Meet Deanna J. Speaks! | Consultant, Author and Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Deanna J. Speaks! and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Deanna, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The idea for my business came from seeing a need for survivors’ voices and perspectives to be heard. As a former foster child, I have had to live out decisions made for my life where I wasn’t consulted. I had to live out the impact of someone else’s decision. After graduating college, I went into child welfare to be the help I wished I had but doing that work made me realize just how much children’s and families’ voices were missing. I then needed to do something more pointed, so I began speaking to youth groups, youth allies, and agencies, advocating for youth and family voices. I have widened my audiences through motivational speaking, but advocacy remains paramount.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What sets my business apart is that I have sat on each side of the proverbial table. I have sat on the side of the family, holding the fear and uncertainty of having to engage with an agency that holds all the cards. I have sat on the side of the agency wanting to engage with a family to keep the children safe. I have sat at the head of the table holding the policies and procedures that govern this exchange. There are a lot of individuals who can speak hiding each of those perspectives. I am very proud of overcoming the stats that were supposed to keep me out of rooms and away from the success I now enjoy. It was not easy at all but certainly blessed to be an overcomer.

What I want the world to know is that there is an inherent value that comes from working with those who survived the system. We are worth the prices we charge to inform your work. At DJS Consulting we provide the lived experience that should be centered and the technical expertise to execute this work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many places I would love to take them to. It would depend on what’s going on at the moment. What’s the vibe? It could be anywhere!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My children for sure. They did this life and went on this journey with me and they support me now. Huckleberry House is an organization in Columbus, Ohio that provides transitional living services for foster youth. Without Huck House, I don’t know what my life would have looked like.

Website: https://www.deannajspeaks.com

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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanna-f-jones/

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Image Credits
Children’s Defense Fund of Ohio