Life and Work with Meredith Little

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Little.

Meredith, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story is a bit of a bumpy one filled with waves of joy and sadness. However, the joy has always heavily overshadowed the sadness in my life.

Originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, I grew up in a very loving, faithful home with both of my parents and my younger sister. We were a “normal” family up until we lost my sister Reagan in the summer of 2001. To give perspective, while most families were trying to process the tragedies of September 11th, my family was still trying to process the loss of an immediate family member.

I can remember being good at making people laugh. I hated seeing my parents cry over my sister’s loss and enjoyed getting a laugh from them. I always found myself performing in front of the video camera my parents so graciously let me play with. My friends and I would put on full productions of our own creations in my living room at 1 AM. I grew up performing in a children’s community theater group in our small little town called ACT. Here’s is where my love for performance was fostered. I ended up going off to college to pursue acting at the University of Oklahoma.
I found so much love and success at OU. I learned that movement was my favorite type of performance art and took as many dance classes as possible. I even won an award for Best Partner during our regional ACTF Festival. I was pushed to the max and found that theater is quite literally a labor of love.

After working on the set of a movie in 2013, I began to get really sick. Going into my senior, I was missing classes weekly with chronic migraines and stomach pains. I was scared that I may not graduate but my teachers and parents were able to help me make it through all the health struggles. After graduating on time with my class, my parents and I made the move to Texas.

Now, I live in Dallas, Texas working for OUTFRONT Media as an Account Executive and am still trying to pursue acting with Kim Dawson Agency. Most days for me feel focused around my health. I recently was diagnosed with Lyme disease back in January, this was the ultimate cause of all the pain my senior year of college. I am lucky to have an answer now to all my struggles and I am currently being treated for Lyme.

Like I said, life certainly has been bumpy but the amount of joy I currently have is something to always celebrate and I am lucky to share my story.

Has it been a smooth road?
There is never going to be a smooth road to success. Mine certainly has not been smooth. I faced many struggles throughout my life starting with my learning disabilities. Having just lost a sister, the attention was already hyper-focused on my well-being but my difficulties at school truly made me feel like I stuck out like a sore thumb.

I had it all: ADD, dyslexia, auditory processing problems, and dysgraphia. We struggled to find a treatment for my learning disabilities which included various testing, countless medicines and even a week-long dyslexia “camp”. I say we because this process was truly a team effort from my parents. Without their patience, I don’t believe I’d have the success I do today. They quite literally fought for my needs in the classroom and made sure I had all the advantages as someone who didn’t encounter obstacles daily but even this made me feel secluded.

Preferential treatment like extra time on tests, a note-taker and even priority seating was given to me as an aid. Now, I knew I needed these accommodations and truly I was grateful for them but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being singled out. Many times when we had state testing, I was removed from my class only to be placed with “the weird kids”. As a child, you can only imagine how this affected my self-worth since the only thing that mattered back then is if you were well-liked. These aids were supposed to empower me and give me the tools in order to feel confident in my abilities. Instead, they made me feel more disabled than I already was.

For the longest time, I told myself that I was just stupid. Other kids had said similar things to me so it had to be true, right? My junior year math teacher even said to me while turning in a test, “Well, it won’t really matter because you’ll be on stage somewhere performing”. That same year, I decided to get back on ADD Medicine after being off of it for four years. Shortly after getting back on the meds, I was sitting in that very same math class… and everything was suddenly clicking. I had an epiphany. I wasn’t stupid. I wasn’t stupid at all. I JUST WASN’T PAYING ATTENTION. After that, I knew what I had to do in order to accomplish my goals.

By the time I started applying to colleges I had already built up a pretty strong work ethic. If I wanted to be as good as or even better than the “smart kids”, I had to bust my tail to get there. I got off ADD meds and have stayed off of them since 2011. I was able to triumphantly make it into the prestigious University of Oklahoma Helmrich School of Drama based on the hard work and good grades I managed to pull off. I even managed to win the award for Best Partner at ACTF. Humblebrag.

Navigating adult life with learning disabilities has found itself taxing at times. Some days are more demanding than others but I am able to recognize the issue and correct it before it affects my work. For anyone who struggles with learning disabilities and is just starting their journey, your disability can either be your biggest crutch or your biggest strength. The choice is yours. Listen to your mind and body. Know what you need and don’t be scared to ask for help. Chances are if you struggle with similar issues as me and got the job, you had to work twice as hard as someone for it and guess what, you deserve to be there. So, show up, show out and work your butt off.

What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I have trouble defining my work because not only do I want to try everything but I want to do everything! I kind of have my hands in a multitude of things.

My day job is working for OUTFRONT Media as an Account Executive. I work with local brands and agencies to create innovative and captivating campaigns designed to connect target audiences through the power of out of home advertising. I’m sure the marketing department is somewhere cringing at my elevator pitch. Haha!

Simply put, OUTFRONT is a media company that connects consumers with brands while they are out of their homes. Our core assets are billboards and transit ads across North America, but now, includes many mobile applications like re-targeted ads and social sharing and influencers. Our focus is on TLC. Technology as we convert to more digital assets, Location as our assets reach the right audiences at the right time and place, and creativity both in terms of big canvases and creative ideas.

I mentioned that I studied acting in college and this still remains a passion of mine. I recently just signed with Kim Dawson Agency and I’m very excited to get back to work after taking a 6-month break. Since I do work at 9 to 5, it’s easier for me to focus on commercial and print work. A way that I happily blend my two passions of acting/modeling and advertising has been using my Instagram as an “influencer platform”. It’s a great side hustle that allows me to connect with people with similar interest all over the world and promote brands and products that I love! Eventually, I would like to be working more on social media but for now, I’m just learning all I can about the media!

Who have you been inspired by?
I have been lucky enough to have females in my life who inspire me. Though it may be cliché for many, my mother truly set the standards of what I should aspire to be. She is the ultimate Girl Boss idol in my life. When my mother was my age she was the General Sales Manager for a News Station in Shreveport. That is somewhat unfathomable for me to even process. I’m not sure how I would be juggling such a responsibility at 27 years old. I can hardly manage the most simplistic of things in my life much less an entire sales team at a news station!

If I could use one word to describe my mom it would be strong. This woman is strong in her mentality and way of thinking. She is strong in her words and how she opens her heart to others. She is the person who instilled in me a hard work effort and fighting for myself. “Speak up” she always urged me. “People can’t help you if you don’t tell them what you need” she would say. When my sister passed, she refused to let me see her suffer because she knew I would worry. I can’t imagine losing a child and still having to mother another child through grief. Her unwavering love has shown me how I want to mother my kids one day.

My mom has and always will be my go-to person and biggest fan. I call her randomly and somehow she manages to drop everything to answer my phone call about petting puppies or how to boil eggs. She encouraged my creativity from a young age by letting me try out every single new art medium and letting me constantly film every move. She has helped paint theater sets and sew costumes. She has spent late nights putting together what was supposed to be a simple school project that I made into a full-on art exhibit. She has even been my off-screen reader for TV and film submissions. I am grateful to have parents who support my dreams and who have allowed me to pursue all forms of creativity.

Finally, she’s always right. About everything. Yes, I said it and I’m sure she’s somewhere right now reading this shaking her head but I can distinctly remember her talking me through a break-up. The pain of this particular break up was so blinding I couldn’t process a life beyond this guy I had been with for a few years. It seems so silly to say now but everyone has been there at least once. I was on the phone with her lamenting when she told me how this pain is so temporary and God has a way of turning our lives and hearts around. “Meredith, six months from now, you could be in love with your perfect person. You could even be engaged. You just don’t know what plans God has for you and your life” she said… and she was right. Two months later, I had reconnected with a friend from college and we’ve been dating for a couple of years now. The pain of that boy I thought I loved had completely melted away. My mom has always known my heart and how my thoughts and emotions work. Only she could convince me of seeing beyond my pain (even if I would never admit it).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://msha.ke/meredithmlittle/
• Email: mlittleasst@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MeredithMLittle/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeredithMLittle
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithmlittle/

Image Credit:
Personal photo (Purple top/green couch): Photo by Amanda Bayacal

Photo #1 (Graduate): Commercial for Carter Blood Care shot by Infinite Agency

Photo #2 (bar scene) Grub Burger print shoot, shot by Stewart Cohen Pictures

Photo #4 (Green crush velvet dress/ pink background): Photo by Adrian Stecker, Hair and makeup by Omar Perez

Photo #5 (three women): Photo by Marshall Cox, Styling by Marissa Birdi, Hair and Makeup by Rocio Vielma Shot for Collective Confidence

Photo #6 (white dress): Photo by Wallace Lee

Photo # 7 (Yellow floral top/bell-bottom jeans): Photo by Adrian Stecker, Hair and makeup by Omar Perez

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