Calne-based genealogy specialists Family Wise are celebrating a year of working with their digital marketing apprentice, 20-year-old Ethan Thompson.
Ethan, who lives in Chiseldon near Swindon, joined the team last year to broaden his skills in digital marketing and hopes to qualify early in 2026.
He said: "Things are going well. The team is extremely friendly, easy to get on with and hard working. I’d like to think I bring my own personal attributes to the team. This work does require discipline, but I appreciate the freedom I’m given to come up with my own ideas."
Ethan has quickly settled into the Family Wise ethos of hard work, proactivity and positivity. He also brings a strong entrepreneurial spirit to the role, having launched his first business aged 15, which he still runs today, alongside several other small ventures ranging from clothing to digital marketing.
"It’s not easy, nothing is, but if you work hard and want it enough, you’ll eventually get there," he said.
He added that joining the team has helped him continue developing his skills across digital marketing, which benefits both his role at Family Wise and his own micro businesses.
"I joined this forward-thinking team to continue to grow my skills in digital marketing which has value in this role and in my own micro businesses. Kirsty, our founder, encourages us all to be proactive and to offer up ideas and I find that creates an energy within the business which inspires me."
Ethan works with managing director Kirsty Gray and training provider Professional Apprenticeships as part of his qualification. A former student at Ridgeway School in Wroughton, he now supports the company’s marketing and business development team, producing digital content for multiple social media platforms and contributing to blogs and outreach campaigns aimed at growing the business.
Founder and managing director Kirsty Gray said: "Ethan is proactive, enthusiastic and full of ideas, which is just what we need. We may be a company steeped in history, but we firmly believe that history is something which is always relevant and that we are ahead of the curve in bringing history to life for individuals, families and organisations."
Outside of work, Ethan is passionate about sport, particularly football, mixed martial arts and darts, and is a regular at the gym. He is now one of more than 40 Family Wise team members working across the world to help people build their family trees, trace heirs to estates and uncover mysteries in family histories.
More information can be found at https://family-wise.co.uk/
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