Family Brand: Take Back Your Family

Hey guys! Chris and Melissa here, one of our family values is "Smiths are adventurous" and it's something that even our youngest has taken to heart. But it begs the question, what can we as parents do to foster that curiosity to explore the world? In today's episode, we talk with some amazing entrepreneurs and parents, Joey and Berit Coleman. We were so excited to talk with them because they have...

Hey guys! Chris and Melissa here, As we approach our year mark of moving from Arizona to Hawaii, we've been thinking about the ways that we have grown and changed over the course of the last 12 months. If you pay attention, where you live can teach you a lot of lessons, and our experience has been no different.  Listen in as we share the unexpected lesson of finding fulfillment with fewer things....

Hey guys! Chris and Melissa here, since moving to Hawaii we have had the chance to meet so many amazing people and hear their incredible stories. One couple in particular, who live right down the street from us, Chris and Taylor Pierce, have a story that has been particularly impactful. They have experienced a tremendous amount of loss and grief throughout their marriage. Frankly, a lot more grief...

Hey guys! Chris here, as parents it's one of our jobs to make sure our kids grow up healthy and happy. Of course, this is easier said than done. We all have either experienced or known families who have suffered from recurring ear infections, eczema, and all sorts of other ailments that just won't seem to go away. If you've ever thought "there has to be another way" then this episode is for you! T...

Hey guys, Chris and Melissa here! It's no secret that our family takes a lot trips, we're always kayaking or hiking or experiencing something new. We weren't always like this, but there was a moment where we realized that we wanted to intentionally go after new experiences to raise kids who are curious, strong, and ready for the world.  In today's episode we talk about our decision to start creati...

Hey guys! Chris and Melissa here, with kids, comes sacrifice. But is it possible for two busy parents to pursue their dreams while also raising a family?  Today we cover something that Chris and I have been wanting to talk about for a while, but we never felt fully prepared. We wanted to wait until we really had it figured out and now that we've spent about 15+ years navigating this journey we can...

Hey guys! Chris and Melissa here, with kids, comes sacrifice. But is it possible for two busy parents to pursue their dreams while also raising a family?  Today we cover something that Chris and I have been wanting to talk about for a while, but we never felt fully prepared. We wanted to wait until we really had it figured out and now that we've spent about 15+ years navigating this journey we can...

Hey guys! Chris and Melissa here, if you listened to our last episode you heard us touch on the importance of leadership and the opportunity we have to teach our kids what good leadership looks like. But what does that actually mean? What does leadership mean to your family? Today we break down what it means to be a leader and how we approached our kids about the impact good leadership can have in...

Hey guys! Chris and Melissa here, Recently with the crisis in Afghanistan we, like many of you,  have been wondering "what can we do?" And "how do we talk to our kids about this?" If you've been listening to us for a while you've heard us say that strong families make strong individuals, and strong individuals have the opportunity to create a huge impact in the world around them. With that thought...

Welcome back! Melissa here, and I'm excited about this week's episode! I am a little biased, but our guest today has to be one of my favorites. Before I introduce her, I want to set the stage a little more.  I think there are moments in every human's life that can change everything on a dime. Most people traditionally associate these divine moments with things like having a baby, getting married,...

Hey guys! Chris and Melissa here; recently, Chris had a conversation with a friend about finding happiness. It got him thinking about the actual definition of what it means to be happy. When we think of it, most of us think of it in terms of our kids. You've heard it before, "I just want them to be happy." Maybe you have even said it yourself.  But what is the difference between temporary happines...

Welcome back! Chris and Melissa here, recently it came to our attention that this past year has had a huge impact on pediatric mental health. Kids just don't have the tools to deal with stress as adults do. So of course, we had to do some research. We were amazed to find that one of the most powerful things you can do to strengthen your child and build resilience is… Storytelling! Yes, when your k...

Welcome back to another Family Brand podcast! Chris and Melissa here, and today we want to unpack a seemly simple yet profound principle of life. That principle, or as some might call "the key to happiness" is gratitude. We believe that gratitude is the fastest and most effective way to step into the abundance mindset and kick the feeling of lack once and for all.  You may be thinking "wait, I don...

Hey guys! Melissa here, we've been in Arizona for the past couple of weeks for a wedding, and since we are a long way from home, we figured why not make a vacation out of it? So, we planned a road trip up to Utah. One thing that may shock you is that even though we've lived in Arizona in the past, Chris and the kids have never seen the Grand Canyon. This was a must-see, in my opinion. So, we booke...

Hey guys! Chris and Melissa here. Recently, Chris had the opportunity to speak from the heart at his niece's wedding and give some advice to the new couple. When the time came, Chris decided to share the four things that we wish we knew before we got married. Of course, we had to share it on the podcast! The four topics are:  Never Stop Building And Strengthening Your Marriage Much like a muscle,...

Hey Guys! Chris and Melissa here again. We're thinking about school next year and making our decisions about where, and what our kids will be learning and doing for school next year. One thing that is influencing our decision is a conversation I recently had with a new friend that has me thinking even bigger about what's possible for our children's education.  In this episode, we share the details...

Hey Guys! Chris and Melissa here,  As every passes, it seems like life becomes more and more dependent on our phones, right? We use them to get directions to places, read emails, and more. Sometimes though, it's easy to let the screen take over.  Recently, Chris realized that he felt like he could spend a little less time on his phone in the afternoons and evenings. So he challenged himself to use...

Hey Guys! Chris and Melissa here; we will admit we are not immune to the sharp criticism that comes with kids being messy, loud, or late. Criticizing feels terrible for all parties, but what if we could correct AND encourage them?  Today we talk about the powerful concept of "And," a way to correct your children without breaking their spirit. There will always be moments of stress in life, so find...

Hey guys, Chris and Melissa here! We hear from busy parents all the time who have never been away from their kids overnight in nearly a decade or more. If you can relate, we're here to advocate for your much-needed couple's get-away! In today's episode, we talk about not only why you should take a couple's trip but how you can take one with little to no stress for you. Investing in your relationsh...

Hey guys, Chris and Melissa here! Summer is officially and it's the perfect time to try something new. We've recently been working on how we can get the most out of our summer vacation, whether it's a new skill, hobby or road trip we're going to lean into adventure.  If you could have any skill by the end of summer what would it be?  In today's episode, we talk about using the months of summer vac...

Hey Guys! Melissa here, recently I had a friend ask me the question "If you could tell any story what would you tell?" and I knew immediately what I wanted to talk about.  So, while my family is sleeping I thought I'd do a little solo episode. Today, I talk about a time when I was in every position to feel lonely, scared, and stressed and I was for a moment but that all turned around when I rememb...

Hey guys! Chris and Melissa here, if you've been listening for a while, you know we talk a lot about family values. Recently we've gotten some questions about what exactly are family values and do they even work? Well, we put them to the test and we think you'll want to hear this!  In today's episode, we talk about the definition of family values and how you can start to think and talk about them...

Welcome back!! Melissa here, today is going to be a good one! I want to give you a warning before you hit play, if you have little ears around you may want to pop in your headphones. We don't talk about anything graphic or crass but we will be having an honest conversation about pornography more suited for parents.  Let's jump in! Recently I learned that in today's digital world with increasing ac...

Hey Guys! Melissa here, have you ever experienced this? A day comes along where every person in your family needs something from you. You can't shower, you can't get dressed, you can't even go to the bathroom by yourself...its that mixed feeling of overwhelm and yet isolating all at the same time.  In today's episode, we talk about something that I've been experimenting with lately, and that is cr...

"Nothing in the world could make human life happier than to greatly increase the number of strong families." - David R. Mace Hey guys! Chris and Melissa here, we've known that it's time to refresh some of our courses and with that of course means a lot of research but it got us thinking. What needs refreshing in our family's life?  Today we have an open discussion on the impact that families have...