Services
Whether you want me to do the research for you, teach you how to do it yourself, or stand in front of your audience and bring history to life
— here’s how we can work together.
Discover & Tell Your Business Story
You’ve built something worth knowing about. The founding story, the building you’ve occupied for decades, the reputation you’ve quietly earned in your community — these are your most authentic brand assets. Most businesses just don’t know how to find them.
I do. Here’s how we work together.
Discovery Package Done-for-you historical research & narrative report I conduct primary research into your business, building, and/or brand history — drawing on court records, newspaper archives, census data, Sanborn fire insurance maps, and other primary sources. You receive a professionally written historical narrative with full source documentation, ready to use in your marketing, your website, or your archives. |
Brand Story Integration Research + strategy + content — done with you We go beyond the research report. I work with you to weave your historical findings into your brand voice, website copy, social media, and marketing materials. This is an ongoing collaborative engagement for business owners who want to make history a living part of how they show up in the world. |
Consultation One-on-one guidance for business owners & researchers Not sure where to start? A consultation is the right first step. We’ll talk through your goals, what records might be available, and what a research project could look like for your specific situation. I’m accepting new clients now. |
Bring History to Life for Your Audience
I’ve spoken to audiences of five and audiences of 200+, at local genealogical societies and at the National World War One Museum and Memorial. What stays the same across all of them is the energy, the stories, and the moment an audience realizes history is more alive than they thought.
42,000+ views on YouTube In August 2018, I spoke at the National World War One Museum and Memorial on the centennial of the Influenza Pandemic and the U.S. Government’s response. The recording has been viewed more than 42,000 times. |
Featured Presentations
Build a Better Family Tree with Brick & Mortar Research Move beyond online databases. This presentation shows audiences how physical buildings, historic districts, and the business relationships our ancestors had can unlock family history that digital searches can’t find. | NEW Make AI Your Partner in Genealogy Research & Storytelling A practical, demystifying guide to integrating AI tools into historical research workflows. For genealogists who want to work smarter without sacrificing accuracy. |
NEW — Highly requested Sanborn Maps + AI Reveal the Untold Story of Your Ancestors’ Neighborhood One of my most requested new presentations. Using Sanborn fire insurance maps alongside AI tools, audiences discover how to reconstruct entire neighborhoods, businesses, and daily life from records most people have never seen. A perfect blend of historical research craft and modern technology. |
All Available Presentations
Build a Better Family Tree with Brick & Mortar Research Lure Your Ancestors out of the National Register of Historic Places Ask Uncle Sam: Using Lesser-Known Government Sources Use Maps to Fill in Gaps in Your Family Story NEW Sanborn Maps + AI Reveal the Untold Story of Your Ancestors’ Neighborhood NEW Researching a One-Horse Town: Strategies for Unveiling Life in Rural America NEW | Ephemera from Home: Finding Answers in Letters and Postcards Prying Your Family from the Grippe of the Spanish Lady Make AI Your Partner in Genealogy Research & Storytelling NEW A Farm for Carl & Roma: The Story Behind the Records & Real Estate NEW Home on the Prairie: A Story of a WWII Ammunition Plant & Its Village |
Booking & Format
All presentations are available in-person or virtually and are designed as one-hour sessions, with flexibility for keynotes or extended workshop formats depending on your event’s needs.
I speak to groups of all sizes — from intimate society gatherings to large conference audiences — and I’m always developing new topics. If you don’t see what you’re looking for above, reach out. I love a good challenge.
Speaking fees vary by event type, location, and format. Contact me to discuss your event and I’ll be glad to talk through what makes sense.
I bring energy, enthusiasm, and genuine love for this material to every presentation. My goal is always the same: for your audience to leave thinking differently about history and excited to dig into their own. |
Historic Preservation Research
For over a decade I worked alongside an architect to document the history of properties across the Midwest — downtown business buildings, commercial districts, apartment buildings, private homes, cemeteries, and an entire self-contained village.
That work resulted in more than 60 properties listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. It also sharpened skills that now serve my business history clients every day: the ability to find, interpret, and document the historical record of a place with precision and care.
The National Park Service calls historic preservation “a conversation with our past about our future.” That’s exactly the spirit I bring to every project — whether the subject is a century-old courthouse or a family-owned hardware store. |
Historic preservation services are available on a project basis. I also conduct historic surveys — helping city administrators and business owners in small towns work together to document and preserve their collective history.
Family History Research
My path through genealogy began more than thirty years ago with my own family research. Whether you’re just getting started or hitting a wall you can’t get past, I bring the same evidence-based rigor to family history that I bring to every project.
Genealogical Research Professional family history research I research your family’s story using primary sources: census records, court documents, newspaper archives, land and property records, church records, and more. Research is documented to professional genealogical standards, with clear source citations and an honest assessment of what the evidence does — and doesn’t — tell us. |
Heir Search Locating living heirs for individuals & estates Need to track down a living heir? I have experience conducting thorough, discreet searches for both individuals and businesses. Whether it’s a family estate, a legal matter, or a long-lost connection, I bring professional research skills and a patient approach to finding people. |
Document Retrieval & On-Site Research
Sometimes you need someone on the ground. I have deep familiarity with repositories across the South and Midwest and make regular research trips to both regions.
Document Retrieval & Local Research On-site research in the South & Midwest I travel to repositories in Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia, and make regular trips to Missouri and Kansas. If you need records from a courthouse, archive, library, or historical society in an area where I research, I can often retrieve them in tandem with my own trips — saving you significant time and expense. |
Repositories I regularly work with include county courthouses, state archives, local historical societies, university special collections, and newspaper morgues. If you’re not sure whether your records are in my area, just ask — I’ll tell you honestly.
Not sure which service is right for you?
That’s what conversations are for.
Tell me a little about what you’re looking for — your business, your family, your building, your audience — and I’ll tell you honestly what I can do and how we might work together.