Dare Greatly Podcast

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and this week I'm sharing an episode that is very close to my heart.

There are some experiences that divide your life into a before and an after.

For my husband and me, losing our first baby—our infant son, Noah—was one of those experiences.

It has been many years since we held him and said goodbye, and one of the things grief has taught me is this: healing isn't about leaving someone behind. It's about learning how to carry them differently as you move forward.

In this episode, I'm sharing some of the things I wish I could sit down and tell anyone walking through the loss of a baby—and some of the things I wish more of us understood about grief.

We'll talk about why two people can experience the exact same loss and grieve very differently, why that can be especially difficult inside a marriage, and why different doesn't mean wrong.

I'll also share what I've learned from Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's work on grief and David Kessler's idea of a sixth stage of grief: making meaning.

Not finding a reason for what happened.

Not putting a pretty bow around something heartbreaking.

But asking:

How has this changed me?

Who am I becoming because I loved this person?

And how can I carry their life and their love forward with me?

I also talk about the small grief rituals I still practice all these years later, what I've learned about supporting someone after the loss of a child, and why sometimes the most loving thing we can do is stop trying to find the right words and simply be willing to sit beside someone in their sorrow.

And finally, I share how losing Noah changed my understanding of Jesus Christ, eternal families, and the beautiful promise that death does not get the final word.

At the end of the episode, I'm sharing something especially personal—a song I wrote for Noah years after we lost him called Baby Blue Fleece.

If you have experienced pregnancy or infant loss, I hope this episode feels like someone sitting beside you saying, I remember. Your baby mattered. Your grief matters. And there is no timeline for love.

And if you love someone who has experienced this kind of loss, I hope this episode helps you understand a little better how to walk beside them.

Sometimes a life can be incredibly brief and still change us forever.

Thanks for listening, thanks for being here, and remember to take good care of each other out there.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends

• Danielle's music on Spotify

Have you ever wondered how to pray with more faith than fear?

In a world that feels increasingly uncertain, many of us find ourselves asking: How do I trust God when I don't know what's coming next? How do I raise my family with courage? How do I find peace when the future feels unclear?

In this heartfelt episode, Danielle shares a simple five-step prayer framework she has been teaching her own young adult children during Family Home Evening—a framework that has transformed the way she approaches God and strengthened her faith during life's hardest seasons.

Together you'll explore:

• Why prayer changes us before it changes our circumstances

• How to recognize God's promises throughout the scriptures

• What the Psalms teach us about praying from God's character instead of our fears

• How to identify scriptural promises and apply them to your own life

• A practical five-step prayer framework to help you pray with greater confidence, courage, and expectation

• Why you can move forward with hope, even when the future feels uncertain

Drawing from the stories of Abraham, the brother of Jared, Esther, Daniel, Joseph, and David, Danielle invites listeners to see themselves as people uniquely prepared for this season of history.

If you've been feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or uncertain about the future, this episode will remind you that courage doesn't come from knowing what will happen next—it comes from trusting the God who already does.

Prayer Framework

1. Identify a promise.

2. Affirm your faith.

3. Ask boldly.

4. Consecrate the blessing.

5. Thank Him in advance.

"Be strong and of a good courage... for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." — Joshua 1:9

If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who could use a little more courage today.

FREE Download: Prayer framework

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

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• Danielle's music on Spotify

Have you ever looked at your marriage and quietly thought…

"This isn't what I thought it would feel like…"

…and then immediately felt guilty for even thinking it?

In this deeply personal episode of The Dare Greatly Podcast, Danielle opens up about the quiet grief many women carry inside their marriages — especially when the man they love is struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, career pressure, health challenges, or emotional disconnection.

After her husband survived a massive stroke during the stress and uncertainty of 2020, Danielle found herself grieving something she didn't have language for: How do you grieve the loss of a version of someone… when they're still sitting right in front of you?

This episode is an honest conversation about: • grieving unmet expectations in marriage • the emotional weight women quietly carry • why unprocessed grief turns into resentment and exhaustion • learning to support your husband without losing yourself • how to hold both love and disappointment at the same time • simple healing practices that help you move through grief with compassion instead of shame

Danielle also shares the story behind her free Quiet Strength Women's Support Group — a space created for women who are trying to stay grounded, faithful, compassionate, and emotionally healthy while navigating difficult seasons in marriage and family life.

This episode is not about blaming husbands. And it's not about pretending everything is okay.

It's about learning that: You can deeply love your husband… and still grieve what has changed.

You can feel disappointed… and still feel grateful.

You can carry sadness… without believing your marriage is broken.

Some women carry strength like thunder. And some carry it like a candle.

Quiet. Steady. Faithful.

If you've been carrying something heavy in silence, this episode will help you feel seen, understood, and a little less alone. 🤍

Let's Stay Connected If this resonated with you, share a screenshot, tag me, or send it to a friend who needs a lift. Joy grows fastest when shared.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends

• Danielle's music on Spotify

What do you do when your life feels like it's on pause… and heaven feels quiet?

In this deeply personal and faith-filled episode, Danielle explores the sacred—but often painful—experience of waiting. Whether you're sitting in a hospital room, grieving a loss, longing for healing, waiting for answers, or holding onto promises that haven't yet been fulfilled… this conversation will meet you right where you are.

Drawing on the quiet, often-overlooked space of Holy Saturday—the day between the cross and the resurrection—this episode reframes waiting not as wasted time, but as holy ground.

You'll hear powerful stories from scripture, including Joseph in the pit and in prison, alongside Danielle's own experiences with long seasons of uncertainty, including a child's hospitalization, infertility, and watching loved ones wait for doors to open.

If you've ever wrestled with impatience, frustration, hopelessness, or even questioning where God is… you are not alone—and this episode will help you navigate those emotions with more grace.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why waiting is not a detour—but a meaningful part of your spiritual journey

• How to process difficult emotions like impatience, anger, and exhaustion without losing your faith

• The hidden danger of attaching your peace to specific outcomes

• A more empowering way to approach waiting that invites growth, purpose, and grace

• How God is actively working in your life—even when you can't yet see it

Key reminder: God is not just waiting at the finish line of your story. He is present in the middle—working, shaping, and walking with you through it all.

A simple practice to try this week: Instead of asking "When will this be over?" Try asking: "God, what are you inviting me to see or become in this season?"

This small shift can transform your waiting space into something sacred.

At the end of the episode, Danielle shares an original song, "The Olive Tree," inspired by the life of Christ and the quiet witnesses of His most sacred moments.

If you're in a season of waiting, be gentle with yourself. You are not behind. You are not forgotten. And you don't have to walk through it alone.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

• Follow Danielle on Instagram

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• Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends

• Danielle's music on Spotify

Have you ever felt tired in a way sleep doesn't fix?

Like you're carrying the weight of everything — the world, your family, your responsibilities, your own emotions — and you don't know how to put it down?

This episode is for you.

Because here's the truth most of us don't hear enough: 👉 Feeling overwhelmed does NOT mean you're failing. 👉 It usually means you care deeply — and you're being asked to rise into a new level of capacity.

In this powerful pep talk, Danielle shares a story that will completely shift how you see yourself in hard moments — and teaches you how to access the strength, wisdom, and calm that already live inside you.

You are not broken. You are not behind. You are capable of more than you realize.

🔥 In this episode, you'll learn:

✔️ Why overwhelm doesn't mean you're weak — it means your nervous system is under pressure ✔️ The incredible true story of a concert pianist who performed flawlessly without preparation (and what it teaches us about human capacity) ✔️ How your brain and body already hold the answers you think you don't have ✔️ Why grounding and regulation unlock confidence faster than "positive thinking" ✔️ A simple, powerful practice to calm your nervous system and reconnect to your inner wisdom ✔️ How faith, neuroscience, and the body work together to restore capability

🧠 The big reframe you'll walk away with:

When life hands you the "wrong concerto," it doesn't mean you can't handle it. It often means your deeper wisdom is being invited forward.

Capability doesn't come from pushing harder. It comes from grounding, breathing, and trusting what you already carry.

🌿 You'll be guided through a calming, centering practice to help you:

• Regulate overwhelm • Come back into your body • Quiet anxious thoughts • Reconnect with confidence and inner peace

Perfect for stressful seasons, emotional exhaustion, or moments when everything feels like too much.

✨ A truth to remember:

You are capable — not because you're perfect. Not because you never mess up. Not because life is easy.

You are capable because there is wisdom, resilience, and divinity within you.

❤️ If this episode helped you…

Share it with someone who feels overwhelmed right now. Sometimes we believe in ourselves faster when someone else reminds us who we are.

And never forget: You matter. Your life matters. Your light makes the world better.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends

• Danielle's music on Spotify

What if joy wasn't something you stumbled into… but something you practiced? Today's episode wraps up our 3-part series on spiritual power inspired by President Russell M. Nelson, and we're talking about one of the biggest spiritual misconceptions out there: If the gospel is a gospel of joy, then why does life feel so hard? Oh, friend. You're not alone. And it's not because joy is missing. It's because we don't know how to access it. Yet. In this episode we'll break that down. Here's what you'll learn:

• The real difference between "feeling good" and true joy (Hint: one numbs you, the other strengthens you.)
• Why joy requires redirection, not perfection (and how President Nelson modeled this masterfully—yes, through heartbreak).
• How boredom might actually be your biggest spiritual opportunity (and how to use that 5 minutes when your brain wants to scroll.)
• The simple, joyful way to "collect God's promises" — one verse at a time.
• Three real-life examples from scripture you can copy today:
• Isaiah 61 and binding your broken heart
• Enos and praying for people who've hurt you
• Alma the Younger and God hearing a parent's prayers

No guilt. No forced positivity. Just real joy, the kind that grows your confidence in God and yourself. Big Takeaway Joy isn't something you wait for. Joy is something you collect, one promise at a time. When you gather God's promises, you gather spiritual power. Try This (Your Joy Challenge for the Week) Just once this week, when your brain defaults to scrolling or snacking from boredom, redirect. 📖 Open your scriptures for 5 minutes. 🔎 Find one promise. 💚 Write it down or mark it. (Extra credit: mark promises in green like I do—green for growth.) Watch what starts to change. If You Loved This Episode

• Go listen to Part 1: Repentance as a joyful practice
• And Part 2: Covenants and spiritual power You'll see how all three build on each other. Trust me — it's worth it.

Let's Stay Connected If this resonated with you, share a screenshot, tag me, or send it to a friend who needs a lift. Joy grows fastest when shared.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Sign up for Danielle's personal newsletter

• Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends

• Danielle's music on Spotify

If you've ever thought, "Can't I be a good person without all the rules of organized religion?" — this episode is for you. In Part 2 of our Spiritual Power series, Danielle gets real about something a lot of us quietly wrestle with: feeling disconnected in our worship, going through the motions, or wondering what the point of covenants even is. Here's what you'll discover in today's episode: ✨ Why covenants are not about rules — they're about relationship. ✨ The story of Abraham in Genesis 15, and how it shows God's covenant love — His hesed — a love that never quits on you. ✨ The surprising meaning of the number five in scripture (and what it reveals about grace). ✨ Why "letting God prevail" doesn't mean giving up — it means giving over. ✨ What covenant living looks like in real life for a woman in midlife — especially if you're worried about your young adult kids and trying to trust God with their journey. You'll also hear powerful insights from President Russell M. Nelson and Emily Belle Freeman, woven with personal stories from Danielle — including one about faith, fear, and finding God in an ambulance ride with her infant son. This episode will help you: 💛 Understand where covenants come from — and how they still matter today. 💛 Feel more grounded and confident in your relationship with God. 💛 Remember that faith isn't about perfection — it's about partnership. So if you've been craving a deeper connection with Heaven, or just wondering why covenants matter in a modern world — this conversation will shift something inside you.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

• Follow Danielle on Instagram

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• Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends

• Danielle's music on Spotify

Welcome to a new three-part series on Spiritual Power — inspired by the remarkable life and teachings of President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In this first episode, I'm sharing lessons that have changed the way I see repentance — not as something heavy or guilt-driven, but as a source of joy and strength. President Nelson once taught about "the joy of daily repentance" in his 2022 talk The Power of Spiritual Momentum — and in a world full of fear, uncertainty, and division, that simple phrase holds extraordinary power.

Together, we'll explore how daily repentance helps us:

• 🌿 Gain strength to overcome the world — even when the world feels heavy.

• 💫 Find freedom from fear — by turning our hearts toward God instead of anxiety.

• 🕊️ Experience greater peace — through humility, honesty, and daily reflection.

• ❤️ Build deeper unity in our families — by practicing apology, forgiveness, and connection.

You'll hear how these promises have unfolded in my own life and how modern psychology beautifully supports what prophets have always taught — that humility, self-forgiveness, and honesty restore our mental and emotional well-being.

Because daily repentance isn't about shame or perfection. It's about becoming. It's about building spiritual power — one quiet, courageous choice at a time.

In this episode, we talk about: ✨ Lessons from President Russell M. Nelson's remarkable life — heart surgeon, prophet, and disciple of Christ. ✨ The connection between repentance and psychological well-being. ✨ How humility and honesty invite peace and freedom. ✨ Simple daily practices that restore spiritual momentum and joy.

A gentle invitation for the week: Take a quiet moment each night and ask Heaven one simple question:

"Father, what is one thing I could do a little better tomorrow?"

Not because you're not enough — but because you're in the process of becoming.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends

• Danielle's music on Spotify

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and today's conversation is tender, raw, and full of hope. I'm sitting down with my dear friend who lost her brother to suicide over 30 years ago. Together we talk about the weight of that loss, how grief has shaped her life, and the ways she has found resilience and meaning over the years.

In this episode we explore:

• What it's like to navigate the first days and years after losing a loved one to suicide.

• How to honor and keep alive the memory of someone we love while still moving forward with life.

• The role of compassion, rituals, and connection in carrying grief with grace.

• What helps and what hurts when supporting someone who is grieving.

• Where hope can be found, even in the aftermath of devastating loss.

Whether you have personally lost someone to suicide, are supporting a loved one through grief, or want to better understand how to show up for others, this conversation offers honesty and encouragement. My guest's story reminds us that though grief changes us, it can also teach us resilience, deepen our compassion, and help us live with more love.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please know that help is available:

• In the U.S., call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline anytime, day or night.

• If you're outside the U.S., please look up your local crisis line number or go to the nearest emergency department.

• Local: Stay MENtally Strong Foundation founded by Gina Oliverson in loving memory of Sean.

Your life matters. You are not alone.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends

• Danielle's music on Spotify

Have you ever felt like the world is just… too much? The noise never stops — the headlines, the worries, the family concerns — and you wonder where to find peace in days that feel anything but peaceful? In this final episode of Be Still: A Summer of Meditation, we're wrapping up with a verse that feels like an antidote to the chaos: "Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me." (Doctrine and Covenants 19:23) This promise from the Savior gives us a three-step pattern we can practice in our everyday discipleship:

• Learn of Him — discovering His qualities and picturing ourselves walking beside Him.
• Listen to His words — creating space in our prayers for God's voice to speak.
• Walk in His Spirit — choosing quiet strength even when anger is justified.

All summer long, we've been practicing how to "be still and know" — weaving together the wisdom of meditation, the truths of neuroscience, and the hope of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We've learned how quieting our hearts opens the door to the Spirit, how stillness rewires the brain for peace, and how even in a world where prophecy says peace will be taken from the earth, Christ promises, "You shall have peace in me." This last episode ends with a guided meditation that will help you step away from the noise, walk with Him in the meekness of His Spirit, and carry His peace into your day. Whether you've been here for all ten episodes or you're just joining us today, I'm so glad you're here. You'll leave this conversation with practices you can use in prayer, in study, and in your everyday relationships — practices that help you hear Him more clearly and feel His peace more deeply.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends

• Danielle's music on Spotify