Mark Smeby

Mark believes hope offers us a new perspective on everything. And nothing brings him joy like the opportunity to share hope-whether it's on stage at a church somewhere in the Midwest, a school in Florida, through a book like "The Messenger," on the airwaves with his Live Hope Minute daily radio feature, or behind bars at a local prison. Someone going through an intense, personal challenge might "accidentally" stumble across something that Mark creates--a song, a blog, a tweet--that ends up giving them a glimpse of hope. Amazing. Mark has lived in Nashville for about 25 years, and has seen the rise and fall of many people's dreams. He's studied the entertainment industry and how it works (and doesn't). He's gone after my own dreams and have been met with both incredulous silence and incredible success. He's had his songs find audiences all over the world, acted on national television and in a handful of movies. He's had had writing published in dozens of magazines and online sites, and has written several books (some for others, and a couple for himself!). And he get to travel around the country delivering messages of hope at live events with his speaking and music. And he'll probably be doing it while drinking a cup of coffee, and wondering if the Minnesota Twins might be able to come up with a winning season this year.