We recently had the chance to connect with Verenda Cobbs and have shared our conversation below.
Verenda, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I’m so thankful for this interview and first want to thank you for taking time to chat with me! Wow! What a question. I would have to say that what I’m most proud of building that no one sees right now is the foundation of healing and wholeness in communities, people, families, and ministries. It’s the quiet work. It’s the coffee shop meetings, it’s the text message check ins, the late-night prayer and intercession, the personal sacrifices, the unseen mentorship, the rebuilding of broken spirits, the quiet moments of listening, and the restoration of identity behind the scenes.
I’m helping people rise again, even when the crowd is gone, even when there’s no platform. It’s the tears I cry in prayer for those I may never meet. It’s the books, the prayers, the strategies birthed in pain but rooted in purpose.
I’m building a movement of resilience and revival that’s still under construction, but when God finishes what He started, the fruit will speak. That is what I’m most grateful for as I serve and show up in every space.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello! I’m Verenda K. Cobbs, a visionary leader, author, and purpose cultivator. I’m passionate about building spaces where healing, faith, and purpose intersect whether that’s through ministry, writing, mentorship, or community engagement. My brand is rooted in resilience, restoration, and the power of faith to transform lives.
Through my initiatives, I empower individuals especially women to rise from their past, walk boldly in their calling, and embrace the fullness of who they are. I lead with authenticity, shaped by personal experiences and a deep commitment to seeing others win spiritually, emotionally, and creatively.
Currently, I’m working on expanding platforms that help people to become resilient leaders, to find their voice, and build legacy. Whether I’m serving in ministry, mentoring emerging leaders, or developing content that heals and equips, my mission remains the same: to build communities, to inspire resilience, and to foster faith.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that has served its purpose and must now be released is the people pleasing, the being shy, and the constant overextending of myself. That version of me was trying to survive trying to be accepted, seen, and valued. But I’ve learned that I don’t have to shrink or stretch myself thin to be loved or to walk in purpose.
I’ve released the need to be everything for everybody. I’m no longer dimming my light to make others comfortable or silencing my voice out of fear. That season is over. I honor it because it taught me valuable lessons, but it can’t go with me where I’m headed. Now, I move forward in boldness, boundaries, and authenticity knowing that who God called me to be is more than enough.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me what success never could how to lean on God when nothing made sense. I will say this I’m alive to tell the story of how to overcome. Goodness and mercy and the power of the resilience. I’m so glad I found freedom and battles that I have won Gods goodness and mercy and the power of resilience! It taught me the power of stillness, the beauty of brokenness, and the strength that comes from surviving what should have taken me out.
Suffering refined me. It showed me who I was beyond titles, applause, or accomplishments. It taught me to pray differently, to see people more deeply, and to value peace over popularity.
Success can celebrate you, but suffering shapes you. It’s in the fire that I found my voice, discovered my resilience, and learned that my identity is rooted in Christ not in what I do, but in who I am.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, the public version of me is the real me. What you see is rooted in authenticity, faith, and years of becoming. I don’t show up to impress I show up to impact. But what most don’t see is the deep process behind the posture.
I’ve walked through complex trauma the kind that leaves invisible scars. I’ve experienced betrayal on levels I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, and not from strangers, but from people I loved deeply. People I prayed for, supported, and stood beside only to later realize they secretly resented me, and in some cases, hated me. That truth was devastating. But it also awakened something in me.
You also see a grace for people even when that grace wasn’t given to me, not even from leadership. I made a decision: I would not become what tried to break me. I surrendered my pain to God and asked Him to make me better, not bitter.
My quiet strength? It’s not weakness it’s the strength of someone who chose to let go and let God. I don’t move by ego. I move by obedience. The wisdom, the boldness, the love I carry publicly… it all came through private crushing, deep healing, and relentless faith.
So yes, this is the real me. Healed but still healing. Whole but still growing. Publicly walking out what I privately surrendered to God.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I think what people may most misunderstand about my legacy is why I walked away from certain people without explaining. What they may never see is that my silence was not born out of bitterness it was born out of protection, peace, and obedience.
I didn’t walk away to be cold. I walked away because God shifted my season. Some connections are only meant for a time, and when that time is complete, we must have the courage to release. What once felt comfortable no longer fit where God was taking me. It wasn’t about rejection, it was about redirection. Some doors had to close so that greater ones could open. And when the Lord revealed it was time, I could no longer stay where He had already moved me from.
Some people were simply not called to journey with me into the next level. Holding on to them would have cost me my strength, my sanity, and my spiritual safety. So I released them not because I didn’t care, but because I cared too much about the call of God on my life. Letting go was not loss; it was alignment. It was me choosing healing over history, purpose over pretense, and destiny over distraction.
The second thing people might misunderstand about my legacy is why I worked so hard and gave myself to so many things. To some it may have looked like striving, but for me it was always about stewardship. Every assignment, every responsibility, every opportunity was sacred. They were chances to pour into people, to build what God entrusted me with, and to leave deposits of hope, faith, and resilience. My labor was never about being seen—it was about making sure others could see God through me.
I gave my all because I know that purpose does not wait, and destiny does not delay. I wanted my life to be a reflection of excellence, diligence, and unwavering faith, no matter where God positioned me. What some called “too much” was really me being faithful over much, so that God could trust me with greater. My legacy is not measured in the busyness of my hands but in the fruit of my obedience lives transformed, hearts strengthened, and seeds of faith planted that will continue to bear fruit long after I’m gone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aarisekingdom.org
- Instagram: verendakcobbs
- Facebook: Verenda K Cobbs
- Other: https://linktr.ee/aarisekingdom
