Whether you’ve been married for three months or three decades, every marriage has difficulties from time to time. In the past, couples who wanted help navigating these bumps along the way have turned to books for advice. Now, they have help from the world of podcasting.
In Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage, husband-and-wife duo Greg and Erin Smalley provide practical advice through stories of their own marriage and conversations with guest speakers.
Let’s take a closer look at this popular podcast to see what tips and tricks can be discovered for your own show.
About the Hosts: Greg and Erin Smalley
Greg Smalley has been involved in marriage therapy long before he was married himself. His father, Dr. Gary Smalley, was the president and founder of the Smalley Relationship Center and wrote the book—40 of them, to be exact—on marriage therapy.
After receiving degrees in psychology and counseling, Greg Smalley became the president of the National Institute of Marriage and worked for the Center For Relationship Enrichment at John Brown University.
After a career as a labor and delivery nurse, Erin Smalley got her degree in clinical psychology and became a licensed counselor with her own practice, Smalley Marriage.
The Smalleys have co-authored several books together as well as a premarital counseling curriculum. The podcast isn’t their only foray into the world of public speaking, however, The two lead several marriage seminars throughout the year and co-host the Focus On Marriage podcast as well.
About the Show
The podcast is produced by Focus On the Family, a Christian ministry dedicated to building stronger families. Erin Smalley serves as a regular spokesperson for the organization, while Greg is the vice president of Marriage and Family Formation.
Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage posts one new episode every Monday.
Episode Highlights and Content
The Smalleys respective backgrounds in marriage therapy have given them a wealth of knowledge and experience on the topic.
That, and the fact that they’ve been married for over 30 years. The couple frequently share stories from their own marriage—good and bad—to help illustrate their point and offer advice for couples.
One thing that sets this podcast apart from many others is the Smalleys’ Christian viewpoint. While there is definitely a time and place for more generic views, it can often help to cater to a slightly more niche audience.
Episode Format
By now, the Smalleys can safely claim to be marriage experts, but this doesn’t prevent them from bringing in weekly guests to discuss a variety of topics. The podcast has welcomed authors, musicians, influencers, psychologists and more, all of whom add to the show’s dynamic.
Episodes are 30-40 minutes long, which is often seen as a sweet spot. This is enough time to provide a detailed look at a topic without running the risk of losing listeners’ attention.
Podcast Website
The website for Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage was built using Podpage, but it’s not the only one. All of the websites for the Focus On the Family podcast network were built using our easy-to-use software!
Just like Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage, each podcast website is simple and straightforward, featuring a summary of the show and list of episodes, as well as links to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the show’s RSS feed.
A menu also offers navigation to reviews as well as a link to donate to the ministry.
Key Takeaways and Awesome Episodes
While the podcast is geared toward couples who may be in a tough spot, episodes cover a wide range of topics.
Making Marriage Work When There Are Signs That It’s Over: When you’re committed to staying together, it can make it even more difficult to work through obstacles. In this episode, the Smalleys talk about how marriage is worth it—even when it’s hard—and share tips for working through it.
Valentine’s Day Date and Gift Ideas: After several years together, it’s often easy to fall into the same patterns. In this episode, a roundtable discussion of couples provides fun and unique ideas to make Valentine’s Day (or any day!) special.
Boundaries With In-Laws: Even the happiest couples with the healthiest marriages often complain of issues with the in-laws. In this episode, the Smalleys offer advice on setting boundaries to keep your relationship strong.
Impact and Reception
Listeners love the relatable content and insightful advice, enough to leave hundreds of five-star reviews (and an average rating of 4.8) on Apple Podcasts.
Bringing their expertise through actionable advice and personal stories allows the Smalleys to connect with their listeners and build an audience of devoted fans.
Final Thoughts
Greg and Erin Smalley have taken a long and lucrative career and turned it into a show that offers help and hope for couples across the country.
This podcast not only helps couples work through their relationship problems, it does so in a way that honors the shared values of a community.
