Disclaimer: I own nothing but Leigh.
Leigh woke up before the alarm; she stretched her arm to prevent the incessant buzzing from going off. Looking around the barren hotel room, she realized she had unexpected time to fit in a quick run before needing to get ready for her interview.
Getting out of bed and hurriedly dressing, she grabbed her key and headed out the door. While her feet pounded the pavement and she attempted to keep her breathing regulated, she went over any and all possible questions that would be thrown her way; those having to deal with the world of wrestling and her extensive knowledge, as well as those that encompassed general job performances.
Leigh had always been a fan of professional wrestling, but she figured that's all she ever would be. Once word got out that WCW was folding, she realized she wouldn't have the guts to pursue a position with WWE in Connecticut. She couldn't leave her family and face being an adult on her own. As she jogged along the streets of Stamford, she realized how far a leap she had taken in being here. Her dream of being on the creative team for World Wrestling Entertainment was within her grasp; Leigh had to remind herself of that. She glanced at her watch to check her pace against the unfamiliar surroundings and realized that her dream would quickly slip away if she didn't head back to her hotel and clean herself up. She quickly showered and pulled her hair back; she had a tendency to play with it when nervous and that would most likely be the case today. She carefully applied some light make-up and dressed in a light gray suit. Putting her handbag and research materials into her black Coach leather briefcase, she quickly glanced in the mirror. The run earlier had done her good; her cheeks were still a bit flushed and made her hazel eyes bright. Her honey colored hair pulled back showcased her striking features. Here goes everything, Leigh thought.
An attractive woman walked up to the receptionist desk at Titan Towers and announced herself. 'Good morning. I'm Leigh Carter; I have a 9 o'clock appointment with Stephanie McMahon-Levesque.'
The receptionist glanced at her, looking rather bored. 'Thank you. Please have a seat while I let Mrs. Levesque know you're here.' She then picked up her phone and dialed the extension while Leigh looked at her surroundings. The lobby was nicely decorated with only the glaring WWE, Inc. symbol giving away the corporate identity. Magazines were neatly scattered on the coffee table, many recent. Leigh noticed that in addition to the normal advertising magazines, there were also several copies of the latest RAW monthly edition. The (former) Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton glared at her from the cover. 'Jesus, he really does look like a prick,' she thought. Leigh settled back into the leather sofa and took out her copy of the New York Times; she normally didn't read this particular paper, but heard it was a good accessory to bring on any professional outing.
"Ms. Carter?" Leigh glanced up from her paper. "I'm Janine Parker, Stephanie's assistant. She's on a conference call that's running a little behind, but asked that I go ahead and take you up to her office." Janine smiled politely at the young woman as she gathered up her briefcase and paper. As they walked to the elevators, she glanced at Leigh, "Steph's terribly sorry she wasn't able to escort you personally," hitting the button for the tenth floor.
"Oh really, it's fine. I'm thankful she was able to see me so quickly; I was only called yesterday for the interview. I'm just so excited to actually be here," Leigh replied, nervously tucking her sideswept bangs behind her ear.
"Have you been a fan for long?"
"Since I was in grade school. Once I found out all the conflicts and outcomes were scripted, I knew I found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life," Leigh replied truthfully as they stepped into the lobby of the executive suites.
"Can I get you anything while you wait? A cup of coffee or some water, perhaps?"
"No, thank you, though."
"Okay, then, I'll let Stephanie know you're here and she'll let you know when she's ready," the older woman replied, directing Leigh to an overstuffed leather armchair.
Leigh took in her surroundings; there were fresh flower arrangements on Janine's desk as well as the coffee table that looked like it had never seen a cup of coffee in it's life. Windows throughout the floor afforded a stunning view of the lush Connecticut landscape. The wood floors were well polished and Persian rugs were scattered throughout. Hell, the damn things probably cost as much as my mortgage, Leigh thought. She looked up when she heard a door opening.
"Leigh Carter?" Stephanie called. Leigh smiled brightly as she looked at the young woman she admired so much and nodded, getting to her feet.
"Sorry to keep you waiting so long. Please come in. Can I get you anything before we get started?"
"No, thank you. Janine already offered, but really I'm fine," Leigh replied, sitting down in the wing chair facing Stephanie's desk.
"Alright, well let's just get started. I'm a little behind this morning, but I'd like to make sure we get everything covered. Our HR department already went over the preliminary questions during the phone interview, so why don't we start with your past wrestling experience," Stephanie said, sitting down at her desk. She picked up a copy of Leigh's resume and began looking over it.
Damn, Leigh thought.
"Actually, my hands-on experience in the wrestling industry is really rather limited, I'm sorry to say. I have written weekly columns for several websites for the past year or so, including numerous scripted shows. I included them in my response to the online job posting, but I've got them with me, as well, if you'd like to see them." Leigh bent down to open her leather satchel and pulled out her wrestling portfolio.
"I don't know why, but I was under the impression that you had worked at some independent federations doing bookings and working as an agent," Stephanie frowned. This isn't starting well, Leigh thought.
"I wish I had been so lucky. I'm originally from Texas, but the southeast portion of the state. The Von Erichs didn't make it down there nearly enough," Leigh offered.
Stephanie brightened at the mention of Fritz's legacy. Her father, Vince, had worked with the Von Erichs on numerous occasions before finally overtaking their promotion in his quest to own all territories across the nation. "You're familiar with the family?" Stephanie questioned.
"Absolutely. While I was growing up, I would hear stories about the Funk and Von Erich brothers. I was so excited to finally see Kerry when he signed up with your company," Leigh replied. She had noticed that Stephanie perked up when the subject of older territories was brought up and hoped she could turn that in her favor.
"I remember thinking Kerry was the most gorgeous man alive back then. I cried for three days when he died," Stephanie confided. Leigh nodded in sympathy.
Once the ice had been broken, the two young women began talking about the current state of the federation and ideas that Leigh could bring to the table. "If I can be honest, Ms. McMahon," Leigh started.
"Please, call me Stephanie. Anybody who admits to a crush on the Texas Tornado is on a first name basis with me," Steph smiled.
"Okay then, Stephanie," yes! "I know the industry has taken some recent bumps in the road with the brand extension and the loss of Austin and Rock, but I admire the tenacity with which WWE has decided to stick to its guns. However, I think a lot of changes could be made to bring the company back to the forefront of sports and entertainment. The ratings for RAW and SmackDown have been fluctuating lately; unfortunately, you're nowhere near the 5s and 6s you were accustomed to just a few years ago. I think now is the time to realize just who your audience is.
"For the past 3 months, RAW has been pulling approximately a 3.9 rating. That's your core group of fans, the people that won't go anywhere no matter what kind of angles are put on their tvs. What I think has been happening lately is the company is so desperate to get back to the upswing portion of the cyclical-ness of this business that these hot-shot angles are being thrown out. Then you don't know how to follow them up and you've wasted what could have been great television for the upcoming 2 to 3 months." Leigh felt like she was on a roll. She pulled out her presentations and showed Stephanie the diagrams and charts she'd so meticulously researched and created. "Honestly, with advance planning, like what was formerly done 10-15 years ago, I think that would be a great way to get back on track."
"Yes, but with the industry how it is right now, with the increased travel schedules and the injuries running rampant, we can't really plan in advance. We have to take it as it comes," Stephanie pointed out. Her team of writers, bookers and agents were experienced; they knew how to do their jobs. "Take Shelton Benjamin, for example. He was at the beginning of a huge push; one night at a house show he breaks his hand and has to be off tv for three months."
"I understand, but it doesn't have to be that way. I thought one of the most brilliant things you and your team has done recently has been Randy Orton. It's obvious that he's being groomed to be your heavy hitter, and has been since day one. He was sidelined with the shoulder injury, but your team turned that into an angle. You kept him on tv with the RNN updates, fresh in the audiences' mind so when he came back, he was able to go directly back to where he left off. I think the difference in those 2 examples is y'all knew what you wanted to do with Randy, but not a clue when it came to Shelton." Leigh stopped herself and took a deep breath. She was getting excited and somewhat emotional. Her hands had been flaying wildly throughout her speech, and she was thankful she had pulled her thick mass of hair into the bun at the nape of her neck. She calmly folded her hands in her lap and sat back in her chair. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I think I'll take that water now."
Stephanie looked at the woman sitting in front of her. She knew her stuff; her background in market research had obviously helped her tremendously in preparation for this interview, but her actual experience in the wrestling industry was definitely lacking. Leigh's passion was evident throughout her speech, and she had most definitely hit on an issue Steph was having within her department. Vince had been on her back recently about the ratings and, with their tv contract with Spike expiring next year, she and Vince both knew how important the ratings would be to their renegotiation. She stood up and looked at Leigh, "No problem. I'll just go get it for you," and walked out.
Damn, I went too far, Leigh thought. She knew she needed to keep her cool in this situation, but she was so close. For the past twenty years, she knew the only thing she wanted to do was work on the creative team for this company. She had read every insider dirt sheet, seen every house show and indy fed she could afford. To be sitting in this office, talking to Stephanie-FREAKING-McMahon and blow it like that was more than she could handle.
"Here you go, Leigh," Stephanie said, holding out a chilled bottle of water. "I hope you don't mind, but I've asked my dad to be involved in the rest of this meeting. I think you've made some really interesting points so far; most of which have been brought to my attention already, but definitely worth looking into again." Leigh slowly looked up to see the very impressive presence of Vince McMahon. She stood up to shake his hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McMahon," she croaked.
Vince smiled. "The pleasure is mine. I don't mind saying that Steph here is quite taken with you already. She's filled me in on what you've discussed, so please continue." He sat in the chair next to Leigh, settling back and crossing his right ankle at his left knee. She was stunned as she looked at his custom-made suit and salt-and-pepper hair.
Leigh cleared her throat. "Thank you. We were discussing advance planning as far as angles go. Another idea I wanted to bring up is getting back to basic wrestling and storytelling. I know you've already put in motion the thought of directing the matches back to a more mat-wrestling basis, which I think will help a lot. Not only will it cut down on injuries, which brings me back to my last point about the planning, but I think it will force the up-and-coming wrestlers to think about their matches. What separates the good wrestlers from the great is their storytelling ability. Mick Foley and Ric Flair both made a point to come up with some reason for doing what they did in every angle. I think it made not only for great tv, but is the reason they're both legends today. Granted, they both have very different styles of wrestling, but they both wanted to create reasons why they took every action. I think that's sorely lacking from a lot of your superstars today." Leigh looked at both members of the McMahon family trying to gauge their reactions. Vince made a face that indicated he agreed with her and Stephanie followed his lead.
"Okay, Leigh, I'll have to agree with you there, but I have one more question for you. Why should I hire you? What makes you different than the 3.000 other people that applied for this position?" Stephanie looked at the woman and held her breath. She liked Leigh; she appreciated the fact that the woman had put so much effort to be taken seriously. She wanted Leigh to give the right answer.
"To put it simply, Stephanie, I'm a fan. I've watched this company from the days of Saturday Night's Main Event to the Austin v. Mr. McMahon era right up until this week. I've seen the highs and lows and stuck with it. With all due respect, however, I think you all have lost touch with the actual fans that keep you in business. I know what I want to see and I can translate it into what they want to see. They don't particularly want to see an elimination Diva search and I know for damn sure they don't want to see a pregnancy angle. But most of all, I know how to make it good television. I can write; I can tap into the psyche of your casual fan and make RAW and SmackDown into appointment television for them. I'll be honest with you and say that I will always watch these shows. I'm fascinated by the athleticism these men and women have and find it fascinating when there is a truly great angle. Sadly, though, those truly great angles are becoming few and far between. Right now, you're not really giving your fans a reason to tune into your shows; you're giving them a lot of crap with a few good matches now and then. If actions aren't taken soon, I'm afraid to think of what might happen to this company." Leigh was being frank. She knew it. She knew she risked everything in going too far. She had worked so hard to get here, gone through so much heartache over Jim and was hoping to get her life back on track. While this wasn't her last chance at getting her life together, she knew it was her only chance at getting THIS life together.
Leigh looked at Stephanie and Vince as they sized her up. She knew she'd have an answer before walking out of this office. The McMahons stood, and Leigh did the same. "Leigh, I must admit this is the most enlightening interview I've ever conducted. I think you'll be a great fit in our WWE family," Stephanie smiled. Leigh looked from one to the other; Vince was smiling at her like she was his own daughter. "When can you start?" he asked.
Leigh woke up before the alarm; she stretched her arm to prevent the incessant buzzing from going off. Looking around the barren hotel room, she realized she had unexpected time to fit in a quick run before needing to get ready for her interview.
Getting out of bed and hurriedly dressing, she grabbed her key and headed out the door. While her feet pounded the pavement and she attempted to keep her breathing regulated, she went over any and all possible questions that would be thrown her way; those having to deal with the world of wrestling and her extensive knowledge, as well as those that encompassed general job performances.
Leigh had always been a fan of professional wrestling, but she figured that's all she ever would be. Once word got out that WCW was folding, she realized she wouldn't have the guts to pursue a position with WWE in Connecticut. She couldn't leave her family and face being an adult on her own. As she jogged along the streets of Stamford, she realized how far a leap she had taken in being here. Her dream of being on the creative team for World Wrestling Entertainment was within her grasp; Leigh had to remind herself of that. She glanced at her watch to check her pace against the unfamiliar surroundings and realized that her dream would quickly slip away if she didn't head back to her hotel and clean herself up. She quickly showered and pulled her hair back; she had a tendency to play with it when nervous and that would most likely be the case today. She carefully applied some light make-up and dressed in a light gray suit. Putting her handbag and research materials into her black Coach leather briefcase, she quickly glanced in the mirror. The run earlier had done her good; her cheeks were still a bit flushed and made her hazel eyes bright. Her honey colored hair pulled back showcased her striking features. Here goes everything, Leigh thought.
An attractive woman walked up to the receptionist desk at Titan Towers and announced herself. 'Good morning. I'm Leigh Carter; I have a 9 o'clock appointment with Stephanie McMahon-Levesque.'
The receptionist glanced at her, looking rather bored. 'Thank you. Please have a seat while I let Mrs. Levesque know you're here.' She then picked up her phone and dialed the extension while Leigh looked at her surroundings. The lobby was nicely decorated with only the glaring WWE, Inc. symbol giving away the corporate identity. Magazines were neatly scattered on the coffee table, many recent. Leigh noticed that in addition to the normal advertising magazines, there were also several copies of the latest RAW monthly edition. The (former) Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton glared at her from the cover. 'Jesus, he really does look like a prick,' she thought. Leigh settled back into the leather sofa and took out her copy of the New York Times; she normally didn't read this particular paper, but heard it was a good accessory to bring on any professional outing.
"Ms. Carter?" Leigh glanced up from her paper. "I'm Janine Parker, Stephanie's assistant. She's on a conference call that's running a little behind, but asked that I go ahead and take you up to her office." Janine smiled politely at the young woman as she gathered up her briefcase and paper. As they walked to the elevators, she glanced at Leigh, "Steph's terribly sorry she wasn't able to escort you personally," hitting the button for the tenth floor.
"Oh really, it's fine. I'm thankful she was able to see me so quickly; I was only called yesterday for the interview. I'm just so excited to actually be here," Leigh replied, nervously tucking her sideswept bangs behind her ear.
"Have you been a fan for long?"
"Since I was in grade school. Once I found out all the conflicts and outcomes were scripted, I knew I found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life," Leigh replied truthfully as they stepped into the lobby of the executive suites.
"Can I get you anything while you wait? A cup of coffee or some water, perhaps?"
"No, thank you, though."
"Okay, then, I'll let Stephanie know you're here and she'll let you know when she's ready," the older woman replied, directing Leigh to an overstuffed leather armchair.
Leigh took in her surroundings; there were fresh flower arrangements on Janine's desk as well as the coffee table that looked like it had never seen a cup of coffee in it's life. Windows throughout the floor afforded a stunning view of the lush Connecticut landscape. The wood floors were well polished and Persian rugs were scattered throughout. Hell, the damn things probably cost as much as my mortgage, Leigh thought. She looked up when she heard a door opening.
"Leigh Carter?" Stephanie called. Leigh smiled brightly as she looked at the young woman she admired so much and nodded, getting to her feet.
"Sorry to keep you waiting so long. Please come in. Can I get you anything before we get started?"
"No, thank you. Janine already offered, but really I'm fine," Leigh replied, sitting down in the wing chair facing Stephanie's desk.
"Alright, well let's just get started. I'm a little behind this morning, but I'd like to make sure we get everything covered. Our HR department already went over the preliminary questions during the phone interview, so why don't we start with your past wrestling experience," Stephanie said, sitting down at her desk. She picked up a copy of Leigh's resume and began looking over it.
Damn, Leigh thought.
"Actually, my hands-on experience in the wrestling industry is really rather limited, I'm sorry to say. I have written weekly columns for several websites for the past year or so, including numerous scripted shows. I included them in my response to the online job posting, but I've got them with me, as well, if you'd like to see them." Leigh bent down to open her leather satchel and pulled out her wrestling portfolio.
"I don't know why, but I was under the impression that you had worked at some independent federations doing bookings and working as an agent," Stephanie frowned. This isn't starting well, Leigh thought.
"I wish I had been so lucky. I'm originally from Texas, but the southeast portion of the state. The Von Erichs didn't make it down there nearly enough," Leigh offered.
Stephanie brightened at the mention of Fritz's legacy. Her father, Vince, had worked with the Von Erichs on numerous occasions before finally overtaking their promotion in his quest to own all territories across the nation. "You're familiar with the family?" Stephanie questioned.
"Absolutely. While I was growing up, I would hear stories about the Funk and Von Erich brothers. I was so excited to finally see Kerry when he signed up with your company," Leigh replied. She had noticed that Stephanie perked up when the subject of older territories was brought up and hoped she could turn that in her favor.
"I remember thinking Kerry was the most gorgeous man alive back then. I cried for three days when he died," Stephanie confided. Leigh nodded in sympathy.
Once the ice had been broken, the two young women began talking about the current state of the federation and ideas that Leigh could bring to the table. "If I can be honest, Ms. McMahon," Leigh started.
"Please, call me Stephanie. Anybody who admits to a crush on the Texas Tornado is on a first name basis with me," Steph smiled.
"Okay then, Stephanie," yes! "I know the industry has taken some recent bumps in the road with the brand extension and the loss of Austin and Rock, but I admire the tenacity with which WWE has decided to stick to its guns. However, I think a lot of changes could be made to bring the company back to the forefront of sports and entertainment. The ratings for RAW and SmackDown have been fluctuating lately; unfortunately, you're nowhere near the 5s and 6s you were accustomed to just a few years ago. I think now is the time to realize just who your audience is.
"For the past 3 months, RAW has been pulling approximately a 3.9 rating. That's your core group of fans, the people that won't go anywhere no matter what kind of angles are put on their tvs. What I think has been happening lately is the company is so desperate to get back to the upswing portion of the cyclical-ness of this business that these hot-shot angles are being thrown out. Then you don't know how to follow them up and you've wasted what could have been great television for the upcoming 2 to 3 months." Leigh felt like she was on a roll. She pulled out her presentations and showed Stephanie the diagrams and charts she'd so meticulously researched and created. "Honestly, with advance planning, like what was formerly done 10-15 years ago, I think that would be a great way to get back on track."
"Yes, but with the industry how it is right now, with the increased travel schedules and the injuries running rampant, we can't really plan in advance. We have to take it as it comes," Stephanie pointed out. Her team of writers, bookers and agents were experienced; they knew how to do their jobs. "Take Shelton Benjamin, for example. He was at the beginning of a huge push; one night at a house show he breaks his hand and has to be off tv for three months."
"I understand, but it doesn't have to be that way. I thought one of the most brilliant things you and your team has done recently has been Randy Orton. It's obvious that he's being groomed to be your heavy hitter, and has been since day one. He was sidelined with the shoulder injury, but your team turned that into an angle. You kept him on tv with the RNN updates, fresh in the audiences' mind so when he came back, he was able to go directly back to where he left off. I think the difference in those 2 examples is y'all knew what you wanted to do with Randy, but not a clue when it came to Shelton." Leigh stopped herself and took a deep breath. She was getting excited and somewhat emotional. Her hands had been flaying wildly throughout her speech, and she was thankful she had pulled her thick mass of hair into the bun at the nape of her neck. She calmly folded her hands in her lap and sat back in her chair. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I think I'll take that water now."
Stephanie looked at the woman sitting in front of her. She knew her stuff; her background in market research had obviously helped her tremendously in preparation for this interview, but her actual experience in the wrestling industry was definitely lacking. Leigh's passion was evident throughout her speech, and she had most definitely hit on an issue Steph was having within her department. Vince had been on her back recently about the ratings and, with their tv contract with Spike expiring next year, she and Vince both knew how important the ratings would be to their renegotiation. She stood up and looked at Leigh, "No problem. I'll just go get it for you," and walked out.
Damn, I went too far, Leigh thought. She knew she needed to keep her cool in this situation, but she was so close. For the past twenty years, she knew the only thing she wanted to do was work on the creative team for this company. She had read every insider dirt sheet, seen every house show and indy fed she could afford. To be sitting in this office, talking to Stephanie-FREAKING-McMahon and blow it like that was more than she could handle.
"Here you go, Leigh," Stephanie said, holding out a chilled bottle of water. "I hope you don't mind, but I've asked my dad to be involved in the rest of this meeting. I think you've made some really interesting points so far; most of which have been brought to my attention already, but definitely worth looking into again." Leigh slowly looked up to see the very impressive presence of Vince McMahon. She stood up to shake his hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McMahon," she croaked.
Vince smiled. "The pleasure is mine. I don't mind saying that Steph here is quite taken with you already. She's filled me in on what you've discussed, so please continue." He sat in the chair next to Leigh, settling back and crossing his right ankle at his left knee. She was stunned as she looked at his custom-made suit and salt-and-pepper hair.
Leigh cleared her throat. "Thank you. We were discussing advance planning as far as angles go. Another idea I wanted to bring up is getting back to basic wrestling and storytelling. I know you've already put in motion the thought of directing the matches back to a more mat-wrestling basis, which I think will help a lot. Not only will it cut down on injuries, which brings me back to my last point about the planning, but I think it will force the up-and-coming wrestlers to think about their matches. What separates the good wrestlers from the great is their storytelling ability. Mick Foley and Ric Flair both made a point to come up with some reason for doing what they did in every angle. I think it made not only for great tv, but is the reason they're both legends today. Granted, they both have very different styles of wrestling, but they both wanted to create reasons why they took every action. I think that's sorely lacking from a lot of your superstars today." Leigh looked at both members of the McMahon family trying to gauge their reactions. Vince made a face that indicated he agreed with her and Stephanie followed his lead.
"Okay, Leigh, I'll have to agree with you there, but I have one more question for you. Why should I hire you? What makes you different than the 3.000 other people that applied for this position?" Stephanie looked at the woman and held her breath. She liked Leigh; she appreciated the fact that the woman had put so much effort to be taken seriously. She wanted Leigh to give the right answer.
"To put it simply, Stephanie, I'm a fan. I've watched this company from the days of Saturday Night's Main Event to the Austin v. Mr. McMahon era right up until this week. I've seen the highs and lows and stuck with it. With all due respect, however, I think you all have lost touch with the actual fans that keep you in business. I know what I want to see and I can translate it into what they want to see. They don't particularly want to see an elimination Diva search and I know for damn sure they don't want to see a pregnancy angle. But most of all, I know how to make it good television. I can write; I can tap into the psyche of your casual fan and make RAW and SmackDown into appointment television for them. I'll be honest with you and say that I will always watch these shows. I'm fascinated by the athleticism these men and women have and find it fascinating when there is a truly great angle. Sadly, though, those truly great angles are becoming few and far between. Right now, you're not really giving your fans a reason to tune into your shows; you're giving them a lot of crap with a few good matches now and then. If actions aren't taken soon, I'm afraid to think of what might happen to this company." Leigh was being frank. She knew it. She knew she risked everything in going too far. She had worked so hard to get here, gone through so much heartache over Jim and was hoping to get her life back on track. While this wasn't her last chance at getting her life together, she knew it was her only chance at getting THIS life together.
Leigh looked at Stephanie and Vince as they sized her up. She knew she'd have an answer before walking out of this office. The McMahons stood, and Leigh did the same. "Leigh, I must admit this is the most enlightening interview I've ever conducted. I think you'll be a great fit in our WWE family," Stephanie smiled. Leigh looked from one to the other; Vince was smiling at her like she was his own daughter. "When can you start?" he asked.