

Recently, I created a platform to host my own monthly TV/podcast show, Krucial Konversations with Kendra (KKK), is a trendsetting TV/podcast platform created to challenge societal norms, invoke critical thinking, and empower viewers through uncomfortable yet vital truth.With the current global paradigm shift and apocalyptic climate, this platform will allow her to reach and positively influence individuals, communities, and nations with her relevant and timely message, that she may be unable to personally visit.

As a proficient writer, I have contributed articles and stories to written publications since her high school days. However, in 2016, I took a bold step and published one of my own books that were saved on my computer. In “The Walk, From Hearing to Knowing ”, I am passionately transparent about some of my life experiences, to that point, and connection to the widow(er), rejected, abandoned, abused, and the broken-hearted – journeys of which I have personally passed through and conquered. My second published book, “Kingdom Warrior Queen”, is a riveting, exceptional, and precise account of the relatable life challenges, opposition, battles, and revelations that birthed and developed the triumphant warrior and royalty that I am today! It is filled with tough yet loving truth and provides tools for women to overcome and conquer the complex and bombarding, strategic challenges facing the world in real-time.

Being a wise strategist, highly respected voice, sought-after empowerment speaker and published author opened the door for me to assume active roles with various professional and women empowerment organizations throughout the years, such as Powerful Women International Connections (PWIC), International Association of Women (IAW), and Women of Visionary Influence (WOVI). I have been featured on numerous media outlets and several publications, such as Simply Woman Magazine, North Dallas Gazette Newspaper, The Brave Files Podcast, and The Ambitious Entrepreneur Podcast (Australia). My honesty, wit, sarcasm, and boldness are four admirable traits that not only attract and engage my audiences, but have led to repeat appearances at local events and workshops. Many of the video recordings of my speaking engagements and presentations can be found on my YouTube channel.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

One of the first things to understand is that you must crawl before you will walk. Like anything that is planted and destined for growth, never despise the small beginnings. Nothing of value comes easy, not without time and investment – and your timeframe , regardless of how you planned, may NOT look like the person who started after you or with you. For social media, I had to quickly understand that quantity and quality are not the same. More followers and likes does not automatically equate to more quality or more requests/sales. Indeed, the larger number look great and are very encouraging, but that should not be the ultimate factor in how you define your success. The key here is consistency in the connection, building a strong base and being strategic in how you develop it. I have attended events of some of the most popular and/or well-known names in several industries, and the attendee count was huge. However, the hype was short-lived, the sales were “one-and-gone”, and many people moved on to the next thing. I have also connected with people who are not popular or highly favored by (social) media, yet they have an authentic, consistent support system, a quality group of people, that continue to invest in them, help them grow, and attract other like-minded people. The bottom line here is balance, wisdom, and strategy.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

Well, this is something that I am currently working on. For years – most of my adult life – I have invested my time, talent, and treasure into writing, humanitarian /mission trips, and successfully advising colleagues/loved ones in different areas of their lives. No matter what season I was in at that time or what challenge I was facing, I could not exclude or deny the passions of my heart. I would still find a way to be involved in them, and the efforts became more efficient, rewarding, and requested over time. Recently, within the last 2 years, I began to observe the trends in the world and realized that I have wasted much time and effort doing for FREE what I should be PAID for! I began to research and study the backgrounds and journeys of some prominent speakers, coaches, authors, bloggers, and global influencers, and saw that they were me! I reflected upon the success stories and outcomes of those I have poured into and understood that I have been doing this work as a hobby and love, and it is time to reap what I have sown – with interest. As I think about it, I am grateful that it happened this way because the commitment, drive, passion, and heart are already there, so I will not see it as just another job or resentful responsibility. I am in it for the fulfillment, and the money is a benefit. WHat I have is worth millions, and, just like all of those who have gone before me, it is time for me to make mine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://internationalkendra.net/
• Instagram: @internationalkendra @krucialkonversationswithkendra
• Facebook: 1) International Kendra 2) Krucial Konversations with Kendra
• Youtube: youtube.com/channel/UCKfk5bYGEsBU2ZWqF3tVxpA/videos
• Other: Blog: https://internationalkendra.wordpress.com/ “Kingdom Warrior Queen” book: https://amzn.to/3uzKMY2