Hope Williams shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Hope, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I have three school-aged children, so the first 90 minutes of my day is usually a little hectic! Getting school clothes ready, brushing teeth, dressing, breakfast, and trying to beat the clock feels like a race. So, once drop-off is complete, I take a moment to reset before transitioning into the rest of my day.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, my name is Hope Williams, and I am the founder of SMILE Project Empowers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to impacting the community through programs and services that connect, inspire, and empower.
What makes SMILE Project unique is the intentionality behind everything we do. Every program is built with a story and a purpose. For example, the Holiday Angel Tree, launched in 2018, was inspired by my own personal loss and supports children who have lost a parent.
Our etiquette workshops, now in the third year, began after a conversation with a longtime supporter who is a certified etiquette consultant. Together, we created a space for girls to build confidence and navigate social settings with grace and poise.
We just completed the 7th annual Celebrating Girls of Color program, which was born from a conversation with another mother who identified certain unmet needs. I wanted to create an experience that addressed those needs while uplifting and celebrating our girls. This year was absolutely amazing as we focused on introducing the girls to unconventional careers with our theme “Unboxed: Reimagining what’s possible.”
These are just a few examples of our initiatives. Since founding SMILE Project in 2016, the organization’s reach has grown far beyond what I imagined, and I am deeply honored and grateful to be part of this story.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
At this point, the relationship that has most shaped how I see myself is the one I share with my children. Being a mother has tested me in ways I never imagined. It has pushed me to limits I sometimes fear might break me, while also stretching me to discover strengths I didn’t know I have. Through their eyes, I’ve learned patience, resilience, and a depth of love that continually reshapes who I am.
This journey of motherhood mirrors the work I do in my life and through SMILE Project Empowers: turning challenges into growth, transforming grief into purpose, and discovering strength in places I never thought to look. My children, much like the mission of my nonprofit, remind me daily that love, perseverance, and healing are not just abstract concepts; they are lived experiences that shape the core of who we become.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
I have never considered the term “defining wound” before, but it resonates deeply with my story. My mother died when I was six, and I did not experience another loss of that magnitude until my grandmother passed when I was 26. These two losses have shaped me in profoundly different ways.
My mother’s death left an unexplainable void, one that has taken on different forms at various points in my life. It is a sorrow I carry still, the knowledge that she is missing so much of my journey and that my children will never have the chance to experience her love. My grandmother’s death, years later, brought with it the painful reality of grief, allowing me to truly feel the sting of losing someone I loved deeply.
It is the absence of my mother and the experience of losing my grandmother that I would consider my defining wounds. These losses became the catalysts for my work through SMILE Project Empowers and allows me to turn grief into purpose, and honor their legacies by helping others find healing, hope, and connection.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is, at its core, the real me…just with some intentional modifications.
By profession, I am a mental health counselor and the founder of a nonprofit organization. These roles reflect my values and my commitment to helping others, which are central to who I am.
I am naturally reserved and tend to prefer doing more than talking and being seen. While my professional and public roles allow me to operate with compassion, which is the essence of my “real” self, in my professional life, I’ve had to push myself to be seen and heard more than I would naturally choose. In many ways, showing up publicly has become its own practice in courage and authenticity.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when my surroundings are organized and quiet. Growing up as the only child in the house, I became accustomed to having space to think and reflect. Now, as part of a family of five, those moments of stillness are rare and deeply cherished. They allow me to recharge, center myself, and reconnect with what matters most.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.smileprojectempowers.com
- Instagram: smileprojectempowers
- Facebook: smileprojectempowers
Image Credits
Charmaine Edwards’ Photography and Design
