Hope Comes to Visit

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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-parenting isn’t collaborative.

I have so many favorite moments from this episode - but Jessica helps women move through divorce with grace, creativity, and community. We talk about what it means to put yourself at the center of your life, how to communicate with kids and exes, and why tiny, steady steps matter more than grand gestures.

We cover

• The moment Jessica knew divorce coaching was her calling (“like a bolt of lightning”)
• The 3 buckets of her coaching: logistics, communication strategy, identity
• Why “there’s no such thing as a broken marriage—only an evolving one”
• Being targeted online for empowering women (and why that’s threatening)
• Practical ways to feel less alone in the loud/quiet chaos of divorce

Connect with Jessica

• Website: https://divorcecoachformoms.com
• Instagram: @divorcecoachformoms
• TikTok: @divorcecoachformoms

If this helped, please leave a review and share it with one friend who needs a little light. 💙

Chapters
00:00 Cold open — “Laugh, cry, cuss—it’s all OK here.”
00:30 Welcome + who Jessica is
02:00 The post that changed everything
04:20 “Bolt of lightning”—how coaching chose her
06:45 The 3 buckets: logistics, comms, identity
09:58 Grief that resurfaces in tiny moments
12:40 Empowering women online (and the backlash)
16:20 “Not broken—evolving” co-parenting reality check
20:30 First steps when you’re overwhelmed
23:40 How Jessica defines hope
26:20 Books + what’s next

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit

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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 “nothing changes if nothing changes.”

Listen for:
 • The difference between fixing and loving
 • Boundaries that protect you (and your relationship)
 • Finding your recovery “thing” ( prayer, movement, community, AA)
 • Talking with kids—and letting hope grow at home

00:00 Cold open: “It’s okay not to be okay…”
 01:20 Meet Tina & why this conversation matters
 03:30 The love story (and the first red flags)
 05:55 “Unpredictable weather”: what living with addiction felt like
 08:40 Trying to lead by example—and why it backfired
 12:10 Triggers, safety, and setting real boundaries
 17:20 The turning point: prayer, “Chainbreaker,” and choosing life
 20:30 Early sobriety at home: money, peace, presence
 24:00 Parenting through guilt; making room for both gratitude and ache
 28:10 What she’d do differently; therapy for the partner
 31:00 “Find your thing”: AA, faith, movement, community (Kava)
 35:15 The boundary that held: love and consequences
40:10 From storm to rainbow: family now
44:10 Tina’s message to partners who want to stay
45:30 Hope, defined

Special Guest: Tina Marie Hamby — IG/FB: @TinaHambyMUA (hair/makeup & wedding officiant)

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit

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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: kids-first decisions, private huddles + public alignment, respect over ego, and informed support through recovery. No trick plays—just fundamentals we run every day.

Today’s game plan

• Kids-First Offense: decisions that put the children on the scoreboard, not our egos
• The Huddle Rule: disagree in private, align in front of the kids
• Support in Recovery: why addiction isn’t a decision—and what real support sounds like
• Forgiveness = Fitness: how letting go brings you peace (and better play)
• Launching the Rookies: why we pushed for out-of-state schools and independence

Chapters
00:00 Why this conversation now
01:04 What made co-parenting work
06:02 Supporting sobriety (for real)
10:46 Pride, growth, modeling for our kids
12:10 Advice for families walking with addiction
16:47 Forgiveness that brings peace
24:41 Our top co-parenting rules
30:27 Launching kids far from home
33:21 Choosing happiness & team mentality
35:34 Don’t bad-mouth the other parent
36:48 Jeff’s definition of hope
37:30 Close

Links & resources mentioned

Atomic Habits — James Clear

Elizabeth Vargas, Between Breaths (for loved ones of someone struggling with addiction)

Connect with Jeff - LinkedIn

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit

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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 you. You’ve taken a chance on me—and on this new season.

I’m choosing Audacity for its tiny brave steps, presence over perfection, and hope that shows up.

Season 2 starts officially starts here. Season one left us with FORTY-THREE episodes of hope and I am damn proud of that. 
Here and now, I have the AUDACITY to believe there are more extraordinary and epic, challenging and beautiful, inspired AND inspiring stories of hope yet to be shared and life that is worth showing up for.

So, in this first episode, I share my word of the year—Audacity—and why I'm choosing the tender, steady kind of bold: showing up, taking tiny consistent action, and letting hope light the way....as well as the AUDACITY framework that is lighting and igniting my path for 2026, as well as lessons from sobriety and, of course, a loving nudge to pick YOUR word for 2026.

Mentioned in the podcast: Atomic Habits by James Clear and Hell Yeah or No by Derek Sivers

 xo, Danielle

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit

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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. 

Every story has a turning point and she joins me to talk about hers...including her new USA TODAY bestselling book Hope All the Way—and the life behind it. Theo shares the day everything changed: her mother’s tragic death in a farm accident, the unraveling of her marriage, the sudden loss of her counselor, and—three years later—her father’s suicide. Through it all, Theo kept writing, first in private journals, then in two books: My Grief Is Not Like Yours and now Hope All the Way.

We talk about the “black paint” of early grief and the tiny chips of light that follow. Theo opens up about the signs that kept showing up (from song lyrics to butterflies), the in-depth grief study she commissioned to ground the conversation in data, and why so many grievers simply want to be heard. She offers gentle practices—honor where you are, open your eyes to what helps, permit yourself to do less, and remember to enjoy what’s still here.

If you’re on the tar-side of grief or walking with someone who is, this conversation is both a steady hand and a soft place to land.

Guest: thinktheo.com

You can connect with Theo at [email protected]

 Books: Hope All the Way; My Grief Is Not Like Yours (both also on Audible, narrated by Theo)

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit

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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 with Shona McIntyre, a senior care advisor, social worker, and certified dementia practitioner with nearly two decades of experience helping families navigate complex decisions with clarity, compassion, and confidence.

We unpack the messy middle: noticing early signs of change, starting “the talk” without stripping dignity, and why planning before a hospital crisis protects both options and peace of mind. Shona explains the real differences between independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing—and why modern senior communities look more like apartment living with support (think chef-prepared meals, robust activities, and on-site care).

We also dig into caregiver guilt, how to frame conversations around safety + independence, what actually determines a good fit (level of care, lifestyle, and budget), and the huge time savings of working with a local advisor who has walked the buildings, tasted the food, and knows the teams.

If you’re caring for an aging parent—or love someone who is—this episode is a steady hand on your shoulder and a practical path forward.

Guest: Shona McIntyre — seniorcommunityconnections.net
Resource: The Caregiver’s Advocate (Vol. 2)

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit

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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 kleptomania—an often-hidden addiction—and has paid steep personal and legal costs. This conversation is brave and vulnerable. We talk about the difference between “shoplifting” and a clinical compulsion, how shame and secrecy keep us sick, what (actually) helps day-to-day, and why, for Kelli, hope looks like refusing to give up—one hour, one errand, one decision at a time.

We cover:

• Kleptomania vs. “casual shoplifting” (compulsion, not character)
• Consequences: arrests, career loss, media fallout—and rebuilding anyway
• Supports that help: meetings, service, meds, accountability
• Real-life tactics: don’t shop alone, stay in the same aisle, phone-in support
• Triggers everywhere (stores on every route) and how to plan around them
• Redefining hope when relapse happens

Resources & Links

• CASA (Kleptomania & Shoplifters Anonymous) — weekly meeting info
• Terry Shulman’s counseling/resources for theft & compulsive behaviors
•  Instagram and TikTok: @twoliveswithkel

If you or someone you love is struggling, please reach out to a licensed professional or a local support line.

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit

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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 Hull—author, speaker, coach, fierce advocate, and Drew’s mom. After losing her son in a tragic drowning, Melissa has worked to choose a different ending for herself: love in motion, faith as a daily practice, grief as a path that can still lead to purpose.

In this conversation, we get real about:

• why presence over platitude matters when you don’t know what to say
• practical water safety Melissa teaches in classrooms (and why it saves lives)
• the letter that became her lighthouse—and how choice + agency help us heal
• self-forgiveness as parents, especially around the holidays
• tangible ways to support grieving friends (and how to ask for what you need)

If you’re in a tender season, consider this a steady hand to hold.

Resources & Links for Connecting with Melissa
Guest: melissahull.com
Book: Dear Drew: Creating a Life Bigger Than Grief
Earlier memoir: Lessons from Neverland

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit

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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—the Amazon bestselling author of Inkbound Inheritance—to talk about imagination, healing through story, and the courage it takes to begin. We explore how grief shapes us, why stories can steady us, and what it’s really like to indie-publish a debut that lands on the charts.

In this episode

• The spark behind Inkbound Inheritance (a storyworld you can inherit!)
• Grief as a teacher: what young K.T. learned vs. adult K.T. carrying others
• Practical creative tools: finding your why, building a support circle, starting small
• Indie publishing 101: timelines, control, and the long game
• Hope, defined—when it feels like the ocean keeps crashing over you

Guest: K.T. Jay — Website: KTJAuthor.com | IG: @KTJAuthor
Book: Inkbound Inheritance (Amazon) & on (Barnes & Noble)

Share this episode with a friend who’s been meaning to start, but needs a little light.

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit

Send us Fan Mail

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: Steve’s Hot Dogs, Steve’s Meltdown, The Fountain on Locust, and The Stardust Room.

Danni and I talk about what it really means to be “a neighborhood place”: paying people with dignity, creating spaces where everyone belongs, and showing up when a tornado rips through the block. You’ll hear how Feed the People began with one donated meal and grew into thousands, why catering and gift cards can literally keep doors open, and how abundance (not fear) guides her leadership.

I walked away reminded that hope is both feeling and practice—served hot, with community at the center.

In this episode you’ll learn

• Simple, concrete ways to help local restaurants & the Delmar Maker District
• Why transparency with your team builds real loyalty
• How to turn a business into a neighborhood’s rally point
• What it looks like to believe it gets better—and act like it

Take a next step
Book catering from a local restaurant, buy a gift card you’ll use later, or say yes to that neighborhood event invite. Little things add up.

Connect with Danni at Hustl Hospitality Group and on LinkedIn.

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit