Be Someone's Hope — Beth Collier Communication, Creativity & Leadership Strategist

Last night I did that thing you shouldn’t do before going to bed.

I jumped on twitter to see what was happening.

And there I saw among the trending topics: “Bo and Hope.”

To many in the UK, this probably meant nothing.

But I knew exactly what it meant.

Bo Brady.

Hope Williams Brady.

From Days of Our Lives.

THE supercouple of ALL soap opera supercouples.

General Hospital fans will try to say it’s Luke and Laura, but Luke raped Laura and then she fell in love with him.

So no, sit down. It’s Bo and Hope all the way.

I haven’t seen Days in nearly 20 years (when I left the US to move to New Zealand) but my love of Days began as a child, when I had a babysitter whose TV played various soap operas while she was watching me.

Should I have been watching soap operas at that age?

No. But I was.

And Days was my favorite.

And there was no cooler character than Hope Williams Brady.

Hope, played by Kristian Alfonso, was stunningly beautiful. But it wasn’t just her beauty that made her appealing.

Kristian Alfonso first portrayed Hope on Days of Our Lives in the 1980s

Hope had personality. Fire.

She was smart and strong. Tough, but loving and kind.

She was a fictional character I admired: right up there with Wonder Woman and Princess Leia.

So when I got a Cabbage Patch Doll at age 8 or 9, I named her Hope.

Not my Hope Cabbage Patch Doll, but close!

And by an incredible twist of fate, in 1998, I found myself walking on to the NBC lot in Burbank to be an intern at Days of Our Lives.

NBC in Burbank, where I was an intern at Days

It was a sunny Monday in January when I began my internship, and after meeting the producers that morning, I was given a tour of the sets.

I had just been shown the wardrobe department and the hair and make-up room when I saw Kristian Alfonso walking towards me in the hall.

I couldn’t believe it: The real Hope Williams Brady was in front of me.

I remember seeing copies of this in the Days office

“Hey Kristian,” the guy showing me around said casually.

“This is Beth, she’s the new intern.”

I was 20 years old – probably around the same age Kristian was when I first saw her on TV.

Her bouncy brown curls were now straight, but she was so glamorous – and even more beautiful in person.

Kristian reached out her hand to shake mine, smiled, and said, “Welcome.”

Just the way she said “welcome” made me feel special. Most people say “nice to meet you” but Kristian said “welcome.”

This person I admired said one word to me – welcome – and 24 years later, I still remember how good that moment felt.

I smiled and said thank you, as if I was meeting someone I had no history with.

She had no idea how excited I was, or what that moment meant to me.

Even though I worked and interacted with Kristian for six months, I never told her how much I had admired her character when I was growing up (or the Cabbage Patch connection).

Until now.

When I saw Bo and Hope was trending, I did something I rarely do.

I sent a tweet.

“True story – I met Kristian Alfonso the first day I started interning at Days in 1998. She was unbelievably beautiful, shook my hand and said ‘welcome’ - and I had to play it cool and resist telling her that I named my Cabbage Patch Doll ‘Hope’ after her.”

I went to bed and the next morning I saw a notification on my phone.

Kristian (or someone managing her account) had shared my tweet, along with three emojis.

Seeing that tweet made me smile – and took me back to that hallway at NBC in 1998.

So why am I sharing this story?

Because it has a connection to business.

Kristian Alfonso probably won’t remember that day from 1998.

But I remember it vividly.

Because it mattered to me.

And you don’t have to be a famous actress to be a ‘Hope Williams Brady’ to someone.

Years ago when I worked at a bank, I went to an event with the CEO. I watched in awe as employees nervously approached the CEO asking if they could take a selfie with him.

I saw the looks on their faces when he kindly obliged and engaged in conversation with them.

The moment meant something to them.

I’ve seen it at other organizations, too – where employees looked at mid-level managers as if they were untouchable celebrities.

Some people don’t realize – or maybe they forget – what it feels like to be junior in an organization.

It can be intimidating (and exciting) to meet someone who has more experience and seniority – even if that person isn’t even considered that senior.

You could be Hope to someone and not even know it.

So as new graduates join your company over the next few months, or when you meet new or junior employees, take a nod from Kristian Alfonso.

Extend a bit of kindness.

And make someone feel welcome.

It might not matter that much to you, but it will matter to them.

Trust me.

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Beth Collier loves writing, pop culture, and people who use their power for good.

She also loves helping companies, leaders, and teams improve their communication (and creativity and leadership) through consulting, coaching, and workshops.

Her clients benefit from Beth’s global corporate experience, Midwestern practicality and enthusiasm – and an endless supply of pop culture references.

To find out how Beth can help you become a more confident, creative, and compelling leader – or improve communication in your company – visit www.beth-collier.com or drop her a line at beth@beth-collier.com