We were lucky to catch up with Gene Harmon recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Gene thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I had been doing volunteer interpretive work for quite a few years at national and state parks, as well as museums. My professional career started with a position as a historical interpreter at Denali National Park & Preserve during the summer of 2013. Upon returning home, I continued my volunteer interpretive work and acquired a position at a local prestigious museum. The idea for Inheriting Heritage, LLC has its roots in my experience there. While able to improve my skills and enhance the experience for guests, there was something lacking. I was limited in scope of era by the character I portrayed. In addition, visits to other museums and sites made it plain many interpreters were just going through the motions based on what they were given to perform their jobs. There was no official training in many cases. Tours or presentations at these other sites quite often seemed stale and repetitive. I was told on many occasions that people had learned something new from me at my site every time they visited. In the instance of other sites, this is rarely true. I decided there was a place for Inheriting Heritage, LLC as a consultant, heritage interpreter, and interpretive trainer.
Gene, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I touched on how Inheriting Heritage, LLC got off the ground. As a heritage interpreter, it is imperative that I provide ways for the audience to connect with what they are hearing and seeing. That is what makes the difference. Through interpretive programs, training, and consulting, I can assist sites with making that personal connection with their guests. Converse with them, listen to them, and provoke them to thought. I can show how to do this on a regular basis and keep guests coming back, bringing more people with them, and spreading the word. I can turn the phrase “if you have seen it once, you have seen it a million times” into “I have been there before, but there will be something different this time.”
Inheriting Heritage, LLC is different in that I do not tell sites exactly what they should say or do. Instead, I listen and help them to use their themes and mission to craft interpretation that encompasses everything about their site, and every site is different. Each has its own importance and that should be used to make it standout. Expansion and enlightenment of their current interpretation only occurs as a result of verifiable, documented information.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
The answer to this would definitely be staying authentic. In this case, staying authentic is staying true to how you present yourself. Stay true to the passion which drove creating the business in the first place. This improves word of mouth which is a huge part of any business’s reputation.
Any fun sales or marketing stories?
In early 2020, I had negotiated a contract to create interpretive programs for a national park on the East Coast. I was going to be visiting the site to deliver the programs, assist with the staff, and implement the programs. In March 2020, COVID hit. The site canceled all in-person interpretive work, as just about all sites and museums across the country did. I was afraid this contract had died with COVID. However, the site was very flexible and I finished and delivered the contract virtually. It was all handled by phone calls and emails over a few months.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://inheritingheritage.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inheritingheritage_llc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068010836572
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gene-harmon-34898434/
- Other: https://inheritingheritage.com/podcast/
