Hope Comes to Visit
Hope Comes to Visit is a soulful podcast that holds space for real stories, honest conversations, and the kind of moments that remind us we’re never alone. Hosted by author, speaker, and former TV journalist-turned-storyteller Danielle Elliott Smith, the show explores the full spectrum of the human experience — from the tender to the triumphant. Through powerful interviews and reflective storytelling, each episode offers light, connection, and presence for anyone navigating the in-between. Whether you’re grieving, growing, beginning again, or simply craving something real, Hope Comes to Visit will meet you right where you are — with warmth, grace, and the quiet belief that even in the dark, transformation can take root. New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light, reflection, and hope.
Episodes
What if resilience doesn't look like strength at all?
What if it looks like getting out of bed when your heart feels heavy? Asking for help when you're usually the one everyone turns to? Or simply making it through another day?
In this deeply personal solo episode of Hope Comes to Visit, I wanted to explore the quieter, often invisible side of resilience—and why we don't have to feel strong to keep moving forwar...
What if the moments that change our lives aren't the ones we planned—but the ones we almost missed?
Haha Bailey has spent decades working in security and executive protection, learning to read rooms, recognize what isn't being said, and understand people at their most vulnerable. But behind that work is a deeply emotional storyteller who believes music has the power to connect us to the people, places, and memo...
The Cornell allegations, the men we love, and why silence isn't enough
What does it actually mean to be a “good man”?
In this solo episode of Hope Comes to Visit, I took a look at the allegations involving seven former Cornell fraternity members—not to determine guilt or innocence, but to ask a larger and deeply uncomfortable question:
What do we expect from men when a woman around them may not be saf...
Should. Just. I'm sorry.
Three tiny phrases we use all the time—often without noticing what they might be saying underneath.
In this solo episode of Hope Comes to Visit, I'm excited to explore the language we use with ourselves and how words like should, just, and I'm sorry can reveal comparison, self-minimizing, postponed happiness and our tendency to apologize simply for taking up space.
There are also two very...
What if the thing you're desperately trying to fix isn't actually the problem?
Carrie Lupoli has spent more than 30 years helping women change their lives. She's a behavioral transformation expert, board-certified nutritionist, bestselling author, TEDx speaker and founder of Disruptive Nutrition.
But after decades of doing this work, Carrie realized something:
Nutrition was never the destination. It was the doorway.
Thi...
What if one of the best ways to find more purpose in our own lives is simply to show up for someone else?
Beth Ann Riechman has made showing up a way of life.
After retiring from a successful career in sales, Beth Ann turned decades of experience, energy, creativity and connection into something bigger: service. Today, she volunteers throughout the St. Louis community, supporting organizations focused on women, childr...
Some people find recovery by putting down alcohol.
Others find recovery when they finally discover they don't have to carry life alone.
My friend Erin Smith's story reminds us that while every path is different, healing almost always begins with connection.
Erin's struggle began long before she was old enough to legally drink. After a devastating sports injury left her feeling like she'd lost her identity, she found he...
One of the greatest gifts recovery has given me is the people I've met along the way—and Adam Hamby is one of those people.
I've known Adam for almost as long as I've been sober, and one of the things I've admired most about him has always been the way his entire face lights up when he talks about his wife, Tina, and their daughters. His family isn't just part of his recovery—they're the life he fought to...
Not every recovery story begins with rock bottom.
Sometimes it begins with a quiet realization that something no longer feels right.
Bestselling author Laura Zigman never considered herself someone with a drinking problem. But during the pandemic, she noticed something she couldn't ignore: even though she only drank two glasses of wine a day, she didn't like needing it. She didn't like watching the clock. She didn't l...
What happens when someone with nearly sixteen years of sobriety relapses?
More importantly...
What happens next?
In this deeply honest episode of There Is Always a Way, Danielle sits down with writer Heather King for one of the most courageous conversations in the series.
Heather spent nearly sixteen years sober before a perfect storm of grief, caregiving, loss, chronic stress, and emotional exhaustion slowly led her ba...
Seven years ago, I made one of the hardest—and ultimately most life-changing—decisions of my life.
I asked for help.
At the time, I believed alcohol was my problem. Looking back now, I know
Seven years ago, I made one of the hardest—and ultimately most life-changing—decisions of my life.
I asked for help.
At the time, I believed alcohol was my problem. Looking back now, I know alcohol was on...
What if one unexpected "yes" completely changed the course of your life?
This week on Hope Comes to Visit, I'm delighted to sit down with board-certified emergency physician, author, entrepreneur, and world traveler Dr. Calvin Sun, whose journey to every country in the world began with... a lost bet.
What started as a reluctant trip to Egypt eventually became a life dedicated to curiosity, adventure, and saying yes to...
For the past several weeks, I've been exhausted.
Not normal tired. Not "I need a nap" tired. The kind of tired that makes you question yourself, your motivation, your energy, and whether something deeper might be going on.
This week, I wanted to share a personal story about finally listening to my body after weeks of brain fog, joint pain, fatigue, and feeling unlike myself—and the unexpected diagnosis that foll...
Some conversations leave a mark on your heart.
This week's episode of Hope Comes to Visit is one of them.
My guest is Sabrina Foster—a mother, advocate, community leader, and founder of the Foster Family Foundation.
In 2021, Sabrina's son, Glenn Foster Jr., died while in police custody in Alabama. Since that day, she has devoted herself to seeking accountability, honoring her son's legacy, and supporting others t...
What does it look like to grieve openly, honestly, and without hiding the hardest parts?
This week on Hope Comes to Visit, I’m joined by Brittany Wiederin—a wife, mother, advocate, and founder of the Handle Hard Better Foundation.
After losing her husband, Cory, to a rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer, Brittany finds herself navigating the unimaginable: raising two young boys, carrying profound grie...
For decades, Dr. Durga Larkin's identity was deeply connected to her work as a cataract surgeon.
Then one unexpected fall changed everything.
After fracturing her dominant arm and facing the possibility that she might never return to surgery, Dr. Durga found herself confronting a question many of us eventually face:
Who are we when the role we've built our life around begins to change?
In this thoughtful and deeply huma...
This week on Hope Comes to Visit, I’m joined by Michelle Valiukenas — founder of the The Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation and mother to Sweet Pea, Colette, and Elliott.
Michelle’s story begins with what she believed would be a typical pregnancy. Instead, at just 21 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia and hospitalized immediately. Three weeks later, her daughter Colette was bo...
This week on Hope Comes to Visit, I’m joined by Rachel Urton — founder of Balanced Home Apothecary, mom of four, and someone deeply passionate about helping women and families find natural support that actually fits into real life.
What started as Rachel making roller balls for friends who felt overwhelmed by the world of DIY wellness eventually became a business rooted in simplicity, care, and hope.
In th...
Content note: This episode includes conversation about childhood trauma, sex trafficking, suicidal ideation, abuse, and recovery.
In this powerful episode of Hope Comes to Visit, I'm privileged to sit down with Tiffany Carter — money attachment expert, business mentor, host of the ProjectME with Tiffany Carter podcast, and a multi-millionaire entrepreneur whose story is rooted in survival, healing, and radical ...
There’s something about the love of a dog that feels both simple and profound. It grounds us, meets us where we are, and reminds us—often in the quietest ways—what connection really looks like.
In this episode of Hope Comes to Visit, Danielle sits down with author and speaker Jean Alfieri, whose life and work are rooted in a deep love for dogs—especially those who need it most. From rescue sto...
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