The Life Story Coach

Marketing with a local newspaper column and more Lisa Lombard O'Reilly of Your Stories Written joins us for a conversation about personal history. Listen as we discuss: Lisa's experience writing her dad's life story book using Kindle Direct Publishing for cheap proof copies and supplying friends with print-on-demand books Lisa's monthly column on personal history for Coastal View, a local print publication Lisa approached the publisher of Coastal View after attending a workshop given by Annie Payne, a colleague out of Australia. Annie gave expert advice on mastering your community and becoming the go-to personal historian. Lisa also talked about being featured on a blog post by a woman with an historical press. Clairitage Press specializes in local history, with titles written by Karen Dustman. Read the article here or here. If you want more ideas about writing local history, check out Episode 47 with Patricia Hamilton. Links & Stuff Find Lisa Lombari O'Reilly at her website, Your Stories Written

Part 2 of our interview with Lettice Stuart, Portraits in Words Join us for an insightful conversation about the business of personal history and the art of interviewing. In this episode, Lettice discusses: how much she charges for life story projects, and how that number has grown through the years a clever pre-meeting tactic that gets Lettice into the right frame of mind for that always-difficult money conversation with clients [Correction: with this technique, it doesn't have to be diffult!] how, when, and why to bring in outside editing help working with a partner the extreme importance of listening, no matter how you do it best [Knitting optional] Links & Stuff You can find Lettice Stuart at Portraits in Words Other episodes mentioned: 29: Rutger Bruining of Story Terrace 53: Part 1, Christine Norton Helps Life Story Writers Get Up and Running 54: Christine Norton, Part 2

Lettice Stuart was a journalist with stories in the New York Times when she shifted to writing life stories. While her writing credentials helped give her credibility, it was good old-fashioned conversations with people that grew her business. In part one of the interview, we discuss: the importance of talking about your personal history work in any social situation, and why it's easy how and why to contact groups looking for speakers what to include when you give a public presentation We also talk about why family members may not be capable of getting to the same stories that personal historians do. And what a magical moment it is when you see the light go on in the storyteller's eyes: the book is important, the telling of the stories even more so. In our next episode, Part 2 with Lettice Stuart Stay tuned for the second half of our conversation with Lettice, where Lettice shares how much she charges for her life story books, how she prepares for the money conversation with clients, working with outside editors, and more. Links & Stuff You can find Lettice Stuart at Portraits in Words Want to hear more about the art of interviewing? Check out Episode 3: How to conduct a great interview  

For Steve Pender, personal history comes alive in Legacy Video When Steve Pender started his legacy video company years ago, it wasn't to produce videos, but rather to teach DIYers how to make their own. Then technology changed. You still needed the know-how and the artistic flair to produce top-quality videos, but you no longer needed the big commercial studio. That's when Steve pivoted to do what he loved most: create compelling, beautiful legacy videos. Give them options I shape the production to fit the client's wants and needs." Steve uses a winning strategy when he sits down with potential clients for the sales meeting. Instead of shooting out a price right away, he asks lots of questions, then goes back to work up a proposal, complete with costs. He believes in giving the client options: a price for what they said they wanted, and a fallback option that's less expensive. His packages start at $7,500 for a Q&A-style basic video, and increase to $20-25K and up for more deluxe packages. These premium videos include music, archival footage, and more. Listen as Steve talks about: traveling to Italy to shoot as his client visits his ancestral home how Family Legacy Video was featured in the AARP Bulletin Steve's appearance on a local TV show [hint: This was a PR move any of us can use!] how using a freebie as a lead generator can build your email list how the Rotary helped launch his business Links & Stuff Family Legacy Video website  

In six short years, Starts at 60 has grown to a platform with a million and a half visitors per month.  Now Starts at 60 is looking toward markets outside the US, and there's room for us life story professionals to leverage the systems they've already built. The idea I like best is starting monthly coffee groups. Maybe it's because I saw how lonely my dad was after my mom died. Maybe it's because as a waitress in my teens, I saw how the people who lingered over coffee after dinner seemed to be the best conversationalists, the ones I liked to eavesdrop on as I cleared away their plates (and ashtrays; yes, this was a long time ago!). And what better way to get people interested in preserving their life story than getting them talking about it over coffee, in a safe place among new friends? In this episode, we also discuss: the need to find a group of people with similar mindset, especially after a transition like retirement how Baby Boomers, like the rest of us, want a hybrid experience of online and off-line the importance of building and safeguarding trust among clients or in a community how storytellers of all ages are turning to online research when looking for services (Hint: Have your website and Facebook page up to snuff!) why Baby Boomers make great storytellers (let me know what you think about my new slogan: More wrinkles, better stories). and more. Links & Things Visit Starts at 60 Want to get your client a byline and possibly feedback? Contact Starts at 60 about blog submissions. Establish a Starts at 60 coffee group in your area

Running and growing a video life story business This is part 2 of our interview with Mike O'Krent (listen to part 1 here). In this episode, you'll hear Mike talk about public speaking and how it can grow the public's awareness of our services. (Hint: Check out Toastmasters for improving your speaking skill and spreading the word about your services) the power of seeking out influential people and connectors in your community how to ask for referrals and virtual introductions (via email) how being humble can hurt—read Mike's article, "Being Humble is Nothing to Brag About" listening with your whole body (check out this TED Talk with Evelyn Glennie) speaking at family business programs Mike's TEDx Talk It wasn't easy, but Mike made his dream come true: After sending out over 60 pitches, he landed a spot on the TEDx stage in Wilmington. One of the key factors was enlisting the help of Taylor Conroy of The Idea Collective, a company that helps people "land the talk, do the talk, spread the talk."

How volunteering for Steven Spielberg sparked a career saving stories Mike O'Krent was volunteering for an organization in Austin when he learned about Survivors of the Shoah, a foundation created by Steven Spielberg to interview and record the stories of Holocaust survivors. His training in L.A. set him up for successful interviews with survivors in Texas. In an article by Rich Polt (a previous guest on this podcast), Mike says, "These conversations are not going to be easy, nor should they be. In some cases, you'll be asking loved ones to recall events and memories that have long been dormant. That's OK. Don't shy away from asking the hard questions." Mike's work with the Shoah Foundation helped him discover his passion for interviewing people and helping them save their story. Today, he runs LifeStories Alive, LLC, a video company that documents the stories of individuals, non-profits, and businesses.

Maureen Taylor talks about helping people solve the mysteries of their unidentified photos, a skill we as life story professionals can use to help our clients.  Maureen Taylor's early career as a curator exposed her to lots of photos. But it wasn't until she opened shop as a photo historian that she discovered just how many unidentified photos people have. Frequent questions she hears: Who is in the photo? What is happening in the photo? Where was the photo taken? Rachel Rifkin's photo experiment Rachel Rifkin, a fellow personal historian, posted photos of herself alongside images of her relatives. Donning similar clothing and mimicking the subject in the old photos, she bore a strong resemblance to her relatives—including a bearded man from yesteryear.   Patterns Change perspective to see the unseen in photos. That's where the big reveals come in. Not everyone can see faces; not everyone can see details. Some people suffer from "face-blindness," the inability to differentiate the faces they see. Go here and scroll down to find the quiz, "Are you a super-recognizer?" Maureen does her detective work on my family photos   Links & Stuff Visit Maureen's website View Maureen's photo detective courses

When he first started Acknowledge Media, Rich spent hours teaching himself Adobe Premiere Pro. But while he sees the need to have the skills that are foundational to the projects he creates, he recognizes that his team of videographers (including Jordan Freeman), editors, archival producers, and media directors are better suited to the technical side of things, while he handles the rest of it: new business development, sales, marketing, HR, and, of course, the most important task of all—conducting the interviews. Backed by a solid (and growing) team, Rich makes sure that all the projects are up to his standards, with each undergoing a final pass by him before being delivered to the client. Types of Projects Rich's offerings have grown over the years, and now include three distinct packages: a 3-4 hour narrative, including all footage shot a showcase, including the above 3-4 hours plus a 5-6 minute highlight reel a feature, including both products above, plus a highly edited documentary film with music score, b-roll footage, archival assets, and more. Gear When he began, Rich and his videographer used two DSLR cameras and lav mics on all. Today, they've switched to two high-end video cameras and a boom mic for the storytellers. My biggest surprise? When Rich said that a beginner can get great results with two iPhone cameras. It won't be the same quality as what he produces, but it's the listening and questioning skills you bring to the interview that will define your core value, not the high-tech gadgetry. (Hint: Two cameras, no matter what kind you use, will give you far greater results than just one.) Rich also spoke frankly about his prices: where he started, what he charges now, how those prices will likely rise in the future. The important thing is to make your prices reflect the quality of your work. And then, of course, identify the market willing to pay for that exceptional quality. You can find part one of our interview here.

Rich Polt started his legacy video company in 2016; three years later, it's growing by leaps and bounds. Rich Polt left a lucrative career as owner of a public relations firm to pursue his passion—helping people record their legacy stories on film. And he did it all without knowing a thing about movie-making. It started with a personal project called Talking GOOD, where Rich interviewed change-makers with the power to inspire others. The epiphany came when Rich went off-script to ask his interviewee a highly personal question, something he didn't normally do. The man cried, and so did Rich. That was all Rich needed to understand the power of sharing stories. Acknowledge Media brings the same high production values of documentary filmmaking to the world of legacy preservation. Listen as we discuss: how Rich gave himself a year of working for free to build up his portfolio some of the mistakes he made as a novice interviewer (hint: get comfortable with your inteviewee's emotions!) the benefits of having regular meetings with his mentor, Mike O'Krent of LifeStories Alive (and soon-to-be guest on this podcast) the three phases of any legacy video project Because Rich had so much great stuff to share, we're breaking this podcast into two parts. In this episode, we get into the specifics of phase one of his projects. Rich gives a breakdown of the 2-3 hour session he spends with the interviewees before the cameras make their appearance. He uses this conversation to create a detailed roadmap for the recorded interview. A few tips: In order to keep the storyteller from launching into an anecdote during this first conversation, Rich asks them to name the stories that come to mind with a headline. He includes it in his notes, a reminder or tag to include that topic in his recorded interview. As part of phase one, he sends the storyteller's adult children a questionnaire, which includes the following questions: What are the stories you want to hear? What are the red flag topics that may be difficult for your parents to talk about? What are the things you've always wanted to ask but never have? Rich then creates a spreadsheet with questions, pouring in the answers to those he already knows, examining the whole to find the narrative shape that will guide him during the recorded interview. Stay tuned for part two of our conversation, where Rich discusses the recording and editing processes.

We continue our conversation with Christine Norton about her Writing Partners, business licensees who operate independently, but who get all the support they need to grow a thriving life story business. Listen as Christine gives a run-down of some of the many, many support systems she provides for her licensees.

Christine Norton is passionate about telling people's stories. And she knew others were, too. But not everyone is comfortable with creating a business from the ground up, and that's where her Forget-Me-Not Life Stories writing partner program comes in. In exchange for a business license fee, her writing partners get everything they need to get their own memoir-writing service companies up and running. Listen as we discuss this and much more, including: the high-end, hand-bound book design, created especially for Forget-Me-Not Life Stories, that allows clients to later add more pages to their books the value of celebrating photos and memorabilia in highly designed life story books her mentoring and coaching program, offered to clients who need some help as they write their own life story how the success of her business licensees equates to her own success what her licensees get as an official Forget-Me-Not Life Stories writing partner   Because Christine had so much great stuff to talk about—and I don't want anyone missing any of it—I split our conversation in two. Check back next week to hear part two of the interview.

End of Life Coach Janet Bieschke on serving the dying Dr. Janet Bieschke has turned her retirement into a double career: She serves the hospice community as both life story gatherer and life coach. In her work with the dying, she makes room for a "sigh of relief"—the chance to share not only stories, but also regrets, forgiveness, and "I love yous."   Janet's website: https://drjanetb.com/

This week, David O'Neil talks to us about how and why we should be developing relationships with financial advisors and wealth managers. Listen as we discuss: Who in the financial industry make good referral partners? Why they value helping their clients pass down wisdom along with their wealth How to follow up after meeting a good referral partner How to use presentations to spread the word about life story work Links & Stuff David's website: https://storytrust.com/ Want more ideas on how to market your life story business? Listen to these previous episodes: 47: Creating (and Selling) a Community History Book, with Patricia Hamilton 18: Teaching Life Story Classes and Opening a Life Story Studio, with Sam Uhl 17: Life Story Memorabilia Boxes and Marketing with Show and Tell Events, with Martie McNabb 12: International Ghostwriter Derek Lewis 6: Marketing Guru Dhyan Atkinson

From Life Stories to Business Histories David O'Neil founded Story Trust in 2007; several years later, he recognized the natural connection between life stories for individuals and stories that recount the history of a business. His most recent book was an outgrowth of an oral history conducted several years ago. With the upcoming centennial anniversary of the family's company, they reached out to him to create a book of memories, recipes, and memorabilia, with an initial a print run of 2,500 copies. Early in the life of his company, David decided on a marketing strategy that revolves around networking. Listen as he discusses how he has turned networking breakfast meetings into referrals to new clients.   Links & Stuff Find David and Story Trust here: https://storytrust.com/ View and excerpt from A Farm Grows in Concord: Celebrating 100 Years of Verrill Farm, the book David created for the family who own the business. David recommends starting your networking efforts with your local Chamber of Commerce. Here are a few other groups mentioned: BNI, Business Network International LeTip International TIGER 21