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A Whole Other Tree of Possibilities (with Todd Godfrey) | Episode 25
Manage episode 440712746 series 3570584
What if solving your family history was like tackling a 5000-piece puzzle without the box? For Todd Godfrey, Vice President of Global Content at Ancestry, this metaphor became startlingly real when a high school yearbook photo revealed his biological mother's face – and his own features staring back at him. While Todd leads the team digitizing billions of historical records that help others solve their family puzzles, his personal journey as an adoptee required patience, persistence, and careful consideration. From discovering his German-Russian heritage through naturalization records to thoughtfully navigating relationships with both his adoptive and biological families, Todd's story reminds us that sometimes the most meaningful discoveries unfold at their own perfect pace. Each record, each DNA match, each careful choice about connection represents another piece falling into place, creating a picture more complex and beautiful than he could have imagined.
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️
🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.
🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.
♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!
Chapters
1. A Whole Other Tree of Possibilities (with Todd Godfrey) | Episode 25 (00:00:00)
2. Discovering Family History at Ancestry (00:00:02)
3. Finding Family Through Historical Records (00:09:33)
4. Exploring Biological Family History Through DNA (00:18:31)
5. Navigating Biological Family Discovery Together (00:24:02)
6. Connecting With Biological Family Through Photos (00:30:37)
7. Navigating Contact With Biological Family (00:36:29)
8. Passing Down Family Curiosity & Stories (00:40:23)
57 episodes
Manage episode 440712746 series 3570584
What if solving your family history was like tackling a 5000-piece puzzle without the box? For Todd Godfrey, Vice President of Global Content at Ancestry, this metaphor became startlingly real when a high school yearbook photo revealed his biological mother's face – and his own features staring back at him. While Todd leads the team digitizing billions of historical records that help others solve their family puzzles, his personal journey as an adoptee required patience, persistence, and careful consideration. From discovering his German-Russian heritage through naturalization records to thoughtfully navigating relationships with both his adoptive and biological families, Todd's story reminds us that sometimes the most meaningful discoveries unfold at their own perfect pace. Each record, each DNA match, each careful choice about connection represents another piece falling into place, creating a picture more complex and beautiful than he could have imagined.
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️
🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.
🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.
♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!
Chapters
1. A Whole Other Tree of Possibilities (with Todd Godfrey) | Episode 25 (00:00:00)
2. Discovering Family History at Ancestry (00:00:02)
3. Finding Family Through Historical Records (00:09:33)
4. Exploring Biological Family History Through DNA (00:18:31)
5. Navigating Biological Family Discovery Together (00:24:02)
6. Connecting With Biological Family Through Photos (00:30:37)
7. Navigating Contact With Biological Family (00:36:29)
8. Passing Down Family Curiosity & Stories (00:40:23)
57 episodes
All episodes
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