Jennifer Vickery Smith Reflects on Motherhood Journey

While Jennifer Vickery Smith has interviewed countless celebrities throughout her career as a television news reporter, anchor, and entertainment host in Nashville, she says her greatest role has always been being a mom to her two sons, Connor and Cooper. Today, she continues celebrating family stories through her popular podcast, Got It From My Momma, where she sits down with the mothers behind some of the biggest names in entertainment, sports, and culture. Yet at the heart of every conversation is the same truth Jennifer has learned through her own family’s journey: motherhood is both the greatest joy and the greatest calling of her life.

Here, she shares with Woman’s World her proudest moments as a mother, the heart behind her podcast, and how God kept her going through her family’s darkest moments.

The inspiration behind ‘Got It From My Momma’

Ever since her son, Connor, could say words, he had a dream in his heart to be a country music singer. And on May 28, 2023, Jennifer watched him make his Grand Ole Opry debut. Connor, now one of country music’s rising stars, spent his childhood dreaming of becoming a songwriter, filling notebooks with lyrics and performing anywhere that would give him a stage.

Sitting in the historic church pews of the Opry, Jennifer found herself overwhelmed with emotion as she watched him step into a lifelong dream. “I am doing the ugly cry,” she recalled. “I can hardly contain myself.” As she watched, a thought kept returning to her: “I wonder if other moms also feel this way about their children.” Friends encouraged her to start a podcast, and the idea quickly took root. At the time, Connor was opening for Thomas Rhett, so Thomas Rhett’s mother became Jennifer’s first guest. What began as simple conversations between moms soon grew into something much bigger. Rather than renting a studio, Jennifer chose to record from her Nashville home, inviting guests to sit on the couch in her living room.

Today, she still finds herself amazed when mothers like Sonya Curry, Donna Kelce and Denise Jonas end up sharing stories in her home. “Within moments before you know it, you’re just literally two moms talking about their kids,” she said. “And what mom doesn’t want to talk about their kids?”

Leaning on faith through a mother’s hardest season

In June 2025, Jennifer faced one of the most difficult seasons of her life when Connor was the driver in an accident that resulted in the fatality of an elderly woman. As a mother, she found herself confronting a level of heartbreak and helplessness she had never known.

“It doesn’t matter how old your child is, there’s no greater pain than seeing your child hurt, and you would take on that pain as a mom 100 times over to not watch your child walk through something,” she says.

During those early days, Jennifer, her husband, Cooper, and Connor leaned heavily on their faith. A trauma counselor offered wisdom that profoundly shaped their perspective. “We had an amazing trauma counselor that came in the first few days,” Jennifer shared. “One of the things that he said was ‘Romans 8:28 doesn’t say that He makes things happen for His good, but He works all things together for His good.’” That truth became an anchor for their family. “Our focus really turned to how this is going to be really hard to walk—especially for my son,” she said. “But how are we going to take this and help it to work together for God’s good?”

Now, a year after the accident, the family’s testimony reveals their strength and the faith they have in God — and how God has brought such healing to Connor’s heart.

The beautiful gift of growing together in faith

Today, Jennifer sees a beautiful shift in her relationship with both Connor and Cooper. While she spent years encouraging and guiding them, her sons now encourage her, too. Their family has always shared a strong foundation of faith, but Jennifer treasures the way those relationships have deepened as her boys have grown into men.

Connor continues to build a successful country music career, while Cooper has become another source of wisdom, encouragement and prayer within the family. “I don’t hesitate to ask my boys to pray about something I’m dealing with,” Jennifer said. “That’s a beautiful thing when your children love the Lord, and you can mutually lift each other up.”

She and her husband openly share their struggles and mistakes, believing authenticity strengthens family bonds. “I think that authenticity as a parent is so helpful as a child,” Jennifer explained. “There’s something beautiful and powerful about being able to say, ‘I probably didn’t handle that the best way. Will you forgive me?’” Their family frequently shares books, discusses faith and challenges one another to keep growing spiritually. “We’re all trying to figure out how to help each other grow in some way,” she said. “Don’t stop growing.”

What Jennifer learned about grief

Those experiences have also transformed the way Jennifer approaches the mothers she interviews on her podcast. While she always cared deeply about their stories, walking through her own season of pain has given her a new perspective. “One of the things I learned is that you can grieve and have gratitude at the same time,” she tells Woman’s World.

She points to conversations with Mary Beth Chapman, who lost her daughter, and the mother of Christian artist Anne Wilson, who lost her son, as examples of how differently she now relates to stories of loss. “Having walked through the dark and having seen Jesus be so faithful through that gives me a whole different perspective,” Jennifer said. Yet alongside the grief, she has found profound gratitude. “There’s a gratitude in the way I see the Lord using our story,” she says. “I’m so thankful for that.” She believes God continues to bring purpose even from life’s hardest chapters. “God will show Himself,” she urges. “He did for us at every turn of the journey.”

Why being a mom is her greatest blessing

As Got It From My Momma continues to grow through its partnership with UPtv, Jennifer remains humbled by the opportunities that come her way and the stories she gets to share. But for all the famous names who have sat across from her, the role she treasures most is being Connor and Cooper’s mom. Whether celebrating Connor’s accomplishments in country music, cheering on Cooper in his own pursuits, or simply answering a phone call from one of her boys, Jennifer knows exactly where her heart belongs.

One lesson from Sonya Curry continues to guide her through this season of motherhood: “They need your prayers, and they need your presence.” For Jennifer, that calling remains both simple and profound — and one she considers the greatest honor of her life.

Listeners can watch and listen to Got It From My Momma on UPtv and wherever podcasts are available.

Copyright 2026 A360 Media

This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 12:30 PM.