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
54 episodes
Different, Not Broken: Disability, Dignity, and the Power of Seeing People Fully with Dr. Stuart D. Jones
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 deepl...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 10
•
27:12
Kelly Karavousanos on Grief, Support, and What It Means to Sit in the Dark With Someone
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...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 9
•
39:46
It Only Takes One Yes: Julie Whitney on Reinvention, Resilience and Second Acts
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-e...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 8
•
30:45
Ann Imig on Rewiring Your Brain for Hope, Burnout Recovery & Mental Fitness
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 yea...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 7
•
37:08
Learning to Love What You Don’t Like | Oneika Mays on Mindfulness, Rikers Island & Radical Loving Kindness
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 ...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 6
•
30:40
Pancakes for Roger: Love, Service, and the Lessons Our Parents Leave Us — with Susan L. Combs
Season 2, Episode 5A 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—presiden...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 5
•
53:39
Laugh, Cry, Cuss, Evolve: Practical Hope for Divorce with Jessica Ashley
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 wi...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 4
•
36:24
When Love Stay: Showing Up for your Partner Without Losing Yourself with Tina Hamby S2 EP3
Season 2, Episode 3What 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...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 3
•
50:03
From Marriage to Team: Our Co-Parenting Playbook with my ex-Husband Jeff Smith
When the marriage ends but the season isn’t over, what does it look like to stay on the same team? In this candid conversation, I sit down with my ex-husband (and friend) Jeff Smith to share the co-parenting playbook that’s worked for us...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 2
•
39:04
Season 2 - Light, Audacity, and Showing Up- My Word (and Work) for 2026
This year, my word of the year is Audacity—not the loud kind, the tender kind that says: I’m still here, and I’m going to live like it.If you are here right now and/or planning to press play today, thank...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 1
•
24:40
When the Paint Chips: Finding Light After Unthinkable Loss with Theo Boyd
Content note: This episode includes candid discussion of traumatic loss, suicide, and grief.In this final Hope Comes to Visit episode of 2025, I sit down with award-winning Texas author, grief educator, and podcaster Theo Boyd....
•
36:10
From Guilt to Guidance: How to Talk About Senior Care with Shona McIntyre
Content note: This episode includes candid conversation about aging, dementia, and caregiver stress.What’s the right time to talk about senior care—and how do you even begin? In this episode of Hope Comes to Visit, I sit ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 42
•
25:37
Kleptomania, Consequences, And Hope
This episode includes honest discussion of addiction and legal consequences.What does recovery look like when the compulsion won’t let go? In this conversation, I am privileged to sit with Kelli Bauer, who lives with klep...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 41
•
50:00
A Life Bigger Than Grief: Melissa Hull on Grace, Forgiveness and Choosing Joy
Gentle note: we talk honestly about grief and child loss—please listen with care and kindness for yourself.What does healing look like when the unthinkable happens? In this episode, I’m sitting with Melissa Hu...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 40
•
44:50
Start Anyway: K.T. Jay on Grief, Courage, Indie Publishing, and Imagination
Gentle heads-up: mentions of grief and loss.If you’re new—welcome, I am so grateful you are here. If you’re back again for hope to visit—welcome home. In this episode, I'm delighted to be chatting with K.T. Jay—t...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 39
•
33:25
Ep 38 Hustle, Heart, Hot Dogs & Hope: Danni Eickenhorst on Feeding a City
I love conversations that make you want to show up for people. This is one of them.Today’s guest is Danni Eickenhorst, the heartbeat behind Hustle Hospitality and some of St. Louis’ most beloved spots:
•
Season 1
•
Episode 38
•
25:59
EP 37 Hope, Hustle & Tiny Tags: Melissa Clayton on Building a Beloved Brand & Hitting Dream Milestones (Like Making Oprah's Favorite Things!)
If you’re new—welcome. If you’re back—welcome home. Today I’m sitting down with my friend Melissa Clayton, founder & CEO of Tiny Tags—the personalized jewelry brand born at a kitchen table and now beloved by moms, worn by Megh...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 37
•
32:25
EP 36 From Panic to Peace: Everyday Practices for Anxious Hearts with Amanda Willson
If you’re new here—welcome. If you’re back—welcome home. Today I’m sitting with my dear friend of 12+ years, Amanda Willson, a life coach and anxiety expert who has walked this road and now teaches the rest of us how to find steadier gro...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 36
•
25:53
The Night Laughter Saved My Life: Ron Blake on PTSD, Community, & 522 Boards of Hope
A gentle heads-up: In this conversation, we name some hard things — including suicide and sexual assault. If that’s tender for you today, please listen with care, skip ahead,...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 35
•
41:53
When “Try Again” Isn’t Enough: Sam Bonizzi on Missed Miscarriages, IVF & Finding Community
Hope isn’t the absence of fear—it’s the light that keeps you moving when fear won’t leave. In this tender, no-fluff conversation, I sit with Sam Bonizzi, co-author of The Losses We Keep, as she shares how two misse...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 34
•
34:22
From Silent Suffering to Solid Support: Lucy Rose on Healing Chronic Loneliness
Some seasons of my life, loneliness wasn’t a passing mood—it was the air I breathed. I didn’t always call it by name, but my body did: tight chest, racing thoughts, that sense of being “with people” and still feeling alone. In this conversation...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 33
•
45:37
Seen at Last: Dr. Deb Muth on Women’s Health, Functional Medicine, and Finding Answers
If you’ve ever been told “it’s normal” when you knew it wasn’t—this episode is for you. I’m joined by Dr. Deb Muth—naturopathic doctor, functional medicine expert, and founder of Serenity Health Care Center—to talk about being seen a...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 32
•
47:33
Who Gets a Seat at Your Table? Curating Your Life with Clarity, Care, and Courage
Pull up a chair and take a breath—then ask the question most of us avoid: who gets a seat at your table, and why? In this solo episode, I treat your table as a living metaphor for your energy, time, and love—and names what it takes to pr...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 31
•
14:58
Back to School: Dr. Gina Barreca on Hope, Grief and How Laughter Gives Us the Mic
Humor doesn’t just make us laugh—it hands us the mic. In this episode, Dr. Gina Barreca—award-winning professor, cultural critic, and bestselling author of Gina School—shows how wit turns grief into agency and outsiderhood into belongi...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 30
•
49:19
Planning in Pencil: Candice Suarez’s Life Drafting After Tongue Cancer
Content note: candid discussion of cancer diagnosis, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and recovery.What if hope isn’t “it’ll be fine,” but “I can handle what comes”? That shift changed everything for Candice ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 29
•
33:29
