7. Family Story Preservation: How Video Biographies Save Memories

Preserving Family Stories: The Urgent Need for Video Biography

When family voices fade into silence, irreplaceable stories disappear forever. Sean Daigle, founder of Memoria Films, shares why capturing video biographies is critical for family preservation—and why waiting could mean losing these precious memories permanently.

The Hidden Cost of Delayed Action

Sean's personal story illustrates a common regret: losing his grandmother at 16 without recording her memories. "I didn't realize the opportunity I missed until I was in my thirties," he reflects. As families move further away from one another and multi-generational living becomes rare, the natural flow of family storytelling has been disrupted.

Why Video Biography Outperforms Written Records

Video storytelling captures what written accounts cannot: vocal inflections, facial expressions, and emotional depth. "There's something about the voice that's so powerful," Sean explains, "and video is that on steroids." These visual and auditory elements preserve the full essence of family heritage.

The Human Touch in Story Preservation

While AI offers convenience, human connection creates the trust necessary for meaningful memory preservation. The empathetic presence of another person generates safe spaces where important stories emerge, providing therapeutic benefits while safeguarding family history for future generations.

Take Action Before It's Too Late

Whether through professional video biography services or simply recording conversations, the key is to start now. What family stories are you risking forever?

Connect with Sean: Instagram @memoriafilms | memoriafilms.com

Thank you for listening!

Do you have a question or a topic related to "capturing essence for care" that you would like discussed on the podcast? Send Lisa an email: awestruckaspirations@gmail.com

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Intro and outro music with thanks: Upbeat and Sweet No Strings by Musictown

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Capturing Essence
• 3:08 Sean's Journey to Memoria Films
• 7:48 Losing His Grandmother's Stories
• 17:30 Video vs. Written Biographies
• 22:15 The Human Element in Storytelling
• 30:56 Creating Trust and Vulnerability
• 36:45 Call to Action and Final Thoughts

Transcript

Lisa Joworski: 0:05

Welcome to Capturing Essence for Care, where we discuss the importance of incorporating personal life stories into healthcare and share ideas to help you on your journey. I'm your host, Lisa Joworski. Hi everybody, I'm really excited. Today I have somebody very special joining me. His name is Sean Daigle, with Memoria Films. He's the owner and founder of Memoria Films, a small video production company that specializes in creating professional video biographies for individuals and couples. Sean lives in La Quinta, California, the Palm Springs area, with his wife, julia and their three children, and Sean and I crossed paths.

Lisa Joworski: 0:49

I'm even having a hard time recalling exactly how, but I know that we have a few similar connections, sean and I think we're both part of the personal historians group and really believe in this work and I think I reached out because you and I have a lot of things that we resonate on being the importance other's names and then we sort of connected on LinkedIn, I think.

Sean Daigle: 1:28

I don't recall either, but however it happened, I'm so glad that it did. It's just fun to you know, to have conversations with people who are like-minded and who see the importance of the work that we do in capturing people's stories. And, you know, it's something that I think everybody knows is important, but because of the urgency that we feel in all these other areas of life, we just sort of put it on the back burner and hopefully conversations like these will help more people see the importance of doing this work sooner than later, and there's so many different ways that we can do it. But it's really important that we take it seriously and that, as we were talking before we started recording, that we really practice what we preach. You know we put our money where our mouth is, and I know I can I speak for myself when I say that too.

Lisa Joworski: 2:24

So it is, it's so important. And you're right, these things can be time consuming and I think it's also hard. I know you're going to agree with this when I say that people tend to believe that they don't have a story to share or they think that people aren't going to want to listen to their story. But I know that your main focus, and I think probably the people you work with the most, are people who do do it for legacy reasons and for, you know, future generations to see and see the value in that. And there's something to be said about video, because it's not just you in that. And there's something to be said about video because it's not just a book, it's not just in writing. There are so many other elements that you capture through video, being the sound and the voice. So I wonder, can you just start maybe by sharing a little bit about how did you get into memorial films? Where did it come from? How did you come up with the idea in the first place?

Sean Daigle: 3:23

Yeah, yeah, I wish I could take more credit for this story, but it's a great story anyway. So actually at the time that I kind of came up with Memoria Films, it was early 2020. It was like January of 2020.

Sean Daigle: 3:37

So you know, kind of a significant thing started happening in 2020 with COVID, but at the time I was actually in my third year of teaching.

Sean Daigle: 3:47

I taught at a small private Christian school here in the Palm Springs area Shout out to Desert Christian Academy, which is where all my three children go now. Anyway, I taught high school math and it was the middle of my third year of teaching and it was really really challenging. I thoroughly enjoyed the teaching math part and I just don't think I was cut out to be in the classroom managing teenagers all day long. At the time, my wife and I had two daughters, who were like three and one, and my wife was pregnant with our third, and so it was just a lot to manage. And anyway, all that to say, january of 2020, you know, I'm in the middle of my third year of teaching. I really kind of knew that I didn't want to teach forever and that this was probably my last year. I was just going to be another statistic right the fallen. Yeah, going to be another statistic, right the fallen, yeah, fallen troops. And I was sitting with a buddy and we were kind of both lamenting our careers and he mentioned kind of offhand that he saw a friend of a friend do this with his own grandmother. He said you know, I think what we should do is I saw this, you know this person, like they just sat with their grandma and their iPhone and, just like, asked her questions and recorded her life story. We should do that. And I tell you, lisa, like my eyes got so big. I just I know that there was the seed, was planted in that moment for sure, and I said I'm doing that. I knew that I had was planted in that moment for sure and I said I'm doing that. I knew that I had enough background in video production. Over the years I've had my hand on a camera out of high school and an internship and doing weddings with that same friend who brought the idea to me, on all sorts of little odd jobs throughout the year. So I knew that I had enough technical skills and in the area that I live in, the Palm Springs area, it's a big retirement community. So you know, I thought this is a genius idea that I don't think I hear anybody doing this. It's the perfect market. There's lots of retired people just sitting around or playing golf like this is going to be great. Well, I mean fast forward three months, literally right, and COVID has wreaked absolute havoc on everyone's life. But I actually thought in the moment that it could serve the business well, because people were a little bit more in tune with their mortality.

Sean Daigle: 6:33

I know just a few minutes ago you mentioned that you think a lot of my clients do this for their own legacies, do this for their own legacies, and actually I would say it's usually the kids and the grandkids that are reaching out to me that want it of their grandparents. So it's actually the opposite of what you said, where people know that their stories are important. I would say the majority, the overwhelming majority of older people. We'll call them I don't know if that's politically correct these days they don't think their story is worth sharing or that their grandkids will care, and I would actually agree with them to an extent. I think we and this is a little bit of where my story comes in I would actually agree with them to an extent. I think we and this is a little bit of where my story comes in and why I can say confidently that I think they might be right, because I lost my grandmother when I was 16 years old and she was only 59.

Sean Daigle: 7:47

She passed away from ovarian cancer.

Sean Daigle: 7:48

She battled for a couple years and what's ironic about my story is that my grandmother passed away in hospice care in my home.

Sean Daigle: 7:58

I actually got to spend the better part of the last, you know, two years of her life with her, and by with her I mean like around her. You know what I mean. In fact, I hate to admit this, I'm ashamed to admit this, but when I got the call I got a call from my mom that my grandmother passed away. I was at my neighbor's house and, like I said, I was 16 years old. You know, I don't necessarily carry regret with me that I wasn't there by her side and I certainly saw enough of her as she was passing away over those last couple months. In fact, I still have very, you know, fond memories of her singing Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so like literally on her deathbed. But I say all that to say that, if my experience is any indication, there is a season of our kids and our grandkids' lives where they're just so distracted and, frankly, frankly self-absorbed, like we all are.

Lisa Joworski: 9:09

Yeah.

Sean Daigle: 9:10

And it's only getting worse with social media, and I mean, this was all pre-social media, pre-internet, really so, but I'll tell you this and another reason why this idea really hit home for me. But I'll tell you this and another reason why this idea really hit home for me. In fact, it was this idea that really caused me to start wrestling with the reality of what happened to me and my grandmother.

Sean Daigle: 9:45

I didn't even realize the opportunity that I missed until I was in my thirties.

Sean Daigle: 9:48

My grandmother lived with me for years, dying in front of me and I didn't. I I don't know her story, I know hardly any of it, and sure I could find out from my mom. I could ask her questions you know about her upbringing or what it was like raising my mom and my aunt.

Sean Daigle: 10:16

But I wish I could hear it from the source. So this is a really long-winded response to your question. But I think when people tell me they don't think their story is worth sharing, I say maybe not right now. I can see why you feel that way, but let me tell you that will change someday and they will come around. And they will come around and they will want to know and it's incumbent upon us to make sure that it's there for them when that time comes. And I'll also say that I mean even people in their 80s and 90s, I've. We all think we have more time than we do, yeah, or we assume that we have more time when we know. I mean we say it's a cliche, like we're not promised tomorrow, but really like if you're in your 80s, I mean even if you're in your what else are you doing this? What could be more important?

Lisa Joworski: 11:31

Yeah.

Sean Daigle: 11:34

What could be more important? And this is not we haven't even touched like the research that supports how important your kids and your grandkids knowing their family history is. It is staggering. I'm not going to say it's a silver bullet, but it can make a really big difference for families, for generations. It's not hard, it's really not. It's important and unfortunately, sometimes the things that are most important in life they just get put on the back burner, especially if we assume that they're not urgent. And I'm here to say it's very urgent that we do this. It's very urgent and very important and, I would argue, probably more significant than most of the things we will choose to spend our time on. And I'm guilty, I'm not.

Sean Daigle: 12:32

I mean, I'm preaching to myself right now

Lisa Joworski: 12:50

Hmm. Oh wow. You've been so open and vulnerable, in a sense, to share what you have, and I think it takes a lot of guts and courage to be able to say, yeah, I was there. I also think it's important to highlight that I think you just validated all of us, you know, by saying we do go through these times in our lives where maybe it doesn't matter, maybe we don't care, maybe we're not listening, but that with maturity and as we grow, and evolve, it does come, so it doesn't mean it doesn't mean that people don't care.

Lisa Joworski: 13:23

I think, like what you said, like I come from it at a you know, thinking about the brain and how it grows, and I'm sure most people, or a lot of people, have heard about how our brains don't fully develop. We're not fully adults until we're 25.

Lisa Joworski: 13:37

So

Sean Daigle: 13:38

with boys maybe more like 42 or something like that. Yeah, but yes totally

Sean Daigle: 14:11

But yeah it's, it's that's true, and I also think maybe this is a good place to bring up one of the elephants in the room and that is the way that society has changed, even from the time I was you know the story that I'm referencing 20 years ago, you know, I'm 36 years old now. What's happened since then? Well, a lot. Technologically, a lot has happened, and in ways that really benefit society, like travel, for example, right when families used to live in the same city or even region.

Sean Daigle: 14:42

now we're scattered, sometimes across the world yeah so the opportunities to share stories, especially in a, in a, you know, one-on-one human interaction type setting, not like over zoom or the phone, but like in person right those opportunities are fewer and fewer.

Sean Daigle: 15:04

And then social media has introduced a ton of just it's wreaked havoc on society in a lot of ways, although it is, you know, it can be beneficial, and I think maybe the way it was intended to be used has changed over the years. We don't have to go there, that's a whole nother tangent. Have to go there, that's a whole nother tangent. But we're more distracted and more self-absorbed than we've ever been. So this is why I think it, why I'm saying it's so urgent.

Sean Daigle: 15:35

It's like 'sound the alarm', like as if it weren't already hard enough, you know, know. And so when I say, oh yeah, when, when you're 16, it's not that important, but they'll come around, I mean there's a genuine fear that, like, maybe they don't come around. I don't know, I'm, I'm, I'm not, I'm not trying to sound like doom and gloom, like there's no hope, but I, I just, I really think it's maybe more important than it's ever been, you know, and unfortunately, I think this is where we have to just take matters into our own hands because, like I said, we don't have these in-person interactions, we're not living in multi-generational homes like we used to, and so those opportunities are fewer and far between and we might need to do some of the heavy lifting ourself or you know, or create those opportunities to share, share our story so.

Lisa Joworski: 16:34

It does sound like there is hope based on what you've said about the people who do reach out to you are the people who are wanting their parents or their grandparents' stories.

Lisa Joworski: 16:46

So that really makes me pleased to hear, and I also need to mention that it's not just anyone who can do this work, it's not just anybody who can ask questions in a meaningful way, a nonjudgmental way, a respectful way, and so I think it takes, yeah, somebody like yourself, because I know you're doing an awesome job and I know that the connections that you create with your clients, or whatever you want to say, are genuine and I'm going to guess, and I want you to elaborate a little bit but that you get information to include into a video, a biography, by creating that relationship, by creating that safe environment where a person feels that there's trust there, so that they can open up and maybe share things that they wouldn't otherwise, where I don't think maybe writing it down or having cues or prompts or questions that we email out, or whatever it might be, is going to have the same benefit or value.

Lisa Joworski: 18:07

The other quick thing I want to mention is that we hear a lot about how social isolation and loneliness is an epidemic and it's it's increasing for all the reasons you already shared, and so I'm gonna. I believe that this, um, the process of creating a video biography or whatever you call it, is also very therapeutic in probably creating that connection so that people feel a sense of belonging and less alone. Am I right? Or yeah, what would you ask? I think?

Sean Daigle: 18:41

so I think so, I think the I mean at least with the clients that I've worked with the loneliness hasn't been a I think it's been a secondary benefit to going through the process is just having that, you know, having that, you know, having that shared experience going through the story. But I will say, yeah, the human element is so, so important. You know, I know I've mentioned this to you in the past, but when that idea was planted, you know like I remember where I was sitting. I remember what I was drinking with my buddy and it was such a vivid memory. But I remember what I was drinking with my buddy and it was such a vivid memory. But I remember thinking what people need is something that's really high quality that they'll be able to share with generations in the future, and I really thought that high quality video was going to be the best way. And earlier you mentioned the differences between, you know, seeing someone versus, like having the story written. First of all, writing your own story is extremely time consuming, right?

Sean Daigle: 19:47

And there's not a ton of reason. I think in today's you know day and age and the technology that we have that you would even need to write. I mean you could just speak it and at least have it transcribed. But all that to say, it's so much more powerful to hear the voice and even more powerful to see the person. I mean, how many times have you heard over your history of, like you know, someone's parent passes suddenly, but they have that voicemail. You know it's that 10 second voicemail. That's relative, like it's inconsequential. It's like you know something silly, like hey, honey, I'm going to the store, like just calling to see if you need anything. And it's like I will never delete that voicemail.

Lisa Joworski: 20:34

Yeah, yeah.

Sean Daigle: 20:36

And there's something about the voice that's so powerful and I think video is. You know that on steroids, because you're seeing their facial expressions and their body language, you can I mean you might hear something in the voice, but then you see it in their eyes like in a different, in a different way. So you know, video is really powerful and a high quality, I think, is important in the sense of creating something that's going to stand the test of time, because my goal is that you know your great, great grandkids, 50, 60 years from now, are actually watching this thing. We're not just, we're not just creating this video biography to make you feel good, although it will. I think, in one sense, it will make you feel good, you know. So it will, I think, in one sense, it will make you feel good, you know, because there's a security that you have in knowing, okay, I did that, so you're going to feel great, but if your great grandkids don't watch this, then we did not do our job.

Sean Daigle: 21:32

That's the whole point. It's not for you, it's for them, you know, and any benefit that you get from doing it therapeutic benefit or whatever it's not for you, it's for them, you know and any benefit that you get from from doing it therapeutic benefit or whatever. It's great, but it's totally secondary. You're you're, you're making your. You're doing something very intentional for people that you may never meet. It's, it's quite fascinating and all of this really requires the human element. It really does.

Lisa Joworski: 22:03

It's really difficult for a machine, you know I mean, I'm poking fun at AI, although I love AI and I use it in my business and even in my personal life all the time there are just some things that you can't replicate um yet, at least yet, and a human conversation is one of them well, because you and I talked a little bit beforehand about how you can plug in information and it will ask you questions on based on what you've shared, right yes, but what it can't do. It can't read emotion.

Sean Daigle: 22:37

It can't read the non-verbals that you cannot you get in a in a human dialogue and in that interaction, right so in the moment, yeah to be sitting across from someone and to hear something in their voice and to be able to. You know, maybe you let them continue, but you make a little note to yourself to revisit this thing that they just said, because it there's something deeper there. Yeah, and even if ai was able to transcribe, and I don't know, I I just don't think it's possible for the machine to replicate that human element. And there are times when, like you, I've seen something in someone that maybe we didn't discuss in the pre-interview process, cause you know, and we we didn't talk about this a whole lot, but I do a lot of work with my clients. Ahead of my filmed interview, where you know cause we're only sitting down together maybe two to three hours, you know, maybe a're only sitting down together maybe two to three hours, you know, maybe a little bit longer if it's a couple, cause you're going to talk about each of their individual. You know childhoods and upbringings and stuff, before you get to the, the meat and potatoes of their current family. But before we get to that interview, you know it's it's casual conversations over lunch or coffee that you know tell me your story and like what's important and what's not important. That's a really, I think, kind of um, avoiding, not trauma, but avoiding. There there are situations and there are, there are topics of conversation that we just like, hey, we don't want to talk about this. So, yeah, I mean it it's. It's learning about what's really important to my clients and then their kids and grandkids.

Sean Daigle: 24:25

Oftentimes I'll, you know, I'll get them involved to some degree because ultimately it's like okay, this is your grandma's story. It's I want to capture the stories that you think are important, but also, like this is for their voice, and I know this really. You know this is in line with the work that you do is giving, giving these people a voice. So, but there are times in the pre-interview process where, like, we didn't talk about this story and then something comes up in the interview and it's like we got to spend a minute on this, you know, or more you know. Sometimes I'm like how did I not uncover this story in the pre-interview process?

Sean Daigle: 25:05

You know, but having a conversation with another human, like I don't think a machine or any series of prompts is going to uncover the same type of emotion, or even, like I don't want to say like cause emotion, but if you have a series of prompts on your phone and a machine might be able to ask you a question. So and it just says in text tell me about your childhood. And it just says in text tell me about your childhood. But when I'm sitting across from that person, go, hey, tell me, tell me about your childhood. Like just even in the delivery it's the same exact question.

Sean Daigle: 25:49

Yeah, but it's my emotion and that the back and forth of like they can see in me that this is really important because of the way that I'm emoting in that conversation. Do you see what I'm saying? So it's not just that, because I'll tell, I'll be honest with you, like hey, I could probably come up with thousands more prompts than I would, but I'm going to like feel it in the conversation and then they're going to feel it, and then that just like changes the conversation completely.

Sean Daigle: 26:27

So, again, I don't know where AI is headed and maybe one day it'll be able to just like. I'll just be able to train it to be me and we won't need me anymore. But for the the time being, I think I'm pretty safe, um, and I certainly know that there's always going to be humans out there, other humans that want to just talk with a human, even if, yes, a machine could do it. They want to sit with a human and, yeah, I think I'm one of the best built humans for the job.

Lisa Joworski: 26:59

Yeah, I think so too. There's a reason you're doing this work, right yeah? There's a reason why this came to be.

Sean Daigle: 27:06

Yeah, totally, and I think I'm in a unique spot right now too in my life, where I'm just young enough. I'm like a bridge element, you know, okay, yeah, where there are times when, like you know, the stories that I'm hearing from my clients go right over my head, like that I'm working with yeah, it really is such a joy to sit with the people that I have so far.

Lisa Joworski: 27:48

Well, and the fact that you enjoy it and you find value out of it helps the person sharing their story to feel like it's worthwhile, even if it's four generations to come, and we need to make sure that they see it. To me, it's all about having someone who cares, who listens and is taking that time right, that they're invested in hearing your story and the fact that somebody is interested in listening, even in the moment, I think, is irreplaceable Right. That's a treasure in itself.

Sean Daigle: 28:23

It's so true and I do think and I know earlier I said that you know the the benefit to the client is secondary, and I mean that in the sense of you know the work that I do it's really for the future generations. But I mean it's, it's pretty staggering the research on like narrative therapy, right and um, that what sharing your story can do for yourself, like, even if you don't record it or you know audio or video or whatever, like the benefits of just sharing your story, even with a group of strangers. I think it's worth it. So I think we all just need to take seriously the process of sharing our story and refining our story and if you not refining in the sense of like fabricating, but refining the way that we tell our story um, and ultimately, I do think it's really important to record for future generations in your family, because the research also indicates that they're the what it, what it does to benefit them is it's really, really important and can change the trajectory of an entire family and generation. So, and multiple generations so.

Lisa Joworski: 29:42

I think it's sharing. It's another opportunity to share the wisdom of our elders Right. And and I don't know. If you do this, maybe you can quickly. I know we're going to wrap up soon.

Lisa Joworski: 30:06

But I think about, oh my gosh, some kind of a baseline. There's some kind of a problem, an inciting incident, and then and then there's a resolution of some kind, and I think the way I like to do a story is to have like a learned opportunity in the end, like what did we learn from this? And I think that's what the future generations, including the current generations, need is like just to be able to listen and go okay, that happened to that person. I can relate with that. This is what they did. Maybe there's something from that story that I can take that would help me in my own life in this part, right?

Lisa Joworski: 30:44

like whenever it's happening in that part of my life yep.

Sean Daigle: 30:47

So yeah, one of my favorite things mean I'll end my interviews with that very question you know, what do you want to share? What, if you had to boil it down, what do you want future generations to take away from your life? Not the details of your story, but like, what wisdom do you want to share? You, I have absolutely cried. I won't even say I think I know for a fact I've been in just a babbling brook of like a mess because it's just and this is like unprompted. And I tell them, like in my pre-interview process, this is not going to be scripted. I think that's important too. Sometimes people get in their heads of they want to say things a certain way. It's like you're not, like the point is to just capture your authentic personality in the moment in a conversation. But when I ask them you know what wisdom they want to share with future generations, it is always so powerful because it's usually really simple. Yeah, it's usually really really.

Lisa Joworski: 31:51

Yeah.

Sean Daigle: 31:51

It's usually really, really simple. So, yeah, I mean we've talked about the benefits of you know my clients sharing their story for themselves, obviously the benefit to the future generations. But I'll tell you what I personally have learned so much from sitting with you know dozens of people now from different backgrounds and different stages of life, with different family dynamics, and I counted a real privilege and honor to be able to help people in this way. But I definitely get something out of it too.

Lisa Joworski: 32:28

Absolutely, and I think that's what makes you good at it, right? Is that you feel... I hear you saying that you feel like it's a gift to do it and it fuels you and it's fulfilling.

Lisa Joworski: 32:40

So it's rewarding on both sides for somebody to share their story and for somebody to be interested as well as for you it sounds like to take that and go wow, I get to just take all this in and learn from their stories, which you're just giving back to them being interested, right? So?

Sean Daigle: 32:57

that's awesome. Yeah, it's a real privilege, for sure, and I would say yeah for anybody. I mean to just be a safe space to be trusted. You mentioned trust earlier and I think, um, space to be trusted. You mentioned trust earlier and I and I think, yeah, that's one thing that I've noticed not to toot my own horn, but, um, I think it's an indication that I this has been, it's a calling for me to do this work is just how, how quickly I've earned people's trust.

Sean Daigle: 33:29

I mean, within 30 minutes of a pre-interview, to to have people sharing things that it's like the very difficult things that have happened in their life. It's, it's obvious to me that, um, that I have got something. I've got something going here in like I don't know, it feels awkward talking about myself like that, um, but I'm learning to lean into it and to just embrace that. One of the things that makes this business go is me right now. Right now, I it's not always going to be able to be like that, but Well, we are going to have to to multiply you then.

Lisa Joworski: 34:14

I'm not sure how we do that.

Sean Daigle: 34:17

There are lots of other empathetic human beings. I'm not saying I'm the only empathetic human in the valley, but certainly what I will say is that I think people with this skill set and empathy maybe this is a great avenue you know to use that empathy Go visit your local senior centers and sit with people and just be an ear, just be an empathetic ear and let people talk to you and ask questions. You don't have to be a professional, you don't have to ask the right questions or, you know, have this systematic way of going about. No, just sit there with them and listen. You know, you might find that you get something out of it too, a lot more than you anticipated, I think.

Lisa Joworski: 35:08

I was going to ask you for like a call to action or something that you want to leave people with, and I feel like that was it. You know, like you don't. You already said about the video piece. You know you thought what you were bringing to the table was the quality of video and absolutely you know, I know you do a good job at that. But more importantly, it's the relationships that you build and the trust and compassion and the fact that it's not a rocket science. It is something that, if we take the time to listen and be interested and curious and ask follow-up questions when people are chatting about something and reading their body language, those are all the things that I think we could all encourage everyone to do a little bit more of right.

Sean Daigle: 35:51

Absolutely, absolutely, and it doesn't have to be with a senior, I mean it just in normal conversations, you know. I mean, yeah, the call to action, I think, going back to the beginning of the conversation and the whole sound, the alarm thing is just put your phone down and start having conversations with people is just put your phone down and start having conversations with people. You know, and and you also mentioned vulnerability earlier, and I think that that's something that's that's in me, yes, naturally, but also something that you have to work at it's hard being vulnerable. You know we're in a time where it seems like we're more connected than ever, but we're lonelier than ever. You've mentioned that earlier too. Everything's coming full circle here.

Sean Daigle: 36:41

You know, be vulnerable, I understand there's some. I don't know. You've got to put some boundaries up sometimes, and certainly you don't want to share everything with every person all the time. But you know you're going to have to take some risks. You're going to have to. You know you might share a story that you shouldn't have with someone that you shouldn't have. You're going to have to take that risk sometimes. I think that the benefits far outweigh the risks, and you might be surprised that you also have to give other people opportunities to be empathetic, right? If you're just shallow and closed off, then you know and you're only sharing surface level stories like there's no room for empathy on either side. So we just need to start opening up.

Lisa Joworski: 37:31

Yep.

Sean Daigle: 37:32

You know, Absolutely and opening up in person, in actual relationships with people. Like there's sort of the facade of vulnerability, I think, on social media and I'm talking about in-person real conversations. You know, real conversations, you know, and if you can have those conversations in your own family then for sure the generations in your family are going to benefit from that. But just share your story in general period.

Lisa Joworski: 38:01

Yep, I love it. I completely agree, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for joining me and talking about so many important points, and I know that anybody who works with you is going to be very lucky For those who don't get to work with you because they're too far or you're too busy, are there any other last tips that you can give before we say goodbye?

Sean Daigle: 38:29

Well, I would say I'm probably not too far from anybody, although I will probably start doing some remote interviews because, like we talked about before, although I went in really thinking that high quality is the name of the game, no-transcript of them. So yeah, I mean, I'm not going to rattle off a ton of tools because there are a ton of tools.

Lisa Joworski: 39:26

There are yeah.

Sean Daigle: 39:27

But I think, first and foremost, it's just you know really wrestle with how you're sharing your story, if you, if you share your story, or what systems you have in place to, you know, consolidate your memories and whatnot. So I don't know, I feel like that was a rambly response. It's because it's overwhelming. It seems like it's a lot of work, but it's just important that we start to start somewhere.

Lisa Joworski: 39:56

Start somewhere, do something.

Sean Daigle: 39:58

And again I'm preaching to myself. I'm preaching to myself.

Lisa Joworski: 40:01

That's right. I think we talked before about wait a minute. Have you ever done your own video and I'm pretty sure the answer was no.

Sean Daigle: 40:07

No, haven't, haven't done it. See, there we go, lost all credibility Gone there we go. Haven't done it. See, there we go, lost all credibility Gone there we go.

Lisa Joworski: 40:16

Well, thank you so much for having me. The next time we meet, you're going to have had done your own story.

Sean Daigle: 40:20

That's right.

Lisa Joworski: 40:22

And please reach out to Sean at Memoria Films and you'll find all the information in the show notes. Is there any other specific contact or social media that you want people to?

Sean Daigle: 40:33

connect with. Oh yeah, instagram is a great place to start. It's at memoriafilms, and I've actually got my own podcast over there that I do. You'll probably be a guest on that podcast someday too, lisa, and I'll be sharing lots of research and tips and tricks on how to share your story too. So that would be a great place to start is Instagram, and then my website, memoriafilmscom, just to learn more about video biographies specifically, and if I'm able to come to you or if we do some sort of remote interview, I'd love, love, love the privilege of helping your family document your story, whether it's yours or a loved one's, so please don't hesitate to reach out.

Lisa Joworski: 41:15

That's awesome, thank you so much. And you do have some great, great clips and information on just exactly what we've been talking about. So, yeah, I encourage people to go. Thank you so much, sean.

Sean Daigle: 41:26

Thanks so much, everybody.

Lisa Joworski: 41:29

Thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed this episode, take a minute to look at the show notes for resources and links, and be sure to leave me a rating and review. And also you can follow the show so that you get notified of when the next one comes out. And lastly, if you can think of somebody in your life who you think would enjoy this podcast, I hope you share it with them as well, so that they can listen in on the conversations and ponder how to capture their own essence. Take care, and I look forward to the next time.