Valerie Peek

Valerie was born and raised in the metro Atlanta area and, though she's spent time away, still proudly calls it home. While she loves the country (including a family farm that holds many treasured memories), she's always felt most at home surrounded by people... even if she'd rather they all leave her alone, thank you very much.

As co-host of Doom & Daisies, Valerie provides the (usually) lighthearted counterpart to the show's darker topics. She loves finding bright sparks in books, movies, music, theater, life in general, and occasionally internet-famous animals. She's always ready to tumble down whatever rabbit hole has captured her best friend and co-host Laurel's attention that week, serving as an enthusiastic audience, co-conspirator, and fellow overthinker.

By day, Valerie works in billing for a law firm, where she spends her time "staring at numbers all day": processing invoices, navigating client guidelines, and making sure every tiny detail is exactly right. Nights and weekends are a different story. You'll usually find her writing, playing Dungeons & Dragons, going to movies or concerts with her children, or snuggling with her cat, who firmly believes this should be her full-time occupation.

A lifelong theater kid, Valerie first stepped onto a stage at the age of five and has never really left the arts behind. Reading, writing, singing, acting, stagecraft: if it's creative, she's probably interested. She's endlessly fascinated by Broadway, expansive fictional universes, hidden connections, and the joy of discovering Easter eggs that link stories together in unexpected ways.

Valerie believes the world can be a dark place, which is exactly why it's so important to seek out moments of light. Sometimes those brightest moments come to you from someone usually wrapped in darkness and shadow.

A dreamer by nature, she loves getting lost in worlds both self-imagined and created by others. She freely admits that part of her journey as a writer involved fan fiction, but don't bother asking for her pen names. Those secrets are staying deeply buried.

Her music taste is delightfully chaotic, ranging from old-school metal, emo, and punk to Taylor Swift, Noah Kahan, and just about everything in between. Any playlist she creates has the potential to give listeners a healthy dose of musical whiplash.

More than any title she's ever held, Valerie is proudest to be a mom, to both human and furry children, and an aunt. She has two grown adult children and she's also deeply involved in the lives of her two other children and a nibling, affectionately known to listeners as The Big Kid, The Middle Kid, and The Baby, who are, and always will be, the lights of her life. You'll also become acquainted with Gromy, her cat, and Molly, her dog, who have absolutely no understanding of personal space and frequently make guest appearances during recordings.

Valerie and Laurel created Doom & Daisies to celebrate both the beautiful and the bizarre, to embrace life's bright moments alongside its darker corners, and to invite listeners into the wonderfully strange conversations that have made them laugh for years.

If you listen long enough, you'll get to meet the version of Valerie that most people don't see right away: bright, laughing, endlessly curious, and always ready to find something worth celebrating in even the darkest places. It's the version usually hidden behind a serious case of resting bitch face, and one she's excited to share with you.

She can't wait to have you along for the ride and hopes you'll join her in finding wonder, laughter, and unexpected moments of joy in this terrifying, beautiful world.