My passion for recording life stories began when I was just 15 years old. While we were living in Sicily, my grandparents visited us, and for some reason I can't explain, I felt compelled to record my grandfather's voice on my brand new tape recorder. Tragically, he had a fatal heart attack not long after he returned to the United States. The audio tape serves as the only recording of his voice. It is a cherished family heirloom.

Many people aren't so lucky, and wait too late to capture a loved one's voice or preserve their memories. Don't make the same mistake!

It's said that every family has a story keeper. As the years passed, I took on that role. While living with my grandmother after my grandfather died, I loved to hear her tales about the people in the old family photos. Over cups of tea, I tape recorded some of those stories. Though we were more that 50 years apart in age, we weren't so different in terms of what motivated and inspired us.

A few years later, I was fortunate to record my mother's voice and capture the stories of some cherished family heirlooms. Not long after that, I preserved my father's tales of his life as a submarine officer in World War II. My role as a story keeper was sealed.

Five years ago, I learned of the Association of Personal Historians (APH), an international organization of men and women who help others preserve their life stories.

Now, I'm president of APH and also of   Life Journeys, the personal history business which I founded. We are a hard-working team of professionals saving the lives of clients everywhere, one story at a time.

After receiving her Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Texas in Austin, Jeanne became an award-winning writer, photographer and best-selling author. She had a successful 25-year career in journalism and public relations before launching her personal history business, Life Journeys, in 2001.

Working with a team of talented and creative people, her company serves clients across the globe who want to capture the stories and lessons of a lifetime for future generations. The company specializes in producing heirloom quality books and audio CDs as well as special occasion books, ethical wills and DVDs..                                                                                   

As an internationally-known keynote speaker and workshop leader, she has motivated, inspired and entertained people on a variety of topics.

Whether you want to tape record your grandmother's voice, preserve the recipes that your family has enjoyed for generations, write down some of the family stories, preserve the lessons of a lifetime, or create an heirloom-quality book complete with photos and other memorabilia . . . Life Journeys can help.

Documenting these stories is a fun and rewarding process. The results will be enjoyed and appreciated for generations to come.