We recently connected with Melinda Cea and have shared our conversation below.
Melinda , so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I don’t know that I can say I totally have. I still have days where I am scared, nervous and unsure of myself as I venture down new creative paths. What keeps me in alignment with worthiness and confidence, though, is remembering that nobody who “fit it”, ever stood out. Remembering that we are all a work in progress, an evolution all our own and to really evolve into who we’re meant to be, means constantly doing new things and honoring how far we have personally come. We get to decided we’re worth every ounce of success and abundance in the world, nobody else.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Melinda Cea, I’m an eighteen year veteran TV producer and an award winning film producer.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a curious doer, and really, that’s what being a producer and storyteller is all about — staying curious and being relentless about doing whatever inspires you.
What is currently inspiring me is authoring my first book, which is one big permission slip to admit you may have forgotten something — yourself.
In this entertaining, no-holds-barred sexy and soulful teaching memoir, I take readers along one of the toughest journeys of life — the one to remembering who you are — with relatable laughter, tears, and cringes. Readers come to see the proof of perfection in their imperfect path and are left feeling that life can be brighter, lighter, and whole lot sweeter.
I cannot wait to announce the title of the book (it’s wild for sure) and it’s launch date! If you head over to my website, melindacea.com and sign up for my newsletter, you’ll be the first to the know the title and it’s release date.
I love the world of self development so much that I even became a certified Law of Attraction Life Coach. I affectionately call myself a Life Producer, because just like producing a show or film, I believe when we sit in the producing chair of our own lives, anything is possible. What I have found with many clients is that unfortunately most of us are not in fact producing our lives. You would never believe what is?! I talk all about this in my book.
Writing my first book is by far the best thing I have produced in my entire career; not to mention the hardest! It’s one thing to write words, but it’s a whole other thing to write from your heart with raw vulnerability. Talk about imposter syndrome.
Before I answered the call to write my first book, I spent almost two decades traveling the globe, producing reality tv.
It all started when E! Entertainment wanted to send me around the world, with Ms. American Pie herself, Tara Reid, producing a series called Taradise. After that, I ran from show to show, working my butt off, and quickly expanding on my responsibilities. I was developing shows, casting talent, scouting and planning shoots, negotiating millions in branded integrations, writing scripts, directing, interviewing, running post production— all with the aim of creating world-class content.
Now as an executive producer and content creator, I have over 60 television credits, 300+ episodes produced, I’ve conducted thousands of interviews, including sitting down with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and have a love of storytelling that has allowed me to lead production teams in twenty-seven countries, including Thailand, Spain, Palestine, India, Tanzania, Greece, and Papua New Guinea.
I’ve produced everything from the Emmy-nominated series Dancing With the Stars to Secret Millionaire, Undercover Billionaire, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Better Late Than Never, Operation Change, Flirty Dancing, I Can See Your Voice, Cooks vs. Cons, American Hustler with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and so many more. From ABC to FOX, A&E to Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Quibi, Food Network, and TVLand — it’s been a ride.
I’ve had the honor of telling stories for some of today’s most influential producers like Mark Burnett and President Bill Clinton. From Donna Karan to Kevin Costner, William Shatner, Terry Bradshaw, Harry Connick Jr., Sir Elton John, Ken Jeong, Glenn Stearns, and Jenna Dewan, I’ve been able to work alongside and learn from some of the world’s top talent.
I’ve garnered partnerships with Lionsgate, Discovery Communications and production companies in Los Angeles and NYC for my own TV show concepts. I even had the privilege of partnering with the National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE) as an executive producer of their inaugural Omni Cultural TV Fest and was honored by Los Angeles’ Mayor Eric Garcetti for my work as a television producer.
Apparently, I’m now considered a veteran now.
Most recently I produced the documentary feature, Case for Kindness, with director Steven Sawalich. The doc features Ben Affleck, Lady Gaga, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, The Dalai Lama, and world-renowned scientists and experts to better understand the effects kindness can have on our bodies — physically, mentally, and emotionally. We’re in talks with several distributers for the film now. I’ll announce on my socials @melindacea where you can see it very soon.
No matter what story I am telling I always try to find the light in it. The lesson that could help someone in a small way. I believe entertainment is the greatest medium to create positive change; in others and our selves.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Along my journey I believe these three things have contributed to my success:
- Staying in integrity with myself
- Respect for others
- Faith in something far greater than me, having a plan far greater than mine.
For many years I had deep knowing of what felt right but when my career or life called for something that didn’t feel right, I often when along with it, fearing I’d lose my job or a relationship. Eventually I realized that doing so was keeping me out of integrity with myself, my values and the mark I wanted to leave in the world. When you’re out of integrity with yourself it feels like you’re swimming up stream. That disintegrity will manifest in many ways; bodyaches, pains, sleepless nights, constant conflict, discontent and frustration. Look out for these clues that are trying to lead you back to a place of being integrity for yourself. When you make decisions from here, you’ll never have regrets!
I have an insane amount of respect for others, for their time, and energy. Often, we forgot how much more alike than different we all are. I always try to leave my ego out of it and look for the lesson in all interactions. I know I personally like to only work with people who show themselves and others respect. My guess is other people do too.
My faith in something greater has been the key to writing my book. For me this has been a brand new path. A scary path. I think we as humans want certainty. The unknown scares us. What I have noticed, though, is that when I put forth my greatest effort, show up as my authentic self and hold the vision for my life or the creative project I am working on and have faith that the details will be worked out, I feel an extreme sense of safety and confidence. Things feel more in flow this way.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Overwhelm can be paralyzing, but here are my secrets to managing it!
When you feel overwhelm coming on: i.e. anxiety, heart racing panic, trouble making decisions, or lack of focus and concentration– STOP! Stop what you’re doing and remove yourself from the environment. Get outside, get fresh air and walk or move your body. I think many times for me, overwhelm happens when I feel things are out of my control and truth be told, everything is, except the choices we make. Make the choice to walk away for an hour, a day etc… it will be a reset.
I think overwhelm hits when we forget to ask for help or try to multi-task. I used to think being the queen of multi-tasking was a great skillset, but now I know it actually creates frayed momentum. Now when I look at my to do list for the day, I go one by one, instead of trying to do three things at once. I also am not afraid to delegate or ask for guidance. We all have to build our own team in some way, right?
Contact Info:
- Website: melindacea.com
- Instagram: @melindacea
- Facebook: Melinda Cea
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindacea/
