Free intro call
Twenty minutes on what you've got, where you're stuck and which branch matters most.
Online · Beginners and stuck researchers
Past the
Past the
shaky hints.
Clicking suggested records builds a tree full of other people's mistakes. Real research means finding the document, reading what it actually says, and writing down where you found it.
- 6–12weeks per program
- 48 hfor a research review
- 10 maxin a live session
- $0intro call
The programs
Four programs, from first tree to finished story
We work on your family, your surnames and your brick walls — not a demonstration tree.
Starting your tree
Interviewing the relatives you still have, working backwards one generation at a time, and citing sources from day one.
See the programRecords & archives
Census, vital, immigration and military records — where they live, how to search them, and how to read what they say.
See the programDNA, sensibly
Using match lists as evidence: shared centimorgans, clustering matches, and the limits of what DNA can prove.
See the programWriting it down
Turning a pile of records into something your family will actually read — with photos, sources and a readable narrative.
See the program
How it works
One question at a time
Stuck research is almost always an unfocused question. “Find my ancestors” has no answer; “where was Mary Doyle in 1900” does.
One research question
Specific, answerable, with a named person, place and time.
A search plan
Which records exist, where they live, and in what order to try them.
Review of your findings
Within 48 hours: whether the document says what you think it says.
Plans
Pick your level of support
Month to month, cancel anytime. The 20-minute intro call is free.
Research group
A weekly session where brick walls get worked on together.
$29/ month
- One 75-minute live session each week
- Groups of 10 researchers maximum
- One member's brick wall tackled weekly
- Citation and log templates
- Recordings for 30 days
Coaching essentials
A coach on your family and your research plan.
$79/ month
- Personal 6 to 12 week research plan
- Findings reviewed within 48 hours
- One 45-min session every two weeks
- Search strategies for your surnames and regions
- Access to all group sessions
Brick wall intensive
For a wall you've been stuck behind for years, or a book with a deadline.
$159/ month
- One 45-min session each week
- Replies within 24 hours
- Full review of everything you've gathered
- DNA match analysis alongside documents
- Access to all group sessions
Prices in USD. Cancel anytime, no contract.
How we work
A coach, not a research service
We don't do the research for you. Partly because it's the enjoyable part, and partly because the skills transfer — every brick wall you break teaches you how to break the next one.
We're also careful with two things: we never interpret health information from DNA tests, and we treat living relatives' privacy and any unexpected findings as the serious matters they are.
Frequently asked
The questions we get most
Do I need a paid subscription?
It helps a great deal for census and vital records, but a lot is free — FamilySearch, state archives, and many libraries offer access. We'll show you what's free first.
My family came from a country whose records I can't read.
Common and workable. We cover finding translated indexes, working with archives abroad, and reading enough of a language to extract names, dates and places.
Can you tell me about my DNA health results?
No, never. We only work with DNA at a genealogical level. Health interpretation belongs with a doctor or a genetic counselor.
I found something upsetting in my results.
It happens more than people expect — unexpected parentage in particular. We'll help you think through the research side carefully, and we'll suggest proper support rather than pretending coaching is therapy.
Will you find my ancestors?
We'll teach you to search well, but no honest genealogist guarantees a find. Some records burned, some were never created.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. No contract, no minimum term. Access stays open until the end of the month you already paid for.
Where does your tree stop?
Twenty minutes on the branch you're stuck on and what records might still exist. Free.