Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, to name a few. At times I threaten to quit Facebook due to the never ending advertisements and unwanted dialog about politics and despair. However, despite the things that drive me crazy I also value the reach each social media outlet has afforded me.

The Beyond Sixty Project is my second act, a labor of love, an opportunity to learn something new and share it with people.  Share is the important word.

As we build the Beyond Sixty Project brand which will eventually lead to a film there are numerous reasons to want to attract interest and followers.  Brands that have good success use social media to form relationships with people near and far.  My hope is that once people get to know me and the goals of the project they will subscribe to my blog and follow the social media site of their choice to receive updates and join in the conversation. Sharing sites you follow with your friends is an incredible bonus. It adds people who have an interest in the subject matter that I have had no previous connection to.  This builds  a following to help support future development of the film.

Receiving feedback about the interviews, ideas and suggestions for future interviews and general commentary is very important to me. The ability to collaborate and converse with people from all over the world at any given moment is pretty remarkable.

In the last six months I have “met” a number of people and groups through social media that work in the film genre or a field related to my area of interest.  They have been very helpful in making introductions to people they think will connect with the project. More importantly, I am beginning to receive messages from women who are interested in telling me their stories. I never would have been connected to these people if I used the traditional marketing strategies of the past.

We were taught as children that sharing is good and valuable.  It’s true!

I thank each and every one of you for your interest in the Beyond Sixty Project and your use of social media to help expand my reach.

I am off to do my fifth interview in NYC Wednesday.  Stay tuned.

Melissa

P.S. Stay cool wherever you may be today.  It seems the heatwave is covering much of the planet!

 

 

 

 

 

If you are a tennis fan I am sure you watched Serena Williams win her record-tying 22nd Grand Slam singles title on Saturday. Pretty amazing. Her strength and consistency is awe-inspiring.  It got me to thinking about how lucky we are as women to have the opportunity to play this game professionally.  I started thinking about all the women tennis players I could remember.  I went back as far as Billie Jean King in 1966.

Then I got curious.

Maud Watson, who died 70 years ago, was the 19 year old daughter of a Vicar near Coventry, England when she became the All England’s Club’s first Ladies’ Singles Champion (Wimbledon) in 1884.

Between 1879 and 1884 attempts to include ladies’ events at Wimbledon had failed.  It was only after a threat by the London Athlectic Club to host the ladies’ tournament that Wimbledon backed down and finally agreed to the competition.

What I found particularly interesting in my research of Maud was her similarity to Serena. You see, Maud had a sister named Lilian, 7 years her senior, who was also a formidable tennis player.    Maud’s first competition in 1881 paired her with her sister. They won the doubles competition that year.

Maud played against her sister Lilian in the historic 1884 Single’s Championship and it was a very tight contest.  

The next time that two sisters met in a singles contest was in 2002 when Serena beat her sister Venus in the first of four finals. 

I would love to be able to sit down with Maud, Lilian, Serena and Venus and hear them talk about their experiences as siblings in this competitive sport.

Congratulations to Serena and Maud for their accomplishments and to their sisters who were close on their heels.

Have a great day!

Melissa