In this episode, Erick Rheam interviews Melanie Curtis, a world-record professional skydiver and professional speaker.
In this episode, Melanie shares the incredible story of how a failed first attempt at skydiving at just 16 years old almost kept her grounded for good. But instead of giving in to fear, Melanie made a bold decision at 18 that changed the course of her life – leading to over 12,000 jumps around the globe.
Join us as Melanie takes us through her transformative journey of self-discovery, revealing the mindset that helped her face her fears head-on and pursue her passion for skydiving, no matter the obstacles. Whether you’re looking for inspiration to overcome your own fears or curious about the life of a professional skydiver, this episode is packed with motivation and life lessons that will leave you ready to take the leap.
Melanie Curtis is a former investment banker turned stunt-woman world-record pro skydiver, turned keynote speaker, life coach, author, activist and entrepreneur.
he has jumped out of an airplane over 12,000 times, competed at the highest levels, and has traveled the globe as a headlining professional athlete coaching thousands of people over the last 30 years.
Melanie has worked with Weird Al Yankovic, Megan Rapinoe, the RedBull Air Force and more. She has spoken on the same TED-Ed stage as Gloria Steinem. She has emceed ahead of Jameela Jamil and in front of 20,000 in the Angel City FC stadium.
Melanie has also landed a parachute in that stadium, as well as Dodger Stadium, Lumen Field in Seattle, and the Great Pyramids in Egypt. Melanie has spoken at Athleta, PNC, NatGeo, Cornell University, Middlebury College (her alma mater), and more.
Melanie has been tapped as an expert on CBS Evening News, Good Morning America, NBC Know Your Value, Forbes, Entrepreneurs on Fire, Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman the Founder of LinkedIn, and more. Melanie has authored 3 books, including How to Fly: Life Lessons From a Professional Skydiver.
Melanie co-founded Highlight, an all-female parachute demonstration team, using skydiving as a vehicle to champion equality. She also received the first-ever Mentorship Award for the entire Parachute Industry Association. Melanie co-founded the Trust the Journey podcast, where she and guests share in depth about their deep healing as a crucial part of accessing the true expanse of our human potential.