Your Daily Dose of Hope

Latest Episodes:

The Quiet Kind of Gratitude EP 221 Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

Sometimes gratitude doesn’t show up as fireworks. It’s softer than that. It’s the moment you catch your breath in the middle of a busy day and think, “I’m glad I get to do this.”

This happened to me recently while folding laundry, yes, laundry. I was folding towels, warm out of the dryer and I realized that the sunshine was coming through the window, and it hit me that this was a good day.

Nothing grand. Nothing fancy. Just… good. I know I’m fortunate. I get to do work I love, on my own terms (mostly) and I have lots of options and choices about how to plan my time.

Owning your own business gives you flexibility but that also comes with things like making payroll and taking care of tax paperwork and all the admin that’s required. No complaints, but at time, it’s a lot.

Today I want to remember why I chose this life and be thankful for how things have gone so far. Nothing is guaranteed; that’s for sure but I know how grateful I am for where things are today.

It’s a reminder to me that gratitude doesn’t need big moments; it thrives in the smallest ones. When we honor those tiny wins, we build an inner foundation that steadies us when life gets loud or complicated.

Today’s Hope Reminder:

Slow down long enough to notice one ordinary moment that feels good. Let it be enough. Let it remind you that goodness exists right here, right now.

Why Trying Is an Act of Hope EP 220 Nov 21, 2025

Show notes

There’s something powerful about the moment you decide to try—when you apply, raise your hand, throw your hat into the ring, or simply show up. It’s easy to underestimate that moment because results get all the attention. But the truth is, trying is its own declaration.

I once knew someone who applied for a role she wasn’t sure she’d get. She almost talked herself out of it—too many reasons why it wasn’t the “right time.” But she hit submit anyway. She didn’t end up getting that particular opportunity… but the people who reviewed her application kept her in mind. Months later, they reached out about a different role—one that was an even better fit.

Trying matters because it signals something important:You believe there is a possibility worth reaching for.You’re willing to bet on yourself.You’re open to being seen.

And that says everything about who you are—someone who chooses movement over fear, action over hesitation, hope over self-doubt.

When you try, the outcome isn’t the whole story.The act itself is a statement: I’m here. I’m willing. I’m ready for more.

So today’s reminder is simple—try.Your effort is already evidence of hope.

The Email That Changed Someone’s Day EP 219 Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

A colleague of mine once told me she was having a terrible week—one of those “everything is too much” stretches. She wasn’t sleeping well, her projects were overwhelming, and she felt invisible in her own work.

Then someone she barely knew sent a simple email:“I saw what you shared last week. It really helped me. Thank you.”

She cried reading it. Not because it solved anything, but because it reminded her that she mattered, that her work was landing somewhere, with someone.

Several people have messaged me about these short episodes and told me that it helped them on a particularly tough day, and it means the world to me that a short message could find someone when they needed to hear it.

Hope doesn’t always come from inside; sometimes it arrives through other people. A word, a kindness, a recognition.

And here’s the thing: you can be that spark for someone else.You can send the email.You can give the compliment.You can acknowledge the thing someone is doing well.

Today, let hope move in both directions—receive it, and pass it on.

My Christmas Cactus Survival Story EP 218 Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

My Christmas cactus plant is going on 10 years old I think. It’s been repotted a couple of times and it’s huge. For the most part, I don’t have to do much, in fact I think sometimes I overwater it, but it perseveres.

A couple months ago I went to move it over so I could water it and a piece fell off. It was pretty big, a couple of inches long with 2 little branches. I don’t know why but I picked it up and stuck it into some potting soil in a tiny pot.

It looked terrible. I had my doubts it was going to make it. I didn’t really notice it for a week or so and then the next time I looked, it had sprouted new growth and now I think even the tiny piece that broke off is going to bloom.

It’s my reminder that 1. Nature doesn’t need me hovering over it to grow and thrive and 2. Sometimes broken things turn into something new.

Sometimes, hope looks like this: unexpected growth in the places we weren’t paying attention to.

We can try so hard to force progress. To fix it. To rush it. To manage every outcome. But growth has its own timing. Healing has its own rhythm.

Maybe the thing you’re worried about just needs a little space. A shift. A moment without pressure.

Today’s hope: things can revive—even when you’ve almost given up on them.

The Day the Sun Broke Through EP 217 Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

There was a week recently where everything felt gray, literally and figuratively. Endless clouds, frustrating delays, plans falling apart. You know those stretches where it feels like the universe is hitting “pause” on everything you’re trying to do?

Then, midweek, after days of gloom, the sun broke through. Not for long, maybe twenty minutes, but long enough that I noticed and then things shifted.

It’s a frequent reminder that there’s a lot of life we will never be able to control, the weather is definitely part of that list, but I can decide how I want to show up.

Gloomy days are going to happen, and sometimes things aren't going to work out. But sometimes, they do.

And here’s what sticks with me: I get to choose. When things work out, the sun is shining and everything goes smoothy, I’m still the same person who sometimes feels tired and wants to curl up with a good book when it’s pouring down rain.

I get to choose and at the end of the day, that’s hope.Not the permanent sunshine.Just the reminder that brightness still exists, and will return and rainy days are going to happen and I am still okay.

If you’re in a gray patch right now, hang on. Clouds move. Seasons shift. Light always finds its way back.

Look for your twenty minutes of sun today. It might be all you need.

The Power of One Small Yes EP 216 Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

Sometimes hope shows up disguised as a tiny yes. A yes to try. A yes to show up. A yes to believe that maybe, just maybe, things could shift.

I think of my friend who’d been sitting on her business idea for years. She didn’t launch the whole thing at once. She didn’t overhaul her life. She simply said yes to taking one small step: joining a local workshop. That single action opened a door… which led to a conversation… which led to a collaboration… which led to her first paying client.

She was willing to put in the effort, and put herself in the position to take the next step and then the next one after that.

Hope didn’t arrive for her as fireworks or a big change all at once. It arrived as a whisper and an opportunity. A nudge.A small yes.

If you’re waiting for a big sign, here’s your reminder: big things are built from a series of tiny affirmations. Hope grows every time you choose to move one step forward.

What’s one small yes you can give yourself today?

My 5 Favorite Things Right Now EP 215 Nov 14, 2025

Show notes

Today I’m going to do something a bit different. I want to share my 5 favorite things that I appreciate right now. It’s not an exhaustive list. I’m fortunate and grateful for lots of good things in my life. This is just a list of things that I find myself turning to often these days.

Columbus Public Library. I hope where you live you have access to a library like I do. Here in Columbus, it’s a great resource and I appreciate having access to books of course, but also other resources that help me with my business and even spaces I can use to meet up with friends and business peers.
Breakfast with Kelvin. We kinda fell into this routine a while ago and I really like it. We cook and eat breakfast together most days of the week. It’s a great way to start the day, breakfast is the most important meal after all.
Sweater weather. Copying the popular SNL skit is fun! I don’t mind cooler weather and even a bit of cold weather. I hate being hot, so the chance to have cool weather and pull out a cozy sweater or two is awesome.
Being creative without judgement. I’ve talked before about my crafting. It’s something I do for me, a little creative outlet and I really enjoy it. What’s also nice is that I have given myself permission to try things I’m not good at without judgment. Believe me, my projects aren’t anything spectacular, and that’s okay.
Being part of a community of other women business owners. I’m fortunate to be a member in 2 organizations where I can connect with other women who are running a business. It’s a great reminder that we don’t have to do everything on our own.

What 5 things are working in your life right now? Don’t judge or curate. What popped in your head first? Life is filled with little (and some big) things that can allow us to ease up a bit and, embrace a bit of hope.

Your Hope To Do List EP 214 Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

I LOVE a good to-do list. Maybe a little bit too much. I often create lists to help me get all the things out of my brain and into some kind of list that I can then see clearly.

What’ important? What can what? What do I need help with?

A good list can help you see what’s possible too. Not just things to do but things to appreciate and enjoy.

That’s the inspiration for this episode: I’m sharing a hope-to-do list.

Notice small joys. That morning light, the laughter, the kindness, hope grows in the ordinary moments we choose to see.

Speak encouragement, to yourself and others. Hope multiplies when it’s shared out loud.

Rest. Hope isn’t about endless hustle. It’s the quiet trust that things will unfold, even when we pause.

Stay curious. Ask what if it works out? instead of assuming it won’t.

Create something. A note, a meal, a plan, a dream. Creation is hope made visible.

Reach out. Hope thrives in connection, in a text, a smile, or a “thinking of you.”

Remember what you’ve overcome. You’ve already walked through hard things and found your way forward. That’s living proof of hope.

Believe in better days. Not because everything is easy, but because hope insists that better is still possible.

✨ Keep this list where you’ll see it often. Hope isn’t a feeling we wait for — it’s a practice we choose, one small action at a time.

What Season Are You In? EP 213 Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

This has been a beautiful autumn where I live. It’s one of my favorite times of the year because it’s so pretty and it brings me back to memories of high school football games, and bonfires with friends and lots of other fall related experiences.

I get to pull out my favorite sweater and wrap up and it suits me in so many ways. I really love it.

It’s also a reminder of seasonality, the ever changing, forward momentum of all the things. Shorter days, colorful leaves, changes in the landscape, even the color of the sky looks different as we move from summer to fall and now it is nearing winter.

This is a reminder to me and you to embrace the season of life you’re in right now. I know for too long, I was always looking for the next season, the next thing, the next goal or job or big life moment.

It’s natural to want to look ahead with anticipation, but today I hope you’ll take a few minutes to appreciate the season you find yourself in, right now.

Acknowledge where you are and what’s good about it. How did you get here? Can you look back and recognize a few key choices that helped you along the way?

Who is in your circle of trusted friends and family right now? How do they help you and what do you appreciate about them?

When we can be comfortable where we are and grateful for what we have, we can also have the courage and confidence to embrace it, enjoy it and for a little while, really live in the now.

Tomorrow will arrive and there’ll be a time to look forward but today I hope you’ll be able to see how amazing right now is for you.

Veterans Day and The Quiet Power of Hope EP 212 Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Today we honor the men and women who have served in our armed forces.

Service asks for courage, discipline, and sacrifice, but it also requires something quieter and often overlooked: hope.

Hope that their efforts will protect others.

Hope that peace is possible, even when conflict says otherwise.

Hope that the world can move toward something better, one difficult step at a time.

Veterans remind us that hope is not soft or passive.

It's steady.

It's resilient.

It's the belief that the work is worth doing, even when the outcome isn't guaranteed.