Learning genealogy is a process. It's easy to mindlessly accept hints on Ancestry without thinking about timelines, locations, and the possibility of individuals with the same name in the same place. So any time you can add details that are specific to YOUR ancestor, it lends to not only the credibility of your research, [...]
My family tree is filled with so many brick walls you'd think I come from long lines of contractors. But alas, I have yet to find an ancestor in construction...at least, as a profession. So I often describe my approach to genealogical research as "Hope for the Best. Prepare for the Worst. Expect Nothing." [...]
In the process of applying for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), I learned that my great grandmother, Lutie Mae McShan Twitchell (pictured 4th from the right on the top row) was born in Texas in 1889. WHAT??? This came as quite a surprise, since everything I knew about my grandmother's [...]
In one of my past (business) lives I was the marketing manager for a regional company that did A LOT of trade shows...about 50 a year. Most of them were small, requiring only a few pieces of equipment. And those weren't bad... But then there were the "big" shows...the "nothing can go wrong" shows...the [...]
It seems like what works, what doesn't work, what people like, and what drives people crazy on Facebook changes on a daily basis. One thing that doesn't change is that Facebook is a place to build relationships by sharing in each others' lives. When something good happens in our life...we share. When something good happens [...]
When you're starting your business, you have a lot of people trying to get your attention. You have more things on your to-do list than it seems like you can accomplish in a lifetime. And that's just for your marketing! I get it. I've been there. Every day, business owners and entrepreneurs field phone [...]
When you're an entrepreneur - especially a solopreneur...How do you stand out from all your competitors selling the same products and services? How do you set yourself apart and be heard above the noise? The key is to differentiate yourself by determining the unique combination of skills, talents, and interests that make you UNIQUELY you. Because [...]
Leaving a corporate job and venturing out on my own as an entrepreneur was exciting...but it was also scary. I would be leaving the "security" of a "steady job (and paycheck)" and entering a world of uncertainty and unknowns... [Even though we know that "job security" is a myth. If we haven't been "downsized" [...]
Social media marketing is a highly effective means of getting the word out about the products and services you offer. But, so many times I see small businesses really aren't maximizing their online real estate on social media. And that makes me sad. I want to see businesses succeed...online and off. Now you might think social [...]
"Are you on Facebook?" These days it seems like I hear that question multiple times a day. Because most people are. And most small business owners are, too. And some of these business owners have abandoned the idea of creating their own website because they're on Facebook. HUGE MISTAKE! Facebook may be the "800 lb gorilla" of [...]
