Meet Edward and Debbie Smith | Certified Family Life Educators

We had the good fortune of connecting with Edward and Debbie Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Edward and Debbie, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Ed and I both had a failed marriage before we married each other. We knew the divorce statistic was even higher for 2nd marriages, but we were determined to make it work. At our local church we got involved in marriage ministry and we realized we had not only a passion for families and healthy relationships, but also a gift for connecting with other couples. As the ministry blossomed and we begun receiving requests to travel and facilitate workshops, we decided to turn it into an LLC. That was the birth of MEET THE SMITHS. It’s hard to believe that was 9 years ago. Since then, we have traveled nationally and internationally conducting seminars and workshops; we have authored 3 books; we have held workshops on cruise ships, Costa Rica, and other islands, and we are just getting started!

What should our readers know about your business?
MEET THE SMITHS was birthed from brokenness. We understand the devastation divorce brings so we want to empower others with the tools necessary to fight for their marriages and families. What sets us apart is that we are a team- we present together. We coach together. We travel together. The couples we work with become like family. We try to stay in touch and keep close so we can continue to be a resource even years after coaching sessions have ended.

Has this been an easy journey? Absolutely not! But we are connected to a source that keeps us passionate about this work. Because of what we do, we find our own family constantly under various attacks, but we have come to realize that these battles make us stronger as a couple and prepare us to be more vulnerable and transparent with the couples we serve.

We want Atlanta and the world to MEET THE SMITHS. We are committed to helping couples fight! We believe strong marriages lead to strong families and communities. If we can help save marriages, we can impact the world. We want to empower others to be #RelationshipStrong

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Recently our children visited and we had to plan an itinerary to keep them occupied. Here are a few of our favorite things: *Dinner at Escovitchez in Snellville is a must! Ed and I are both West Indian so one of the first things we looked up when we moved here were places to get Caribbean food. Escovitchez never disappoints- the atmosphere, the music, and the food make it one of our go-to places to eat.
*A sunset ride on the Ferris wheel in Atlanta is breathtakingly beautiful. Although afraid of heights and claustrophobic (Debbie) it was an unforgettable experience.
*The Georgia Aquarium is a great place to spend the day. We attended a dolphin show and laughed while others got splashed- don’t sit in the first 5 rows- LOL.
*Tour downtown Atlanta aboard an electric car with ATL Cruzers. Learning the rich history of the area was both fun and educational.
*Yacht it up on Lake Lanier. Ed and I thoroughly enjoyed an evening on Lake Lanier with friends- there’s always something going on so be sure to check it out.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We have certainly not gotten to where we are alone. First, we thank God for placing this calling on our lives. We thank our children for supporting and cheering us on even when we were traveling every weekend for months at a time. We thank the Stroudsburg Seventh-day Adventist Church in Stroudsburg, PA for seeing something in us long before we knew it was there. We currently serve as Family Life Coordinators for Church of the Oranges in Orange, New Jersey and although we now reside in the Atlanta area, because of technology we continue to serve remotely. We are grateful to COTO for giving us the privilege of serving in this capacity. We are honored to serve every couple that has come to us for pre-marital or marital counseling, and we are especially thankful to our supporters and followers on social media who share, like, and comment on our content. This entrepreneurial journey is not one that you walk alone. We are grateful for those who continue to pour into us and cheer us on.

Website: www.meetthesmiths.org

Instagram: meetthesmiths2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MEETTHESMITHS/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/MEETTHESMITHS

Image Credits
Antoine Stephenson Michael Douglas The Marriage Menders