The Genealogy Professional podcast with Host Marian Pierre-Louis – Interviews with Experienced Genealogists

Featured Guest Luana Darby Luana Darby grew up listening to her grandmother’s stories about growing up in Kansas in the early 1900s. This piqued her interest and developed into a passion to learn more about her roots, which turned into a successful business helping others find and tell their story. Luana received a bachelor’s degree in Family History from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in library and information science from San Jose State University. Luana is a past president of the Utah Genealogical Association and is active in several professional organizations including the Association of Professional Genealogists. She has spoken at many local, regional and national conferences on a variety of technology and genealogical research based topics. Luana is the owner of Lineages by Luana  and co-owner of American Patriots and Pioneers Research Services.  Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, her research expertise includes the United States, Canada, and Western Europe, with a special interest Palatine German research - tracing Germans immigrants of the 1700s who settled in Colonial Pennsylvania. Contact Links Lineages by Luana One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now "Take the time. Set out your  strengths and weaknesses. See what things you really enjoy and have a passion for and head yourself in that direction." Recommended Book Professional Genealogy edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills Pennsylvania German Pioneers by Strassburger and Hinke (note: there are 3 volumes) Productivity Tool Drop Box – Tool for sharing large files Advice "Network and if you're just starting, find a mentor." " Action Item This week we continue with the theme of networking - but with a twist. Have you ever received emails from people requesting services that you don't provide? What do you do with those emails? Ignore them? Delete them? Create opportunity for yourself by providing value for potential (or non-potential as the case may be) clients and colleagues. When you receive an email such as this reply back that you don't provide the service but that you can connect them with someone who does. Then provide the email address or website for the person who most closely matches what they need. The person will appreciate the time you took to help them and may even return someday to be a customer of yours. ACTION: Check back through your email from the last 4 weeks. Are there any emails that you've ignored? Emails from people asking for services that you don't provide? Take the time to respond to those people by referring them to colleagues who do do that sort of work. In doing so, you will provide value in your response and will look very professional to the person who contacted you.   Direct Link to this post: http://www.TheGenealogyProfessional.com/luana-darby

Featured Guest Fiona Fitzsimons Fiona is a founder and Director of Eneclann, a Trinity College Campus Company established in 1998, that specialises in history and heritage services. As Eneclann’s Research director, she plays a key role in developing and ensuring quality in the company’s digital publications and the online resources at findmypast.ie and www.irishorigins.com In family history, Fiona is probably best known for tracing President Obama's Irish family history. In 2013 Fiona gave a private presentation on the President's Irish roots to Michelle Obama and her daughters on the occasion of their visit to Trinity College Dublin. Fiona and her team have also brought you the Irish research for Who Do You Think You Are?, PBS's Faces of America and Finding Your Roots, RTE's Ancestors During the Famine, and others. Fiona and her research team have also completed some of the largest historical research projects ever undertaken in Ireland, developing new methodologies to be tested and used by other resarchers. Work includes an audit of the accuracy of the Irish Genealogical Project’s database of church records, and the Irish Battlefields Project for the Department of the Environment. In 2013 Fiona was elected to the Board of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Contact Links Eneclann website Eneclann Facebook page Eneclann Twitter page One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now "Familiarize themselves with Irish genealogy websites. " Recommended Book Anything by Jorge Luis Borges, the former Director of the National Library of Argentina Productivity Tool Drop Box – Tool for sharing large files Advice "Keep detailed research notes. Stay on top of your own records. Build up your own research library." Action Item This week we focus on Fiona's suggestion to build up our own research library. There are certain books that all of us need to have at arm's reach at a moments notice.  For every researcher this will be different based on where you live and what your research specialties are.  You may not own all of the books right now but you can strive to get them later. ACTION: Make a list of the top 10 books that would appear in your genealogy reference library.  You might have some now and others might be on your wish list. What is crucial for you to have at moments notice? Share your list in the comments below! Here are six that are on my list: Professional Genealogy edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy by Val D. Greenwood Red Book by Ancestry Land & Property Research in the United States by E. Wade Hone The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual Direct Link to this post: http://www.TheGenealogyProfessional.com/fiona-fitzsimons  

Featured Guest Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG is a professional genealogist in American research with special emphasis in Maryland. She has been interested in genealogy ever since the age of five, when she could read her parents’ collection of old handwritten family group sheets. Rebecca has been taking clients and lecturing since 2004. She has spoken for the Maryland State Archives, Banneker-Douglas Museum in Annapolis, Maryland, Kensington Family History Conferences, Baltimore Family History Workshops, the York Family History Conference in Pennsylvania, The Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore, and for groups in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Rebecca is a member of DAR, NGS, MDHS, NYG&B, and former Assistant Director of the Columbia Family History Center, and is a Certified Genealogist. She was the Treasurer for the National Capital Area Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and taught Beginning and Advanced Genealogy courses for Howard Community College until her move in 2010. She now volunteers at the Family History Center in Frederick. She was coordinator for the 4th and 14th ProGen (peer-led group study of Mills’ book Professional Genealogy) and 16th GenProof (peer-led group study of Jones’ book Mastering Genealogical Proof) online study groups and is currently enthusiastic about the Preserve the Pensions: War of 1812 project sponsored by FGS. Rebecca is head genealogist for ReelTributes, a genealogical documentary company, and she invites you to view her monthly blog articles at www.reeltributes.com. She lives in Mt. Airy, Maryland, with three active teenagers and a very patient husband. Contact Links Rebecca's APG Profile Rebecca - Google+ page APG National Capital Area Chapter One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now "Find people  who are in a genealogy career. Go and join your local APG group. " Recommended Book The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy by Val D. Greenwood Productivity Tool The templates Rebecca uses (created in MS Word) to keep herself organized Advice "Enjoy the journey." Action Item This week let's focus on your most fun project! Is there is a project than stands out more than others? Perhaps a client that was great to work with or a project that was really fun? ACTION: The first step in your action item this week is to identify one or two projects that standout for you, either as the most fun, the most challenging or for some other positive reason. Make a list of those projects. It can be a client project, one that you've done for yourself or for family or friends. Next contact the person you did the project for whether that is a client, family or friend, and ask them for permission to use the information about the project in an article or lecture so that you can teach others. Yes, even if it was for family or friends you need to contact them and ask for permission. Get the permission in writing.  If anyone has privacy concerns let them know that you will not include their personal information in your finished product. We're not going to take the next step yet of turning the project information into usable content to be shared. For this week, simply select the projects and ask for permission. Asking for written permission is the most important part. In a future episode we will discuss what to do with the project so that you can transform it and share it. Direct Link to this post: http://www.TheGenealogyProfessional.com/rebecca-koford  Webinar Announcement I will be hosting a FREE live webinar on Friday, March 14, 2014 at 12noon EST. The topic is: "Targeting and Finding New Genealogy Clients" Finding new clients is one of the most challenging aspects of being an independent business person for both new and experienced genealogists. In this webinar there will be two case studies - one on an ethnic genealogy niche and the other a geographic based niche.

Featured Guest Carol Baxter Pursuing thieves and murderers through the ages is just an average day for the history detective, Carol Baxter. Like Dr Who, she hunts ordinary individuals who unwittingly had such an extraordinary impact on their world that the consequences changed the course of history; then she brings their stories to life as ‘true-crime thrillers’. She is the internationally-acclaimed, award-winning author of An Irresistible Temptation, Breaking the Bank, Captain Thunderbolt and his Lady, and The Peculiar Case of the Electric Constable. She is also the author of Writing Interesting Family Histories, with more genealogy ‘how to’ books in the pipeline, a speaker at genealogy conferences and cruises, a Fellow of the Society of Australian Genealogists and an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of New England. Contact Links Carol's website - www.CarolBaxter.com Bushranger Thunderbolt website One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now "Listen to podcasts!" Recommended Book Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell Productivity Tool Microsoft Word - a great software program for writers Advice "Broaden your market by monetizing your knowledge. Become a speaker and then you can turn talks into books and sell them from the back of the room. That increases your exposure and your income." Action Item Carol and I talked an awful lot about writing. This is a good time to stop and assess where you are with your own writing.  Do you like writing, does your writing skills need improvement, or are you terrified of writing and avoid it at all costs? ACTION: Commit to writing every day for the next 7 days. Either choose an area that you need to work on or an area that you have no experience at all. Some types of writing you can choose from include writing client reports, writing an article for a magazine or writing blog posts. Remember you are doing this for yourself! You don't have to show anyone the writing if you don't want to. Commit to writing each day, one full item (article, blog post etc) each day for seven days. At the end of the seven days you will have more practice, more experience and hopefully will feel more comfortable with writing. If we're lucky you'll decide that you want to continue writing past the seven days. Give it a try!     Direct Link to this post: http://www.TheGenealogyProfessional.com/carol-baxter    

Featured Guest Leslie Brinkley Lawson Leslie Brinkley Lawson, full-time professional genealogist, specializes in forensic genealogy (missing & unknown heirs, probate research), providing due diligence and kinship determinations. Clients include attorneys, executors, guardians, banks, probate firms, private clients. She is a regional and national speaker. As a forensic genealogist Leslie Lawson has completed genealogy research for attorneys across the United States. She has a range of experience from proving family lines to reuniting family members as well as proving parentage for those unable to speak due to injury or disability [dementia, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia]. Leslie currently serves as the President of the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG) and President of the Oregon Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Visit her website: www.LawsonResearch.net. Contact Links Leslie's website - Lawson Research Services Facebook - Lawson Research Services Leslie on Twitter - @llawson3967 One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now "Join APG and fully investigate that website." "Set goals for the month, the quarter and the year and have a close friend who is going to keep you accountable to those goals." Recommended Book Professional Genealogy edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills Mastering Genealogical Proof by Dr. Thomas W. Jones The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy by Val D. Greenwood Productivity Tool Drop Box - Tool for sharing large files Mozy - Backup service for computer files Snag It (by TechSmith) - screen capture software Sunrise - Calendar App Advice "Create templates for everything. Create a template for your report form, for your citations using Evidence Explained. Make yourself a template of every citation you use on a regular basis." Genealogy Idol Competition video where Michael Hait describes creating macros for citations. (free to watch) Action Item Leslie talked about networking and finding cients. Are you doing everything you can to find new clients? Here's a check list of active and passive ways to make yourself visible to potential clients. ACTION: Go through the list and rate how you are doing in each area. Commit to making improvements in your weaker areas. Passive Do you have a full and complete profile on a Professional Organization Website? (such as APG, BCG, ICAPGEN)Do you have a website? Do you have a social media presence? (Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+) Do you have a business card (try VistaPrint for inexpensive business cards Active Do you respond to discussions on a professional association list? Do you respond to queries on general genealogy lists? (such as surname or geographic specific lists) Do you participate in groups on LinkedIn where you're target clients are active? Have you joined societies related to your niche and volunteered so that you get to know other members? Have you advertised online or in print magazines where your target clients are known to spend their time? Do you write a blog related to your expertise? Do you network? What other ideas can you come up with that I've left off the list?   Direct Link to this post: http://www.TheGenealogyProfessional.com/leslie-lawson    

Featured Guest LaDonna Garner, CG LaDonna Garner, CG is a historic preservationist, researcher, and volunteer focusing in the Southeastern Missouri area. She is the St. Louis Genealogical Society's African American Special Interest Group Leader, and a member of several organizations including the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Association for Gravestone Studies and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Board-Certified in Genealogy in 2006, Garner has been researching her family history for nearly 30 years. Her current focus surround projects of recording the history of cemeteries in Missouri African-American communities, client assistance in genealogical brickwalls and consultations in historic landscape preservation. Her passion for cemetery preservation was inspired by her interest in family lineage and role as Founder/Secretary of the Mt. Zion Cemetery Board to preserve Mount Zion Cemetery, Festus, Missouri which was established by African American settlers in the circa 1880s and closed in circa 1973. She  is former vice president and editor of Jefferson County (Missouri) Genealogical Society and a member of St. Louis (Louisiana) Genealogical Society. She is a graduate of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) course - American Genealogy, the National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR), 2009 and attendee of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR). Contact Links LaDonna's website - Leafseeker Consulting Leafseeker blog - blog.leafseeker.com Leafseeker Consulting on Facebook One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now "Take advantage of local or state or even online business management courses." Recommended Book A Graveyard Preservation Primer by Lynette Strangstad Productivity Tool Adobe PDF - For sending clients files and reports in a printable format Advice "Overall, whatever level of genealogy you want to do and whatever aspect you want to focus on for your business, I say you go for it no matter who tells you you can't and not matter who looks at you like you're crazy because it all works out." Action Item LaDonna talked about several obstacles she has encountered during her career such as working in isolation and helping her local community become comfortable with her genealogy services.  There are many obstacles that we face both when we are starting and growing our genealogy business. They vary from the voice in your head that says you can't do this to the voice of friends and family that say you shouldn't embark on a career in genealogy. Other times obstacles can include your desire to become certified before opening up shop or a mismatch in services to local needs. It's time to tackle these obstacles head on! ACTION: Make a list on paper of all the obstacles that are preventing you from starting your genealogy business or keeping you from moving forward. Next take each obstacle one by one and determine how you are going to work around it. Will it be by creating a plan to get certification? Or perhaps by finding a mentor who can guide you through the bumps? Or perhaps you will focus on how you can explain to your loved ones why this is important for you and then show them your business plan! By writing down your obstacles you can clearly identify them and then you can specifically determine how to remove them so they won't hold you back. Direct Link to this post: http://www.TheGenealogyProfessional.com/ladonna-garner/    

Featured Guest Israel Pickholtz Israel Pickholtz - A Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-born genealogist who has been living in Israel since 1973. His personal research includes single-surname research in Galicia (formerly Austria, now Ukraine) as well as families from Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, Hungary and later in the US, UK and Israel. From there he developed skills relating to more general Jewish genealogy, including Holocaust research. Israel  has participated in grave translation projects, searches for missing relatives and Holocaust-era insurance claims, as well as traditional genealogy research using European, American and Israeli sources. His most frequent assignments from Israeli sources involve locating and photographing graves, locating living people, Mandatory Citizenship records, records for Galician residents in the 1920s and 1930s, inheritance matters and Holocaust research. He has lectured at the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) conferences on Jewish Genealogy in the United States, as well as other subjects in Israel. Israel has served on the Board of the Israel Genealogical Society, as Secretary of Gesher Galicia and as Town Leader for Jewish Records Indexing-Poland (JRI-Poland). He currently serves as Secretary of the Professional Jewish Genealogists Group. Contact Links Israel Pickholtz on Twitter - @allmy4parents Israel's blog - allmyforeparents.blogspot.com Israel Pickholtz on the Association of Professional Genealogist's website One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now "Comment on other people's blogs. Put your name out in any way you can that doesn't make you look like a fool." Recommended Book My 15 Grandmothers by Genie Milgrom Productivity Tool Drop Box - File Sharing Gmail - Israel uses Gmail as a spam filter Advice "Write and write and write and get your name out there. If you can do a blog, do a blog." Action Item Israel mentioned in the interview that he contacted me by leaving a comment on this blog.  This is a great idea to get started interacting with the genealogical community, both before and after you become a professional. ACTION: Your action item this week is to start interacting with the genealogical community by leaving comments on other people's blogs. First, target a type of blog that is of interest to you. Perhaps that would be an ethnic blog like an Italian genealogy blog or location focused such as one on the state of Nebraska.  Then go to  Geneabloggers.com, a blog directory site founded by Thomas MacEntee, to find blogs on your topic. Next start to "follow" (read them regularly) those blogs. Notice how frequently they publish new posts.  Lastly, provide thoughtful responses in the comments to what you have read in the blog post.  You are now on your way to building relationships with others in the genealogical community! Direct Link to this post: http://www.TheGenealogyProfessional.com/israel-pickholtz    

Featured Guest Michael Strauss, AG Michael L. Strauss, AG - Professional Genealogist, Author, and Lecturer -- is an Accredited Genealogist for the Eastern States Region with the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGEN). A native of Pennsylvania and a resident of Virginia, he has been an avid genealogist for more than 30 years. Strauss holds a BA in History and is a U.S. Coast Guard veteran. He is a recipient of a grant from the Foundation for Coast Guard History in Spokane, WA and received a research scholarship from the General George C. Marshall Foundation in Lexington, VA. He currently serves as President of the Virginia Beach Genealogical Society since 2012. In addition he is a published author and is currently an expert witness in kinship estate matters in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Strauss is an approved genealogist for the United States Army to locate DNA-qualified family members of MIAs from WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam and is a licensed Private Investigator in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a Civil War re-enactor with the 99th New York Infantry. He also likes to appear at lectures in uniform and with real artifacts in order to give the audience the most realistic experience possible. Contact Links Michael's website - www.genealogyresearchnetwork.com Frederickburg, Pennslyvania History website -  www.fredpah.com Information on Civil War Re-enacting - Camp Chase Gazette One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now "Look at different records that you haven't been exposed to before." Productivity Tool Drop Box - File Sharing Google Drive- Collaborative File Sharing Advice "Genealogy is full of serendipitous moments. Let your ancestors find you because they will." Action Item Michael is both an Accredited Genealogist and a licensed private investigator. He would like to obtain his CG as well because he believes strongly in furthering his education. ACTION: Explore educational opportunities and licensing that could diversify and further your career.  Would you benefit from obtaining a CG or an AG? Are you interested in discovering what's involved in becoming a licensed private investigator? Determine what certifications and/or licenses might fit in with your business and future business goals.  Next, find out what is involved in achieving these goals. Then plan a time line for when you might realistically achieve these goals. It could be now, in three years or even in ten years. Determine what works best for you. Direct Link to this post: http://www.TheGenealogyProfessional.com/michael-strauss/

Featured Guest Shauna Hicks Shauna Hicks has been tracing her own family history since 1977 and worked in government for over 35 years in libraries and archives in Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne. Since retiring, she has written a number of family history guides and is a regular speaker at genealogy cruises, conferences and seminars. She now operates a small part time research and consultancy business Shauna Hicks History Enterprises at www.shaunahicks.com.au and is the author of the blog, Diary of an Australian Genealogist. Shauna has a number of tertiary qualifications from Queensland universities including a Master of Arts in Australian Studies, a Graduate Diploma in Library Science and a Diploma in Family Historical Studies from the Society of Australian Genealogists. She is a Fellow of the Queensland Family History Society; a recipient of the Australian Society of Archivists Distinguished Achievement Award and the Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations’ Services to Family History Award. Contact Links Shauna's website - www.shaunahicks.com.au Shauna's blog - Diary of an Australian Genealogist Shauna on Twitter - @HicksShauna One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now "Buy a good book that gives you a base knowledge of what you intend to build your business on." For example in Australia this book would be the book Family History for Beginners and Beyond by Heraldry and Genealogical Society of Canberra. Productivity Tool Drop Box - File Sharing Evernote - "Remember Everything with Evernote" Advice "Just Do It. But don't do it in isolation." Action Item Shauna talks about the isolation of working as an independent genealogist.  Also lacking is the support team that comes from working in a regular office environment. This week's action launches from Shauna's suggestion to build an online network. ACTION: Get yourself a free online account if you are not online already. Some of the online social networking sites that have a community of genealogists include Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Once you have an account check with some other genealogists you know from your local genealogical society or historical society and see if they are on the site as well. Then send them a request to connect.  From there start building your online network. If you really don't want to get onto social media you can complete this task by arranging to meet some genealogy friends or colleagues weekly, face to face, for coffee, tea, lunch or whatever you like. But the frequency has to be enough that you build a support network. Quarterly is too infrequent to build a strong network. Direct Link to this post: http://www.TheGenealogyProfessional.com/shauna-hicks/

Featured Guest Linda Woodward Geiger, CG, CGL Linda Woodward Geiger is an associate of the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG), holding credentials as a Certified Genealogist (sm) and as a Certified Genealogical Lecturer (sm). She is a nationally known speaker, author, and historical researcher. She has spoken at genealogy conferences and seminars in over twenty-five states, and has served as a coordinator and staff member of a variety of courses at the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR). She currently serves as president of Friends of the National Archives Southeast Region (FNAS); as hostess for webinars sponsored by FNAS and serves as their webmaster. Linda specializes in federal records; Georgia’s state and county records; and training researcher’s in methodology standards. She is also recognized for her work documenting Cherokee Heritage. Contact Links Linda's website - www.woodward-geiger.com Linda's blog - Woodwards WeSearch Blog One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now "Make sure you join a local genealogical society and it doesn't matter if you have ancestors there or not!" Recommended Book Tracing Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes  by Rachal Mills Lennon  Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (volumes 1 & 2) by NARA The Preliminary Inventories for Federal Records of what's available at the National Archives - Here is an example from Heritage Books Productivity Tool Drop Box - File Sharing Evernote - "Remember  Everything with Evernote" Advice "Don't ever take down any information without having the source citation. Keep a research log." Action Item This week's action item stems from Linda Woodward Geiger's last piece of advice where she advises not to take down any information without having a source citation. This week your action item, if you choose to accept it, is to practice gathering the citation information before you study original documents or images of original documents.  This is for online and offline research. As well, when you check a source but do not find anything you need to write that down too!  See if you can consistently do this for an entire week and you will be well on your way to great genealogical research habits!

Featured Guest Sheri Fenley Sheri Fenley is a professional genealogist from Stockton, California who specializes in the genealogical research of North Central California with an emphasis on San Joaquin County. She also focuses on lineage society applications. She is a member of numerous organizations including the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) National Genealogical Society (NGS) International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE) National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) California State Genealogical Alliance Global Alliance of Genealogy Professionals and the San Joaquin County Genealogical Society Sheri is an alumni of the ProGen 1 class completing the course in 2009.  As well, she did two years of coursework at the Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research  (IGHR) at Samford University. She is the editor of the San Joaquin Genealogical Society newsletter and author of the popular blog "The Educated Genealogist" which was voted as one of Family Tree Magazine's Top 40 Blogs. More Alphabet Soup SLIG - Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (sponsored by the Utah Genealogical Association) GRIP - Genealogy Research Institute of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania)  Contact Links Sheri's website -  sherifenley.webs.com Sheri's blog - The Educated Genealogist Follow Sheri on Twitter - @sherifenley One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now Start a blog. Recommended Book Genealogy as a Pastime and Profession by Donald Lines Jacobus and Pittfalls in Genealogical Research by Milton Rubincam Productivity Tool Google Hangouts - Google Hangouts allow you to have a video conference with up to 10 other people (for free). Advice "Jump in with Both Feet" Action Item This week's action item is about getting to know an archive and its staff. Sheri Fenley talked about the importance of getting to know the staff at local archives. For this action item first choose a local archives or research library in your local area. Next schedule to visit the archives daily for a week. If you can't go during the week then go on consecutive Saturdays.  You will make progress just having the staff see you return multiple times. You will make more progress if you introduce yourself to the staff, ask them for a brief tour or ask for their procedures and policies.  These will all act as ways to help you interact with the staff.  After your week of visits or multiple Saturdays you should be well on your well to getting to know the staff at one of your local archives or libraries!

Featured Guest Kathryn Lake Hogan Kathryn Lake Hogan is the professional genealogist, author and educator behind LOOKING4ANCESTORS, the research business she started in 2007. A graduate of the National Institute of Genealogical Studies where she studied Canadian and English genealogy, Kathryn has earned the Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies. She has completed the ProGen Study Group, and has attended the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research annually since 2011. Starting with her own family history research over 10 years ago, Kathryn has not only made genealogy her passion, she has also committed herself to helping others discover the joys of family history and how to locate their own ancestors. Kathryn enjoys speaking both nationally and internationally at local, and provincial/state societies, and regional conferences. Her webinars featuring Canadian family history topics appeal to family historians from around the world. Kathryn is the author of Digging Your Canadian Roots, as well as having written fifteen guides featuring Canadian research topics for Legacy Family Tree. Giving back to the genealogy community is important to Kathryn. She was the branch genealogist for the Bicentennial Branch of the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada for six years. Currently, she is involved with the Ontario Genealogical Society as a member and as the webinar coordinator. You can check out Kathryn’s website at: www.looking4ancestors.com or follow her on Twitter: @Look4Ancestors. One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now Contact a professional genealogist and ask them a question. Recommended Book Finding Your Canadian Ancestors: A Beginner's Guide by Sherry Irvine and Dave Obee Productivity Tool Dropbox and Google Drive Advice "Got for it."  

Featured Guest Cinamon Collins Cinamon Collins has been conducting genealogy research for the past 16 years and taking clients for the past two years. She enjoys the chase and the thrill of discovery. Cinamon has the good fortune of having adventurous ancestors who have migrated and traveled through many states, allowing her to become familiar with various archives. Before turning genealogy into a full time career, Cinamon was an elementary school teacher and professional photographer. It is not unusual to find her traipsing around cemeteries putting her photography skills to use. Cinamon has completed the Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate Program, the National Genealogical Society Home Study Course, ProGen Study Group (9), National Institute of Genealogical Research (NIGR) Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis, and is a graduate of the 2012 Forensic Genealogy Institute. She also volunteers at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. You can check out Cinamon’s website at: www.crcgenealogy.com or follow her adventures on her blog: www.misadventuresofagenealogist.blogspot.com or on Twitter: @CinamonC. One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now Join the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) Recommended Book Mastering Genealogical Proof by Thomas W. Jones Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills Productivity Tool Evernote - a tool to help you organize and remember Advice "Think outside the box. Look for alternative sources of information that are not the expected."  

Featured Guest Kirsty Wilkinson Kirsty Wilkinson is the owner of My Ain Folk, a Scottish genealogy research firm. Kirsty began researching her own ancestry when she was in her early 20s and soon developed a passion for family history. She increased her knowledge of genealogical sources through personal and formal study and in 2006 launched My Ain Folk to assist others with tracing their ancestors. Since then she has gained many hours of practical research experience in Scottish archives and record repositories and helped clients worldwide to discover their own family story. She has a particular interest in paleography (old handwriting) which enables her to carry out research in pre-1700 records and to transcribe handwritten documents from the 1500s-present. Another specialisation is heir- or descendant-tracing and locating living relatives. She has successfully located heirs to estates on behalf of probate research firms in the UK, Europe, Asia and the US and enabled private clients to reconnect with long-lost cousins. Learn more about Kirsty at her website www.myainfolk.com. One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now Set realistic fees and work out how much you can realistically make. Recommended Book Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors, the Official Guide, 6th Edition, by the National Records of Scotland Productivity Tool Kirsty does use Dropbox but she is otherwise fairly low tech. Advice "Just do it. Don't let anyone tell you that you're wasting your time."  

Featured Guest Melanie Holtz, CG Melanie Holtz, CG, is the owner and principal researcher of Lo Schiavo Genealogica . She is a Certified Genealogist specializing in Italian research. She has 20 years experience in genealogical research and has worked extensively in all types of Ital­ian records. Lo Schiavo Genealogica has worked in all regions of Italy, San  Marino, and the formerly Italian island of Corsica. As a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), Melanie abides by the Code of Ethics set forth by that organization. She served on the APG Board of Directors  in 2010 and is again serving the organization between 2013–2014. Her work on the APG Professional Development committee has helped to expand the educational services offered by the organization. She also belongs to the North Carolina Chapter and serves as Vice-President and Director of Programs. Melanie is also a member of the Utah Genealogical  Association (UGA). Learn more about Melanie at her website www.HoltzResearch.com One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now Make an honest assessment of what you can do right now in your business. Recommended Book BCG Standards Manual Professional Genealogy edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills Productivity Tool Pages application for iPad OfficeTime application to track hours and expenses Google Docs (now Google Drive) to track work and log employee time cards Advice "Don't take too long educating yourself. Get started."