1. Parable offers video. Others only capture your parent's words or voice, but we go the extra mile to create the most personal & powerful heirloom experience.

2. Parable believes in the power of telling a complete & comprehensive story. Others allow your parents to capture anecdotes and then ask them to keep coming back again and again and again. Partnering with Parable means your parents are covering all key elements of their legacy and can be proud that they've completed this project.

3. Parable connects you with real people. We're not just going to send prompts and ask you to answer them—we're going to talk through questions with you, keep things conversational, and ensure your parents have a human experience.

4. Parable drives the project. Other projects are on-your-own time and can slip through the cracks. Partnering with Parable means we'll help you and your parent complete this project without the stress of having to figure out when, how, and what to do next.

First off, we believe that anything is better than nothing.

Secondly, we believe that video is better than the rest. Why? Because books don't capture your parent's smile when they laugh. Audio recordings don't capture the twinkle in their eye they have when they talk about when they met the love of their life. 

In Dr. Albert Mehrabian's extensive research on person-to-person communication, he found that 7% of information transmitted from one person to another was gleaned from the words themselves, whereas 93% of the information was nonverbal… 55% of that nonverbal is body language alone. Without video, you lose 55% of what your parent is communicating—more than half!

In short, video is the simply the strongest way to capture your parent's legacy.

You absolutely can, but you probably won't. While filming an interview with your parent is possible, common pain points include:

• Lack of knowledge of proper video & audio equipment and editing software.

• Parents often are uncomfortable with their children interviewing and sharing their full story with them.

• Narratives are long & winding, and professional interviewers know the nuances of crafting those conversations.

• You are busy! Projects take too long and fizzle out without ever being completed.

You absolutely can, but it probably won't be completed. Most projects that are started end up not getting wrapped up to due to scheduling, editing delays, they have life events that come up that make them unavailable, and more. Parable is your trusted third party that eliminates any awkward conversations with the friend or family member you hired to help—and makes sure it actually gets done.

• "I'm not ready to look back on my life, I'm still young/healthy/active/living for today!" That's precisely the point—you're young and healthy now, and you have so much energy. Life is full of unexpected events, and we would love for you to capture your legacy now before something happens that compromises your brain, memory, or body. And, if we have a choice, we'd love for our kids and grandkids to have a video of you when you're spry and enthusiastic like you are right now! Plus, people that go through Parable's end up thankful they did because it gives them even more joy for the life they have yet to live.

• "My life story isn't interesting… it doesn't deserve a video!" We think that your life story is interesting. Even the boring, mundane, simple things that you think aren't compelling are important to me. Your life may feel normal to you, but to my kids and grandkids, it's extraordinary. In fact, often times the simplest lives are full of the most wisdom. 

• "I'm not talkative, I'm not good on camera, I can't talk for that long, etc." Don't worry, Parable's process is crafted to help people that don't feel they're very good storytellers. They'll guide you every step of the way, they'll help you know what to say, and they'll make sure the interview process is fun and flies by. Parable will make sure you're comfortable and natural on the camera, all you need to do is be yourself.

Of course! We have plenty of customers that buy this for themselves for many reasons. In fact, some parents buy this as a gift for their children & grandchildren instead of the other way around.

Every family's sibling dynamics are unique, so we can't tell you what's right for you and your siblings. However, here's some principles we've seen be helpful:

1. Involve them, but lead the project yourself. With projects like this, it's easy for things to get stuck in the dreaded endless-email-reply-chain and nothing actually gets done. Let your siblings know your goals and set a timeframe that they need to provide feedback or ask questions in.

2. Have a family meeting with your siblings to answer any questions, prepare key areas you want your parent to talk about, assign people to find and print family photos, etc.

3. Talk about the impact this will have on the family. Some siblings can be very concerned with logistics and get distracted by details. We focus on the details & logistics so that you can focus on the big picture: years after your parent is gone, they'll have something that they are glad they helped make happen.

4. Share financial contributions anonymously. If raising funds as a family, share the price with them and ask them to share funds with you as they feel compelled. Share updates about how much money is left to raise, but don't call out siblings by name or how much they have or haven't contributed. This should be an opportunity for siblings to join together to make something beautiful happen, not a time where siblings are all concerned about how much money the other ones gave.

Using family photos is a great way to make your parent's Legacy Video more engaging! We encourage the family to plan ahead and find the most relevant & important photos and bring them to the interview. When the time is right, your parent will simply hold up the photo as they discuss it, using it to enrich their story.

Yes, we absolutely do! We have a film crew that will fly anywhere in the United States and Canada to set up a studio in your parent's home to create a studio-quality video shoot. Reach out for a custom quote!

Outside of US & Canada and want us to come to you? Reach out anyway, we're always up for an adventure!

Dementia is a painful and cruel disease and every person deals with it in a unique way depending on their age, mental capacity, motor skills, health history, and the severity of the disease.

If your parent has Dementia, we would love to talk to you to understand their unique journey with Dementia and where they are in their journey with it. Are there certain stories they can still recall effortlessly? Has it mostly affected their short-term memory, long-term memory, or both? Is there someone who helps them bring memories back? Do photos or songs help trigger memories? We'll work with you to help understand how Parable can still continue to serve you and your family. 

We will work to help in any and every way we can.

Parable believes in the power of preserving legacies any way we can. Though your parent is no longer with us, we are happy to work with you to create a Tribute video in which you (and your siblings, other parent, etc.) share your parent's story & legacy. Reach out to us and make sure you're able to honor their legacy.

Parable is run by seasoned entrepreneurial & digital-product-minded dads, Justin Mertes & Eric Hinson. 

Justin and his wife have 4 children, many more chickens, and an intricate system for organizing & preserving their own family's digital memories. Justin created Legacy Videos with all of his living grandparents 8 years ago, and they have all passed away—it continues to be a gift to the family. His background is in digital product strategy and video production.

Eric and his wife have 3 children and own several businesses. From video agencies to tea shops, Eric and his family are never lacking for ways to invest in their community, create jobs, and explore new ideas. Eric created a Legacy Video with his dad and continues to be grateful for the connection it gave them.

Justin & Eric are supported by countless wise, experienced, legacy-minded business, digital product, and family experts that they are daily thankful for.