A never ending quest

You know, I thought that after 30 years of doing genealogy research I knew a lot. Turns out....I don't!
I have almost completed my PLCGS (Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies) from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. When I signed up for the courses, I was so sure that I would find the curriculum pretty easy. Ummmmmm- NO!
The basic courses were pretty easy but I still learned so much. The intermediate courses were challenging and time consumming but really made me think about the whole process of the research. How to make a plan. How to document your findings. What questions are needed to be asked to get the best results..etc. Now that I'm almost through the advanced courses, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it's hard! I am humbled.

The best thing from all these courses is getting to know other students and fellow genealogists. I also got to meet a wonderful mentor/business coach called Beverly Rice. She is very experienced and has asked me to be a model (guinea pig) student for her mentoring program. When she asked, I was so honoured and now that we've had some sessions, I realize I know even LESS than I thought!! Especially when it comes to running a business.

I have a website, a blog, a facebook page for my business, a Tumblr account, a Pinterest account, I'm a member of at least 8 organizations and yet I have not begun to 'put myself out there' in order to see some positive results when it comes to running a genealogical business.

One of my fortes is that I can read, speak and translate English, Italian and French. I know now that I have an avenue to persue in that I am able to transcribe or translate documents from French or Italian into English. It's not my main goal in this line of work but it's a plus and a strength that not many have.

I am so excited about getting some new clients that I have not taken the time to take a step back and look at what I can offer that is different, special and needed. Thanks Bev for pointing this out to me!