There are conversations… and then there are the ones that stay with you.
This is one of those.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Dan Peters—psychologist, executive coach, author, and host of Make It a Great One—for a deeply honest and hope-filled conversation about the power of purpose, presence, and embracing your own evolution.

We talk about:

• Letting go of expectations and choosing alignment over achievement
• Why slowing down might be the most productive thing you do
• Parenting with awareness and heart
• What it means to live from your values in a world that often tells us to hustle harder

Dan shares the story behind his own podcast, his path to creating impact through quiet leadership, and how “making it a great one” can be a way of living, not just a catchy phrase.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, Am I doing this right? Am I becoming who I’m meant to be? — this conversation will remind you that you’re not alone.

And that’s the heartbeat of Hope Comes to Visit: real stories, tender truths, and reminders that even in the in-between, you’re not alone—and transformation is possible.

Thank you for listening to Hope Comes to Visit. If this episode resonated with you, please follow, rate, and share the show — it helps others find their way to these conversations.

New episodes drop every Monday and Friday, so you can begin and end 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.

Hope in Action: A Story of Light and Consistency
with the radiant @CarlaBirnberg

There are people who show up with such unwavering integrity that you feel braver just being near them. That’s how I feel about Carla Birnberg.

In this episode of Hope Comes to Visit, we explore what it means to lead a mission-driven life — one grounded in heart work, radical consistency, and a commitment to showing up even when no one’s watching.

Together, we dive into what it means to live a life rooted in mission — from the soul work she’s doing in Kenya through @NextStepFDN to the powerful practice of showing up consistently for yourself and your community.

We talk about:
Why consistency might be the most underrated superpower
Letting go of external expectations and stepping fully into your truth
What happens when we stop performing and start becoming
And how the Swahili name, Upili, serendipitously ties to my own word of the year: Light

Carla is wise, hilarious, deeply thoughtful, and real. You’ll love her.

This episode? It’s what hope looks like in motion.

Connect with Carla here:
Instagram -@CarlaBirnberg
https://carlabirnberg.substack.com/
The foundation -@NextStep_FDN
https://nextstepfdn.org/
Her project at NSF:
https://nextstepfdn.org/upili/
The WHY (animated, short & created in Kenya by an old Team member)
https://youtu.be/e0nHKIS0eAE?si=BtB55agBX7s2os2y
The book that started it all (the one Venus Williams blurbed)
https://a.co/d/9G97H9G

Thank you for listening to Hope Comes to Visit. If this episode resonated with you, please follow, rate, and share the show — it helps others find their way to these conversations.

New episodes drop every Monday and Friday, so you can begin and end 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.

Finding Art, Hope, and Voice with Little Junior

In this deeply personal episode, I’m joined by my friend Oliver — a gifted creative, devoted father, loving husband, social worker, and the heart behind the artistic identity Little Junior. By day, he serves his community with compassion and care. But within, lives a storyteller, a poet, a music producer, and a man who has fought to find — and use — his voice in a world that often felt too loud.

Born with a hearing disability and living with noise anxiety, Oliver could have stayed silent. Instead, he found a way to create — not in spite of the noise, but through it. His story is one of profound creativity, resilience, and the courage to embrace both stillness and sound in his healing journey.

We talk about identity, legacy, the quiet spaces where creativity is born, and how hope sometimes arrives wrapped in melody and memory. This episode is a celebration of art, of choosing softness in a world that demands hardness, and of letting the truth of who you are guide what you give.

Little Junior is a writer of poetry, a music producer, social worker, an aspiring author, astrologer is his free time, part time introvert. He is also a stellar father, husband, friend, and wise soul - improving the world one conversation at a time.

Connect with him:

• SoundCloud: Little Junior
• Music: YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify under Little Junior.
• Social Media:
  • Website Farsideradio.net (coming soon!)

Thank you for listening to Hope Comes to Visit. If this episode resonated with you, please follow, rate, and share the show — it helps others find their way to these conversations.

New episodes drop every Monday and Friday, so you can begin and end 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

Thank you for listening to Hope Comes to Visit. If this episode resonated with you, please follow, rate, and share the show — it helps others find their way to these conversations.

New episodes drop every Monday and Friday, so you can begin and end 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.