Danielle D. Smith has striven for years to give her all in every aspect of her life while enduring the pain of abuse— physical and mental—as well as rejection from her parents and family. At first, all of this gave her a reason for a pity party, but later, it became her strength and her reason "why." She used God's help to prove the doubters wrong and is now excelling as the mother of a beautiful daughter, a community leader, and a writing and publishing consultant to many who have stories and messages to share. Danielle is now taking on the task of using her role as an author beyond her book, Yesterday’s Tomorrow, which was released in December 2016 under the pen name Danielle Seck. Yesterday’s Tomorrow is a first-hand account of Danielle’s suffering as an abused child. After finding the courage to speak out about the pain she endured, Danielle uses her experience to inspire others to do the same. In November 2016, she was sworn in as a Guardian Ad Litem with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). CASA was a safe haven for her as a child when she was removed from her home because of abuse and neglect. She is “for the child” and is excited to volunteer her time and be a voice for children. The “Don’t Be Quiet” movement’s mission is to help victims of child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, sexual assault, and suicide. In July 2019, Danielle turned her book into a short film that gives a visual account of her book and walks you through the challenge of going from victim to victor. As a result of the award-winning film, Danielle has been sought out by conferences and organizations across the map to teach authors how to do the same with their literary projects. In addition, Danielle is a passionate speaker that brings people together through shared experiences, taking away the struggle of beginning the healing process alone. In the summer of 2019, Danielle began a writers’ club in Ohio, and by the winter of 2019, she began offering classes online, teaching the art of storytelling. She has shared her expertise of writing, publishing, and turning a book into a film in cities across the country. One day, while teaching at Ohio Media School, Danielle found herself in an in-depth conversation with a student about their future in media. This gave Danielle the initial idea to form the Film, Author & Photography Festivals. She spoke with business strategist, Lucinda Cross, and began to envision the possibilities for igniting the passion that our youth have for media. She was emboldened by the idea of showing them how to work in excellence as well as how to strive for their dreams. This turned into the creation of the Columbus F.A.P. Festival, which is built to showcase local, national, and international artists, while also highlighting the work of our youth. Danielle’s efforts have not gone unrecognized. Below is a list of awards and acknowledgments that have been presented to this amazing literary artist and creator: ❖ 2023 Pageant Coach for Miss Black Ohio ❖ 2022 Program Advisor Ashland University Women in Leadership ❖ 2022 Speaker at Confident Women R.O.A.R. Tea ❖ 2022 Panelist at the Women Who Write Conference ❖ 2022 Judge panelist Miss Black Ohio ❖ 2021 Lead Instructor at the Act Like an Author, Think Like a Business Conference ❖ 2021 & 2019 Keynote Speaker at the Miss Black Ohio Pageant ❖ 2020 Winner of the Indie Author Project Regional Contest ❖ 2020 Graduate of the Path To Publishing MBA in Publishing 60-hour Program ❖ 2020-2021 Path To Publishing Literary Consulting Verification Program ❖ 2020-2021 Path To Publishing Certified Literary Instructor/Educator Program ❖ 2020 Weekly Guest Literary Expert on Xtreme Live Talk Show ❖ 2020 VIP Presenter at the Successful Black Women Summit ❖ 2020 Participant in the Documentary No Longer Silent, The Conversation, with Puissance Maison Productions ❖ 2020 Nominated for Author of the Year, Best Group Performance, and Best Drama Performance at the Kingdom Image Awards ❖ 2020 Mistress of Ceremony at the “100 Healed The Experience” Virtual Conference ❖ 2020 Official Selection at the Columbus International Film & Animation Festival ❖ 2020 Workshop Presenter at “Gamechanger” Conference in Atlanta ❖ 2019 Official Selection at the Tylerman Film Festival ❖ 2019 Won Catalyst for Change Award at GloryReelz Christian Film Fest ❖ 2019 Official Selection of Book at the GloryReelz Christian Film Fest and Writer’s Lab ❖ 2019 Commencement Speaker at Whitehall Preparatory and Fitness Academy School ❖ 2019 Nomination for Community Service at the Social Justice Awards ❖ 2019 Nominated for Author of the Year for Beyond The Book Media ❖ 2019 Nomination for Best Group Performance and Best Drama Performance at the Kingdom Image Awards for Her Book to Film ❖ 2019 Workshop Presenter at the Act Like an Author, Think Like a Business Conference in Las Vegas ❖ 2018 Honored for Community Work by Greater Harvest Church ❖ 2018 Awarded Author of the Year from Path to Publishing ❖ 2018 Mistress of Ceremony at Black Career Women’s Network ❖ 2018 Actress in the Stage Play The Man Store ❖ 2017 Speaker at Unlock Your Voice City Tour with R&B Singer Michel’e ❖ 2017 Keynote Speaker at Miss Muslimah Pageant USA