As they enter the WWE lobby in Stamford, Connecticut, a cluster of Bryant students are greeted by a mural of cheering fans. The thundering applause is nearly audible as Melissa Little ’07, director of operations for creative services and photo at WWE, meets them for an exclusive first look at the media company’s new world headquarters. Passing a 60-foot-tall rendering of Andre the Giant holding his title belt, there’s a sense that, with a little creativity, students could jump into their own proverbial ring and claim their belt, as well.
The January visit to WWE is part of Bryant’s Arts in the City trip, a five-day program that exposes students to the arts, arts-related internships and careers, and alumni working in creative industries. As the undergraduates travel the halls, they discover imagery of WWE superstars, beautiful golden statues, title belts hanging from the ceiling, and mannequins sporting iconic outfits. Little also leads them on a tour of WWE’s photo studio, a wrestling ring set, and state-of-the-art soundproof studios.
Later, in a Royal Rumble-themed conference room, Little, who graduated from Bryant with a degree in Marketing, tells students she always dreamed of working for an entertainment company. While she loved her classes at Bryant, Little says she had more interest in real-world experience and sought to gain college credit through internships. She soon landed gigs with MTV Networks, Radio Disney, TracyLocke, and NBC 10 WJAR.
“The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to keep in touch with those you meet along your journey,” says Little, whose first job came through a connection at MTV.
While she loved her job with MTV Networks, Little decided to leave and accepted an offer with an advertising firm closer to home. But at this new job, she said she was still very young with a lot to learn. Little shared that with any journey, there will always be bumps in the road and unfortunately, she was let go from this firm. Little did she know, this experience led her to exactly where she was meant to be.
“No matter what happens in life, the good and the bad, you need to turn these situations into learning experiences. If I was never let go from that firm, I would have never gotten my job here at WWE and I would have never met these colleagues that I value so much or even some of my best friends!”
Now in her thirteenth year at WWE, Little oversees a team of 65 talented artists, photographers, project managers and writers, some of whom she counts among her closest friends. Her workload is diverse, from producing photoshoots with WWE talent — her most memorable: co-producing shoots with “Total Divas” for E! Networks — to coordinating wardrobe fittings to managing budgets, travel, and equipment updates.
Because she followed her passion to a fulfilling career — one that’s creative and, at the same time, supported by her Bryant business education — Little says each day is fast-paced and challenges her in a rewarding way.
As the students prepare to embark on their next arts adventure, Little leaves them with one of her favorite quotes from Walt Disney:
“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
A huge Disney fan, Little reinforces that sentiment with her own poignant reflection — one that sticks with students long after they board the bus for New York City.
“You truly have the power to choose your path in life,” Little, who was recently appointed to the College of Arts and Sciences’ Dean’s Council, tells the students, “If you work hard and keep moving forward, you will find success.”
