E286: Melissa Davey - Dreams Reimagined: Embracing Life's second act
Melissa Davey, retired from a lengthy corporate career in her sixties, to pursue her second act and dream of becoming a filmmaker. Her first film, Beyond Sixty, is an award-winning feature length documentary that challenges the way we feel about aging and confirmed that it is never too late to learn something new. Her second documentary, Climbing into Life, was recently released and has already been accepted into fourteen film festivals so far and has won several awards. Melissa's Journey will really inspire to start your second act!
Learn more about Melissa at: Beyond Sixty
Show notes with time stamps:
🎬 [01:56] Melissa’s Journey to Filmmaking.
😎 [04:51] Pursuing her dream of filmmaking at age 65.
🤩 [09:24] It all happened because she was open to it.
🎥 [10:53] Her experience of being on set with Shyamalan.
🎦 [17:31] Making documentaries about people like her, women over the age of 60.
🏔️ [23:34] Melissa's latest documentary was Climbing into Life.
🌟 [27:53] If you open yourself up to all the possibilities, something is bound to click.
🎷 [31:46] Her love for saxophone and traveling.
Key Takeaways:
- Age is not a barrier to pursuing dreams. Melissa’s story is a testament to the power of reinvention and the importance of listening to one’s inner voice, no matter how late in life.
- Serendipity and openness to opportunities can lead to life-changing moments. Melissa’s chance encounter with M. Night Shyamalan was a catalyst for her new career.
- Storytelling matters. By focusing on the stories of ordinary women over 60, Melissa highlights the importance of representation and the value of diverse voices in media.
- Surround yourself with experts. Melissa’s success in both her corporate career and filmmaking stems from her ability to recognize her limitations and build strong teams.
- Alignment over chasing. Success often comes when you focus on what truly excites you, rather than chasing external validation or prizes.
- Fear is natural, but don’t let it stop you. Melissa’s story is a reminder that fear of failure or lack of experience shouldn’t hold you back from pursuing your dreams.
- Energy comes from passion. Doing what you love replenishes your energy, making it easier to stay motivated and inspired.
- It’s never too late to learn. Whether it’s filmmaking, climbing, or playing the saxophone, Melissa’s story proves that age is no barrier to trying something new.
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Melissa Davey
Documentary Filmmaker
Melissa Davey, age 74, retired from a lengthy corporate career in 2016 to pursue her second act and dream of becoming a filmmaker.
Melissa began her early career in Legal Services pursuing Chapter 766 compliance and advocacy for disabled children. As a Paralegal, Melissa represented more than one thousand individuals before the Social Security Administration and was a national substantive law trainer for the Legal Services Corporation.
In 1994 Melissa was recruited to the for-profit company, Genex, headquartered in Wayne, PA, to build their Social Security advocacy program. As the Vice President of Social Security and Managed Disability for 22 years, Melissa sat on the company’s executive team and worked throughout the United States to bring services to the disability insurance marketplace.
At age 65, after a day on the set with a famous Director, she decided to take a risk and left her career to jump into the unknown.
Pursuing her dream of becoming a filmmaker became a reality in late 2018 when Melissa completed her first film, Beyond Sixty, a feature length documentary about women over the age of sixty. During 2019 Melissa’s film was accepted by and screened at 8 film festivals throughout the United States and Canada, winning awards and confirming that it is never too late to learn something new.
The film was picked up by a Distributor in late 2020 and had a Spring, 2021 release date. The film is currently available on most streaming platforms (Apple TV, Prime Video, Vimeo, Vudu, Google TV, YouTubeTV) including international airlines, Library strea…
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