Join us at the South Davis Fair, April 11

For our friends who are in Utah, don't miss the 18th annual UGA South Davis Family History Fair Saturday, April 11, 2015. The fair will be held at Woods Cross High School beginning at 8am with the keynote speaker Dr. Paul McCarty: "Family History: Turning Hearts and Healing Ourselves". I can’t wait to hear his lecture. The healing that family history creates is something I’m really interested in as you know.

The fair features expert teachers, the most up-to-date genealogical research, technological classes, and vendors for attendees to enjoy.  Registration details, location, and more can be found online at www.ugagenealogy.org.  Family ChartMasters and Zap the Grandma Gap will have a booth with games and prizes. 

I will be presenting three classes: 

• Family History Adhesive: The Science of Why History Binds Families
• Simple Tech of How To Do It, 6 Steps to Choreograph Your Research Across the Internet
• Panning for Gold: Online Genealogy

Consider joining UGA and receiving the benefits of membership, including discounted conference registration, webinars, publications, research helps and more. There are also many volunteer opportunities where you get to know lots of other genealogists and how to be a better researcher. I really enjoyed my time there as president and I made lifelong friends. Information for those of you wanting to join is available online at www.ugagenealogy.org. Please stop by the booth to say hi--We look forward to seeing you at the fair!

An Open Letter to the Genealogy Community--Part Deux

What a great chat!  I love this community so much.  It is so great to be able to discuss things over social media and have input from so many directions.  Thank you so much for all the input I've received on my Open Letter to the Genealogy Community post over the weekend.  I think this has been a good discussion to have.  I'm so thrilled to have so many friends who are as eager as I am to advance the world of genealogy.

I'd like now to take it to another step.  I eagerly read the comments everyone had (and thank you for those of you who shared it further) and I was happy to see Jane Schwendinger and Thomas MacEntee encourage the conversation in a positive direction.  But I still saw alot of "they" this and "they" that and "they" should.  I would like to see some more "I will".   It is amusing to me that we all think of life that way--me included--but it is time to look inward.  So I'd like to challenge you all to help me make a list of what we are going to do to embrace the new influx of family historians.

I'll start:

1) I'm going to take some kind of interactive game or activity to every future conference booth that we do.  (If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.)  I think we can shake up the conference scene and make it more accessible.  And I think that will make it more fun for all of us who are regulars there too.

2) I'm going to try to make my presentations more interactive and engaging.  I'm going to start by looking at where I can insert more discussions with and within the audience.  And then I'm going to see what I can do about more multi-media (that is going to be tough but I'm going to stretch).

and 
3) I'm going to keep a positive attitude.  I'm going to focus on how awesome it is that newcomers are interested, and try to brush off the quirky, strange, copyright naive, thoughtless, and sometimes even ignorant and rude things they do.  I'm going to try to stay away from my occasional "holier than thou" impulses and try not to talk down to anyone.  I'm going to be respectful and try to always be helpful and patient, no matter what.  Just because they don't know the nuances of family history doesn't mean that they aren't a brain surgeon in some other area of life.  

I have faith.  When I went to the Who Do You Think You Are conference in London, I had a chance to talk to several of the vendors there.  They had crowds of 22,000 that had recently dwindled some to 20,000 and then to about 17,000.  But the vendors there said that every year the audience came back as much better genealogists and more knowledgeable than before.  Just think if we could turn all 22,000 people at this recent RootsTech conference into full-fledged NGSQ-worthy genealogists.  But even if some of them don't come along as fast or in the way we want them to, we can embrace them.  As Valerie Elkins recently said, "The genealogy tent is big enough to accommodate and welcome all, no matter what drew you inside, or when." (Facebook post 2/23/2015: 10:38 am https://www.facebook.com/valerie.brown.elkins)

That's what I'm shooting for.  What are you going to do?

An Open Letter To The Genealogy Community

It is time for a chat.  I heard some disturbing comments from my genealogy community at RootsTech and FGS.  At first I tried to ignore it.  After stewing a bit, I’ve decided I can’t.  Most of them went something like this:

• “ I don’t usually go to RootsTech.  The classes are too simplistic.”
• “I hate explaining what we do over and over again to new people.  I prefer the conferences where everyone already knows what we do.”
• “ Saturday at RootsTech is annoying.  All those kids don’t care about what we do.  They just want to gather the swag.”
• “I can’t stand the crowds.  Too much chaos.” 
• “This isn’t our clientele.  Our [society/organization/company] isn’t for beginners.” 

Over the last 11 years, I’ve watched so many in the genealogy world wring their hands that conference attendance is dwindling, that societies are shrinking, and that small companies with innovative ideas can’t make it in this market.  “Why doesn’t the rest of the world understand how wonderful genealogy is?”  they say.

Well, over the last couple of years, RootsTech has delivered the genealogy community an amazing gift—BEGINNERS WHO ARE CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT WE DO.  FamilySearch has done what it came here to do, which is to unlock the Mormon market, a market that is innately vested in family history but doesn’t quite know what to do about it.  They’ve also unlocked a huge amount of the general market.  There was an incredible range of people at RootsTech again this year.  Young, old, experienced, novice, and those who *think* they know how to do genealogy.  Some of them might have been a little quirky.  Some of them might not have been your ideal client.  But ALL of them were interested enough to show up.

The genealogy community now has a choice.  I submit to you that if we reject these newcomers to our community, we do so at our own peril.  To discard them will cause your [society/organization/company] to wither up and die.  Like quilters’ conventions (which draw huge crowds to a very complicated craft) we need to embrace all levels and all kinds of people at our events.  Consumers, societies, companies, vendors, and attendees all need to REALLY embrace them.

What can you do to make them feel welcome?  Quilters’ conventions are a great example I’ve talked about in the past.  At quilters’ conventions, professionals love to share their ideas with newcomers.  If we want to survive, I think we need to make this work. It may take a new focus or some updates to our business models, but how else will we bring in new business?

So, did I hear these comments right?  Were these people actually rejecting a crowd of 22,000 people who showed up to find out about what we do?  I’m hoping I misunderstood.  I hope I just wasn’t tuned in to the overwhelming joy that surely must have been humming around that hall.  Personally, I’m in—I’m all in.  I am happy to reinvent, make accessible and do whatever I can to make every one of those 22,000 learn about how exciting family history is.  Like I said in my earlier post, if I can offer swag, load up on bags of candy, invent games, and make this experience inviting so that the beginners and youth come back next year with a little more knowledge and some excitement to come to the conference again, I’m all in.  I’ll say it again: If, as a genealogy vendor you felt like this wasn't your market, you need to make it your market.  New market is good.  Let's grow!

I must have had a busy exhaustion fog blocking my hearing.  Let’s hope so. 

My RootsTech Highlights

I don't know where to start!  What a fabulous conference we just had.  I'm so full of gratitude, to our clients, our friends, to this wonderful community that I get to work with and to the organizers at FamilySearch and FGS.  I just said to myself over and over "This is what a genealogy conference should be like."  Yea!  Finally!  Here are my favorite parts in no particular order:

 
My Family Was There.  Both my aunt and uncle on my Dad's side came to the conference with their spouses, as well as my parents, my children and of course Kim.  That is what it is all about isn't it?  It was so fantastic to have my family there with me at a family history conference.  One of the major highlights for me was all of the DNA kits we purchased.  Between all of us, let's just say we took home a good portion of the 15,000 kits Ancestry sold.  Yes, I'm on the cusp of a DNA overdose.  I can't wait.  Likewise, so many other genealogists were able to bring their family too.  It was fun to meet Mothers and Fathers and kids of other genealogists.  That's what it should be like.

Endorsements.  The very first day, we had a very popular genealogy figure come tell us she was ready to endorse us.  She has been careful to be fair and slow to endorse particular companies so that made my day.  I respect her opinion and we are pleased to have gained her trust.  We also had several other well-respected and well established organizations come to us about partnerships and help with printing and design.  We take the trust we have with genealogy companies and other genealogy entities very seriously so we were thrilled with all of the new endorsements we gained last week.  We can't wait to solidify them and tell you about them soon.

Our FANTASTIC Family ChartMasters Team.  We thought we were incredibly overstaffed but we were entirely understaffed.  Our new employees, Christine Fazulyanov, and Michelle Phillips were incredible troopers and worked so hard.  Erin Roudabush and Lara Orchard who have been with us for years were amazing as always.  And Susan McGhie, our new sales help was great--she knew all about our processes because we recently did a fantastic chart for her--she even found some new cousins by showing it off.  We even pressed Mom and Dad into service and they were a great support again.  Everyone worked non-stop and we were able to help lots of people with charts and with Zap ideas for their youth.  Just what we came to do.  We haven't seen anything but growth over the last several years so we are confident we are delivering a good product.  We always want to hear what you think about how we can do better.  Let us know.  We really want to help you create amazing charts.

Busy, Busy Busy!  From what I heard, the numbers were at 22,000.  Finally, the rest of the world is
catching on to how wonderful family history is.  A hearty thank you to FamilySearch for being able to spend the money to be able to grow this audience.  We are so pleased to have a conference that is starting to look like Comic Con.  Family History is that cool.  I'm so thrilled that the rest of the world is finally figuring that out.  The constant crowds of people were awesome. 

Friends In Real Life.  So this part was great and also not so great.  We honestly have a family in the genealogy world.  I really care about these friends I see at conferences and online.  We've become close.  So I love to see them in real life and catch up with what is going on in their lives.  So many hugs.  This time, several of my friends had been through huge challenges that you wouldn't share in social networking.  It was heartbreaking to hear about these challenges, but I'm so glad to know the whole truth.  I'm hoping I can find some small ways to help.  I really appreciate that they felt they could be honest with me and hope the hugs helped a little.

My Neighbors Were There.  One of my great joys was having many of my neighbors, and other friends who live in Salt Lake City show up.  It was so wonderful to see people that I don't usually see at a genealogy conference being curious.  I'm so excited that RootsTech has been able to reach that far.  I hope the next step is to take it on the road to other parts of the country. 

The RootsTech Program.  I didn't catch much of it but the parts I caught were phenomenal.  If the rest of the conference was as wonderful as the sessions I was in the whole thing was amazing.  Great content.  My favorite part was the new song and video from David Archuleta for FamilySearch and Ancestry's big move into Mexico.  The video still hasn't been released here but one of the attendees posted David's second performance of the song on YouTube.  Love It!

Can't wait until Studio C releases the video they played Friday night too.  Great stuff.  Fun to introduce my Genealogy friends to Studio C too.  As if the 17,000 excited people in the room weren't enough to be happy about. 
 
The Kids.  There has been a little bit of online banter about whether or not all the kids who descended on RootsTech Saturday were actually all that interested.  They may not be interested yet, but if we can make RootsTech fun, offer swag and some bags of candy, a little Studio C, hopefully they'll come along.  Count me in to do everything I can to help make this their first step.  Hopefully they'll progress towards the strong identities, resilience and self esteem they'll find as they learn more about family history. Again, this is absolutely what a family history conference should be like.  We need this next generation desperately.  It should be a family endeavor.  If, as a genealogy vendor you felt like this wasn't your market, you need to make it your market.  New market is good.  Let's grow!  RootsTech has delivered this next generation to us and we all need to do everything we can to make sure they love family history.  I'm all in.

The one thing I wasn't thrilled about was my lectures.  Even though I was really well prepared, after days of go go go, I don't think I was at the top of my game.  I really appreciate the people who came up afterward and said they liked what I had to say.  They taped the "6 Steps to Choreograph Your Research Across The Internet" but I'm not sure when it will be available.  If you want to see the lecture, a better option would probably be to sign up for the SCGS webinar on this coming Wednesday where I am giving it again.  I will have had more sleep so I think there won't be as many "ums"  Either way though, I hope the lectures helped some people organize their research more.


Another drawback was that there just wasn't enough time to really talk to our friends and partners enough.  We did more of our great Outside the Box sessions with Lisa Louise Cooke, Maureen Taylor, and Family Tree Magazine.  (Another Highlight)
But I hardly got to see them--we were all going 10 different directions.  Thanks to Family Tree Magazine for the great dinner we had, and for everyone who we got to eat with at other times during the conference.  It was so good to have time to chat.  That is always a favorite part of any genealogy conference. 

All in all, I think our Ancestors are pleased.  The genealogy community is stronger and our family relationships are tighter.  All is good in the world.

Things to Do in SLC -- City Creek Center

With Rootstech hot on our heels, I hope you will look over my Pocket Guide to Salt Lake City for great tips on where to stay, where to eat, and where to play. An absolute fun place to eat and play in downtown Salt Lake, and just a stone's throw from Rootstech, is City Creek Center. It really is the new shining gem in the downtown landscape and it has some great features you should be aware of before coming into town. You'll definitely want to put it on your "To-Do" list, even if you are only into window shopping or grabbing a quick bite at the food court.

Here is the new section of the Guide about the City Creek Center. 

City Creek Center is the newest addition to downtown’s wonderful shopping options.  Located at 50 South Main Street, it is the closest/best food and relaxation break from the library.  In the winter months the mall is all indoors, but when the warmer months arrive, the mall’s retractable roof creates an open air shopping experience.  It is the first mall in the United States to have a retractable roof in place, which is not only unique but beautiful.  The roof allows for open air flow, increased light, and reduced need for air conditioning in warmer months but also protection from inclement weather conditions in the harsher winter months.  Either way, roof open or closed, the natural light and natural stone walkways with recreated historic City Creek (which originally was a main source of water for original settlers and farmers new in the Salt Lake Valley) create a lovely shopping environment, unlike most big city malls.  And an excellent Winter season perk is that the exterior walkways of the Center have a heated snow-melt system within them.  This allows shoppers to enter and exit City Creek, as well as navigate it's exterior courtyards, without slipping on ice or walking over salt and ice-melt.  Every thought was taken to make visiting City Creek a pleasure, year round and in every kind of weather.

City Creek Center is a genuinely beautiful place to experience, shop, and dine.  The recreation of the original City Creek runs straight through the middle of the entire shopping center.  And it has live fish, swimming right through it.  In addition to this namesake water feature, the shopping center also plays stage to several water fountains, including three by WET Design, makers of the famous Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas.  Two water features include a fire-and-water shows, one choreographed to music.  The shows are fun and the pyrotechnics are a boon of warmth in the Winter months.  A definite must see if you have a free evening.  Speaking of warmth, the shopping center boasts a large, four-sided fireplace in an outdoor courtyard area that makes for a cozy place to sit and sip a warm drink and visit with friends and family.  If you get lucky enough to be by the fireplace when a light sprinkling of snow comes along, it's really almost magical to experience.  Among the various water features, be sure to look for the art and sculptures spread throughout and see if you can identify the animal tracks located here and there in the walkways.  All in all, City Creek is just a beautiful place.

The mall itself is in two sections, divided by Main Street, which can be easily crossed by an indoor pedestrian sky bridge.  The sky bridge spans 140 feet with no columns or supports.  The glass of the skybridge is etched with 3-D leaf patterns and creates an interesting dappled shadow below when the sunlight shines through the bridge.  It's a scenic and seamless way to get from one side of the shopping center to the other, so much so that it's easy to forget your crossing over a major thoroughfare as you walk over the skybridge.  And from the center of the bridge, you can get a very nice view of not only Main Street, but also nearby Ensign Peak.  And for those who enjoy history, be sure to take a look at the bronze floor plaque, depicting the original Salt Lake City map plat.

City Creek Center also has a top-notch concierge service desk.  If you live more than 50 miles away from City Creek Center, just stop by the Visitors Center to receive your free "Passport to Shopping," a coupon book offering discounts and special offers at over 60 retail shops within City Creek Center.  If you opt to do some shopping with your discount book, be sure to take your same day receipts of $150 or more back to the Visitors Center to receive your complimentary City Creek Signature bag.  Your driver's license or passport is required for both of these visitor perks.  In addition to this, the Visitors Center offers several other amenities.  Stop by to inquire about free wheelchair rentals, valet parking, Trax and bus routes, local attractions and events, and more.  There is also a real time travel board with constantly updated flight information for Salt Lake International Airport.  This is particularly helpful if you are doing a bit of shopping or dining the day you leave town and want to keep track of your flight status.  The visitors Center is located on level 1, just outside of Macy's.

Some of Salt Lake’s best top end shops and dining can be found here.  Everything from Tiffany & Co., Anthropologie, Michael Kors, Coach, Lush, Rolex, and many more high end retailers are nestled in this beautiful mall.  It also contains some great options if you need a technology fix, with The Apple Store, Microsoft, AT&T, Sprint and Bose, to name just a few.  There is an ample food court with everything from Chic-Fil-A to McDonald’s, your standard pizza and hibachi, but also you can’t miss the Red Iguana’s counter service location and some treasures like the Cuban pork sandwich at Bocata and the Utah Sushi at Mr. Sushi.  If you would like a nicer sit-down dining option, I already mentioned the genealogist’s favorite, Blue Lemon.  I’ve also had some brilliant genealogy discussions with friends at BRIO, and at Texas de Brazil Churrascaria, as well as some of the other sit down options.  Kneaders is another excellent local favorite that I frequent at their location near my home.  I love the Mushroom Brie Soup and my kids love the all you can eat breakfast of pancakes and French toast with truly magical buttermilk syrup. Kneaders is the best place to pick up a big gift basket to take home to your family so that they forgive you for abandoning them in your family history pursuits.  And, away from the food court, but just outside of Macy's, is Farr's Ice Cream, which offers self-served ice cream, yogurt, and frozen custard, in addition to hand scooped ice cream.  You can sit inside Farr's or in the writer's cafe attached to it, in front of Macy's.  It's a nice quiet area, with big open windows facing Temple Square, to let you people watch or work with a tasty treat in hand. Be sure to take a stroll through City Creek, if you get a moment.  With its indoor creek and relaxed pace, it’s a nice break from research when you need one.  Being only a quick walking distance from the Family History Library, the Salt Palace, and several hotels, it's definitely the closest place to find what you need during your time in the city.

Rootstech Presentations and Recording

I think many of us are gearing up for Rootstech 2015 and Family ChartMasters is no exception to that.  Between our booth (#1240!), Outside the Box, and my two conference presentations, things are hopping around here lately.  I am really looking forward to reconnecting with friends and meeting new ones next week.  In the meantime, I am putting the finishing touches on my presentations, fine tuning, and tweaking here and there.  But what if you can't make the trek to Utah next week?  I am very pleased and excited to say that you can still catch one of my presentations!  Each year at Rootstech, a handful of presenters are invited to have their presentations recorded for viewing on the web and this year, I am extremely honored to have been asked to participate.  One of my presentations, 6 Steps to Choreograph Your Research Across the Internet, will be recorded and available for viewing. Take a look:  https://familysearch.org/blog/en/20-rootstech-sessions-grow-family-tree/
I'm teaching on Saturday at 1pm and I'm not sure if it will be streamed live, or if it will only be recorded for later, but either way you'll be able to catch it at Rootstech.org

From My Syllabus:

How do you correlate your research between family history sites?  You can become an expert researcher and quickly document your family’s history online with six simple tips for working with multiple family history websites.  Learn how to stay focused and in control of your family history searches.  Distinguish the difference between navigating your cousin’s conclusion trees and actual sources about your family history.  Discover how to use tabs, and timelines to systematically place your results on solid, well analyzed research.  And understand how to record the results so that you don’t get tripped up as you move along your family tree.

There are always a few tips and tricks that can streamline the process of internet research and bring you better results.  If you are at Rootstech, you're going to want to drop in for this one.  We can all use fresh ideas on making our family history hunts a little easier.  And if you can't make it out here to Utah, be on the look out for the recording of this presentation at RootsTech.org.  It'll be worth it, I promise! 

I am also very excited about my other presentation, Family History Adhesive:The Science of Why Family History Binds Families and The Simple Tech of How to Do It.  Studies have shown that greater knowledge about family history strengthens your relationships and creates a core identity that empowers your current family.  In this session you will learn to use the technology your family members already access every day to create a strong family narrative together. 

Family history has proven to be the key to strong family relationships now and the emotional health of future generations.  The transmission of family history is a personal way to pass on family values, learn from the consequences of decisions and figure out how to overcome the challenges of life.   In this presentation, we’ll survey the psychology community’s studies of intergenerational transmission.  They have found that the shared family narrative is a source of strength and resilience that binds family members together with a common story. I will also help you identify daily communication tools your family already utilizes and show you the best way to utilize these tools to develop your family narrative.

Please join me at Rootstech, if you can make it.  I'd love to see you in my classes and at my Outside the Box presentations.  If you can't be there, please look for my recorded Rootstech session and I will look for you at a future conference! 

Games, Games, Games!

If you are heading this way, I am sure you are in the full throes of Rootstech preparation.  We're right there with you!  Something we are very excited about to share with everyone at Rootstech are the things we've been doing to make your family history fun and games.  That's right, I said it, games.  We're playing games and we're offering some great new games for you to purchase to use with your custom Family ChartMasters chart or at family reunions.  I'm telling you, it's going to be a fun time over in booth 1240 this week.  You've got to stop by and check out what we have happening.

First, we'll be playing our Pedigree Challenge game at the booth (1240).  Come test your genealogy chops by playing hide and seek with our giant Ancestor Chart.  How old was Albert when he died?  Who is Claudia's great-granddaughter?  Who is June's husband?  Who is Lawrence's oldest grandchild?  Swing by, drop into the game, win a prize!  It's a fun way to test yourself and see how you size up on the genealogy game field.

Family ChartMasters will be offering a brand new card game that you can purchase to play games with your family charts at family reunions and game nights.  This is great to have on hand and get family conversations going.  Take a look at what I am talking about here.

We'll also be offering the very popular and fun Your Family Tree Game for sale.  This is a great game whether you are 4 or 104.  We'll be playing this game on our Zap the Grandma Gap side of our booth so you can give it a whirl.  It's really fun and perfect for family game nights, family reunions, youth activities, and more.  We've enjoyed it a lot in our family and also at a staff meeting (yes, you read that right...we have fun around here while we work).  You'll definitely want to take a look at it.

And then, of course, what is Outside the Box without games?  I mean, that's like a birthday party without cake.  So be sure to check out our schedule for lots of great, free mini-seminars.  We'll be kicking off and ending our Outside the Box sessions with some more games though.  Come see us on Thursday, February 12th, from 10:30-11:00 to try your hand at our Genealogy Game Show (go head to head with other genealogists from around the world in a Jeaopardy-like game) and our Pedigree Challenge.  There are prizes involved so you don't want to miss it.  We'll cap Rootstech off with another round of both games once more on Saturday, from 3:30-4:00.  More fun and more prizes has to be the best way to end your Rootstech stay!

We are into the celebration spirit over Rootstech and the fun and games we are planning are just one way we're showing it.  Be sure to check out our booth (1240) for amazing products, chart consultations, books, games (to buy and play), prizes, or to just shoot the breeze with folks from our Family ChartMasters team.  We're looking forward to seeing you!

A Very Special Chart for a Very Special Young Man

James Taylor (center) and his parents. Photo provided by
and used with express permission of PBS Communications.

Not too long ago we were contacted by Josh Taylor and the producers of the PBS show  Genealogy Roadshow asking us if we would print a chart for a young man being featured on their show.  As the show discussed, this young man's name James Herschel Taylor and he is as sweet as they come.  Of course, we were thrilled to help in any way we could.

James Taylor is the son of Berhonda and James Taylor and he has had a keen interest in his personal genealogy, as well as ancient history.  James has Asperger's Syndome, a form of Autism.  He's a brilliant kid whose interest in his heritage and the world history surrounding his background is inspiring.  Everyone at Genealogy Roadshow fell in love with him and his family and I have to say, we did too.  We have experience with Asperger's in our family and so this story touched very close to home for us.

James is featured on the St. Louis Central Library episode of Genealogy Roadshow (aired January 19th, 2015) and can be found here  the show's website (linked through on pbs.org).  His story starts around the 33:17 minute mark and ends around the 42:43 mark.  You can see our chart though from 41:52 to about 42:14.  The show did a DNA profile on James and asked us to include his DNA map on the chart, to show were his ancestry in located.  Now, where else can you find a chart like that?  Of course, Josh knew exactly where to go for what he was looking for.  We were able to pull together the chart very quickly and get it right out to the producers of the show for them to present to James and his parents.  It was a great experience and of course we all got teary watching he and his family get so emotional about having their ancestry on display for them.

We all enjoyed the experience of creating this chart that meant so much to James and his family.  It was clear that it was important to them to not only have new information about their family, provided by Josh and the producers of the show, but also a tangible reminder of that history.  It's just a great example of one of the reasons why we do this.  There is distinct power and stability in being able to see those who have come before you.  Berhonda, James's mother, said at one point when looking at her ancestry, "You long for someone, and you wish you could meet them."  We have that innate pull and desire to know our ancestors in each of us and charts are such an amazing way to "meet" them and reinforce that connection each day.  This was just another of many highlights for us at Family ChartMasters.  I was so happy Josh came to me to design a chart for James and I look forward to working with Genealogy Roadshow again in the future.  We hope James and his family treasures their chart, in their home, for years to come.

And The Winner Is...

Thank you to those who participated in our Jdawgs Giveaway!  I and my staff all loved reading each of those stories and it was so hard to pick a winner.  But choose we must, so...

Susan Bankhead, congratulations.  You've got yourself lunch for two! Here is the story Susan shared with us:

"'My second great grandfather, Tilton Eastman Smith, served in the NY 33rd Regiment in the Civil War. He recorded his experiences in pencil in a tiny pocket diary. On one Sunday he wrote, "Five of us met in the mud to worship our God. How thankful we are for the opportunity.'
Susan Bankhead"

We chose this story because it was a great example of how something tiny and small--a note written in a small journal, in pencil--gives an example of gratitude in hardships.  We truly learn from the hardships and trials of our ancestors.  And the idea of Susan's ancestor, kneeling in the mud, with gratitude for the opportunity, touched all of us at Family ChartMasters.  All of the stories did, actually.  It really was a difficult choice, but what remained for all of us was how in those two lines, generations were altered by the act and the gratitude for being able to perform the act.

Thank you all who shared with us!  They are amazing stories, each one!  Hopefully we can do more giveaways in the future, because each of those stories was a winner in our books.  Susan, please email us at familychartmaster (at) gmail (dot) com.  We'll get your lunches out to you right away!

How About A Free Lunch?

In honor of all things great to do in Utah, besides genealogy, I've got something new and exciting for all of you wonderful readers!  How about a free lunch?  For two?  Yes, my friends, we're having a giveaway!

Seriously great stuff, right here!

A Utah County Rite of Passage is a meal at Jdawgs.  It's the place to go for the absolute best hot dogs (or, dawgs) in the state.  In honor of all of you amazing folks who will be descending upon my beloved home state for Rootstech (and for the locals, I'm not exclusive), we've teamed up with Jdawgs to give one lucky reader a chance to win lunch for two at Jdawgs.  According to their website, Jdawgs is "The brainchild of a creative, yet broke and somewhat directionless BYU student..."  It started in a tiny shack just on the edge of BYU Provo campus and has now spread to four locations throughout Utah County, with a healthy and thriving catering business.  And for a broke and somewhat directionless student, owner and creator Jayson Edwards, has taken his idea and grown it to a highlight on the Utah County food scene.  Forget what you think you know about hot dogs, because these don't even compare to what you're used to eating off of the backyard grill.

Sabrina cooking up some dawgs.

So what makes Jdawgs so special that you are going to want these free meal tickets?  Just about everything.  The hot dogs themselves are 100% beef (they come in Polish and Regular), the buns are brought in daily from a local bakery and have just the right balance between soft and chewy, the topping choices are amazing, and their special Jdawgs Sauce is straight up divine.  And if all of that isn't enough, Jdawgs grills their dawgs in a unique way.  They are masters of the cross-cut and it is beyond genius.  When we asked Sebastian, manager of the Thanksgiving Point location, why they cross-cut the dawgs before grilling them, his answer was multi-pointed: first, they cook faster and more evenly; second, it makes the dawgs "bloom," giving a more appealing product; third (and most importantly), it holds all of the toppings better than it otherwise would.  I told you, genius.  Michelle decided to take home a couple of dawgs to get her family's opinions and while the Polish is Jdawgs biggest seller, the Beef dawg was the winner in her house.  The difference was mainly spice.  The Polish dawg has a stronger, more peppery flavor (but not too much heat) while the Beef was a bit tamer and more to her children's' preferences.  And even cutting up the dawgs into portions for her kids, two was more than enough for the four of them (they are huge!) and the toppings all stayed nicely on the dawg/in the bun instead of all over her kitchen floor. She was a happy camper.

The Thanksgiving Pointe Jdawgs crew:
Miranda, Sebastian, Zoe, and Sabrina.

All in all, you need to try these!  When we reached out to Jdawgs to ask if they'd be willing to sponsor a giveaway for my blog, they didn't even hesitate.  They are huge supporters of local charities, schools, and businesses.  We worked with Tom and Sebastian (as well as Sebastian's crew) and everyone was so amazing.  They were excited at the thought of doing the giveaway for anyone who wanted to try their restaurant.  I can't say enough great things about Jdawgs as a tasty restaurant and as a community supporter.  They really embody the Utah State of Mind.

So what do you need to do to get a chance to win two free meals?  Easy.  Leave me a comment below telling me about one of these two things:

A time when you found a personal hero or an inspiring story in your ancestry.

Easy peasy, lemony squeezy.  My team and I will all read through the comments and choose a winner.  You have until Thursday (midnight) to leave a comment and we'll announce the winner on Friday.  You've got nothing to lose and two free meals to win, so get to commenting!  And tell your friends.  The more the merrier.  I can't wait to read your stories and thoughts!

*Disclaimer stuff: Jdawgs generously offered two gift cards for these free meals (each good for one hot dog, bag of chips, and a drink) as part of a social media partnership with them.  Neither I, nor anyone on my staff, have received any compensation for this giveaway.  And Michelle provided her own lunch that day. :)

Outside The Box--Rootstech Version

Rootstech is around the corner and that can only mean one thing for the vendor hall: Outside the Box.  That's right, Alison Dolan from Family Tree Magazine, Maureen Taylor, the Photo Detective, Lisa Louise Cooke from Genealogy Gems, and I are together again for the Exhibit Hall at Rootstech.  And if you've been around us at past conferences, you know it's a party.  We've got it all happening in our corner, and we hope you'll come see us.

We have free Outside the Box Sessions, games, prizes, and consultations running each day.  The Exhibit Hall opens at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday and we're hitting the ground running.  Stop by first thing, at 10:30, for our first game and a chance to win prizes.  I'll be hosting a Genealogy Game Show and Pedigree Challenge.  It's a hoot and a great way to start your time at Rootstech.  And, did I mention, PRIZES!  We'll be playing games throughout the entire conference though at our Family ChartMasters booth, so be sure to pop by often.  I'll also be ending the conference on Saturday with the game show and prizes too.  You won't want to miss it.

Maureen, Lisa, Allison and I all have our areas of expertise and we've designed our personal Outside the Box Sessions around each of those.  You'll be able to get some fabulous help for your genealogical problems right there in the Exhibit Hall.  In fact, Maureen is available for you to schedule consultations for help with your family history photos.  If you have an unidentified ancestor in a photo, bring it to her and she'll be able to help you track that person down.  You can schedule a time to meet with her here.

We've always enjoyed teaming up and providing these free Outside the Box sessions at various conferences.  We love seeing old friends and making new ones and we hope you will come by often during your time at Rootstech.  And before you come, don't forget to download your free Salt Lake City Travel Guide from Family ChartMasters.  We've got you covered for a great Rootstech experience and we can't wait to see you.

Chart Chick Insider's Guide to Salt Lake City--Updated!

A couple of years ago, my friend Thomas MacEntee, encouraged me to put together a local's guide to Salt Lake City.  Seeing as Salt Lake City is the Genealogy Mecca, eventually most folks researching their family history end up here.  Either for conferences or to spend a few days in the Family History Library, it's kind of the place to be.  I have spent a good deal of my life here in Utah and I really love it.  Some genealogists choose to live in Salt Lake City because of all of the great genealogical resources, but I love it for many reasons beyond that great perk.  First and foremost, you cannot beat the scenery.  The mountain vistas are breathtaking.  And I love the clean lifestyle here too.  Clean streets, air, and water.  It very fresh and refreshing to be a resident here with wonderful access to all of nature's grand showcases.

You also cannot beat the people.  Hands down, Utah is one of the friendliest places I have ever lived.  In fact, at the 2002 Olympics, people from all over the world marveled at the friendly and helpful nature of Utah's locals.  Even a few years ago, on one of the American Idol search tours, the judges were bowled over by the friendly nature of our residents.  American Idol did a montage of over a dozen hopeful contestants saying "thank you" for the opportunity to be rejected (and the actual rejection itself).  At one point, I think it was Paula Abdul who made a comment to the general effect of "What's in the water and can I get some of it?"  Which, while completely hilarious, I can assure you: people really are just that nice around here.  And I love it!  Hopefully in your travels out our way, you get to experience that welcome attitude.  Don't be afraid to strike up a conversation while you are out and about--you'll make a new friend in no time flat.  I just really love it here.  And I want you to enjoy yourself when you come and visit.  So for that reason I wanted to make sure you have the insider track on the best visit possible.  There is nothing worse than hitting a new town and not knowing where to stay or eat or play.  Problem solved.

So with the opening of the APG Professional Management Conference today, and with the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy starting next week, and with RootsTech just around the corner, I thought now would be the time to update my Salt Lake Guide. If you are planning a trip to Salt Lake City any time soon, be sure to download Family ChartMasters's free Salt Lake City travel guide.  I have included over 150 links to the best places to stay and eat, sights to see, shopping guides, genealogical and library resources, transportation options, and more.  The .pdf is twenty three pages of great information all geared to the genealogist's experience.  And you can purchase a hard copy to pick up at our booth at RootsTech (or be shipped to you).  It's newly updated with all of the best spots and their information.  And did I mention it's free?  A city guide, from a local, with tried and true resources.  You honestly can't beat it.  And once you download it and try out a few of my suggestions, be sure to let me know what you think.

Of New Years and Resolutions

Happy New Year! 2015 is upon on us and it's a great time to create new habits and work on some new goals. That's a really positive way to say "We're all eating carrots and hummus for lunch today," isn't it? :) While that may or may not be the case for you, I do think it is pretty safe to say that at this time of year, it's a pretty natural reaction for us each to reflect on ourselves and where we are personally and to renew some efforts we put into self-improvement.

That said, it's also a time that we, as a company, have decided to act on a goal we've talked about quite a bit for the last half of 2014. And there is no better time than the change of a calendar to Carpe Diem! ourselves into the execution of that goal. We want to work on asking for, receiving, and then implementing customer feedback this year. We do want to be the best we can be and provide our customers with the best service we can. So, even if the feedback pinches a bit, we're ready and willing to listen--and change. We're asking, so here's your chance to let us know how we are doing!

Here is a link to quick online survey, asking about your experience with Family ChartMasters. We've made it as fast and painless as possible (really... we all tried it ourselves and it only takes about 2 minutes). In addition to trying to make it a simple and fast process, we're also making it a worthwhile process. Here's your chance to not only help us, but help others too. For every online survey response we receive, Family ChartMasters will donate $1 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. So you'll actually be doing two helpful things, all in a matter of a few minutes. You can count it as two good deeds for your day!

Please be on the lookout for our newsletter with a link to take the survey or better yet, click this link to get started now. And thank you, in advance, for your participation. It really does help us to improve and grow.

Gift Certificate Sale

So, here we are, after the chart order deadlines for Christmas and Chanukah deliveries and you're in a panic. I've been telling you all month, I am here for you. I've got you covered in so many ways that you may just want to add me to your nice list. While we can't get a chart to you by Chanukah or Christmas at this point, we can get you some gift certificates right now. Right up until December 25th. On sale, too. I know, right?!

Gift Certificates are awesome because they are so easy and they ensure that your family or friends get exactly what they want.  Sometimes people are intimidated to create charts for others because they either don't have access to the files themselves or they aren't sure which lines to include/exclude, or they are worried that what designs their family and friends would like.  Have no fear. Gift certificates were invented for these very reasons.

So just for you, I am running a sale on gift certificates from now until December 22nd. Even if you are a wait-until-the-last-possible-second kind of shopper, you can get an instant gift that doesn't come with a killer price tag. From now until December 22nd, I am offering 25% off of all gift certificates. That means you can give a big ticket item, and still keep 25% of the cost in your pocket. It's so easy and you can print the gift certificate directly from your computer immediately after purchase. Not to mention your loved ones still get a meaningful gift, to their exact specifications, with only a few mouse clicks from you. You save money and get all of the praise without the hassle and sweat. This is absolutely the best way to go as Christmas and Chanukah approach.

Order anytime from December 18th through December 22nd to save 25% off of your entire gift certificate order and then instantly print your gift certificates from your home computer! You'll be the star of the show and you didn't even have to leave your house. In fact, you can order them right now, in your pajamas and slippers, and nobody will know the difference. Let me help you make it a great holiday season at your house. Or your mother's house. Or your Aunt Edna's house. Wherever the gift certificates are going, take comfort knowing that we will help your friends and family create the perfect chart that will last for generations. That's the best kind of gift around, if you ask me!

Oh, How I Love Webinars

I am very excited to announce that I have been accepted to present in two different webinar series in 2015.  I love webinars because they are convenient and can reach so many people across the world.  And, as audience members, you can even attend them in your pajamas and slippers.  There's no judgement here, folks.

The first series I am thrilled to be part of is sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society.  The series for 2015 is titled GROW What You KNOW.  My presentation will be held February 18, 2015 at 7:00 p.m., MST.  I'm joining with many leading experts within the genealogical field and I feel very honored to have been invited to be part of this series.  Be sure you take a look at the schedule and register for my webinar, along with any others you find interesting.
















The second webinar series I will be part of is sponsored by the Illinois State Genealogical Society, in conjunction with FamilySearch.  My participation won't be until November but there are great webinars held each month that you can start registering for right now.  Be sure to take a look at the schedule and start marking your calendars.

I really am thrilled to start taking part in more webinar series and it's kind of a big deal for me, so I wanted to share this exciting news with each of you.  So as this year winds down and we all start looking forward to next year and the classes and conferences we each want to attend, be sure to sign up for a few (especially mine!) that you can attend without ever leaving your house.  It's just too good to pass up.  I hope you'll join me!

My Top Ten List for Why You Need a Chart

Today I thought I'd do a little reminder.  Although people understand what I and my company do, I am not sure people always understand the variety of uses for the products my company, Family ChartMasters, provides. So, as a result, I have come up with a "Top Ten List" of sorts on the many reasons and uses for the purchase of a custom Family ChartMasters chart (decorative or working-they both have endless possibilities). Some of these ideas are from a previous post.

1) Track your database. We get feedback about this all the time. One customer said "I can finally see all the work I've spent all these years doing." And it makes sense, right?  We genealogists put in hours upon hours of work but rarely give ourselves the pay-off of seeing it all on display. A decorative chart is a fantastic pay-off!

2) Impress the in-laws. We had one customer this Christmas write us back and tell us that her previously cold father-in-law had spoken to her for the first time in years after her gift of a chart on his ancestry and descendants. He appreciated her efforts and she was thrilled. If a chart can thaw that kind of deep freeze, there is some serious mojo behind it!

3) Join two families. A step family chart, or a wedding chart is a great way to celebrate the start of a new life. I can't imagine a better way to display the merging of two families.

4) Get people to come to the family reunion. Some of the most spectacular charts that we do are large family reunion charts with pictures. Sometimes these can have 100's of pictures on them. We always hear back that when you contact everyone for a picture, they all have to come see the chart. And often that will pull them in to the family history--which brings me to...

5) Collect information at a family reunion. I always say, and have never been proven wrong, that when you see something wrong or missing on the chart at a family reunion you have to go get a pencil. I actually went to a family reunion of my own once where the organizers didn't want anyone to write on the chart. Instead, they wanted you to send an e-mail. It about killed me not to add in my sister that was missing. Even your Aunt that doesn't want anyone to know her birthday will put it up on a chart. Working charts just cry out to be edited.

6) Inspire yourself. I'm betting most of the people reading this post have never been to one of my lectures. I often tell about a time, several years ago, when I was late for an appointment and trying to get ready to leave town the next day when I walked into the house to find the washing machine pipe had broken and our main floor was under 6 inches of water. The water was draining down through the furnace and our basement was about 4 inches under as well. Of course it wasn't a day when the house was clean and as I went through the house in a panic picking things up, I happened to look up on a wall where a picture chart was hanging. In it I saw my ancestors who had crossed the plains as pioneers, farmed in the desert, lived through the depression, and made all sorts of sacrifices for me. In that moment I had a peace and a perspective come over me. This wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things; I had insurance, it would be fine. And even through the next two weeks as workers ripped out our kitchen and recarpeted everything al while my daughter was in the hospital (it was perhaps two of the worst weeks of my life), I went through it with a much greater sense of peace and gratitude.

7) Share the genealogy you have collected with someone else. There is nothing better than a chart to explain research that has been done to someone who wasn't involved. I'm hoping that I will inherit my mother's work in a nice color-coded filing system with a matching color coded chart. If not, maybe my kids will get it. (Yeah right.) So, the least I can do is pay it forward for future generations and create a chart so the visual is there, easy to read, and ready to build upon in further researching down the road.

8) Inspire your kids. I want my kids to know where they came from, and the decorating in our home reflects that. Once, not to long ago, when my son wouldn't finish a book report, I jokingly reminded him that he descended from the very prolific Pratt family and he had it in him to stick to the task and finish it. He knew he wasn't getting out of it. Poor kid. But at least I, as a parent, had a ready to prove display on hand to say, "See, I'm serious! You can do it."

9) Appreciate someone. This one kind of goes with #2. We do lots of charts for anniversary parties, retirements, 80th - 90th birthdays and etc. I can't tell you how special people feel when they see the time, care, and effort that goes into a chart honoring them and their family. It's one of my favorite parts of creating charts--hearing how touched someone was to receive it as a gift.

10) Explore a new database. Getting a file out on a chart is a great way to see what is in someone's file that you received from a database. We at Family ChartMasters can print from any genealogy file. A working chart of a new database sent to you by a third cousin or a great aunt can help your productivity in further your research because you can see it and annotate and make notes as you go. It's a no-brainer.

So there is my top ten suggestions for why you need a Family ChartMasters custom made chart in your home or to give as a gift.  The holiday season is upon us and charts make the perfect gifts for family, friends, and for yourself. Be sure to contact us today for a free consultation and we can still get a chart out to you in time for Christmas.  We look forward to creating the perfect gift or keepsake for you soon.