We recently connected with Eli Kirshner and have shared our conversation below.
Eli , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I found my purpose in realizing that my passion for genealogy research can make a profound difference in someone’s life. I enjoy helping people, and sharing with a client what I’ve uncovered about their personal family history can give them a deeper connection to who and where they come from. For my clients, it can be really transformative to feel more connected to their roots, and also to be able see their ancestors — and themselves — represented in our shared U.S. history, even when those ancestors aren’t always written about in the history books. In doing presentations for clients over these past three years, I’ve been able to find my gift, and, thus, my purpose.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Eli, and I research people’s family histories. I focus on African-American genealogy research in the U.S. South (particularly, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina), and I present my primary source document findings to clients in an immersive way to enrich them with a deeper understanding of their ancestors’ lives. My mission is: Transforming your present through knowing your past. My business is called ExploreStory, and I am the sole proprietor.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1.) Taking a risk 2.) Recognizing and knowing my worth; realizing the positive impact of my services on people
3.) Asking for help and advice from others without shame or self-judgement
How would you describe your ideal client?
Someone who is eager to know more about their family, has done some background research (up to a point of getting stuck, that’s where I come in), has specific research questions, and has actually looked into how much it costs to hire a genealogist like myself and is cognizant of that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.explorestory.co
- Instagram: @ explorestorygenealogy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-kirshner-568941137/
