Jess Ask
Jess Ask the Podcast is the safe space where transparency meets transformation.Hosted by Jessica S. Smith, this podcast creates room for the honest conversations believers are thinking about but don’t always know where to process out loud. From faith and identity to obedience, relationships, and purpose, each episode explores what it really looks like to become who God can trust.Through real conversations with influencers, leaders, and everyday believers, Jess Ask offers encouragement, perspective, and practical wisdom for those navigating growth in real time.If you’re building, healing, or becoming, this podcast is here to remind you that...
Can We Trust Phillip Ensler? | EP170
Can we trust the people asking for our vote?
We sat down with Alabama Lieutenant Governor candidate Phillip Ensler to get beyond campaign talking points and meet the person behind the candidacy. From moving from New York to Alabama and teaching in Montgomery to grief, therapy, education, youth violence, public service and why he chose to run, this conversation asks a simple question: Who is Phillip Ensler—and can we trust him?
Jess Ask The Podcast is the safe space where transparency meets transformation. Host Jessica S. Smith creates space for honest conversations about faith, purpose, pe...
Is Your Idea Worth Spreading? | My TEDx Experience | EP169
Is your idea worth spreading?
After completing my first TEDx talk, Desiree and I sat down to talk about what the experience REALLY required from me—and surprisingly, this conversation became about much more than standing on a TEDx stage.
I battled fear. I procrastinated. Imposter syndrome had me wondering if they had chosen the wrong person. And somewhere in the process, I had to stop focusing on delivering the talk “right” and actually build a relationship with the idea I had been given.
That's when everything shifted.
My original idea was simple: Life c...
Should Christians Use AI? | FT Cynthia Respert | EP168
Should Christians use artificial intelligence?
In this episode of Jess Ask the Podcast, Jessica S. Smith and Desiree welcome AI strategist and entrepreneur Cynthia Respert for a thoughtful conversation about faith, technology, entrepreneurship, and stewardship. Together they discuss how believers can approach AI with wisdom, use it as a tool without replacing dependence on God, and navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with emerging technology. Cynthia also shares her inspiring journey as an entrepreneur and cancer survivor, reminding listeners that purpose and perseverance often grow through life's greatest challenges.
Jess Ask The Podcast is the...
What Does a Relationship with the Holy Spirit Actually Look Like? | EP167
What if you've accepted Jesus...
…but never fully embraced the Helper He promised?
In this week's episode of Jess Ask the Podcast, Jessica S. Smith and Desiree have one of their most honest conversations yet about what it truly means to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit.
From a candid story about navigating faith in relationships to unpacking the gift of praying in a heavenly language, this episode isn't about religious performance—it's about intimacy with God.
Whether you've walked with God for years or you're simply curious about the Holy Spirit, this...
The Legacy You're Forgetting to Build | Ft. Garrick C. Francis | EP166
What if legacy has nothing to do with what you leave behind...
…and everything to do with who you've prepared to carry it?
This week on Jess Ask the Podcast, Jessica S. Smith and Desiree sit down with legacy strategist, coach, and host of the Inheritance to Income Podcast, Garrick C. Francis, for a conversation that will completely reshape how you think about family, purpose, and generational impact.
Together they explore why legacy is far more than money or property—it's the values, conversations, relationships, and intentional preparation that equip future generations to thrive.
Whet...
The Hidden Cost of Dimming Your Light | Wykeria Clark | EP165
How many dreams have been delayed because you kept shrinking yourself?
This week on Jess Ask the Podcast, Jessica S. Smith and Desiree sit down with entrepreneur, educator, worship leader, and founder of Wykeria Dance & Performing Arts, Wykeria Clark, for one of the most transparent conversations yet.
Wykeria shares the moment she almost closed her dance studio after years of pouring into others while carrying the weight alone. What followed wasn't just a business breakthrough—it was a lesson in trusting God's vision, receiving help, and embracing the visibility He had been preparing her for all along.
How to Build Confidence in Your God-Given Calling | FT Danita A. Scott | EP164
What if the gift you've been second-guessing is exactly what God told you to monetize?
In this episode of Jess Ask The Podcast, Jessica S. Smith sits down with Danita A. Scott — kingdom entrepreneur and course creation strategist — for a conversation about confidence, assignment, and what it really looks like to trust God with your gifts. Danita opens up about quitting her corporate job on her birthday, watching God grow her first email list of 200 people into a five-figure day, and the moment she asked God to stop the funnel because she was too afraid to handle what He was...
Why God Calls You Out of Your Comfort Zone | FT Magan Battle | EP163
What happens when God calls you to something you specifically told Him you didn't want?
In this episode of Jess Ask The Podcast, Magan Battle — the youngest founder of a real estate brokerage firm in Birmingham, Alabama — joins host Jessica S. Smith for a conversation that is equal parts testimony, strategy, and straight talk. Magan opens up about never wanting to be a broker, the string of divine confirmations that wouldn't let her say no, and the hardest year of her life — losing her father unexpectedly, watching her mother fight stage 4 breast cancer, and watching deal after deal fall ap...
Doug Jones on Alabama's Biggest Problems | EP162
Former U.S. Senator Doug Jones joins Jess and Desiree for an honest conversation about the future of Alabama. Together they discuss education, healthcare, mental health, prisons, voting, small businesses, agriculture, and why leadership should create room for everyone at the table. Whether you're politically engaged or just trying to better understand the issues affecting your community, this episode offers thoughtful conversation centered on transparency, service, and hope for Alabama.
Jess Ask The Podcast is the safe space where transparency meets transformation. Host Jessica S. Smith creates space for honest conversations about faith, purpose, personal growth, and the...
Why You’re Still Avoiding It | EP161
What if the thing you've been avoiding is the exact thing God needs you to walk back through?
In this episode of Jess Ask The Podcast, Jessica S. Smith and Desiree sit down for a raw, Spirit-led conversation about avoidance, identity, and what it really means to get over it — not in the dismissive sense, but in the biblical one. Jessica opens up about a moment she avoided revisiting for over a year because it made her feel like she wasn't enough, and what happened when she finally went back.
Through personal testimony and the Word, this epi...
The Mindset Keeping You Stuck | FT Steve Wilmer | EP160
This week on Jess Ask the Podcast, Jess and Desiree welcome Steve Wilmer, entrepreneur, sales coach, and host of the 3% Mindset Podcast.
Together they discuss faith, finances, entrepreneurship, rejection, pricing, delegation, leadership, and the mindset shifts required to create lasting transformation. Steve shares practical lessons from his journey from financial hardship to business success while encouraging listeners to take ownership of their growth and embrace consistent action.
This episode is a reminder that success is often found on the other side of discipline, execution, and persistence.
Jess Ask The Podcast is the safe...
Why You're Still Procrastinating | EP159
Why do we keep putting things off even when we know we should move forward?
In this episode of Jess Ask the Podcast, Jess and Desiree discuss the connection between procrastination, perfectionism, surrender, and obedience. Through personal stories and practical insight, they explore how the pursuit of perfection can keep people stuck, delay purpose, and create unnecessary pressure.
This conversation challenges listeners to release control, embrace progress, and trust God one step at a time.
Jess Ask The...
Conviction vs Condemnation | EP158
This week on Jess Ask the Podcast, Jess and Desiree have an honest conversation about the difference between conviction and condemnation.
Together, they unpack the role of the Holy Spirit, spiritual correction, shame, forgiveness, obedience, and how conviction can actually lead believers closer to healing and righteousness rather than rejection.
This episode challenges listeners to examine their relationship with God, understand the purpose of conviction, and stop allowing shame to keep them spiritually stuck.
Jess Ask The Podcast is the safe space where transparency meets transformation. Host Jessica S. Smith creates space for...
Why Men Suffer In Silence | FT Sharpen Up Podcast | EP157
Healthy brotherhood can change everything.
This week on Jess Ask the Podcast, Jess and Desiree sit down with Tyler Anderson and Art Ruffin from Sharpen Up Podcast for a transparent conversation about vulnerability, masculinity, healing, accountability, and the importance of community among Black men.
The conversation explores emotional isolation, church culture, identity, transformation, and how authentic relationships can sharpen and strengthen people through every season of life.
This episode reminds us that healing was never meant to happen alone.
ABOUT JESS ASK THE PODCAST
Jess Ask The Podcast is the safe spa...
The Truth About Addiction, Shame & Healing | FT George Gilliam | EP156
What happens when rock bottom looks like a country club basement — and a way out looks like a pizza oven?
This week on Jess Ask the Podcast, Jessica sits down with George Gilliam — founder of Uncle G's Pizza in Birmingham, Alabama — for one of the most honest conversations the Safe Space has ever held. George shares his journey from growing up privileged and blind to it in Charlottesville, Virginia, through a drug addiction that took him all the way to heroin and crack cocaine, to the moment in a rehab lecture that finally broke him open. He talks about w...
What Happens When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayer? | FT Brad Graydon & Pastor Lestley | EP155
What happens when you pray… and God doesn’t answer the way you hoped?
This week on Jess Ask the Podcast, Jessica sits down with Brad Graydon and Pastor Leslie for a deeply transparent conversation about prayer, revival, disappointment, and learning how to truly commune with God.
From building the “Fire Dome” prayer movement in Birmingham to navigating grief after losing a child, this episode explores what authentic faith looks like beyond performance.
If you’ve struggled with unanswered prayers, hearing God’s voice, or feeling disconnected spiritually, this conversation will challenge and encourage you.
ABOU...
How to Break Free From Shame (God Already Forgave You) | EP154
Jess and Desiree dive into the weight of shame and how it keeps people stuck in cycles they were never meant to stay in. Through personal testimony and the story of the woman in John 8, they unpack the difference between confession and testimony, and how choosing freedom changes everything.
ABOUT JESS ASK THE PODCAST
Jess Ask The Podcast is the safe space where transparency meets transformation. Host Jessica S. Smith creates space for honest conversations about faith, purpose, personal growth, and the real journey behind success.
🔔 Subscribe for new e...
You’re Not Being Overlooked… You’re Being Positioned | FT LaDarrius Hutcherson | EP153
What if you’re not being overlooked—you’re just being positioned?
Jess sits down with LaDarrius “L Hut” Hutcherson to talk about purpose, healing, community impact, and the reality of paying your dues. From feeling lost to walking in influence, this episode will challenge how you see your journey.
ABOUT JESS ASK THE PODCAST
Jess Ask The Podcast is the safe space where transparency meets transformation. Host Jessica S. Smith creates space for honest conversations about faith, purpose, personal growth, and the real journey behind success.
🔔...
Why Good Women Are Still Single (Real Talk) | FT K Boogie | EP 152
Jess connects with K Boogie for a candid conversation about dating, relationships, and personal growth. Together, they explore why so many people feel stuck in today’s dating culture, what men and women may be misunderstanding about each other, and how healing, timing, and self-awareness play a role in finding the right partner.
ABOUT JESS ASK THE PODCAST
Jess Ask The Podcast is the safe space where transparency meets transformation. Host Jessica S. Smith creates space for honest conversations about faith, purpose, personal growth, and the real journey behind success.
You’re Not Waiting… You’re Forcing It | EP151
What are you rushing for?
In this episode of Jess Ask the Podcast, Jess and Desiree unpack the tension between trusting God and trying to control outcomes. From misplaced wallets to deeper life frustrations, they explore how impatience reveals what’s really going on internally—and how waiting on God actually strengthens your faith.
This episode is for anyone struggling to slow down, trust God’s timing, and release control.
ABOUT JESS ASK THE PODCAST
Jess Ask The Podcast is where influencers, entrepreneurs, and creatives come to decomp...
Is God Rebranding You? Obedience, Growth & Elevation | EP150
Jessica S. Smith opens an honest conversation about growth, obedience, and what it really means to evolve without losing who you are. As Jess Ask the Podcast enters a new season, she reflects on the emotional side of rebranding and how God often develops us privately before expanding us publicly.
Jess and Desiree discuss why change can feel uncomfortable, how obedience stretches your capacity, and why elevation requires responsibility. This conversation is a reminder that growth isn't about becoming someone different — it's about becoming who you were always meant to be.
If you're navigating change, feeling str...
Can God Trust You With More | EP149
Jess and Desiree dive into a powerful question many believers don't often consider: Can God trust you?
While many people focus on trusting God, this conversation shifts the perspective toward what it means to become trustworthy in the things God assigns. Through honest reflections, scripture, and personal experiences, they discuss how obedience, stewardship, and even suffering can shape spiritual maturity.
They also explore how difficult seasons may not be punishment, but preparation, and how learning God’s heart changes how we navigate challenges. If you're in a season where you're asking God for more, this episode ma...
I Chose Not To Be Bitter: How One Decision Changed Everything | FT Charity Floyd | EP148
Jess sits down with behavior analyst and entrepreneur Charity Floyd to discuss how choosing peace instead of bitterness transformed her life and career. Charity shares her journey into autism advocacy, business ownership, leadership, and trusting purpose over profit. This episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes one mindset decision can change everything.
🎙️ Connect With Our Guest:
Charity Floyd is a behavior analyst and entrepreneur dedicated to expanding access to high-quality autism services through innovative systems, businesses, and professional training programs. She equips ABA professionals with the tools, strategy, and confidence needed to grow their careers, strengthen clinical impac...
Sex, Faith & Waiting: What the Church Never Taught Us | FT Tammy Bowe-LaCroix | EP147
She went from sexual trauma and confusion to helping believers build healthy intimacy in marriage.
Coach Tammy opens up about healing, celibacy, sexuality, and God’s design for intimacy. In this powerful episode of Jess Ask The Podcast, intimacy and relationship coach Coach Tammy joins host Jessica S. Smith for an honest, faith-centered conversation about sexuality, healing, celibacy, and navigating desire as a believer. From childhood trauma and unhealthy relationships to a 10-year celibacy journey and discovering God’s true design for intimacy in marriage, Coach Tammy shares her testimony and practical wisdom for singles and married couples alik...
The Woman Behind the Title: Lashunda Scales on Faith, Family, and Leadership | EP146
She grew up on Section 8, dropped out of college at 19, and almost lost her life. Today she makes the laws. Commissioner LaShunda Scales' story has never been told like this. EPISODE DESCRIPTION Jefferson County Commissioner LaShunda Scales — known in her district as 'Mama Scales' — sits down with host Jessica S. Smith for the most personal conversation of her career. She opens up about growing up in West End Birmingham, being raised by a single mother across multiple schools, dropping out of college, a near-death experience at 19, and the moment she surrendered her life t...
Boundaries vs. Walls: How to Protect Yourself Without Shutting Down | EP145
Description:
Jessica and Desiree get honest about boundaries—why they’re necessary, why they can feel like bondage, and how pain can push us into building walls instead of healthy guardrails. Jessica opens up about repeated relationship patterns, what therapy has revealed, and the struggle of protecting your heart without shutting people out. Together, they break down what boundaries actually are, how to be proactive instead of reactive, and how discernment helps you show up as yourself without giving everyone full access. If you’ve ever asked, “Why does this keep happening to me?” this conversati...
Joseph’s Destination Wasn’t the Palace… It Was the Famine | FT Joy Pittman | EP144
Jess sits down with Joy Pittman to unpack Joseph in a way that shifts everything.
What if the destination was never the palace… but the famine? What if elevation wasn’t about validation, but positioning?
This episode challenges labels, reframes calling, and reminds you to occupy your seat wherever you’re placed. If you’ve been shrinking or questioning your assignment, this conversation will give you language — and the prayer at the end will seal it.
Share it. Review it. And let’s keep building.
Connect With Our Guest:
Joy Pi...
When Creating Feels Like Warfare: Desiree Danielle’s Story + New Book | EP143
Description:
Jess and Desiree Danielle have an honest conversation about what it means to be “created to create” — and why your obedience still counts even when the response is quiet. Desiree shares how her new book was birthed through prayer, the fear of opinions, and the vulnerable shift from producing others to releasing her own voice. Together, they talk excellence vs. perfection, using what’s in your hands, and why God can trust you with more when you’re faithful with what you already have.
Connect With Our Guest:
Why I Stopped Having Sex (And What God Showed Me) | EP142
Description:
This episode is about intimacy — the real kind. Jessica and Desiree discuss abstinence, shame, dating God, and learning self-intimacy in singleness. If you’ve struggled silently in this area, this conversation is for you.
🎙️ Need a place to be reminded you're not alone? The Safe Space is for creators who feel unseen, misunderstood, or ready to give up. Inside this Patreon-only community, you’ll find accountability, biblical wisdom, and encouragement to keep going when it gets hard. This isn’t just content—it’s connection. A reminder that your voice matters, your gifts have p...
“When You’re Out of Season, It Costs More” — Janice Coleman Breaks It Down | EP141
Description:
Warning: this episode might get slippery—because the oil showed up. Jess and Desiree sit down with Janice Coleman for a wisdom-packed conversation on seasons (dispensations), purpose-driven obedience, leadership transitions, and building structure without burning out. If you’ve been trying to figure out what God is doing in your life—or you’ve been frustrated while building—this episode will give you language, direction, and confirmation.
Connect With Our Guest:
Janice has over 30 years of stilettos-on-the-ground experience in the marketplace, helping leaders and organizations maintain relevance in this dynamic, un...
Stop Treating Your Assignment Like a Sneaky Link (5 Builder Mistakes) | EP140
Description:
Jess and Desiree break down 5 mistakes builders make starting out—from treating your assignment like a “sneaky link” to waiting on the “right time” and dishonoring what’s already in your hand. This episode is a push from idea mode to execution, with real examples of partnership, stewardship, and what it looks like to be fully persuaded about what God told you to build.
🎙️ Need a place to be reminded you're not alone? The Safe Space is for creators who feel unseen, misunderstood, or ready to give up. Inside this Patreon-only community, you’ll...
Building with a Partner Without Getting Offended | with Desiree Danielle | EP139
Description:
Building with a partner is beautiful… and frustrating. Jessica and Desiree talk about real partnership: different personalities, different communication styles, and how offense can derail the assignment if you don’t know the heart of who you’re building with. They break down “iron sharpens iron,” healing through the process, and how to stay focused on the purpose instead of the irritation.
🎙️ Need a place to be reminded you're not alone?
The Safe Space is for creators who feel unseen, misunderstood, or ready to give up. Inside this Patreon-only co...
Who Are You When the Mic Is Off? | Real Talk with Dr. Dee Fomby | EP138
Dr. Dee Fomby joins Jess Ask the Podcast for an impromptu conversation, interviewing Jessica S. Smith and Desiree Danielle about identity, pressure, and what it really looks like when the mic is off. They discuss being “the strong friend,” learning to receive, singleness, finances, and the way God proves Himself as Jehovah Jireh in real time.
🎙️ Need a place to be reminded you're not alone? The Safe Space is for creators who feel unseen, misunderstood, or ready to give up. Inside this Patreon-only community, you’ll find accountability, biblical wisdom, and encoura...
Birmingham Built Me: LaDarrius Hutcherson on Therapy, Identity, and Purpose | EP137
Description:
Jessica S. Smith and Desiree welcome LaDarrius Hutcherson to the Safe Space for a thoughtful conversation on therapy, identity, and purpose. LaDarrius shares how Birmingham helped shape who he is today, how therapy challenged old patterns, and what it’s like balancing personal growth while building a public platform. He also introduces his book, Bloom Where You’re Planted, unpacking the deeper meaning behind honoring your roots and recognizing that your environment may be more valuable than you once believed. If you’ve ever felt torn between leaving and staying, evolving and resting, or becoming and rememb...
Are You a Builder, Dreamer, or Visionary? How to Know Your Season | FT JD Fomby | EP136
Description:
Are you a builder, a dreamer, or a visionary—and do you know what season you’re in?
In this episode, Desiree and I sit down with Coach JD Fomby for a real conversation about what it means to build on purpose in 2026. We talk delegation, emotional bandwidth, protecting your circle, and why “doing the work” matters more than chasing a moment.
If you’re navigating growth, leadership, entrepreneurship, ministry, or a brand you’re trying to build—this one is for you.
🎙️ Need a place to be reminded you're not alone? The Safe Spa...
The Year of the Builder: Trusting God’s Plan When Life Shifts | with Desiree Danielle | EP135
Description:
Are you ready for a thought-provoking, honest conversation about building in uncomfortable places? What about trusting God’s timing and releasing shame before stepping into a new season?
Using Jeremiah 29 as our foundation, Desiree and I unpack what it really means to build, plant, and multiply—even when you’re not where you thought you’d be. This episode speaks directly to leaders, builders, entrepreneurs, and anyone navigating transition, relocation, or starting over.
In this episode, we talk about:
Why obedience matters more than clarity
Building structure in unfamili...
Sisterhood, Seasons & Starting Over | FT Kendal Smith | EP134
Description:
Jessica and her sister Kendal (Kendal Tried It) open up about divorce, co-parenting, and what it means to choose yourself without abandoning the people you love. They talk about growing up with divorced parents, breaking generational patterns, single motherhood, and how Kendal went from loctician to content creator while raising three kids.
This one is for the woman who feels unseen, overworked, and still trying to figure out who she is beyond her roles.
Connect With Our Guest:
🎙️ Need a place to be re...
Becoming Her: Healing, Motherhood & Rewriting Your Story | ft. Tiffany N. White | EP133
Description:
In this powerful and deeply transparent episode, Jess sits with Tiffany N. White for one of the most honest and transformative conversations yet. Tiffany opens up about everything: her journey to earning her GED in five days, navigating motherhood as a young single mom, attending an HBCU as a white woman, dealing with online assumptions, rebuilding self-worth, and learning how to flourish after years of survival mode.
They talk identity, healing, boundaries, womanhood, friendships, influence, generational cycles, and what it really takes to become the woman God intended.
If you’ve ever que...
Don’t Fail in Fear: Faith, Femininity & Finding Yourself | FT Britta Tabor | EP132
Description:
In this honest and healing conversation, Jess sits down with Britta Tabor for a transparent look at confidence, calling, femininity, divorce, and the fear of stepping into what God is asking you to do. Britta opens up about rebuilding life after 30+ years of marriage, navigating loneliness, finding herself again, and learning how to show up authentically — online and in real life.
They also dive into fashion identity, dating as an alpha woman, and what it really means to trust God in a waiting season. If you’ve ever struggled with being “too strong...
When Worship Hurts: Homelessness, Healing & Hearing God | ft. Ricka Riley | EP131
Description:
In this deeply transparent episode, Jess sits down with Ricka Riley — worship leader, psalmist, intercessor, and survivor — for one of the most powerful conversations of the season. Ricka opens up about worship beyond the microphone: sacrifice, surrender, dying to self, and learning that real worship begins where comfort ends.
She shares her story of living homeless for three years, surviving verbal and physical abuse at home, navigating church hurt, and wrestling with anger toward God — all while serving, leading worship, and trying to stay faithful. Ricka also discusses her deliverance from 13 years of pornography addict...
