My article, "What is Legacy?" was picked up in both the National Estate Planning Council and the Philadelphia Estate Planning Council's newsletters. Excerpt from "What is Legacy?" Legacy has become an incredibly popular topic. It’s often evoked when encouraging donors to give to a cause or in guiding clients through the strategic aspects of their estate planning. I use it to get individuals to tell their stories. But what is legacy? Is it financial? Philanthropic? What else comprises a legacy? There’s no arguing that an inheritance is part of our legacy. But if that’s all it was, something wo ..read more

I had never heard the term "personal historian" until after I started my business. I stumbled across The Association of Personal Historians (APH) by accident and joined immediately. It was exactly what I needed. The World of Personal Historians Personal historian is the term used to describe the people who help others document their or their family's story. It's sort of like hiring someone to write your memoir or autobiography for you. Or, to write a book about your family for you. Of course, some people prefer videos or audio recordings over books, and that is an option as well. In the early ..read more

When you max out on board games, reading, and TV, here’s another idea: work on your family tree. This is a fun activity for both adults and children, that can be done by hand or online. Best of all, you can get a lot done for free. Where to start your family tree? It doesn’t matter how high tech you want to be. With family trees and genealogy research, you almost always start with yourself. If you’re doing this with children who want to draw the tree, start with a big piece of paper. Near the bottom middle of the page, they should draw a box with their name in it. The tree grows upwards from ..read more

It’s always been popular to write one’s memoirs. Celebrities, politicians, and other historical figures have been doing it for ages. But it’s no longer the territory of only the rich and famous. The rise in online self-publishing means anyone can publish their own book. Leaving a record of one’s life is important for many reasons. At its best, it’s a wonderful gift for your family. Your grandchildren and beyond will have the chance to know you when you are gone. In addition to personal connections, memoirs also capture a time in history from one individual’s point of view. They are a record of ..read more

I was delighted to be quoted in an article in U.S. News & World Report on what to do with the indoor time we have. For more detailed advice , see my blog post on saving your family history and your sanity. And feel free to share the article! It's a big boost (morally and business-wise) in hard times ..read more

A new year means new presentations and courses! The events I run are almost always free and simply require advance registration. I hope to see you there! Upcoming: When: Wednesday, February 23, 5:00 or 5:30 pm EST Topic: Have Your Cake And Eat It Too: Sell Your Valuables While Preserving Your Legacy (with Tim Zeigler); IN PERSON Registration: Contact Jaime Tomb, (484) 956-7300 Organized by: Anthology Senior Living, King of Prussia, PA Trouble registering? Call 215-645-7766 ..read more

Until I became a personal historian I had no idea that this field existed. And if you think "memoir ghostwriter" is a strange term, what about "personal historian"? Personal historians are people who help capture your story and either publish a book or create a video or audio recording of you. Sometimes it's just about you. Sometimes it's about the whole family. That's the beauty of this work: the stories that come out reflect the person and family that told it. Like me, most people don't know writing your memoirs or a personal history is something you can hire a professional to do the heavy l ..read more

I was recently interviewed on Ray's show, "The Luckiest People in the World." It was great fun! Ray himself feels he's one of these lucky few. He bases his "lucky" judgement on whether that person has been able to break from whatever is holding them back to go on to find a fun and fulfilling career. That's where I come in! I also consider myself to be very lucky. My life hasn't always been easy. There were a lot of big changes in my younger years, and a lot of loss. But today, I run my own business doing work I love: helping people tell their stories and passing down family traditions, values ..read more

The year is off to a great start! And no better time to organize your family history collections or print books about your family history. Join us at one of these upcoming speaking events to learn about the different types of projects and how to gain the traction you need to save the stories and memories we care about. When: Tuesday, October 26, 11:00am EST Topic: Have Your Cake And Eat It Too: Sell Your Valuables While Preserving Your Legacy (with Tim Zeigler); VIRTUAL Registration: Contact Katie Starrantino Organized by: Friends LifeCare When: Wednesday, September 16, 7:00pm Topic: Tackling ..read more

Where do I....? People ask me all the time for referrals for genealogists, book printers, and other family history resources. Over the years I've developed a list of go-to people and websites that I use and am happy to refer others to. A couple of these resources (not all) pay me a (small) referral fee if you purchase a product or service from them. I have no particular favorite—I list these people and organizations because they are good at what they do. Family history is a vast field where many different kinds of specialists are needed. If you have any questions or need help, just give me a c ..read more