Know thy self, the RootsTech version

How I'll be going with the flow during the biggest family history event on the planet

Mar 02, 2025

Release Date: March 2, 2025

The countdown is on for RootsTech! In just a few days, I’ll be part of the largest genealogy and family history event in the world, joining upwards of 30,000 people in Salt Lake City and another million or more who’ll be attending virtually from around the world. Wowzer, right?

I was chatting with a non-genealogy friend yesterday about the event, and when I mentioned how big RootsTech was – in sheer size and participation, but also in terms of the expectations, the leadup and the hype, she wanted to know how I was planning for it.

I laughed and said I was approaching it the way I approach most things: I’ve been doing some reading, a bit of recon and making a few plans, but on the whole, I’m just going to roll with it. It’s how I live, how I travel, how I write and how I feel the most alive.

Too much planning, I’ve found, leads to overthinking. And overthinking can shut me down.

Know thy self and all that.

So, my goals for RootsTech are pretty simple:

I want to learn some new skills
meet some interesting folks
get some great new ideas for content
feed and share my passion for family history in all its forms.

How those things are accomplished depends on the vibe, but I’ve had some thoughts.

I’d like to put real people to some of the names and faces I’ve seen on Substack, but also elsewhere in the virtual world. It’s one thing to admire a person’s writing, it’s another to like them as people, so I’m hoping that works out.
I’m bringing calling cards. Old-fashioned, I know, but I’m bringing them anyway.
I’m going to put my active listening skills to work. For me that means limited note taking during presentations, and a quick mental recap before I leave the room. It also probably means interacting with fewer people, but feeling better about those interactions. I’ve never understood speed dating, and in my head, I can see that being a model a lot of folks might bring to the table.
I’m banning all forms of FOMO. There’s always next time…or not.
I’ve thought of maybe casually asking people I meet about the best lost story they’ve come across in their personal research. Some cool conversations and connections could come out of that. Some awkward ones too, probably, but that’s never stopped me before.
I’m not going to hide my natural curiosity. If there’s a call for questions and I have one, my hand’s going up like a first grader who needs a bathroom break.
I’m going to be open to whatever comes. Full stop.
And finally, I’m an introvert who can handle crowds for only so long before I need some solitude and a deep breath, so I’ve given myself a hall pass.

I won’t be wearing a name tag, and my daughter told me RootsTech is no place for a tiara, so I’ve added a recent photo of me to this post. If you come across me, say hi. I’d love to talk about what you do, how you do it, what it means to you, and really, anything else.

Except the weather. And tomatoes. Everyone has their limits.

See you in Salt Lake!

Come along for the RootsTech Ride Along

I’m thrilled to be participating in the RootsTech Ride Along, coordinated by Barbara and Robin at Mission:Genealogy, Projectkin and GenealogyMatters. They’ve got some great things planned for the coming week, so be sure to follow along and join the fun.