Fear To Faith: A Story of Survival and Self-Discovery through Spirituality with Tina Weiss (Episode #164)

In this inspiring episode of Vision Beyond Sight, Dr. Lynn Hellerstein sits down with Tina Weiss—author, entrepreneur, visionary, consultant and philanthropist—to talk about her book Fear to Faith, a story of survival and self-discovery through spirituality, telling her own experiences of traumatic events that left her stranded in a foreign country, and eventually turning that pain into purpose.

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The Healing Power of Creativity

Tina believes, “The arts heal the hearts.” After closing her children’s charity in 2012 to care for her mother, she reopened Hugs and Smiles in 2018 to bring music, art, and dance to underprivileged children. For Tina, creativity fuels the soul, brings joy, and helps people reconnect with who they truly are.

When Life Takes Away Your Identity

Tina’s journey through 2020 brought overwhelming challenges, where she had to cancel a highly anticipated event for her charity due to COVID while she was also dealing with complications from a dental procedure that affected her ability to speak and her father’s declining health. The weight of everything that happened around her made her feel as though she had lost her identity emotionally.

Then, in April 2024, Tina traveled to Europe hoping to heal and rejuvenate. Instead, she was robbed twice in Italy, losing her IDs, money, and credit cards. This time, she felt she had lost her identity physically.

From Fear to Faith

Faced with fear and uncertainty, Tina turned to courage, prayer, and faith. She felt guided by the memory and voice of her grandfather, reminding her that it was not her time and that she still had a purpose to fulfill. She returned home determined to share her experience, eventually writing her journey into a book titled Fear to Faith and envisioning it as a movie.

Listen to Your Heart

Tina encourages people to listen to their hearts while using their minds to process what they have learned. She reminds us not to live on autopilot, especially women who can become so consumed by responsibilities that they forget themselves.

Dr. Lynn adds that there is scientific evidence supporting the importance of heart coherence and the connection between the heart and mind. Sometimes, what we feel in our hearts can guide us toward what our minds cannot yet see.

Finding Your Inner Child

Tina believes we were created to love, experience peace and prosperity, and uplift others. Her work with children continually reminds her of their natural joy and light—qualities many adults lose along the way.

She encourages us to rediscover our inner child by asking: What made you smile? What excited you? What brings your creativity to life?

My Journey. Your Mirror.

Fear to Faith is not necessarily about religion. For Tina, faith can be found through family, community, supportive people, creativity, and service. We all experience fear, anger, pain, and trauma, but we also have a choice about how we respond.

Tina hopes her story helps others move from pain to purpose, trauma to triumph, and fear to faith. Her mantra captures the heart of her message: “My journey. Your mirror.”

Don’t Let Anyone Rob You of Who You Are

Tina’s experiences taught her that identity is about more than what we see. As she says, it is not about what you see with your eyes—it is about what you feel in your heart. You are bolder, smarter, and more courageous than you may realize.

Through writing her book, Tina discovered that many extraordinary women had experienced emotions and struggles similar to her own. Their stories became part of her larger mission to remind others that they are not alone.

Tina is now working to secure funding to bring Fear to Faith to the screen, with a portion of the proceeds planned to support her charity and its mission to help mothers discover creative outlets that bring joy, healing, and upliftment.

ABOUT Tina Weiss:

As an entrepreneur and visionary for more than 30 years, I have built companies spanning the textile and fashion industry, skincare, consulting, and founded Hugs and Smiles Children’s Foundation, while living and working in New York, California, and now Florida.

I was born and raised in New York, where I attended college and was raised in a close-knit Orthodox Jewish family. Faith, compassion, kindness, and strong values were the foundation of my upbringing, and they continue to guide both my personal life and my work today.

My journey eventually led me to write Fear to Faith, a true story based on survival, self-discovery through spirituality, and resilience. After a failed dental surgery left me in chronic pain and unable to speak properly for more than three years, I traveled to Italy hoping to heal. Instead, I was robbed twice and found myself stranded without my passport, money, credit cards, or identification. What began as a terrifying experience became a life-changing journey of perspective, purpose, and transformation.

Today, my mission is to inspire others to transform fear into faith, pain into purpose, and trauma into triumph. My vision is to bring Fear to Faith to life as a feature film and television series that inspires audiences around the world. A portion of the proceeds will support the Hugs and Smiles Children’s Foundation, helping provide music, art, and dance programs for children and families in need.

My journey. Your mirror.

CONNECT with Tina Weiss:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Linked In | YouTube

Check out Fear to Faith on Amazon and on Tina’s website, along with a transformational guided workbook that is a companion to the book, which helps readers build resilience, strengthen their faith, gain clarity, and reconnect with their confidence and their purpose.

Find Tina’s free gift of The 5 Essentials for Life on her website here!

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