Blaine Bettinger, Diahan Southard and Angie Bush (photo courtesy of Diahan Southard)
In this episode we’re having a panel discussion on the topic of careers in genetic genealogy featuring three genetic genealogy experts Angie Bush, Blaine Bettinger and Diahan Southard.
Diahan Southard is a leading voice for consumer DNA testing from her position as Founder of Your DNA Guide. She is also the author of Your DNA Guide the Book.
Blaine Bettinger is the founder of DNA Central, the blogger behind The Genetic Genealogist, and the author of The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy. All three are sought after speakers in the United States and internationally.
In the News– Next month on March 3, 2021 I’ll be doing a webinar for the Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society. So if you’re a member of that organization I look forward to talking to you in March.
You can follow the Genealogy Professional podcast page on Facebook. And if you’re not on Facebook, Follow the Genealogy Professional on LinkedIn. You can get new episode notices there.
And of course don’t forget you can now find The Genealogy Professional podcast on Spotify and YouTube. I’ve recently updated all the episodes on YouTube. Those are scheduled to be released over the next few weeks.
Paula Stuart-Warren considers herself fortunate to be an internationally recognized genealogical educator, researcher and consultant focusing on unusual resources, manuscripts, methodology, and analyzing records. She also specializes in Native American research. Paula loves to interact with her clients and audiences. She is a long-time course coordinator and instructor for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh and an instructor for Ancestry Academy.
Her lecturing experience includes the Federation of Genealogical Societies and National Genealogical Society conferences and seminars in many states and Canada. Paula has served on the Board of Directors of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS), and is a former officer of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and is the Past President of the Northland Chapter of APG. She initiated the MGS education committee and classes and was one of the founding members of the MGS Library. She co-chaired the FGS 2001, 2011, and 2013 conferences.
Her ancestors came to the U.S. from eight ancestral countries. She has researched onsite from coast to coast at and has written for, FGS FORUM, NGS Magazine, Family Tree Magazine, New England Ancestors, Minnesota Genealogist, findmypast.com, was editor of the former FGS Conference News Blog and currently has her own educational website and blog at http://genealogybypaula.com.
“Not being knowledgeable enough to answer everyone’s questions”
Best Advice You Received from Someone Else
“Document, document, document. Document your sources.“
One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now
“Step back and create a plan.”
Recommended Book
Ancestry’s Red Book. Also, look at things that are on the open shelves.
Advice
“Realize it takes time to build your business and to become known so that other people will hire you for research or speaking.”
News
In News this week – let me tell you where I’ve been since our last episode.
I did a webinar for the Central Georgia Genealogical Society called Verifying Information You Find Online. During the pandemic with all the libraries and archives closed it’s even more important to rely on online information and trees. This talk is full of tips for successfully using online trees, figuring out which ones you can trust and how to resolve conflicting information. It was great fun to be the presenter for their very first online meeting.
I also made an appearance on another podcast. Maureen Taylor celebrated the 100th episode of the Photo Detective podcast and I had the pleasure of interviewing Maureen on her own podcast to celebrate the occasion. You can find that interview and the podcast on MaureenTaylor.com or where ever you listen to podcasts.
I’ve mentioned recently that you can listen to the Genealogy Professional podcast on Spotify. Well now you can listen to the podcast on Amazon Music as well as Gaana, the largest podcast directory in India.
If you’d like to contribute to supporting the podcast then I would ask that you recommend me as a virtual speaker to your local library, historical or genealogical society. Any money earned from that now goes directly to supporting my podcast. I’m still in the process of creating an updated list of available talks but here are five titles to choose from.
Discovering Online Oral History and Audio Collections to enrich your research
Use Your Genealogy Skills to discover the history of the people who lived in your house
Verifying Information You Find Online
5 Steps to Becoming a Good Ancestor
How to Capture and Preserve Oral History Right Now
The Genealogy Professional podcast is now available on Spotify. Search for either Marian Pierre-Louis or genealogy to find it. Don’t forget to follow!
If you’re a YouTube you can also find all the episodes of the podcast on YouTube. Don’t expect any video. It’s just an audio-only file with a picture but I’ve put it over there because some people are more comfortable with that platform.
If you’re not on Facebook, follow the Genealogy Professional on LinkedIn. You can get new episode notices there. Go to Linkedin and search for The Genealogy Professional and hit the follow button.
In addition to finding the podcast on Spotify and YouTube you can also now find it in Google Play and all other Google products. For instance, you can search for the Genealogy Professional podcast without an app, just right in the Google search box, and the results will deliver the 3 latest podcast episodes right there in the search results.
For more than 20 years D. Joshua Taylor has been discovering – and sharing – the incredible connections that can be made through genealogy and family history. As host of the popular series Genealogy Roadshow (PBS) he crisscrosses the United States – solving longstanding family history mysteries and uncovering genealogical treasures at every turn. Since February 2016, Joshua has been the President of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B), America’s second oldest genealogical organization, headquartered in New York City. An avid genealogist, Joshua has traced his own roots from Boston, Massachusetts to Bombay, India (and nearly everywhere in-between). He is also a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and is past President of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, an organization dedicated to supporting the needs of genealogical organizations throughout the United States. A popular speaker and author, Joshua frequently shares insights relating to family history and genealogy with audiences throughout the world. He believes family history and genealogy should be about more than just names, dates, and documents, but should instead tell the stories of our ancestors and the extraordinary lives they led.
Professional Genealogy Edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
Advice
“Find a focus.”
News
If you’d like to contribute to supporting the podcast then I would ask that you recommend me as a virtual speaker to your local library, historical or genealogical society. Any money earned from that now goes directly to supporting my podcast. I’m still in the process of creating an updated list of available talks but here are five titles to choose from.
Discovering Online Oral History and Audio Collections to enrich your research
Use Your Genealogy Skills to discover the history of the people who lived in your house
Verifying Information You Find Online
5 Steps to Becoming a Good Ancestor
How to Capture and Preserve Oral History Right Now
The Genealogy Professional podcast is now available on Spotify. Search for either Marian Pierre-Louis or genealogy to find it. Don’t forget to follow!
If you’re a YouTube you can also find all the episodes of the podcast on YouTube. Don’t expect any video. It’s just an audio-only file with a picture but I’ve put it over there because some people are more comfortable with that platform.
If you’re not on Facebook, follow the Genealogy Professional on LinkedIn. You can get new episode notices there. Go to Linkedin and search for The Genealogy Professional and hit the follow button.
In addition to finding the podcast on Spotify and YouTube you can also now find it in Google Play and all other Google products. For instance, you can search for the Genealogy Professional podcast without an app, just right in the Google search box, and the results will deliver the 3 latest podcast episodes right there in the search results.
Nathan Dylan Goodwin was born and raised in Hastings, East Sussex. Schooled in the town, he then completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio, Film and Television Studies, followed by a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing at Canterbury Christ Church University. A member of the Society of Authors, he has completed a number of successful local history books about Hastings, as well as several works of fiction, including the acclaimed Forensic Genealogist series. His other interests include theatre, reading, photography, running, skiing, traveling and, of course, genealogy. He is a qualified teacher, member of the Guild of One-Name Studies and the Society of Genealogists, as well as being a member of the Sussex Family History Group, the Norfolk Family History Society, the Kent Family History Society and the Hastings and Rother Family History Society. He lives in Kent with his husband, son and dog.
“Take baby steps toward your writing goal. Just start.”
Recommended Book
The Family Tree Guide to DNA testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine Bettinger.
Advice
“Write about something you’re passionate about and take that first step.”
News
If you’d like to contribute to supporting the podcast then I would ask that you recommend me as a virtual speaker to your local library, historical or genealogical society. Any money earned from that now goes directly to supporting my podcast. I’m still in the process of creating an updated list of available talks but here are five titles to choose from.
Discovering Online Oral History and Audio Collections to enrich your research
Use Your Genealogy Skills to discover the history of the people who lived in your house
Verifying Information You Find Online
5 Steps to Becoming a Good Ancestor
How to Capture and Preserve Oral History Right Now
The Genealogy Professional podcast is now available on Spotify. Search for either Marian Pierre-Louis or genealogy to find it. Don’t forget to follow!
If you’re a YouTube you can also find all the episodes of the podcast on YouTube. Don’t expect any video. It’s just an audio-only file with a picture but I’ve put it over there because some people are more comfortable with that platform.
If you’re not on Facebook, follow the Genealogy Professional on LinkedIn. You can get new episode notices there. Go to Linkedin and search for The Genealogy Professional and hit the follow button.
In addition to finding the podcast on Spotify and YouTube you can also now find it in Google Play and all other Google products. For instance, you can search for the Genealogy Professional podcast without an app, just right in the Google search box, and the results will deliver the 3 latest podcast episodes right there in the search results.
Jessica Taylor has served as President of Legacy Tree Genealogists since 2004 and has helped thousands of clients across the globe discover more about their heritage through professional genealogy research. With a bachelor’s degree in Family History – Genealogy, Spanish language proficiency, years of residence in China and Brazil, and a love of history and mystery, Jessica brings an upbeat global view to the genealogy business industry.
“Afraid of running out of money. And afraid of being viewed as too young.”
Best Advice You Received from Someone Else
“Work on your business rather than in it.“
One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now
“Start practicing genetic genealogy.”
Recommended Book
Managing by the Numbers by Chuck Kremer, John Case and Ron Rizzuto
Advice
“Don’t be afraid to get help. And when you hire help try to be clear about your expectations and then be generous with your appreciation for that help.”
News
If you’d like to contribute to supporting the podcast then I would ask that you recommend me as a virtual speaker to your local library, historical or genealogical society. Any money earned from that now goes directly to supporting my podcast. I’m still in the process of creating an updated list of available talks but here are five titles to choose from.
Discovering Online Oral History and Audio Collections to enrich your research
Use Your Genealogy Skills to discover the history of the people who lived in your house
Verifying Information You Find Online
5 Steps to Becoming a Good Ancestor
How to Capture and Preserve Oral History Right Now
The Genealogy Professional podcast is now available on Spotify. Search for either Marian Pierre-Louis or genealogy to find it. Don’t forget to follow!
If you’re a YouTube you can also find all the episodes of the podcast on YouTube. Don’t expect any video. It’s just an audio-only file with a picture but I’ve put it over there because some people are more comfortable with that platform.
If you’re not on Facebook, follow the Genealogy Professional on LinkedIn. You can get new episode notices there. Go to Linkedin and search for The Genealogy Professional and hit the follow button.
An engaging and thought-provoking public speaker, Brian Sheffey has expertise in genetic genealogy and mid-Atlantic & Southern research – with an emphasis on the intersection of white, black, and Native American genealogy. He has used his knowledge to solve cases of unknown parentage from Colonial America to the present day utilizing DNA and paper trail evidence.
Brian has deep family roots in the colonial Virginia and the Carolinas, the Powhatan, Choctaw, and Creek tribes, and the colonial Quaker guarantees in the mid-Atlantic region. He combines years of experience in marketing research and academia with a passion for genealogical research – and a unique ability to solve seemingly impossible cases. His primary research interests include cases of unknown parentage, such as identifying the white progenitors of mulatto family lines; and triangulating answers to tough genealogical questions using traditional records and genetic evidence.
Behind his passion for research lies the belief that genealogy is an opportunity to connect with Americans from different backgrounds to enable them to connect with each other – and make connections around the globe.
Brian Sheffey’s Books: Practical Genealogy: 50 Simple Steps to Research Your Diverse Family History Family Tree Workbook: 30+ Step-by-Step Worksheets to Build Your Family History
American Colonies: The Settling of North America by Alan Taylor
The Naked Quaker by Diane Rapaport
Thing You were Most Afraid of
“Why would anyone listen to something that I have to say?”
Best Advice You Received from Someone Else
“If you use any material from another genealogist or researcher make sure you credit them.“
Recommended Book
UNVEILED – The Twenty & Odd: Documenting the First Africans in England’s America 1619-1625 and Beyond by K. I. Knight
Advice
“Do not do genealogy unless you are fully prepared to be able to handle the truth.”
News
If you’d like to contribute to supporting the podcast then I would ask that you recommend me as a virtual speaker to your local library, historical or genealogical society. Any money earned from that now goes directly to supporting my podcast. I’m still in the process of creating an updated list of available talks but here are five titles to choose from.
Discovering Online Oral History and Audio Collections to enrich your research
Use Your Genealogy Skills to discover the history of the people who lived in your house
Verifying Information You Find Online
5 Steps to Becoming a Good Ancestor
How to Capture and Preserve Oral History Right Now
The Genealogy Professional podcast is now available on Spotify. Search for either Marian Pierre-Louis or genealogy to find it. Don’t forget to follow!
If you’re a YouTube you can also find all the episodes of the podcast on YouTube. Don’t expect any video. It’s just an audio-only file with a picture but I’ve put it over there because some people are more comfortable with that platform.
If you’re not on Facebook, follow the Genealogy Professional on LinkedIn. You can get new episode notices there. Go to Linkedin and search for The Genealogy Professional and hit the follow button.
Marcel Elias, the owner of Avis Genealogy, was born in Slovakia and studied at universities in Czech Republic and Germany. He majored in Medieval History and has lived in Germany since 2008. He works as an on-site genealogist for Bavaria, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia since 2012. He performs genealogical research for those looking for their Central European ancestors as well as heir research. He has also catalogued WWII graves in Nuremberg and answers request regarding those graves from descendants.
The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Bettinger
Professional Genealogy edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills
Why the West Rules for Now by Ian Morris
Sapience: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari
Advice
“No matter what you are doing, do it with your heart. You will learn every day. Whether you fail or you succeed, you will learn.”
Action Item
Here’s a simple action item for you today. Find a group on Facebook that focuses on one of your areas of expertise. Join the group and be sure to read the group rules before participating. I would even go so far as to check who the group admin is – and determine whether they are a fellow professional. Regardless respect the rules and remember it’s their group not yours. Then spend some time over the coming weeks participating in the group, giving freely of your knowledge without expecting anything in return and without dropping the name of your company. Focus on sharing your expertise and building your recognition and reputation.
News
The Genealogy Professional podcast is now available on Spotify. Search for either Marian Pierre-Louis or genealogy to find it. Don’t forget to follow!
If you’re a YouTube you can also find all the episodes of the podcast on YouTube. Don’t expect any video. It’s just an audio-only file with a picture but I’ve put it over there because some people are more comfortable with that platform.
If you’re not on Facebook, follow the Genealogy Professional on LinkedIn. You can get new episode notices there. Go to Linkedin and search for The Genealogy Professional and hit the follow button.
Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL, a western Pennsylvania researcher for over 30 years, is the co-director of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), and Genealogy as a Profession course coordinator at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR). She was an instructor and module creator for Boston University’s Genealogical Research Certificate program (2008-2016). She was the mentor for ProGen Study’s first and 25th groups and author of two chapters in the 2018 Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice and Standards book. She was the course co-coordinator of the AG/CG Preparation Course at the 2010 and 2013 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG). She won the Association of Professional Genealogists 2017 Professional Achievement Award. She was honored in 2010 with the NGS President’s Citation in recognition of outstanding, continuing, or unusual contributions to the field of genealogy. She is a regional and national speaker on such topics as Pennsylvania records, methodology, professional development, and society management.
She was a Trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists for nine years, their President (2012-2014), and past Outreach Committee Chairperson for eleven years. She was a Director for the Association of Professional Genealogists for six years; taught genealogy courses at the local community college for fourteen years; co-edited a cemetery book series, appeared on the PBS-TV show Ancestors2 cemetery episode and on the Travel Channel’s Dead Files in the 2015 “The Instigator” and the 2019 “Devil’s Advocate” episodes. She is a past-President of two local Pittsburgh area societies and a contributing author to many publications including the NGS Quarterly and the APG Quarterly.
An NSDAR member, she is also a lifetime member of the Ohio Genealogical Society; the Medina County Chapter, OGS; and the Baltzer Meyer Historical Society (Greensburg, PA) which was named for her ancestor.
“I wasn’t afraid of anything. I just went ahead and never looked back.”
Best Advice You Received from Someone Else
“Create a demand and then supply it.” –Elizabeth Shown Mills
One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now
“Create an education plan. Picture where you want to be and assess where you are now. Then fill in the gaps.”
Recommended Book
Only a Few Bones by John Phillip Colletta
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Advice
“We are all on this earth to teach, to learn and to love. Think about how you will do that.”
Action Item
Your action item today comes straight from Elissa. Create an education plan. Picture where you want to be and assess where you are now. And then fill in the gaps. No matter what your niche is in genealogy this is a good exercise to do.
News
The Genealogy Professional podcast is now available on Spotify. Search for either Marian Pierre-Louis or genealogy to find it. Don’t forget to follow!
If you’re a YouTube you can also find all the episodes of the podcast on YouTube. Don’t expect any video. It’s just an audio-only file with a picture but I’ve put it over there because some people are more comfortable with that platform.
If you’re not on Facebook, follow the Genealogy Professional on LinkedIn. You can get new episode notices there. Go to Linkedin and search for The Genealogy Professional and hit the follow button.
I’m continuing in my effort to get back on a bi-weekly schedule for the podcast. Eventually I’ll settle on an exact release date twice a month. But in the meantime you can expect a new podcast generally every two weeks.
Fiona Brooker is a professional genealogist (Memories In Time) who has been actively researching her family history for over 30 years, inspired by two marriage certificates and a collection of family letters written from New Zealand back to her immigrant ancestor’s family in Devon, England. Whilst living and researching in the UK, she studied and gained a Higher Certificate in Genealogy from the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies. Fiona has served as both President and Treasurer of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists (NZSG). She is currently part of a ProGen study group.
“Finding people who are actually going to pay you to do what you really love doing.”
Best Advice You Received from Someone Else
“Action not perfection. Don’t let the need for perfection stand in your way of just doing what needs to be done.”
One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now
“Go out and look for what opportunities are out there. You just don’t know what you can do until you see what others are doing as well. Get involved with projects in your local community.”
Recommended Book
Bringing Your Family History to Life through Social History by Katherine Scott Sturdevant
Advice
“You reap what you sow. Get out there and be involved in groups and do things like transcribing.”
Action Item
Today’s action item comes straight from Fiona’s lightning round suggestion. If you are looking for opportunities look right in your local community. What opportunities are there that you can get involved with? Are any local groups doing projects that could use your research expertise? Perhaps research into soldiers of past wars. Or perhaps researching the town founders in the local cemetery. Use these opportunities to build networks and to spread the word about your services and expertise.
News
The Genealogy Professional podcast is now available on Spotify. Search for either Marian Pierre-Louis or genealogy to find it. Don’t forget to follow!
If you’re a YouTube you can also find all the episodes of the podcast on YouTube. Don’t expect any video. It’s just an audio-only file with a picture but I’ve put it over there because some people are more comfortable with that platform.
If you’re not on Facebook, follow the Genealogy Professional on LinkedIn. You can get new episode notices there. Go to Linkedin and search for The Genealogy Professional and hit the follow button.
I’m continuing in my effort to get back on a bi-weekly schedule for the podcast. Eventually I’ll settle on an exact release date twice a month. But in the meantime you can expect a new podcast generally every two weeks.
As a genealogy researcher and creator of the Are You My Cousin? blog, Lisa Lisson takes the overwhelm out of genealogy research and keeps researchers moving forward finding their ancestors. Whether researching ancestors alongside clients or writing how-to articles and books, Lisa uses her 12 years of research experience to help others build a solid research plan, find the needed genealogy records, and get the most out of those resources. When not working with clients or writing genealogy articles, Lisa can be found pursuing her passion for running, traveling with her husband or simply enjoying time with her two adult children.
“Don’t be afraid to look outside the genealogy world whether it’s starting a genealogy business or whether it’s in your own personal research. Don’t be afraid to look for the sources outside of the genealogy world.”
Action Item
For your action item today I want you to focus on your education. Lisa saw specific items that she needed to learn in order to make her blog function as a business. What do you need to do to function as a business? Do you need a website to attract clients or readers? Do you need a mailing list to communicate with your clients? Do you need time tracking software or a bookkeeping program? Think about what tool would take your business to the next level and then do some research to determine how to find classes and to make that happen.
News
The Genealogy Professional podcast is now available on Spotify. Search for either Marian Pierre-Louis or genealogy to find it. Don’t forget to follow!
If you’re a YouTube you can also find all the episodes of the podcast on YouTube. Don’t expect any video. It’s just an audio-only file with a picture but I’ve put it over there because some people are more comfortable with that platform.
I’m continuing in my effort to get back on a bi-weekly schedule for the podcast. Eventually I’ll settle on an exact release date twice a month. But in the meantime you can expect a new podcast generally every two weeks.
