Behind the Blog Curtain

Those of you who read my blog regularly hear my thoughts on research and the genealogical community.  What you don't hear much about is the other side of my work which I tend to share more on Facebook and now Google+.  I thought I would take the time to share that part of my life today.

A big part of who I am and what I do is public speaking.  I just don't tend to discuss it much on my blog.  I love to meet people and to share ideas and to travel.  Speaking about genealogy and house histories to groups lets me do all of that.  Often times the people I meet enrich my knowledge of the topics that I am interested in.

Up until recently I have focused my energy on the New England area.  Then I branched out by starting to do webinars which have national and international reach.  This year I have also ventured forth into New York state and I'll be heading back there again next spring.

What do I talk about?

In addition to house histories, I speak about brick walls ("Cracking the Case of Nathan Brown's Parents" and "Ten Brick Wall Tips") as well as some of my favorite resources ("Deeds and Probate: a Powerful Combination", "Two Chairs and a Pair of Spectacles: Discovering Your Ancestors in Probate Records" and "Pirates and Prisoners: The Registry is More than just Deeds").  I love to talk about social media ("Don't Call Your Relatives, Let Them Call You" and "What is a Blog, Anyway?") and cemetery research ("Cemetery Research for Your New England Ancestors").

Webinars

I am also keenly interested in presenting webinars. I gave a few for the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree Extension Series in 2011.  I've given two webinars for Legacy Family Tree and have several more lined up.

Experience

I have presented over 65 talks, 29 in the last year alone.  I have given four talks in one day where I was the featured speaker for an annual event and I have spoken at major libraries and large regional conferences.  I've spoken online to an audience of over 1,000.  I would describe my talks as a combination of genuine interest, solid knowledge of my subjects and energetic passionate delivery.  Though I think that the people who have heard me speak could probably describe me better.

Yes, I travel!

I know I say I don't get out of New England much but the truth is, if I received invitations to speak with paid travel and accommodation, I'm at the point now where I would consider traveling further afield. (And, yes, I do have a passport!)

So if you're interested in having me speak, drop me a line or let the officer's in your organization know that I'm available.  I would love to meet more of my blog readers and friends on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

More about my speaking.




Photo Credit: Photo by macinate and used under the creative commons license.