Podcast appearances and mentions of michael katchen

In conversation with Andrea Mandel Campbell

In conversation with Andrea Mandel Campbell

About this episode There's so much happening in Canada fintech, what's next in Canadian fintech and would should Canada do to prepare for that fintech future?   About this series The early 2000s ushered in the development of technological innovations and specialized talent. Over the following decades, the support to that ecosystem through government and other innovative programs cultivated a fintech evolution all across North America.  In this series we'll follow the story of how it all started, how it's going today and what each player can do for a more expansive fintech of tomorrow.  Join us and listen to the stories of the people who helped make fintech in Canada what it is today, people such as Paul Desmarais III, Dominique Ferst, Maor Amar, David Unsworth, Jan Arp, Michael Katchen, Stephanie Choo, David Nault, Matthieu Cardinal, Marcus Daniels & many more. You can subscribe to this podcast and stay up to date on all the stories here on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon and iHeartRadio. About the host & producer of this series.  John, is the host of the  ‘Bank On It' podcast recorded onsite in Wall Street at OpenFin and the founder of the remotely recorded, studio quality standardized podcast production system ListenDeck.   Follow John on LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium

About this episode In this episode we'll follow how Canada fintech had to evolve because of the consumer needs and experiential expectations.  The rise of Wealthsimple, Portage Ventures, Diagram Ventures and how Paul Desmarais helped make Wealthsimple  possible.  Due to high demand the Canada Fintech Forum was created.   About this series The early 2000s ushered in the development of technological innovations and specialized talent. Over the following decades, the support to that ecosystem through government and other innovative programs cultivated a fintech evolution all across North America.  In this series we'll follow the story of how it all started, how it's going today and what each player can do for a more expansive fintech of tomorrow.  Join us and listen to the stories of the people who helped make fintech in Canada what it is today, people such as Paul Desmarais III, Dominique Ferst, Maor Amar, David Unsworth, Jan Arp, Michael Katchen, Stephanie Choo, David Nault, Matthieu Cardinal, Marcus Daniels & many more. You can subscribe to this podcast and stay up to date on all the stories here on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon and iHeartRadio. About the host & producer of this series.  John, is the host of the  ‘Bank On It' podcast recorded onsite in Wall Street at OpenFin and the founder of the remotely recorded, studio quality standardized podcast production system ListenDeck.   Follow John on LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium

About this episode In this episode we'll follow the creation of early fintech funds and how early stage innovation was only possible due to the vast tech talent in Canada.   About this series The early 2000s ushered in the development of technological innovations and specialized talent. Over the following decades, the support to that ecosystem through government and other innovative programs cultivated a fintech evolution all across North America.  In this series we'll follow the story of how it all started, how it's going today and what each player can do for a more expansive fintech of tomorrow.  Join us and listen to the stories of the people who helped make fintech in Canada what it is today, people such as Paul Desmarais III, Dominique Ferst, Maor Amar, David Unsworth, Jan Arp, Michael Katchen, Stephanie Choo, David Nault, Matthieu Cardinal, Marcus Daniels & many more. You can subscribe to this podcast and stay up to date on all the stories here on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon and iHeartRadio. About the host & producer of this series.  John, is the host of the  ‘Bank On It' podcast recorded onsite in Wall Street at OpenFin and the founder of the remotely recorded, studio quality standardized podcast production system ListenDeck.   Follow John on LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium

About this episode In this episode we follow the spark of Canadian entrepreneurial innovation with early tech entrepreneurs such as Dominique Ferst, the creation of tech communities and the program Next 36. About this series The early 2000s ushered in the development of technological innovations and specialized talent. Over the following decades, the support to that ecosystem through government and other innovative programs cultivated a fintech evolution all across North America.  In this series we'll follow the story of how it all started, how it's going today and what each player can do for a more expansive fintech of tomorrow.  Join us and listen to the stories of the people who helped make fintech in Canada what it is today, people such as Paul Desmarais III, Dominique Ferst, Maor Amar, David Unsworth, Jan Arp, Michael Katchen, Stephanie Choo, David Nault, Matthieu Cardinal, Marcus Daniels & many more. You can subscribe to this podcast and stay up to date on all the stories here on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon and iHeartRadio. About the host & producer of this series.  John, is the host of the  ‘Bank On It' podcast recorded onsite in Wall Street at OpenFin and the founder of the remotely recorded, studio quality standardized podcast production system ListenDeck.   Follow John on LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium

Financial Literacy and Resilience

Financial Literacy and Resilience

Wealthsimple is building the world's most human financial services company. Yes, the company most well known for raising near $300M to disrupt traditional financial services companies by leveraging 'robo-advisors' is on a mission to be more human. The brainchild of Ivey HBA '09, Michael Katchen, the company today, manages almost $7 bllion in assets, and employs more than 300 people. Katchen sat down with long-time friend, Eric Janssen, to talk about his journey; from leaving management consulting to working in the start-up world and building a disruptive company in an industry he had never worked in. In this episode Katchen uncovers how he thinks about hiring, and getting the most out of his team, as well as his outlook on the future of great Canadian companies.

Michael Katchen has acheived personal leadership and company growth at the same time.  Wealth Simple started as a simple investment tool on an excel sheet and now holds over $6 billion in assets.  The company has a winning culture which plays a big part in its success.    Key Takeaways: Wealthsimple has disrupted the financial services industry, but it was an accident. Its creation came from a much more natural place. Michael wanted to make investing easier for his generation.  People and teams love big visions. Michael strives to get the best out of his employees by giving everyone a purpose and take on more accountability in their roles.  The scale of the business has grown dramatically and Michael is still trying to find his footsteps. He is a first time CEO managing 300 people. As a pretty green leader, he is constantly reinventing himself to meet the demands of each stage of the business.  As you scale drastically, you will have to give up some control or else the whole ecosystem just won’t work.  What kind of talent does Michael look for? He looks for a ‘Maker Owner’. Someone who has a desire to build new things and an owner that is willing to step up and face the problems or roadblocks in the way.  Good company culture has played a huge part in the success of Wealthsimple, but so many founders get culture wrong. Regular drinks outside of work or a ping pong table doesn’t make ‘culture’.  As a leader, it’s okay to admit when you don’t know something. Show vulnerability, have humility, and have good mentors on your side.  Figure out what kind of leader you want to be. There are a lot of leadership styles, so take on one that feels natural to you.  Stay until the end for some rapid fire questions with Michael!    Mentioned in This Episode: Wealthsimple.com Give Away Your Legos — Article    Subscribe to Leader Lab, and Leave a Rating & Review!

Geoff Zochodne talks with Wealthsimple CEO and co-founder Michael Katchen about what open banking is, what it will do for consumers and how Canada risks falling behind in this global trend

Geoff Zochodne talks with Wealthsimple CEO and co-founder Michael Katchen about what open banking is, what it will do for consumers and how Canada risks falling behind in this global trend

Mike Katchen is Co-founder & CEO of Wealthsimple, a Toronto-based financial services startup. In just five years, Wealthsimple has grown to more than four billion dollars in assets. And shortly after our conversation, the company announced another big funding round – the latest step on the road to an eventual public stock offering. Follow us on Twitter, join our mailing list, or visit our website.

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Michael Katchen, CEO, Wealthsimple In Conversation With Amber Kanwar On Getting the Recipe Right: Making Canada the Best Place in the World for the Financial Companies Of The Future Michael Katchen is the CEO and co-founder of Wealthsimple, a leading financial technology company operating in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. Wealthsimple launched in September 2014 and quickly established itself as a leader in Canada, and in under three years, it has grown to manage $3 billion for more than 100,000 clients. Prior to founding Wealthsimple, he led product and marketing at 1000memories, a Y Combinator startup that was acquired by Ancestry.com in 2012. Michael started his career at McKinsey & Company where he advised clients in finance and technology. Michael has been called an Industry Mover by the Financial Post, a Change Agent by Canadian Business magazine, and one of Toronto's 50 most influential people by Toronto Life. He won Entrepreneur of the Year at the Canadian Startup Awards in 2017, is a winner of a EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award, was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 by Caldwell Partners International, and is a member of the Canadian Business Council. Amber Kanwar is an expert when it comes to financial markets and disruptive technologies. As the successful host of Business News Network's flagship morning show, Business Day AM, and co-host of CTV's The Disruptors, she has interviewed everyone from CEOs of major companies, to start-up technology entrepreneurs, fund managers, politicians, and thought leaders. Amber is a relentless digger, always looking for ways to break down complex topics and ideas and making them accessible to anyone who is interested. Amber has a Master of Journalism degree from Ryerson University and a Bachelor of Management & Organizational Studies degree from University of Western Ontario. With Introductory Remarks from: MPP Doug Downey Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance Doug Downey was elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Barrie–Springwater–Oro-Medonte in 2018 and subsequently named the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Victor Fedeli. Doug was raised in Bond Head, and has spent much of his life working and living throughout Simcoe County. He obtained his Hons. B.A. from Wilfrid Laurier University; M.A. specializing in Judicial Administration from Brock University; a Law Degree from Dalhousie University at Halifax; and a Master of Laws in Municipal and Development Law through Osgoode Hall Law School. He has served as a Professor for Laurentian University at Georgian College, taught for the Real Estate Bar Admission Course, and occasionally lectured when asked. He is a founding partner at Downey, Tornosky, Lassaline & Timpano Law Professional Corporation and has earned professional recognition including the Lawyer of the Year award from the Simcoe County Law Association, the Business Leader of the Year by the Orillia Business Association, and as one of Canada's Leading Lawyers by Lexpert magazine. He has extensive experience in politics... Moderator: Amber Kanwar, BNN Speaker: Michael Katchen, CEO, Wealthsimple *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

We love robo-advisors, and lots of other investors do too. But admittedly, robo-advisors are missing that personal touch some investors prefer. We found the best of both worlds in Wealthsimple. This is our Wealthsimple review along with a chat with CEO Michael Katchen. Full Article Here Show Notes Personal Finance for Engineers - Adam's presentation on Personal Finance. Not only for engineers but certainly focuses on their blind spots. Signup for Wealthfront - Get your first $15,000 invested for free! Special for LMM fans, the ultimate try before you buy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Wealthsimple? Guest Michael Katchan Michael Katchen is the founder and CEO of Wealthsimple, one of Canada’s new crop of online investment managers, and is on a mission to make smart investing cheaper, simpler, and easier for everyone. For full show notes please visit: http://www.becausemoney.ca/ep-21-guest-michael-katchen-wealthsimple/

A recent article on TechCrunch suggested that Toronto is set to become the next Silicon Valley. For Episode 3 of ShiftDisturbers we asked Toronto based entrepreneur Michael Katchen, founder of FinTech company WealthSimple, local angel investor Dan DeBow, and Richard Florida, who wrote series of Startup City reports examining the geography of venture capital investment, about the chances of such a thing happening. Music in this episode: "Steppin'" by Wake; "Siesta" by Jahzzar TechCrunch - "Toronto is Poised to become the Next Great Producer of Tech Startups - https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/12/toronto-is-poised-to-become-the-next-great-producer-of-tech-startups/

Michael Katchen is the Founder and CEO of Wealthsimple, a platform that make smart investing simple and affordable. After starting his career off as a business analyst with one of the largest consulting firms in the world, Michael got a call in 2011 from a friend who was building a new YC company, 1000memories, where he was a VP of product & growth. After being acquired by Ancestry.com, some of his close friends approached him about advice on how to invest some of the money they got during the acquisition. Michael then created an excel sheet to help his friends learn how to invest. This was the MVP for Wealthsimple. Since launching in 2013, Michael and Wealthsimple have since raised over 30 million dollars in vc funding and grown to over 20,000 users, winning numerous awards along the way. Michael joins us to share his story, how he got into tech and startups, how he approaches building products, how they overcame early challenges when launching Wealthsimple, how they’ve built such a cool brand, what they look for when hiring and building a team, and tons more insights on building startups.

Rob Kenedi sits down again with with Michael Katchen, founder of Wealthsimple, an automated investment manager for consumers. Rob and Michael discuss building trust with your customer in a trust-based business, scaling a company when you get a rapid $30 million Series A, and how to combat sizeable competitors in the financial industry. In the revisited series of #smallrooms, Rob reconnects with the startup to see what's happened since the last episode (typically a year later). For the full narrative, check out the previous episode with Michael pre-Series A and their explosive growth from February of 2015. DISCLOSURE: Wealthsimple is currently a client of TWG, where Rob serves as Entrepreneur in Residence.

Rob talks startups and finance with Michael Katchen, founder of Wealthsimple, a technology platform that manages your investments.

In this episode we discuss the latest genealogy news, one listener's fabulous use of Google Alerts, and Maureen Taylor's new history film project.  NEWS: Google Earth 7Google as just released Google Earth version 7. Google Earth is an amazing tool for genealogy so new enhancements are always welcome! This new version enables you to explore a number of cities around the world in 3D, from Long Beach, California, to Rome, Italy. The 3D imagery uses the enhanced modeling capabilities, previously found on only mobile devices. In my video I go into detail about 3D models and even give you resources for how you can get your own 3D models of everything from your house, to your ancestor's home.  Download the new Google Earth 7 and get even more 3D imagery.  You'll find comprehensive and accurate tours of more than 11,000 popular sites around the world, including our growing list of cities where new 3D imagery is available. A big change with this new version is the feature which serves as sort of a virtual local expert that suggests places nearby that you might want to explore and providing you with background information on the location.  You'll find the tour guide along the bottom of the screen, and it looks like sort of a film strip of thumbnail images representing various tours that are available. These change based on where you are on the Google Earth globe.   What's new in RootsMagic 6 VideoAnd there a favorite genealogy program that just got a new fresh update. RootsMagic 6 is now available, and you can see what's new in the newest version of the genealogy database program in a brand new video they've published on their website at  In the video you will see new features in action such as: Online Publishing  Find Everywhere feature Live Timeline View WebTags CountyCheck Explorer If you are a current paid user of RootsMagic, you can upgrade for just $19.95.  New users may purchase RootsMagic 6 for only $29.95. Order online at Special Holiday Offer Now through Dec. 20, 2012 Order gift copies of RootsMagic 6 for just $19.95 (plus shipping).  You can also order other RootsMagic products at that same $19.95 price. Order the special holiday at or order by phone at 1-800-ROOTSMAGIC ).   The next item here is that the Family Tree Service coming soon to FamilySearch.orgAccording to a FamilySearch press release, “Within the next few months, FamilySearch will make available to everyone on its website. The first of many updates planned for FamilySearch.org, Family Tree will provide a free and engaging way to discover, preserve, and share your family history. Family Tree will also offer specialized tools to make temple work for your ancestors even easier and more convenient. Watch an  that shows 7 reasons to be excited about Family Tree. Family Tree will enable you to: Save family information into a genealogy tree Edit and delete incorrect data, including relationships Connect and collaborate with others on shared family lines Show where information came from Link to online photos and documents If you have questions about what Family Tree will be like or how it will work, you can log in to  that offers online courses, how-to videos, informational handouts, and step-by-step training. Get started with Family Tree today by watching the  or reading about it on the . Family Tree will be open to everyone in the next few months. Ireland - National Archives launches new websiteThe National Archives of Ireland has launched a new genealogy website at  which will initially host the 1901 and 1911 Censuses, Tithe Apportionment records from 1823-37, and Soldiers' Wills from 1914-17. New at ScotlandsPeople Scottish wills and testaments from 1902-25 now online at the ScotlandsPeople at Millions of Old Newspaper pages added to FindMyPastfindmypast.com has just published millions of pages of historical newspapers from not only England, but also across Wales and Scotland as well. This collection contains local newspapers for the period 1710-1950. More than 200 titles are included. Go to  Ancestry.com launches newspapers.com  On November 29, 2012   Inc., announced the launch of , a web site designed to offer a collection of more than 800 U.S. newspapers dating from the late 1700s into the early 2000s.  Comprising more than 25 million pages, Newspapers.com offers a historical and present-day newspapers ranging from the New York Times to small town and local newspapers throughout the United States. According to Ancestry's press release “The search capabilities on Newspapers.com are specifically designed for newspapers enabling users to easily search by keywords, location, time period and newspaper name.” The yearly subscription rate is $79.95 for subscribers and $39.95 for Ancestry.com or Fold3.com members. Newspapers.com also offers a 7-day free trial that can be activated at . Ancestry has launched a new  site at Ancestry.comYou can access Community Support by clicking on “Get Help” at the top of the Ancestry.com homepage. Once on Online Help, you will see a button for “Ask the Community” on the right hand side. That link will take you directly to Ancestry's new Support Communities.  Buys Geni.comMyHeritage have just bought our long-term rival Geni.com - and also raised $25million in new funds. As a larger community, the users of MyHeritage and Geni.com will now receive matches with the other website family trees, and MyHeritage's Record Matching, will benefit Geni's users, who will get access to historical records never available before on Geni.com. MAILBOX: Jessica has a new blog and a question about photo storage: “…after about the 10th podcast in a row where you encouraged us to start our own blog, I finally got the message.  I started my very own "geneablog" a couple of weeks ago.  I only have three posts so far, but I'm pretty proud of it.  Please check it out and let me know what you think.  I'd love you to let your listeners know too, because that would be even more feedback!  I am writing my blog from the perspective of my relentless quest to better understand the life of one particular ancestor of mine, William Park.  I call it "Knowing William" and it writing it really makes me happy.”  Visit her blog at  “I recently listened to episode 119 where you talked to Michael Katchen from 1000memories.   I went to the site, signed up, and uploaded pics to my first shoe box.  In the interview I remember words like "social networking", "memorials", and "genealogy".  I am confused.  All I saw on the site was my shoe boxes and some not-very-informative FAQs.  I know it has been a while, but have they changed the whole premise of the website in less than a year?”  Lisa's Answer: Congrats on your new blog! Remember posts can be short and sweet, and pack them with searchable keywords so other researchers can find you in Google Search. RE: 1000Memories. They have indeed changed up the website since the interview. I agree with you, it seems watered down now, and not as obvious as to how to make the most of it. They seem to be focused on "simplicity." Barbara Shares A New Use for Google Alerts“My Great Grandfather, Edmund Charles Clark, was a builder in Bendigo, and many of his houses still stand in Wattle Street Bendigo today. I spent a lovely day photographing them, but I cannot go up and knock on all the doors however! So I have a cute way of finding out just what those houses look like today especially on the inside. I have an alert in Google for "Wattle Street, Bendigo" and it works a treat. Every so often one of the homes goes up for sale or rent, and one of the real estate websites has pictures of both inside and outside. These come up on my search and I get to see inside the homes that are still standing. One is up for rent at present and here are the pictures from Realestate.com.au of 172 Wattle Street. Isn't it lovely?  It is still much in original condition.   The  function is really useful for genealogy, and I first found out about it from Genealogy Gems – so thank you very much for the gem."   GEM:  Maureen Taylor's new gig – bringing revolutionary war history to filmPamela Pacelli Cooper, President, Verissima Productions Maureen Taylor, Author of The Last Muster Revolutionary Voices: A Last Muster Film, Directed by Maureen Taylor with Verissima Productions New Gem for Premium Members! Sign in to your Membership and go to Premium Videos to view the brand new video Genealogy on the Go with the iPad (and tablets too!) The iPad is built for hitting the road and is ideally suited for family history due to its' sleek lightweight size, gorgeous graphics and myriad of apps and tools. In this class I will teach you “the tablet mindset”, the best apps for the tasks that genealogists want to accomplish, and my Top 10 list of iPad Tips and Tricks. By the end of class you will be able to turn your iPad into a family history powerhouse!

Have you ever wondered how the Internet works?  I mean, how data from your computer actually makes to another computer somewhere else around the world? I found a very cool video that really manages to explain a very complex process that happens in a matter of seconds in a way that actually makes a lot of sense. And yet while it made sense, after I watched it it was almost harder to believe that it really works at all because it's so amazing. Even if you are typically a person who doesn't bother to click on videos, you have got to check out How Does the Internet Work in the newest of edition of the free Genealogy Gems Podcast email newsletter. Go to and enter your email to sign up.   NEWS: RootsTech   Ancestry Read Lisa's blog post: While the world's largest online family history resource, Ancestry.com, awaits a possible buyout, they are keeping busy buying other companies. Reuters reported that Permira Advisers LLP has emerged as the front-runner to take Ancestry private in a deal that could exceed $1.5 billion. () Ancestry also released the following press release about the company's latest acquisition, San Francisco based 1000Memories. You can learn more about 1000 Memories by listening to my interview with Michael Katchen, Director of Business Development at 1000Memories in  .   Job Opening   Google Books Learn more about using Google Books for genealogy in my book   New Premium Episode 92 Old maps can tell us a lot more than just where our ancestors lived: They put events into geographic context, reveal surprising genealogical clues, and can be incorporated into Google Earth for analysis and storytelling. In the newest episode (#92) of the Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast I'll tell you about a terrific example of a website that has set the goal of have every image they possess (allowable by copyright) digitized and on their website by early 2013 I'm also going to tell you about something pretty shocking that happened to me recently while speaking at an international genealogy conference. I was really taken by surprise, and received some unexpected questions. I will share those with you as well as some solid answers. It's another packed episode. If you are a member sign in now to start listening.    MAILBOX Stephanie also wrote in with an opinion about Ancestry Trees “So here are my "2 bits".  I am new to all this and honestly never considered my public tree as published.  I have used the Ancestry tree as a if were my workbook, just as if it were a software package like Roots Magic.  Because I consider it a workbook I add names as I find them and work the family as a group to document the information AFTER I add them.  It simply never occurred to me that others would see this as complete, documented information.  I have kept my tree open since I want to be open to contacts.  When I see hints from other trees I simply avoid the un-sourced ones.  The Ancestry hints have moved me along much faster than I ever could have before.  I truly hope others who get angry could see my point of view. Thank you so much for teaching us, you have made this journey so much more enjoyable and effective!!!” From Loretta: Ancestry Trees “I've had a little different reaction towards the "polluted" online trees... sarcasm. At the beginning of the year I started a blog, . I post on Tuesdays and Fridays. Both days could be considered tips for beginners but Tuesdays are examples of what NOT to do. All the examples are actual online trees and because of the propensity of newbies to mindlessly copy other trees most examples are not just on ONE tree. It makes for a lot of head meets desk moments but I'm enjoying it. Hope you and some of your listeners will too.” Ricky in Birmingham, Alabama asks about citing sources and paper and file organization <A HREF="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_mfw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fgenegemspodc-20%2F8001%2F57c224a1-85ab-43d7-9fb9-1175aa0b4fc7&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A>   GEM: New Family History Bloggers Family History blogging is hotter than ever and the ideal way to get your research out on the web where others working on the same family lines can find you through Google searches!  Many of you have been taking advantage of free blogging services like Blogger at Mom Cooke's nagging here on the podcast, and reaping some rewards.  So let me highlight a few listeners who have turned in their “Round To It” for a “Gitter Done!” First up is David Lynch who started a blog on his St. Croix research “I recently started in my genealogy and find your show both entertaining and helpful.  The reason I'm writing is that sometimes we forget that the world wasn't homogeneous throughout the 1800s. Right now, I'm writing a series on illegitimate births on the island of St. Croix from 1841-1934. From my research, it seems that over 77% of the children born were to unmarried households.  Typically they formed stable family units, but just didn't marry. In fact, in my personal family history, I have a set of ancestors who had 16 children and got married after their 12th child was born.  In the US at the same time, only about 4% of the children were illegitimate.” Jennifer shares her blog “Just wanted you to know that I've started my own blog, based largely on the encouragement in your podcasts.  What appealed to me was that it's a medium where I can share information, but not in a way that's an online family tree.  This will prevent readers from copying and pasting family tree branches, without slowing down to learn some context.  It also allows me a forum to correct some gigantic errors floating around out there about my ancestors.  I finally woke up to the fact that I've moved to the head of the line in the experience department.  I've placed a lot of tags on the entries, so the information is easily located in Google.”  Sonja Hunter wrote in to share her blogging success First, I would like to thank you for putting together your podcasts!...I only became a listener about a year ago, but have been working my way through old Genealogy Gems podcasts as well as the Genealogy Made Easy podcasts, mostly while gardening.  I also wanted to let you know you inspired me to start blogging. I rang in the New Year by starting a blog about doing genealogy in my hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan. One primary goal is to highlight helpful area resources. I imagine this will be most helpful to those new to conducting family history research in the area. In addition, I am trying to include Kalamazoo area or Michigan history items that I think are interesting. One example is an article I found in the local paper describing what Kalamazooans from 1884 imagined life would be like in 1984. I've also written about poisonous cheese in the 1880s, diphtheria and the case of my gg-grandfather's brother-in-law who may or may not have committed suicide by slitting his throat. I consulted Paula Sassi for that case and plan to blog about her handwriting analysis in the future.  Thank you for inspiring me to embark on this project! I'm learning a lot. And keep up the good and valuable work you do on your podcasts!   (With Handwriting Analysis by Paula Sassi) From John in Maryland: “I want to thank you again for everything you do to inspire people to be enthusiastic about their family history.  I learn so many "Gems" within all of your resources and put many of them to practice.   You are the family history "Go-To" person in my book.  I recently started a blog for the primary reason of documenting my findings so that I wouldn't forget what I've been discovering.  The blog also appears to be a good way to share my success stories with others that may be interested.  I credit you for introducing the idea of using a blog in Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast.  When I first listened to the podcasts about blogs, I didn't think it was something that was applicable to me, as I felt I had no new information to share with others since many experts like yourself already handle this.  However, I'm giving it a try and enjoy it so far.  I really like how I'm able to place images within the text to help convey my information.”   And finally Shannon Bennett has really made a blogging splash.  She writes: “I have been hemming and hawing on writing to you and finally took the plunge to do it.  Last spring a friend of mine told me about your podcasts (yes all of them) since I had just started into family research.  She thought I would like it, and boy was she right!  I have taken you on my iPod to drop my kids off to school and pick them up again, cleaned house, grocery shopping as well as everywhere in between. The wealth of information I have gathered from your podcasts have been very helpful, and I have loved all the interviews and tid-bits that have come along the way as well.  There is no way that I could just pick one out of so many to be my all-time favorite.  Maybe a top 10 list would cover it. However, I do have to blame you for the latest adventure in my life, which is why I am writing.  Listening to you tell us, in almost every episode, about the importance of having a family blog finally sank in.  The first couple of times I heard you say it I thought to myself “there's no way I would/could ever do such a thing, I barely have time to keep up with my Live Journal account.”  A few weeks went by and the thoughts began to change to “hmmm…maybe I could do this.”  Then after 4 months of thinking about it I started to do some research into how to run a successful blog.” Shannon took the plunge and applied to Family Tree University to write for their Family Firsts Blog.  “I come to find out that they are looking for their second blogger.  I sat…I thought…I clicked the application button.  Yes, on a whim I entered because I thought I had nothing to lose.  You see I never win these types of things. A month goes by, and I have given into the feeling that well it was a good try but of course I didn't get it.…then later on that week I find out I won it! So thank you, I never would have entered let alone thought about creating my own blog less than a year into my family research, without you and your wonderful podcasts.”      

Published Oct 5, 2011 When you were little did you play in card table tents or forts?  I sure did. When I was wandering around the house complaining of being bored on a rainy day, my mom would pull out the old folding table used for card games, throw an old blanket over it, pull out some old pots and pans and hand them to me and tell me to go play house.  Something magical seemed to happen when I crawled under the fabric walls.  My imagination would let loose and I could happily play for hours.  So I've decided to create a special card table house / fort for my grandson Davy.     Davy loves the old TV show "Blue's Clues" which was hugely popular here in the U.S. when my kids were little.  Nowadays the only place I seem to be able to find it is on Netflix and YouTube.  Blue is a dog and she lives in an adorable little yellow house with a red roof with her friend Steve who follows her clues.    Last week I headed to the fabric store with my trusty iPad full of photos I found online of the inside and outside of the Blue's Clues house, and I spent two hours up and down the aisles looking for the closest matching fabrics I could find.    Each side of the house is double sided – the outside fabric is the bright yellow and the inside is one that looks like the wall paper in blue's house.  And of course it will have the windows and curtains, and  flowers and lizards and frogs on the outside and I even found a little unfinished wooden mailbox at the fabric store that will be transformed into the purple mailbox outside Blue's house.  If Davy has half the fun playing in his Blue's Clues house as I am having making it then it will be a big success!   In addition to creating The “Blue's Clues fort” for Davy's birthday which is in December, I also still need to come up with Christmas present for the family.  Last year I did calendars for everyone in the Cooke family that sported images for events related to each month.   This year I'm thinking about framing charts.  It's amazing I haven't gotten around to this already, but I think it's about time. My friend Janet Hovorka just happens to own the company Family ChartMasters and she's going to be here in a day or two for the Family History Expo being held in my area (Northern California) this weekend.  So I will be picking her brain and spending a good deal of time on their website. She told me that I have there are loads of new styles of charts to choose from.   If you're looking for Christmas present ideas for the family this year, why not consider a family tree chart? Hopefully you've got your genealogy data in a database so you can just export your gedcom and make it gorgeous for a gift they can enjoy for years to come.    If you decide you'd like to check out Family ChartMasters– which of course I highly recommend – I'd really appreciate it if you would click the image above to visit their website because when you do you are also supporting this podcast and making it possible for me to keep the free podcast episodes coming.  So thank you very much!   And by the way, many of you have asked what happened to our Amazon links on the website which were another way that you were helping to support the podcast. Well, Amazon dropped their California affiliate producers because of some recent tax law changes.  But I just got an email saying they are reversing that. This is awesome news because I just can't get through  all my Christmas shopping without Amazon, and I know that many of you shop online too. So I'm going to get that reinstated asap – keep an eye out for the Amazon links on the homepage at genealogygems.com and I will also return it to the toolbar. (UPDATE: The Genealogy Gems Toolbar has been discontinued)  Thanks for being patient and being such incredible supporters of this little old podcast!   NEWS:   WDYTYA is reporting that Marisa Tomei has just been added to the roster of celebrities who will be featured on the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? here in the US.  Joining here are Martin Sheen and actor Blair Underwood.    has added records for China, Hungary, Mexico and U.S. Records Include Illinois, Maryland, New York and Washington.   Ancestry.com announced the release of the and it's free to the public.    also recently added some new records. Two million railway employment records from the UK National Archives are now available on the site.     Convict records available for free online for Australia The free website at   is based around the British convict transportation register compiled by the State Library of Queensland - it includes about three-quarters of the 160,000 convicts transported to Australia between 1787 and 1867.   Database of Virginia Slave Names The RVA NEWS is reporting that the has launched an online and searchable database called “.”  It's a free service featuring a sizable portion of the over 8 million records in VHS archives.    RootsMagic just released the long awaited Personal Historian 2.  This is their software that helps you write the story of your life and of other individuals.  If you'd like to learn more about the new Personal Historian 2 you can watch a recording of their recent free webinar at   For a limited time only, RootsMagic is offering a special introductory offer for Personal Historian 2. Through October 31, 2011, Personal Historian 2 is available for a special introductory price of only $19.95, saving $10 off of the regular price.  The discount is available only on the Personal Historian website at http://www.personalhistorian.com or by calling 1-800-766-8762.    New Aussie Genealogy Podcast There is a new family history podcast focused on Australian Genealogy called Genies Down Under.    A while back Maria Northcote, herself a Genie Down Under, wrote and asked me my thoughts on podcasting and said she was thinking about putting a show together, and I'm very happy to say that she has done it.  She has launched a brand new website called Genies Down Under and she wrote me again to tell me all about it and she writes:   “I really must say thanks for you for your inspiration to podcast in general, to blog and to get deeper into family history – one of my big passions in life. I dated the first podcast with a 1 October date as I didn't expect the launch to become live so soon!”   You can subscribe to .  Visit the       MAILBOX:   The background music for this segment is called  “Bethena” and is available on the fantastic CD by Frederick Hodges called Picnics. Visit   Grandparent Terms of Endearment I think I struck a chord with so many of you out there when I told you in the last episode who I'm hanging in there waiting for my little grandson Davy to call me Grandma.  My email box was over flowing with the most wonderful stories of the terms of endearment you use in your family for grandmothers and grandfathers.    Maria in Australia: In her family theydistinguish between her mother's parents and her father's parents by using their married surnames: Grandma Northcote or Grandfather Walters.   Elizabeth in Needham, Massachusetts: “While we've used Grandmother and Grandfather in my family, my uncle was known as "Grand Sir" to his grandchildren. (My aunt is known as Grandmother.) I really must find out how that name evolved and write down the story.   In my husband's Jewish family, grandparents are Bubbie (for grandmother) and Pop-pop or Zaydee (for grandfather), though when Bubbie's mother was still living, she was Bub-bub to her great-grandchildren, to differentiate her from Bubbie.”   Suzanne in Panama City, FL: “…my husband(‘s family) was much more creative. Two of his grandmothers were named after what kind of road they lived on: one was "Bumpy Road Granny" the other was "Smooth Road Granny". He had another grandmother called "Chicken Granny" because she had chickens running around her yard. And a fourth grandmother was called "Big Ole Granny". She was called that not because of her size but because she was actually the Great-grand mother.   Liz posted on my Facebook page: “When my daughter was learning to talk, she called my mother Daygar, my sister Elaine was E.T. and then became Aunty and my father was Pa. She had her own language! She called marshmallows yesyellows, O'Henry Bars were YoHomy Bars and gingerbread men were Bundermen. She was very inventive!”   Laurie in Calif. writes: “(This photo) was taken on the front porch of my great grandparents' home in Reeseville, Wisconsin c. 1928.  The names were written right on the bottom of the picture, thankfully, and the writer referred to Lena (my great aunt) first as "Bammy" before crossing it out.  I always appreciate it when someone writes names on photos, but this one is more appreciated as it reveals the quirky nickname "Bammy" for Grandma.  Gotta love it.     Christine writes: I just received my "Ultimate Google for Genealogists" Collection from Family Tree Magazine.  I can't wait to delve into it & get my "Lisa fix" between podcasts!  When my maternal grandparents were alive, they affectionately called each other "Pappy" for some reason.  Apparently when I was a toddler, I heard that as "Happy" & that's what my sisters & I called my grandmother for the rest of her life.  It was a well-fitting name, too, because she always was happy!   Teri in Iowa writes: My oldest daughter called her grandmothers "Little Grandma" and "Big Grandma" because my mother lived with her mother so that she could remain in her own home! Memories!   Elizabeth writes: “I have 3 grandchildren, girl twins, Ryan and Riley who are my son's children and a 2 year old boy, my daughter's son. When the twins were about 16 or 17 months old, Ryan couldn't say the "grr" sound of "Grandma and Grandpa" so she came up with the name  "Mo-ma" and when I pointed to my husband and asked "What is his name?". She quickly replied "Mo-pa". Her twin Riley, quickly picked up the name and started to call us "Mo-ma" and "Mo-pa". 3 years later when my grandson arrived he fell into step with his cousins, Ryan and Riley, and has started to call us "Mo-ma" and "Mo-pa". These grandchildren have 3 sets of grandparents: me and my husband; my ex-husband and his wife and my daughter in law's mother and father, who are called "Nanny" and "Pop Pop".   Debra writes: “My parents were named Bumpa and Nini. Bumpa started with the first born grandchild being unable to pronounce Grandpa and somehow it came out as Bumpa and stuck. Nini because my mom didn't want to be called grandma :) They ultimately had 17 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren before their passings in 2007. I'm Noni to my 7 grandchildren but dad is just plain ol' grandpa. Thanks for all the informative podcasts-love listening to them on my walks with my two Jack Russells, Leroy and Mabel!”   And then there was this terrific message from JT: “When our son Miles was just starting to talk, he had trouble with the usual consonants so "Grandma" just wouldn't come out no matter how hard he tried. One day when my mother-in-law stopped by he was so excited to see her he just stood in the center of the room, his arms held out as he tried to call her.   You could see in his face how hard he was trying. He rose up on his toes, his hands opened wide and he almost began shaking as the word traveled up his body and burst our his mouth.... "HEM-MIE!"   Not even close to "Grandma", but it seemed to work for him - seemingly satisfied, that's what he called her from that day on. Little sister Lily has adopted it as well and my mother-in-law couldn't be happier that she has what must be a completely unique name from her grandkids.   I enjoy your podcasts and always learn something new - thanks so much!”   But I have to say, I think my favorite email came from Tim in San Jose CA who writes: “I recently listened to your podcast which included your discussion of names given to grandparents. I thought I would share some of the names we used for our grandparents growing up.   When I was born, I had 4 living grandparents, and 5 great-grandparents, who were all direct ancestors -- not from second marriages. During my growing-up years, they all lived within 5 miles of my family and we saw them often. So, it was a challenge to uniquely identify each grandparent.   There were the usual names, such as Grandma and Grandpa McBride for one set of grandparents, and Grandma and Grandpa LaMonte for a set of great-grandparents. Another set of great grandparents were Granny and Louie. Why we called him by his first name, I don't know -- all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren called him my his first name. I guess "granny" comes from my Ozark heritage.   But there were also a couple unusual names. If someone was just listening to my sister, cousins and me talk, they would hear something like Grandma In-da-green, or Grandma and Grandpa In-da-ellow. When my older sister was quite young (she was the oldest of all the cousins on that side of the family), she identified one of our great-grandmothers as Grandma In The Green House (which, over time, was shortened to Grandma In The Green) and one set of grandparents as Grandma and Grandpa In The Yellow House (which became Grandma and Grandpa In The Yellow).   I have not previously included these names in my genealogy data base. But, I have now added these names and stories behind them since I know we used these terms in family letters. It would be good to have notes how these names came about for when future generations are reading these letters so they know who we are talking about.   Thanks for the podcast. I enjoy listening to each one as soon as it come out!”   I think that is priceless!  Tim really got the message I was hoping to send in bringing this topic up.  This is part of your heritage. Take a few moments and get these wonderful terms of endearment and their origins into your family history records and database.  You'll be glad you did!   I'm sending out a 1 year premium membership to JT for recording his terrific story, and also to Tim for his Green House and Yellow House Grandparent story.  Simply wonderful!   And thanks to all of you who took the time to write in.  Thanks for being part of this podcast episode.  It's most fun when it truly is a conversation!   Genealogy Gems Premium Membership Clíona from Ireland wrote in with a questions about Premium Membership She writes: “I've been listening to some of your podcasts and I'm interested in signing up to see the Premium Videos. Would my subscription give me access to previous Premium Videos such as those mentioned in your podcasts, or just the future ones? Thanks and well done on some very good podcasts.”   Well Cliona, thank so much, I'm so glad you're enjoying the free podcast! When you become a Premium Member, you get: .        The 6 most recent Premium Podcast episodes .        The Google Earth for Genealogy video series (7 videos) .        The Google: A Goldmine of Genealogy Gems video series (13 videos) .        The 2 part Hard Drive Organization video series As each new premium podcast episode is released the oldest drops off.  For now, all of the videos listed above remain - when I'm going to change some out I provide advance warning. So as you can see there's lot of video content waiting for you :-)        GEM: 1000Memories Interview with Michael Katchen, Director of Business Development at     CLOSING:   Here's one more email from a listener. Kate in Ann Arbor Michigan took the time to write in and just make my day.  She says:   “Thanks for the updates to your podcast. Your app is wonderful. Each day I find new ways to enjoy your presentations. Now I can share your podcast by text. I can now easily share your podcast with my tech challenged friends. Your discussion with "ole Myrt about quilting will be sent to my sister-in-law who  is part of a large quilt group inLancaster Virginia. You inspire me with both genealogical info and your tech info.  Last week I was at an Apple store. The young geek saw my ipod touch and asked me my favorite app. Of course your app was the first mentioned. I think he was impressed. We  shared info on "DropBox". I learned about that from you.”