Soothing Saturday: A Global Genealogy Empire, Headquartered in Skjevik
Big news! Norwegian Genealogy and Then Some and Eidhammer Heritage Press have gone global!
Soothing Saturday — is my little corner for slowing down and stepping away from my usual genealogy deep dives. Think of it as a gentle exhale at the end of the week — a space for reflections, small joys, and simple stories written just for the pleasure of it.
Yes, you read that correctly. Worldwide.
Our combined operations now employ hundreds of people across several continents. We have researchers, historians, archivists, editors, graphic designers, marketing specialists, IT personnel and an entire department dedicated to finding out why Great-Great-Great-Grandfather suddenly changed his surname in 1872.
Our headquarters is a magnificent new building in Skjevik, Norway. It features state-of-the-art offices, a fully equipped television studio, a research library, a publishing division, a multimedia production department and a luxurious executive lounge.
Naturally, we also have a coffee bar. Some traditions must be preserved.
Our international expansion has been remarkable. Norwegian Genealogy and Then Some now reaches readers around the world, while Eidhammer Heritage Press is building an impressive catalogue of books, journals, planners and other publications.
We are currently exploring opportunities in television production, digital media, educational publishing and possibly our own streaming service.
Imagine it: Genealogy Plus. Original documentaries, exclusive interviews, historical mysteries and a weekly programme called Who on Earth Was That Man in the 1875 Census?
The possibilities are endless.
Behind the scenes
Of course, running a global corporation requires a certain amount of organisation.
There are editorial meetings, production schedules, marketing strategies, budget reviews and strategic planning sessions.
Our employees are encouraged to think creatively, work independently and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
We also have a strict policy against unnecessary meetings, although this has yet to be tested because nobody has actually turned up for one.
The research department is particularly busy. At present, it is investigating several thousand individuals, most of whom appear to have been born, married and died in different parishes, sometimes under different names.
The publishing department is working on several books simultaneously. The marketing department is trying to convince people that buying another genealogy book is a perfectly reasonable use of their money.
And somewhere in the building, somebody is supposed to be updating the website.
A minor clarification
Now, before you start looking for investment opportunities or sending applications for employment, I should probably clarify a few things. One is allowed to fantasize a little, right?
There is no magnificent headquarters in Skjevik.
There are no hundreds of employees.
There is no television production department, international board of directors or luxurious executive lounge.
There is no coffee bar, either. Not unless you count the coffee machine in the kitchen.
The international workforce consists of approximately one person, occasionally assisted by a computer that has developed its own ideas about what I should be doing.
The research department is the same person as the publishing department. The marketing department is also the same person, although it tends to be rather underfunded.
And the IT department? Well, that’s usually me trying to work out why something that worked perfectly yesterday has stopped working today.
The magnificent headquarters in Skjevik? Well, you could say that is true. It is, after all, our modest private home, built in 1991.
And inside? It’s just me in my cluttered study in the attic, running on coffee and good intentions.
And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Until next time — may your coffee be warm, your records be legible, and your heart find a reason to smile. Have a great weekend!
My book Sketches of Ordinary Lives: Norwegian Lives 1718–1905 is now available on Amazon
What were the lives of ordinary Norwegians really like?
Sketches of Ordinary Lives takes readers back to Norway between 1718 and 1905, introducing them to the people who lived, loved, worked, struggled and dreamed long before our time. Through a collection of historical stories, the book brings everyday people out of the shadows of history and gives them a voice.
Each story is followed by a Behind the Scene note: the book’s second voice, laying out what in the scene is documented fact and what belongs to the writing, and pointing readers toward the books, archives, and museums where they can go deeper.
These are not stories of kings, heroes or great historical figures. They are stories of ordinary men and women whose lives were shaped by their families, their communities, their circumstances and the times in which they lived.
A glimpse into Norway’s past, told through the lives of the people who made its history.
Well, it was an ambitious thought …… (When you get to my age, you can dream as much as you like and everybody will just go along with that?)