All posts by Marian Pierre-Louis

** NEW Workshop ** – Webinar Practicum

Workshops

TGP Workshop - Webinar PracticumHave you ever wanted to try presenting a webinar but were too scared? Do you want to add webinars to your list of services? Or perhaps you’d like to have a video recording of a webinar that you can share to demonstrate your speaking skills and experience?

Then this Webinar Practicum is for you!!

The Webinar Practicum consists of two parts:

Part 1 – Live webinar group training and Q&A

The first part is a live webinar that will teach you everything you need to know about preparing for and delivering webinars. We will discuss equipment, how to prepare your slides, how broadband impacts your presentation, best practices during the live webinar and much more! The one hour lecture will be followed by a question and answer session to address of your specific questions.

The live event will be Friday, October 23, 2015 at 12 noon EDT (New York time). If you’re not available for the live event you can still participate. A video recording will be made available to you and you will have the chance to ask any further questions via email.

Part 2 – One-on-One private recording session

The second part of Webinar Practicum includes a one-on-one recording session with Marian Pierre-Louis to be scheduled at your convenience (and hers). You will experience using the GoToWebinar interface firsthand and will record a presentation. You’ll be given a copy of the video for your own use so that you can share it with conference organizers to demonstrate your skills.

The purpose of the workshop will be to:

  • help you become comfortable with the GoToWebinar interface
  • teach you how to best prepare your presentation for broadband delivery
  • identify the right equipment to make you sound your best for presentations
  • devise strategies to overcome online live mistakes or mishaps
  • provide you with your own video copy of you presenting a webinar

Details

Please note: One-on-one recording sessions must be completed within four months of the live webinar presentation.

Price: US $49

Date:

Part 1 – Friday, 23 October 2015, 12pm EDT (New York time) /  9am PDT (California time)

Part 2 – scheduled at your convenience (60 minutes in length total)

Format: GoToMeeting

No refunds or cancellations after the live event.

Register for the Workshop

 

 

TGP 27 Andrea Bentschneider goes Beyond History

Germany, Show Notes

Featured Guest

Andrea Bentschneider

Andrea Bentschneider has been actively conducting systematic genealogical research for Andrea Bentschneiderover 20 years. Founding her company Beyond History in 2004 was the beginning of turning her passion into her profession.

Since then, with her teams she has worked on hundreds of successful research projects for national and international private persons, companies and institutions. She is a sought after expert in the area of genealogy for the media and the exclusive researcher in Germany for the company “Ancestry”, the world’s largest family history website. She has also research for the international television episodes of Who Do You Think You Are? in countries such as Germany, Australia, America, Norway, the Netherlands and England. She appeared in two episodes in Australia in 2009 as well as 2013 on TLC in the episode with Chelsea Handler.
Last, but not least, she is an active member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (USA) and the Chairwoman of the Association of German Speaking Professional Genealogists.

Her substantial knowledge is a combination of a great wealth of experience and the knowledge of countless historical sources and archives. Each family research calls for an individual approach. This is a challenge that Andrea Bentschneider and her team approach each day anew with enthusiasm.

Contact Links

Andrea Bentschneider on Twitter – @ABentschneider on Twitter

Andrea Bentschneider ‘s Beyond History – German Genealogy Services

Beyond History on Google+

Beyond History Blog

Beyond History website

One Action Genealogists Can Take Right Now

“Join APG, know what your strengths are and where your clients are.“

Recommended Book

Who Moved My Cheese by Kenneth Blanchard

Advice

“Know who your clients are and their expectations. Communicate with them clearly“

Action Item

Andrea talked about her company being more than a genealogy company. It’s a business that helps people to fulfill their dreams. In this case, by reconnecting them with their ancestral homeland – Germany. Your business does more than research or educational services too!

ACTION:

Think about your business beyond the specific tasks that you provide. How does what you do impact your clients? Does it inspire them, educate them, help them grow, fulfill their dreams? Start thinking about your business in a different way so that you can see the change and impact that you have on your clients or stakeholders.

Direct link to this post: http://www.thegenealogyprofessional.com/andrea-bentschneider

NEWS

3 FREE upcoming webinars on social media:

  1. Starting from Scratch: Twitter for Small Businesses, Tuesday, 13 October 2015 at 12noon EDT (New York Time), – REGISTER
  2. Starting from Scratch: Facebook Pages for Small Businesses, Tuesday, 20 October 2015 at 12noon EDT (New York Time), – REGISTER
  3. Starting from Scratch: Google+ for Small Businesses, Tuesday, 27 October 2015 at 12noon EDT (New York Time), – REGISTER

Education – Webinar Practicum

TGP Webinar Practicum

Want to add webinars to your speaking repertoire? In part one of this webinar practicum you will learn best practices for conducting webinars. In part two you will work one-on-one with Marian Pierre-Louis to record your very own webinar!

More details here.

 

 

 

 

 

FREE Social Media Webinar Series

Webinar

Part 2 - Facebook Pages

Are you frustrated by social media? Not sure that it’s worth all the effort? Confused by how it works? Then this webinar series is for you!

In this Starting from Scratch series we’ll cover Twitter, Facebook Pages and Google+. And We’ll start right from the very beginning and answer all your questions.

Twitter

Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Time zones: 12PM Eastern, 11AM Central, 10AM Mountain, 9AM Pacific, 4PM GMT.

“Starting from Scratch: Twitter for Small Businesses”

Are you frustrated by Twitter? You can’t figure out what all the fuss is about? Why do so many people think it’s great?

In this webinar Marian Pierre-Louis will introduce you to the world of Twitter starting from scratch! You won’t have to be embarrassed about any questions you might ask. We will begin with creating an account then move on to sending the first tweet, reweeting, following other people and much more! Come figure out Twitter once and for all!

Webinar Replay

Facebook Pages

Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Time zones: 12PM Eastern, 11AM Central, 10AM Mountain, 9AM Pacific, 4PM GMT.

“Starting from Scratch: Facebook Pages for Small Businesses”

Are you wondering if Facebook Pages are worth the time and effort? Have you heard that you have to pay for ads to get seen? Not sure what to post and when?

In this webinar Marian Pierre-Louis will introduce you to the world of Facebook Pages starting from scratch!  We will begin with creating an account then move on to what to post, how to attract new followers and a frank discussion about whether it’s worth it.

Register for the Webinar

 

Google+

Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Time zones: 12PM Eastern, 11AM Central, 10AM Mountain, 9AM Pacific, 4PM GMT.

“Starting from Scratch: Google+ for Small Businesses”

Not sure what Google+ is? Have you heard that no one is on
the site? Afraid of yet one more social media platform to take up your time?

In this webinar Marian Pierre-Louis will introduce you to the world of Google+ starting from scratch!  We will begin with creating an account then move on to how to post, why you used use collections and why Google+ is worth the effort.

Register for the Webinar

Use the Tagging Feature on LinkedIn to Organize Your Contacts

LinkedIn

Do you have a LinkedIn account? I bet there are a lot of LinkedIn features that you aren’t using yet.

One of the best features that few people know about is the tagging feature. Tagging lets you organize your contacts. Forgotten the name of a colleague that you met at a conference two years ago? Not a problem! With tagging you can categorize clients, colleagues, partners, subcontractors, local contacts and more with tags that you’ll remember.

Let me show you how it works in this 3 minute video.

Direct link to video: https://youtu.be/Zfafp3-JKnk

Tech Tip: 5 Things You need to know about Periscope

Tech Tips

Periscope is a new live streaming tool that has enabled anyone in the world with a smart phone  to broadcast live. Not only that, viewers can watch in real time and interact with the broadcaster.

Periscope App

(left) Periscope world view showing live broadcasts, (right) Displays your Twitter followers and shows how many Periscope followers they have.

Here are 5 things you need to know about Periscope:

  1. Periscope is owned by Twitter so the usernames that start with @ are the same on both platforms. If you have the app installed on your phone and one of your Twitter followers starts a Periscope session, you will be notified (if you have opted for push notifications). Otherwise you can see the live stream notifications in the twitter stream (but by the time you do the live stream might be over).
  2. You don’t have to have the app installed on your phone to watch a Periscope live streaming session. Search Twitter for the word Periscope and you will find live session where you can click on the link and view through your browser. Viewers on the web are anonymous (nice if you’re just trying to figure how it all works) but they can’t  leave comments.
  3. If you tap the screen while watching Periscope live streaming, hearts will fly up. That let’s the broadcaster know you like them without typing a comment. Broadcasters get ranked by the number of hearts they receive.
  4. You can comment on live streaming sessions and the people broadcasting can respond in real time to your questions or comments. The comment function is only available on the apps found in mobile devices so there is no chance that you will get too wordy with your text unless you are a master of typing with your thumbs.
  5. Periscope works best when broadcasting from wifi. Users broadcasting from their smart phones while “on the go” tend to have pixelated, shaky video.

In an upcoming post, we’ll get into potential business applications and best practices for Periscope.

Get Your Feet Moving!

Blog Post, ,

Feet Walking by Pedro Ribeiro Simoes

Steve Jobs did it. Maybe you should too.

Achieving success as a genealogy professional is more than just being an expert genealogist. Being a successful professional of any sort means taking accountability and responsibility for all aspects of your life including achieving life balance, wellness and health.

There’s more of an irony, I think, in the field of genealogy. Our calling is to connect with generations past and to pass on the bonds developed in the present. If we don’t spend time with our family because we work too much, we are undermining the very core of what we are doing. And if we don’t exercise or eat properly, we may  be robbed of the time to spend with family or to work for clients.

One of the ideas I mention often in my professional topic presentations is the practice of stopping what you are doing, leaving your phone in the car (unless you are truly disciplined enough not to check it) and go for a walk.

I always feel a bit crazy for suggesting this to people in business talks. At the same time, I think it’s absolutely a critical part of the productivity cycle. Even if you’re not a creative professional by trade (artist, writer, etc) we are all creative in how we work. Analyzing a genealogical problem to find a solution can be a very cerebral, creative process. Dreaming up the title of your next talk or article demands some creative brainstorming. And sometimes figuring out how to tactfully reply to a client email would benefit from a 10 minute walk down the road.

I try to walk every morning for 30 minutes. If I can’t walk outside (which is not possible in Eastern Massachusetts this winter!) then I walk inside on a treadmill. But I frequently take a few quick loops around my cul-de-sac after lunch just to get the blood flowing and to take stock of my morning productivity.

Well, it turns out I am not so crazy after all. Today the Canva blog posted an article by Andrew Tate called “Why Steve Jobs Took Long Walks and Why You Should Too.” This article cites evidence for the beneficial properties of talking walks during the business day.

The one thing this article mentions that I haven’t done is holding meetings during walks.  I think I might like to try that during the Spring.  Of course, it can be a bit harder to get together with other genealogy professionals as we are so spread apart. Perhaps if we can’t physically be in the same location, we can get together via phone while both walking!

As Spring is starting to approach think about incorporating walks into your work day as part of your business success! Try it and see what results you get. Then stop back here and share your success.

If you have other ideas for encouraging productivity and creativity I would love to hear them!

 

Photo by: Pedro Ribeiro Simões

Grab an Hour of Momentum Every Month

Mastermind Groups

Reaching Hands by Cyron

Want to know how to use social media to market your business? Ever wished you knew how to handle client communications? Ever needed some advice on getting more speaking engagements? Wished you could create a good query to send to publishers?

Wouldn’t it be nice to have your own private group of genealogy professionals, each with a different skill set, to bounce ideas off of?

Guide Your Business in the Right        Direction

If you want to stop waiting for clients and opportunities to find you, this is your chance to take a hold of your genealogy business and guide it in the direction you want to go.

Join a TGP Mastermind Group for a monthly dose of motivation, brainstorming and expertise which will energize you and give you the momentum to push your business forward.

The two groups are lead by Marian Pierre-Louis, the host of the Genealogy Professional podcast. Each group facilitates a maximum of 10 genealogy professionals, each with their own expertise and area of focus.

We will gather each month online to discuss timely situations and to prepare for tackling the challenges that come with running a small independent business.

The groups were first opened to the attendees for the Business and Marketing Goal Setting Workshops held in December and January.  Registration is being up to the larger TGP community.

There is a Friday group and a Saturday group.  Each group is limited to 10 participants. Groups will start the first week of March 2015.

Registration and further information:

Friday TGP Mastermind Group

Saturday TGP Mastermind Group

 

 

Photo by: Cyron

Discipline and the Genealogy Professional

Blog Post,

TypingHands-RainerStropekjpg

Discipline is critical for all professionals, genealogy or other. Achieving discipline can be a real struggle. While I talk about discipline a lot I still consider myself to be a work in progress. Some things are very easy to do while with others I find I really need to push, even force, myself to get moving.

Here’s a case in point. Recently I was invited to write an article for the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly (APGQ). I accepted the opportunity and was excited about my topic.

Unfortunately, I have a bit of a quirky side when it comes to writing. I prefer to “feel” what I am writing while I am writing it. I guess that makes me a “passion writer.” Sometimes when writing for publications (rather than for myself in my blogs) I get excited about the idea of writing but then when I sit down to do it my passion seems to be gone.

Not surprisingly, that happened this time as well. I loved my topic and I pushed myself to write but it seemed so forced. I was frustrated.

When it comes to writing for publications, deadlines loom and there is nothing that will make them go away. These days there is nothing more that I would rather be doing than transcribing my great great grandfather’s diary. That can’t be considered regular work by any means. I had to push it out of my mind and save it for non-working hours. I gave myself one last shot at discipline.

After getting the family out of the house, I sat down with a blank sheet of paper. For a 2,500 word article I predicted that ten subheads would be reasonable. I sketched out two main sections and then added a total of ten sub-topics between the two.

Surprising myself, I also wrote out the final paragraph.

Next, I headed to my computer with paper in hand. I refused to open any programs except for MS Word (yes, avoidance of the internet is critical). I even left my cell phone on another floor so that I wouldn’t be tempted to look at it.

First I re-read what I had already written, making some minor edits. Then I wrote to the key points on the paper positioned directly in front of me. Thankfully, some of the key points had already been completed. You may consider it cheating by including parts that I had already finished but I consider that a motivational saving grace. Small victories matter!

I sat there until it was completely done. I think I did give myself a quick tea and water break but otherwise I held fast to the task at hand.

This was a victory for discipline. I admit I am not always so successful. Sometimes it takes two attempts or more to get a task done.

How do you feel about your own professional discipline? Can you stay on task or do certain subjects distract you away from what needs to get done? Do you have any tricks to keep you focused and productive on a daily basis? I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic that effects every genealogy professional.

 

 

Photo by: Rainer Stropek

Revenue and the many hats of a genealogy professional

Blog Post, Budgeting, Goals, Uncategorized

hats by Beverley Goodwin/creative commons

Recently I wrote about how to project your revenue for 2015. The example I used was a bit simplistic. It only included one source of revenue – client research. In reality most genealogy professional wear many hats. We are client researchers, speakers, writers, editors, authors, bloggers and much more.

How do we project our revenue when we have multiple income streams? Let’s walk through it. Let’s say you made $18,000 from genealogy income in 2014. Here’s how it might have broken down:

2014 revenue: $18,000
Client Research $14,400
Speaking $   1,800
Writing $   1,260
Affiliate income $     540

This is a good break down but to help us make it useful for 2015 we need the percentages. That way we can use the percentages to determine projected income in each category for 2015.

For instance, if we divide $14,400 by $18,000 (yes, use your calculator!) we get a result of 0.8 which is the equivalent of 80%. That means 80% of all revenue earned in 2014 came from client research.

If we divide all the other numbers also by $18,000 we learn that speaking was 10% of the total income, writing was 7%  and affiliate income was 3%.

Our chart now looks like this:

2014 revenue: $18,000 Percentage of total income
Client Research $14,400 80%
Speaking $   1,800 10%
Writing $   1,260 7%
Affiliate income $     540 3%

Let’s say in 2015 you’d like to make $22,000. Keep your percentages the same. Here’s your new chart:

2015 revenue: $22,000
Client Research 80%
Speaking 10%
Writing 7%
Affiliate income 3%

To find your new target revenue take $22,000 and times it by the percentage (.80, .10, .07 and .03). So in the case of client research $22,000 times .80 will equal $17,600. That’s a $3,200 increase from 2014. Work your way through the chart to determine your projected revenue for the other revenue streams. The chart will look like this in the end:

2015 revenue: $22,000
Client Research $17,600 80%
Speaking $   2,200 10%
Writing $   1,540 7%
Affiliate income $     660 3%

This is great because you now have a concrete dollar figure to work toward. These are your revenue goals for 2015. But it’s not as simple as that, is it? In order to achieve the new revenue target for 2015 we’ll have to have a plan to help you achieve this goal. We’ll work on that in the next blog post!

 

Photo: by Beverley Goodwin/creative commons