#339 - WE ARE MELISSA DAVEY BOLDLY LAUNCHING A NEW CAREER IN HER SIXTIES

We Are Superman

Melissa Davey took the adage about it’s never too late to try something new quite seriously. This wasn’t about jumping out of an airplane kind of stuff. In her sixties, she retired from a lengthy corporate career to pursue her second act and dream of becoming a filmmaker. I always tell teens I coach or meet who are stressed about picking a college major and choosing a career path, that the average American changes careers, not just jobs, seven times in their lifetimes. You never know when circumstances allow you to drop the grind and forge a new direction, like you heard Australian Maddy Reynolds do in a WASP episode a few weeks ago when she dumped the corporate world to become a pro trail runner. Melissa was the Vice President of Social Security and Managed Disability at GENEX for 22 years, sat on the company’s executive team, and worked throughout the United States to create and deliver services to the disability insurance marketplace. But after a day on the set with famed screenwriter and filmmaker M Night Shyamalan, 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 feature film, Beyond Sixty, which highlights stories of women making similar jumps, including the woman behind the original voice of Siri, the Madam CJ Walker biographer, and the sculptor of Lady Gaga’s Fame perfume carriage. During 2019, Melissa’s film was accepted by and screened at eight film festivals throughout the United States and Canada, winning awards and confirming that it is never too late to learn something new. Picked up by a distributor and released in 2021, the film is currently available on most streaming platforms. Melissa’s second film, Climbing into Life, details the inspiring life story of Dierdre Wolownick, the oldest woman to ascend El Capitan, who also happens to be the mother of famed free solo climber Alex Honnold. The film is currently making the film festival rounds. Melissa is a champion to show that it isn’t too late for people over 60, particularly women to explore new pathways and make a profound impact on the world. It’s such a great message to share, and she does it with an infectious energy as you’ll find out in this episode.

Melissa Davey

melissadavey.com

beyondsixty.com

[email protected]

Facebook Beyond Sixty Documentary

Instagram @beyond60project and @climbing_into_life

Bill Stahl
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Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @we_are_superman_podcast
YouTube We Are Superman Podcast

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