Who was your veteran before they put on the uniform?
Live webinar or a pre-recorded program available. See below.
Military records tell us where someone served, what units they belonged to, and what they experienced during the war. We might also catch a glimpse of who they became after the war as a result of their service. But what about the life they lived before entering the service?
To understand who someone became and how that shaped the family and generations that followed, think war and generational trauma, we need to understand the person prior to the uniform.
Discover the veteran behind the military records by exploring their childhood, family relationships, education, employment, community, personal experiences, and the historical events that shaped their pre-war years.
In this workshop, you'll learn how to go beyond military databases and uncover civilian records, family history resources, newspapers, local histories, and other sources that help reconstruct a veteran's life before the war.
Your workshop registration includes a collection of practical research workbooks and resources:
- Pre-War Life Profile: A comprehensive worksheet for documenting the veteran's early life, family, and personal history.
- Civilian Records Research Tracker: Organize records, sources, findings, and research leads.
- Family and Relationship Map: Explore the people and relationships that shaped the veteran's life.
- Timeline Template: Connect the veteran's personal history, family experiences, and historical events.
- Historical Context Worksheet: Investigate the community, economy, and world in which the veteran grew up.
- Research Questions and Records Checklist: Identify what to look for and where to search.
Don't just research where they served. Discover who they were, the life they lived, and the people and experiences they left behind.
Build a more complete veteran story. Start before the uniform.
Program includes Workbooks and additional materials, a replay and Certificate of Completion.Â
Access is one year.
Testimonials
Kimberley
I wanted to help my cousin research and learn more about his Dad Carmen’s WWII service which included Battle of the Bulge and D-Day. I’m not an expert by any means, but have done well enough to find many interesting documents and newspaper articles. I poke around here and there as many of us do, with not much guidance, and never completely sure if I’m doing the research correctly and worried about missing important information because you don’t know what you don’t know.
I wasn’t too sure about what types of military reports and documents were available, but picked up new ideas with different comments I’d read or websites I’d click on. I felt like I was on the right track and finally turned to YouTube to see if I could learn any tips on how to pull Morning Reports, after learning what they even were. The very first video that popped up was Jennifer Holik’s. I watched the entire video with her detailed explanation and immediately went to NARA and tried it myself and it worked! I had been getting so frustrated trying to find the Morning Reports, but Jennifer clearly explained how to find the reports and I was thrilled.
She then mentioned that she had classes and a website to check out. I knew I had to take her classes and enrolled in 4 right away and spent the week in back to back classes, and I appreciated the pricing being affordable.
She is thorough, patient, addresses each question, and as she goes into the different searches, it’s clear that she is a longtime expert in her field and niche of Military research. She even helped me to understand that my Great Uncle had switched from the 5th Division to the 103rd most likely after he was wounded, with possible explanations behind it, which really helped. She understands how to read these reports and piece a story together.
I highly recommend Jennifer’s services to anyone who wants to research and write about their loved ones who served in the Military. She’s fantastic and I’ll be recommending her to anyone who might need her help. If it were my personal project, I’d hire her to do it all for me! Thanks again Jennifer! Your help is so appreciated!
Choose Your Session.
Choose a Live session or a Pre-recorded program.
Before the Uniform
$50
Thursday, November 19, at 7:00 p.m. CST
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The webinar is 60-90-minutes long and includes workbook, resources, replay, and Certificate of Completion.
Access is one year.Â
Beyond the Uniform
$50
Pre-Recorded Program
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Available 20 November 2026.
This is a pre-recorded program. Contains a workbook and PDF resources with video lesson.
Certificate of Completion available.
Access is one year.
Meet Your Coach
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 Jennifer Holik
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More than 10 years ago, I developed a 2-part military research strategy that makes it possible to discover the story of any veteran from WWI through Vietnam — even if the records burned. This grew out of a journey I began nearly 30 years ago, guided by my military ancestors. What started as genealogy quickly expanded into a full military research, writing, and speaking business shared through the WWII Research & Writing Center and later, here at the Ancestral Souls Wisdom School.
My work is rooted in both fact and spirit. I’ve walked battlefields, stood at graves, and listened to the echoes of soldiers and families whose stories still long to be told. Living between Chicago and the Netherlands, I absorbed history, culture, and the weight of inherited war trauma. My own path through PTSD and ancestral healing deepened my ability to see repeating patterns, connect dots across generations, and help others uncover truths hidden beneath silence and loss.
At the Ancestral Souls Wisdom School and WWII Research & Writing Center, I bring together research and soul work, helping you not only recover your family’s military history but also transform the patterns and pain it left behind. This is where history, healing, and story meet.
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