Turning Your Family Tree into a Talk

Many people have fascinating stories in their family tree and have successfully used invaluable records to break down their brick walls. But they often don’t use these to create a talk, saying, ‘’I wouldn’t know where to begin’’ or ‘’I don’t think I’m good enough’’ or ‘’I’m not a professional.’’ Everyone has to start somewhere, and having that fascinating family tree and the invaluable methodology already done is a great start. This class will look at collating the information you have already compiled, topping up the content with additional research, devising the abstract, and some do’s and don’ts for presentations, slides, and compiling a handout. We will also review presentation skills for in-person speaking, webinars, and conferences, as well as how to market yourself and set fees.

Dr. Penny Walters has been a university lecturer for 35 years, currently teaching in Bath Spa University Business School, England. Penny’s interest in genealogy started after having her first baby and then wondering about her biological parents, as she was adopted. Penny has six mixed race children, who have all enjoyed discovering their roots through DNA ethnicity results. Penny lectures internationally in-person, including throughout America, Australia, Ireland, and the UK. Penny is sought after for a wide range of conference and webinar topics. Penny has authored the books: ‘Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy’ (2019) and ‘The Psychology of Searching’ (2020), available on Amazon in paperback or on kindle.