Meet Melodie Garneau

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melodie Garneau. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melodie below.

Hi Melodie, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My grandparents were immigrants to the U.S. from Canada and France around 1902. They didn’t speak English and came here for work. The factories needed laborers and the immigrants seemed perfect. They didn’t pay them well, had dangerous working conditions and the owners basically enslaved them with company stores and mill housing. Even the small children were exploited with the dangerous jobs under weaving machines where adults could not fit. Many were maimed or killed.

My grandmother lost her husband in the early thirties. She worked in the factory and raised her four boys alone during the depression and a war. She was a hard woman through circumstances but she persevered. She outlived two sons (one who was murdered by his son-in-law) and endured as a single mother at a time when women held very little value in society.

I was raised by my father from age three. He had severe asthma but worked several jobs at once to raise nine children. He died when I was 16. I lived with my sister and her two children briefly until my sister disappeared with her boyfriend and their drug habit. I did my best to take care of toddlers, finish high school and work part time.

I think of my grand-mere and my father and what they endured and achieved. They didn’t complain, they didn’t give up. They just did what was necessary without much thanks and no fanfare because that’s what you did. You persevered without when necessary and took care of your family and responsibilities. I owe them for my own resilience.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I was in the U.S. Air Force for 10 years, in engineering and as a medic. I traveled, learned about other countries and our place in the world as a country. Having come from diverse ethnic neighborhoods and poverty, I developed an empathy for people who were overlooked or exploited.

Before the Air Force, growing up without much money and a lot of responsibilities, my only affordable past time was television or the occasional outing to the movies. I suppose I used it as an escape but I also learned that you can reach the world and tell people’s stories and point of view.

After many years I opened a restaurant and independent theater with my partner. We were able to help young filmmakers and artists get their starts and give them a place to display their works. Eventually, I was able to open a film studio with two business partners. It’s going very well and has grown considerably- three recording stages, state of the art editing suites, backlot area with more stages to come, and a school to teach film crew so they can immediately work in the film field.
I am fortunate that my partners and I share the same beliefs and goals about community and lifting people up.

Now I am working with partners on restoring the Rodeo Cinema as an independent art house theater. We show indie films- many from local filmmakers, as well as silent films with live music, plays, guest speakers, etc. We are thrilled to welcome the local school for children who live in shelters to a free movie with snacks and food boxes to take home at least once a month. That’s what excites me the most. I’ve had far too much experience with the bad things that adults do to children and I love to let them be kids for a while. We also make ourselves available for many community building events and fundraisers.

I have become even more involved in community organizing and activism in the last couple of years. I am so saddened to watch the hate and division in my country. I often joke that being from New England comes with a large serving of patriotic fervor: when we’re born they slap a U.S. flag tattoo on our butts and pump us full of maple syrup! That’s hard to let go of so seeing what the last few years has brought and revealed about our country both saddens and angers me into action.

Recently I finally started something Ive wanted to do for a long time- making board games and children’s books. I am really enjoying the creative side of that and the challenge of coming up with new ideas that have hidden twists or challenges. My drawing lacks a LOT but thankfully I have friends in graphic arts.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Most important for me has been to learn anything and everything that comes my way or that I can think of. You don’t have to know it all or be great at it but the enthusiasm to learn and the adventure of it keeps you moving forward. Then I keep asking questions about how something is done until I understand it. Thirdly (and I know how corny this will sound), remember that the most important word to anyone is their own name. Use it, ask them about themselves and be present. I can’t tell you how many doors the simple act of paying attention works with people. I heard a couple of lines in a movie or show that sum it up for me: “Pay attention. That’s how we show love.” It really has helped me in all kinds of relationships including my family and employees.

That’s my advice

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Two books actually.

How to Win Friends and Influence People. This is where I learned that all it takes to have successful partnerships (both business and personal) is to be present, be open, be willing to take correction, and pay attention.

Little Women. This is where I learned that women can do anything they set their minds to and don’t need permission.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rodeocinema.org
• Facebook: Melodie Garneau