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
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...
There are moments in life when choosing yourself can be one of the most courageous things you can do.
In this deeply moving episode of Hope Comes to Visit, I was privileged to sit down with Deborah Santana—author, activist, and voice for women’s empowerment—to explore what it means to step out of the shadows and fully into your own life.
Through her new memoir Loving the Fire: Choosing Me, Finding Fr...
The people who make us laugh the hardest often carry the deepest stories.
In this episode of Hope Comes to Visit, Danielle sits down with comedian and storyteller Kelly MacFarland for a conversation that moves seamlessly between humor and heartbreak.
From navigating profound loss to finding joy again, Kelly shares what it looks like to live fully—even when life feels heavy.
This is a conversation about resilience...
What if the signs you’ve been noticing… aren’t coincidence?
In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Hope Comes to Visit, I am joined by Barbra Banner—a no-nonsense psychic, evidential medium, and transmedium known for delivering messages with clarity, humor, and heart.
Together, we explore what happens when we open ourselves to the possibility that those we’ve lost are still with...
One of the most beautiful forms of hope arrives in shape of young people destined to make their mark on the world in a powerful way. This conversation shares just that form of hope.
This week on Hope Comes to Visit, I sat down with someone incredibly special to me — Sydney Moore, a high school senior at St. Joseph’s Academy in St. Louis who has spent her young life rooted in service, justice, learning, an...
There are stories that don’t just move us — they change the way we see the world.
In this episode of Hope Comes to Visit, I was grateful to sit down with educator, speaker, and author Dr. Stuart D. Jones to explore a deeply personal story about dignity, disability, and the extraordinary value of every human life.
Dr. Jones shares the story of his brother Stephen — a boy born in 1954 with significant ...
Sometimes hope doesn’t arrive loudly.
Sometimes it shows up in the quiet presence of someone willing to sit beside us in our hardest moments.
This week on Hope Comes to Visit, I’m joined by Kelly Karavousanos — licensed professional counselor, certified thanatologist, licensed funeral director, and one of the people I credit with helping guide me through some of the darkest grief of my life.
Kelly...
Some stories remind you that it’s not too late. Not for the dream you tucked away. Not for the creative spark you thought you missed. Not for the reinvention you quietly crave.
In this episode I’m joined by Julie Whitney — a self-employed PR professional who, in the middle of the pandemic, found herself standing in a hangar beside a plane she’d never even flown in… and feeling something...
What if hope isn’t a feeling… but a skill?
This week on Hope Comes to Visit, I’m joined by my longtime friend Ann Imig — MSW, certified coach, and founder of the storytelling phenomenon Listen to Your Mother. Fifteen years after giving motherhood a microphone on stages across North America, Ann now helps burnt-out women retrain their brains for clarity, calm, and joy.
We talk about:
- Why you...
What if you don’t have to like someone to love them?
In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, I was honored to sit down down with mindfulness coach, yoga teacher, and master storyteller Oneika Mays to explore what it means to practice loving kindness in the hardest places — including Rikers Island and how these experiences inspired her new book: Sit with Me: A No BS Journey to Mindfulness & Me...
Season 2, Episode 5
A Missouri girl in a New York world on founding Combs & Company, honoring her father’s legacy, and why hope is the only thing greater than fear.
This week I’m joined by Susan L. Combs—president of Combs & Company, bestselling author, and daughter of Major General Roger E. Combs. We talk about the moment “Pancakes for Roger” was born, the quiet heroism of caregi...
This week on Hope Comes to Visit, I’m joined by my long-time friend Jessica Ashley—the Divorce Coach for Moms (CDC Certified Divorce Coach®), award-winning writer, and pink-haired powerhouse helping women move through divorce with clarity, community, and yes… a little cussing. We talk about identity, grief that resurfaces in tiny moments, and how to be “amicable” with yourself when co-...
Season 2, Episode 3
What does it look like to love someone through addiction—without losing yourself? My dear friend Tina Hamby shares the messy middle of her marriage: the years her husband Adam was drinking, the boundaries that kept her safe, the moment everything changed, and the daily practices that keep their extraordinary family grounded now. We talk faith, community, parenting through guilt, and why &ldq...
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