Can You Trust that Record or Story? Premium Podcast Episode #228
(AUDIO PODCAST) In this episode, we examine how easily a compelling historical story can spread online and why genealogists must resist sharing before verifying. You’ll learn the Genealogist’s Trust Test, a memorable six-step SOURCE method for breaking a story into...
5 Things to check before you add another ancestor to your family tree
(VIDEO) Is your family tree accurate, or have genealogy mistakes been hiding in plain sight? Here are 5 practical ways to check your genealogy research and build a more reliable family tree. Whether you use Ancestry, FamilySearch, MyHeritage, and/or genealogy...
Give that Boring Ancestor a Makeover! Episode 311
(AUDIO PODCAST) Your ancestor is not boring. You just haven’t uncovered their full story yet! If you’ve got a family tree profile that feels like a “plain Jane,” this episode shows you how to turn it into a richer, more compelling portrait. Start with 5 simple ways to...
10 More Great Genealogy Websites – Premium Episode 227
(AUDIO PODCAST) If you loved discovering new genealogy research websites in the last free episode (#310) , get ready to dive even deeper. This premium episode of the Genealogy Gems Podcast is your guide to ten more powerful websites for genealogy research and family...
Surfin’ the Internet for Great Genealogy Websites
(AUDIO PODCAST) It’s August, and before summer slips away, we’re going surfing—genealogy style! In this episode, we’re taking a fast-moving tour of favorite genealogy websites, along with some lesser-known gems that may be completely new to you. At each stop, you’ll...
Evaluating New AI Genealogy Tools – Premium Episode 226
Overwhelmed by the onslaught of new AI tools for genealogy? In this episode, we'll explore this growing category of tools and how to evaluate whether they're worth your time and money. I'll also share how to determine whether a FamilySearch AI Assistant suggestion is...
50th Anniversary of Roots with Chris Haley – Podcast Episode 309
(AUDIO PODCAST) Alex Haley's book Roots: The Saga of an American Family was published on August 17, 1976. In this episode of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, host Lisa Louise Cooke welcomes historian (and nephew of Alex Haley) Chris Haley to discuss the remarkable impact...
Researching Your Father’s Story – Episode 308
(AUDIO PODCAST) When building your family tree it's easy to skip over your own parents in the excitement to go back generations. Just in time for Father's Day we are exploring practical strategies for uncovering and preserving your dad's life story. Learn how to get...
A Sister Hidden in the DNA, New Records & AI Tools – Premium Episode 225
In this episode, we begin with an extraordinary DNA discovery story that proves family history can still deliver life-changing surprises. Then to help you make more discoveries, we explore newly released record collections from MyHeritage and Ancestry, highlight a...
The Genealogist’s Guide to Military Research
(AUDIO PODCAST) Join me and professional forensic genealogist and military research expert Michael Strauss in this new podcast episode for a guided tour through military records. Michael will unpack draft registration records, compiled military service records,...
A Shocking Family Secret and 3 Powerful Newspaper Search Tips – Premium Episode 224
I used the British Newspaper Archive to make a shocking discovery in my husband's family history. It was made using these three powerful strategies. Listen to Premium Podcast Episode 224 Show Notes Download the show notes pdf. The Research Question Ever since...
Avoid Genealogy Regrets with These 10 Smart Strategies (Video & Podcast)
Do you want to avoid the biggest genealogy mistakes before they turn into major regrets? In this video, I’m sharing 10 smart habits that will save you time, protect your research, and help you build a stronger family tree for the long haul. If you're a genealogy...
The Latest Genealogy News – Premium Episode 223
(PREMIUM AUDIO PODCAST) Show Notes: Get ready for a fast-moving genealogy news roundup that covers major updates from the first quarter of 2026. In episode 223 of the Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast we'll discuss new AI and search tools, fresh record collections, and...
2 Top Factors in Genealogy Research (Video & Podcast)
In this episode you’ll discover two of the most important factors in identifying a unique individual in your research and the tools and strategies to use them to your best advantage. Watch the Video Listen to the Podcast The audio podcast also includes a mailbox...
Try it with me! MyHeritage Scribe AI tool analyzes your genealogy documents
Come explore the capabilities of MyHeritage's Scribe AI with me. We'll use it to analyze and transcribe genealogical notes, generate research suggestions and strategies to add to our genealogy research plan and more. Wait until you see what it can do with cursive...
Reverse Genealogy Finding Recent Living People – Premium Episode 222
(PREMIUM AUDIO PODCAST) Show Notes: In this episode Lisa explores the challenges of researching people from the 20th century who have little to no digital footprint. She shares a case study that highlights the importance of reverse genealogy and the power of...
Genetic Genealogy – the Nancy Guthrie case (episode 304)
(Video and Audio Podcast) Could Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG), Parabon Snapshot phenotyping, and FamilyTreeDNA family trees finally identify Nancy Guthrie's kidnapper? In this video (and Genealogy Gems Podcast audio episode 304) Lisa Louise Cooke...
Create a Genealogy Research Plan – Premium Podcast Episode 221
(PREMIUM AUDIO PODCAST) This is the audio version of the entire course Create a Genealogy Research Plan. Listen to the Podcast The Premium Podcast can also be streamed on your phone. Show Notes There are no show notes for this episode. You can download the course...