100 True Success Requires Serving a Higher Purpose: Melanie Curtis on Challenging Fear and Collective Meaning

When Women Fly

Welcome to Episode 100 of When Women Fly! To celebrate we go back to where it all began, Episode 1 with skydiver, life coach and writer - the amazing Melanie Curtis. True success—the kind you can sustain over time—demands a different relationship with ambition and action. Mel takes a deep dive into serving a higher purpose and how that gives meaning to life, a healthier, more sustainable model rooted in elevating the human condition. We reflect on the last 2 years, current lives and future goals.
Melanie Curtis has jumped out of an airplane over 12,000 times, written three books, and co-founded the all-women Highlight Pro Skydiving Team. She’s also a vulnerable person who gets nervous in front of a new crowd, has experienced extreme heartbreak, and struggled for a long time to find a sense of belonging within her home community.
Melanie is a sought-after life coach, podcast host, speaker, author, professional skydiver, and entrepreneur. She is a champion for growth, healing, and inclusion and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Women’s Skydiving Network nonprofit.
In this episode, Sylvia and Melanie talk about:
- How uncontrollable situations teach you agility, compassion, and resilience
- Using skydiving to elevate women, amplify ideas, and inspire others
- Showing up to new places and listening to different viewpoints
- How to decide if something is worth your time and effort
- Learning how to spot and listen to your intuition
- The importance of identifying and eliminating limiting beliefs
- Melanie's book How to Fly: Life Lessons from a Professional Skydiver
- Embracing the unexpected
- Leaving your zone of confidence to grow
- Melanie’s struggle to feel at home in her community and how she overcame it
Melanie Curtis is a sought-after consultant, coach, speaker, author, and entrepreneur with over 12,000 skydives under her belt. She is also the co-host of the Trust the Journey podcast, Executive Director of the Women’s Skydiving Network nonprofit, and co-founder of the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team.
As a leader in skydiving and professional development, Melanie has set world records and been mentioned in Forbes, Thrive Global, and CBS Sunday Morning. She has also authored three books: One Positive Thought Can Change Everything, With Our Whole Broken Hearts, and How to Fly.
Resources Mentioned:
How to Fly, by Melanie Curtis: https://www.amazon.com/How-Fly-Lessons-Professional-Skydiver/dp/B097RZ9C93
Mark Brand LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-brand-92916867/?originalSubdomain=ca
Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert: https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Pray-Love-Elizabeth-Gilbert-audiobook/dp/B000FDFY9O
Connect with Melanie:
Website: www.melaniecurtis.com
Instagram: @melaniecurtis11
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-curtis-74ab3540/
Trust the Journey podcast: : https://trustthejourney.today/
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