Dec 14, 2021
Motivated by her lifelong dream of becoming a filmmaker, Melissa Davey made a pivotal career and life change at the age of 65. After a successful career in disabilities advocacy and social security law, Melissa decided to pursue her dream of becoming a filmmaker. This dream became a reality in 2018. Melissa’s award-winning debut film, Beyond Sixty Project, is a feature length documentary about women over the age of 60. Melissa’s first career included representing over 1000 people before the social security administration. In 1994 she was recruited by the for profit company GENEX, where she built the company’s social security advocacy program, and developed a consistent national program for disability case management as well as return to work programs for the disabled. She was also a Former Executive with 35 years of experience in Social Security Disability Law and Case Management. Melissa served as Director and Vice President of Community Connections and Community Workshop
What You Will Hear in This Episode:
Melissa personal story and how she arrived where she is today
Developing independence and resilience
The incident that sparked Melissa’s transformation from executive to filmmaker
Lessons learned
The continuing relevance of women as they age and how important their stories are to share with the world, especially the younger generation
How working on the film changed Melissa’s life
Advice for middle-life women who want to make a big career change but worry that it’s too late
Quotes
“We all experience the fear factor all the time.”
“You can jump through fear and get where you want to go.”
“It is the age that allows you to take more chances.”
“It feels younger to be so engaged in something new.”
“It’s never too late.”
“Try new things, go down different paths, meet new people and keep your eyes open because when you are on that dark road, you have no idea what might be there waiting for you.”
Mentioned:
https://bonniemarcusleadership.com/
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