Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Shanika Small.
Dr. Shanika, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My Story: From the Muck to Ministry
Growing up in Pahokee, Florida—a small, 5.5-mile town with just one traffic light and two gas stations—I learned the value of resilience early on. Blessed with an outgoing, confident, and charismatic personality, I threw myself into everything I did and excelled.
By my freshman year of high school, I was named the regional weightlifting champion. By my sophomore year, I received an offer from Harvard University. My junior year brought the honor of being crowned Ms. MuckCity Queen, and by the time I graduated, I had accumulated more than enough titles and accolades. But the true test of my resilience was yet to come.
At 22, I made the massive transition from my small hometown to the city. That season brought unexpected and severe trials: homelessness, hardship, betrayal, and systemic resistance. It was during this dark time that I realized no one was coming to save me.
I had to fight for my future. I worked two jobs from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and went to school from 9:30 PM to 11:00 PM. I was only able to do this thanks to a compassionate teacher who stayed after hours to teach me one-on-one, long after her official day had ended. By the grace of God, combined with relentless hard work and dedication, I persevered and built a sustainable life and career.
At 24, my life shifted radically. After enduring multiple life-altering events in ministry that felt unfavorable, unwarranted, and ungodly at the time, God ravished my heart and drew me back to the faith.
With a deep heart to serve God’s people—especially leaders—but with absolutely no reference point or blueprint, I initially felt hopeless, inferior, and powerless. Nevertheless, I chose to push forward in what I loved to do most: serve. Today, looking back at that refining fire, I proudly proclaim Psalm 119:71: “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.”
Out of my passion for foundational strength and honor, Well-Kept emerged. Today, I am known as an honor bearer, a bearer of arms, a menace to hell, and The Anomaly. As Dr. Shanika Small, I operate as an author and the founder of Well-Kept Servant Leaders and Well-Kept Women Ministries.
My Mission: To empower servants to carry out their assignments effectively, allowing their leaders to feel empowered to advance their vision without demonic resistance.
My Vision: A world of empowered leaders who understand order, honor, and excellence in serving God’s ordained leadership by biblical standards and godly convictions.
Through Well-Kept, I equip ministry teams and servant leaders with the wisdom, accountability, and resources necessary to be highly effective in their assignments. I am deeply committed to seeing servant leaders successfully undergirding those they have committed to serving.
In addition to my work with Well-Kept, I devote myself to seeing prophets and prophetic people fully developed, whole, and ready to embrace the fullness of their calling.
To bring this vision to life, I organize “REVEALED: The Apostolic & Prophetic Round Table.” This transformative event creates strategic prophetic atmospheres where the enemy’s tactics are exposed, and the mysteries of heaven’s systems are revealed, empowering God’s people to walk in absolute victory and order.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been far from a smooth road. The journey was marked by intense seasons of isolation, uncertainty, and structural hurdles that tested every ounce of my resolve.
The road became especially steep when I transitioned from my small hometown to a big new city. I was facing a perfect storm of challenges all at once. I was a young, single mother in an unfamiliar environment with absolutely no local family support system to lean on. Trying to secure sustainable employment with no prior work experience was deeply discouraging. I faced constant rejection simply because I hadn’t been given a first chance yet. Navigating the daily pressure of providing for my child while not knowing how the story would end, or where our next breakthrough would come from, was genuinely terrifying.
Looking back, that season of lack and fear was the very wilderness God used to build my fortitude. It taught me how to work relentlessly, how to rely completely on divine strategy, and what it truly feels like to be at rock bottom.
I didn’t just survive that season; I was refined by it. It is because I know the terrifying weight of that struggle firsthand that I can now stand with authority and empathetically know it is possible.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I operate at the intersection of strategic leadership, healthcare administration, and spiritual empowerment. My professional and ministry work is backed by a tenured career in corporate talent management and an extensive academic foundation.
Currently, I serve as the Health Service Administrator for Manifestations ALF, an assisted living facility owned by my home church, The Center for Manifestation.
Parallel to my healthcare career, I am a builder of people and ministries. I am an author and the founder of Well-Kept Servant Leaders and Well-Kept Women Ministries, where I frequently host intensive Leadership Bootcamps and women’s empowerment events. My specialization lies in equipping individuals, ministry teams, and marketplace professionals with the strategic tools, accountability, and wisdom required to execute their assignments with excellence.
My practical experience is fortified by five degrees, all earned while balancing a demanding 10-year corporate career as an Instructor, Client Service Manager, and Audition Specialist at Barbizon USA:
Ph.D. in Servant & Strategic Leadership
Master’s in Management & Leadership
B.A. in Supervision and Management
A.S. in Health Service Administration
A.A. in Education
In ministry and leadership circles, I am known as The Anomaly. I carry the reputation of being an honor bearer, a bearer of arms, and a menace to hell.
I am recognized for my unwavering commitment to servanthood and as someone who understands how to undergird authority effectively, while those I mentor know me as a fierce advocate for their spiritual development and wholeness.
What truly distinguishes me is my uncompromising commitment to covenant in everything I do.
Through this deep conviction, my servitude speaks volumes, consistently outranking normal or secular standards. Covenant is the anchor that allows me to navigate and overcome life’s most unrelenting seasons with poise, dignity, and grace.
Having watched many people crumble under the weight of heavy assignments or life’s hardships, I quickly realized that not everyone survives the types of fires I have walked through. Too many who do survive only do so nominally, ultimately deeming their suffering in vain. Because I know firsthand that it is entirely possible to both survive and thrive, I took on a specialized kingdom assignment: to help other servants fully comprehend their purpose in their leaders’ lives, whether at home, in ministry, or in the workplace.
Without question, I am most proud of my resilience.
To have balanced the grit of my upbringing and environment, the discipline of obtaining an education, the drive to work up the corporate ladder, and the spiritual fortitude required to launch ministries, all while remaining anchored in grace, is a testament to God’s strength within me. My resilience transformed my past hardships into a blueprint for others, ensuring that my suffering was never in vain but rather a catalyst for empowering leaders.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I have learned along my journey can be summed up in a truth that now anchors my entire life, career, and ministry: God’s grace is sufficient, and I am Well-Kept and Covered.
To be “Well-Kept” does not mean a life exempt from warfare, trials, rejections, or affliction; rather, it means that in the midst of the adversity and resistance, you are insulated by His sovereignty.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sincerelywellkept.com
- Instagram: @WellKept5
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/WellKept5
