Professional Genealogist, Samantha John, PLCGS, shares the story of how her ancestral curiosity turned into the career of her dreams!
Thank you, Samantha, for giving us a thoughtful and inspiring interview!
When did you first become interested in genealogy?
I always had an interest as a child, but did not have the chance to do much about it until my late teens. We moved around a lot when I was a kid and were rarely in the same country as my older relatives, so I’m sad I hardly ever got to pick their brains. But I became very fluent in writing away to England to order certificates and other documents via snail mail. The postman was my favourite person for a while, as he brought me these treasures!
Why did you decide to study with IIGS?
My first experience with IIGS was a RootsTech conference a few years ago when a free course was offered as a conference special. I decided to dip my toes in and enjoyed it so much that I began to purchase courses. I’ve been studying with IIGS ever since.
What is your favorite IIGS course and why?
I think the Irish certificate courses, because there were so many new (to me) sources at the time and it really cleared up some of that mystery around how to overcome the lack of the ‘usual’ common records, especially in the time periods I was mostly researching.
How has your education with IIGS helped you with your career?
It has given me confidence that I am using all available sources to meet my clients’ objectives.
How many certificates have you earned with IIGS?
I have completed the PLCGS courses in Irish records, Australian records, and DNA & Genetic Genealogy (all with Distinction). I have almost completed the English records certificate, which also includes Wales. I’ve taken shorter courses in German, New Zealand, and Italian records, and completed the Advanced courses in Professional Development.
What continuing education do you have planned to grow your career?
Once my English records certificate is complete, I will do the Scottish Records program. Then I’ll hold certificates for every corner of the British Isles. I’m also a devotee of attending webinars of interest, as well as events at the Society of Genealogists, the Genealogical Society of Victoria, and many other family history societies. I will always be a lifelong learner. No matter how much experience you get in research, hearing from others in the same field is always great to get other perspectives, and I always come away with something new.
Tell us about your business, Lyfelynes Family History:
What is your specialty?
I mostly work with Australian clients where I am based, but as Australia is largely a nation of immigrants, where their trees take me could be anywhere around the globe! Most of them, though, tend to have British or Irish ancestry pre-immigration, which is where the bulk of my experience lies over the past four decades. Since my first test in 2010 I have also had a strong interest in DNA as a tool for both tree verification and identifying unknown ancestors.
How long did it take for you to build a client base and how did you do it?
For the first year or two, it was a little ad hoc. I began writing an instructional blog. Then it evolved more into discovered stories and brick walls broken about specific people since this is where I naturally flourish. Several clients came through people reading my blogs. Closer to home, early on, there were a few ‘friends of friends’ that became clients through word of mouth. Word of mouth is still an important source of clients to this day. As an accredited genealogist in Australasia, I am listed in the AAGRA (Australasian Association of Genealogists and Record Agents) directory and the APG (Association of Professional Genealogists) directory.
Do you have a waitlist?
Yes, I do, and I have mixed feelings about it. While it is a lovely feeling of security to know that I have at least a year’s work lined up, I don’t like keeping people waiting. I always offer them the choice of going onto my waiting list or having another genealogist recommended to them who may be able to get the work done more immediately.
What is the most successful marketing activity for your genealogy business?
I’m not currently actively marketing myself, other than being listed in the directories and the occasional blog post. I have more than enough work coming my way organically. As I begin to reach the end of my waiting list, I will become more active again if I need to attract more clients, but I don’t think it’s wise to attempt to bring more work in when I’ve got more than enough!
Can you share the funniest thing you’ve come across in your research?
One that springs to mind was probably not funny at the time or for the person involved. One of my clients had an Irish convict ancestor, who was roped into his crime by two brothers with extensive criminal pasts. They were all sentenced to transportation to Van Diemen’s Land. At the expiration of their sentences, the ancestor went to the Victorian goldfields and lived a virtuous life, as he had before he committed his crime. One of the brothers who instigated the crime, however, appears to have held a grudge against the ancestor. He, too, travelled to Victoria, took on an alias, which happened to be the ancestor’s name. He went on to commit multiple crimes around the same district. They looked nothing alike, and the ancestor was clearly innocent of the crimes committed in his name. It seems his former accomplice wished to muddy his reputation and spent much of the remainder of his life obsessed with trying to do this!
What do you like best about being a professional genealogist?I love being my own boss, and being able to work when and where I want in a field that has been a lifelong passion. It doesn’t actually feel like ‘work’ because I love the whole process. The other aspect I truly love is the reaction from clients when they receive the finished product, and they get to experience their ancestors’ lives through the stories found along the way.
Samantha can be reached at: https://lyfelynes.com
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