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
66 episodes
Life Often Whispers Before It Shouts
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...
A Mother's Fight for Justice, Legacy, and Love: Sabrina & Glenn Foster Jr.'s Story
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, S...
Grieving Unmasked: Love, Loss, and Finding Beauty in the Heartache with Brittany Wiederin
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.A...
When Life Gives You Permission to Change - A Conversation with Dr. Durga Larkin
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 t...
When Grief Creates Purpose | Michelle Valiukenas on Pregnancy Loss, NICU Life & Hope
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 t...
S2 Ep17 Hope & Healing: Finding Natural Paths to Wellness with Rachel Urton (Ep 60)
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....
S2 Ep16 ProjectME: Rebuilding Worth, Wealth, and Hope with Tiffany Carter (Ep 59)
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 Ti...
S2 EP 15 When Love Has Four Legs: Grief, Connection, and Hope - A Conversation with Jean Alfieri (Ep 58)
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
S2 EP 14 Choosing Yourself: Deborah Santana on Identity, Freedom, and Loving the Fire (Ep 57)
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 v...
S2 EP13 Laughing Through the Hard: Kelly MacFarland on Grief, Humor, and Being Fully Alive (Ep 56)
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 ...
S2 EP 12 She Said Spirit Is Real… And Then Proved It - A Conversation with Medium Barbra Banner (Ep 55)
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 del...
S2 EP 11 What Gives Me Hope About the Next Generation | A Conversation with Sydney Moore (Ep 54)
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 wi...
S2 EP 10 Different, Not Broken: Disability, Dignity, and the Power of Seeing People Fully with Dr. Stuart D. Jones (Ep 53)
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...
S2 EP 9 Kelly Karavousanos on Grief, Support, and What It Means to Sit in the Dark With Someone (Ep 52)
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...
S2 EP 8 It Only Takes One Yes: Julie Whitney on Reinvention, Resilience and Second Acts (Ep 51)
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...
S2 EP 7 Ann Imig on Rewiring Your Brain for Hope, Burnout Recovery & Mental Fitness (Ep 50)
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...
S2 EP 6 Learning to Love What You Don’t Like | Oneika Mays on Mindfulness, Rikers Island & Radical Loving Kindness (Ep 49)
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 ...
S2 EP5 Pancakes for Roger: Love, Service, and the Lessons Our Parents Leave Us — with Susan L. Combs (Ep 48)
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...
S2 EP4 Laugh, Cry, Cuss, Evolve: Practical Hope for Divorce with Jessica Ashley (Ep 47)
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...
S2 EP3 When Love Stay: Showing Up for your Partner Without Losing Yourself with Tina Hamby (Ep 46)
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...
S2 Ep2 From Marriage to Team: Our Co-Parenting Playbook with my ex-Husband Jeff Smith (Ep 45)
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 Ep 1- Light, Audacity, and Showing Up- My Word (and Work) for 2026 (Ep 44)
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...
When the Paint Chips: Finding Light After Unthinkable Loss with Theo Boyd - Episode 43
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....
From Guilt to Guidance: How to Talk About Senior Care with Shona McIntyre - Episode 42
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 ...
Kleptomania, Consequences, And Hope: A Conversation with Kelli Bauer - Episode 41
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...
