Dana Warrior Discusses Joining WWE’s Creative Team: ‘I Adore It’

– Dana Warrior spoke with CBS Sports about her work with WWE, including joining the creative team recently. Highlights are below:

On whether she ever thought she’d be this involved with WWE: “What’s the saying? If you want to make God laugh, tell him [about] your plans. I couldn’t have planned for this. I really couldn’t have. But one of the things that when my husband passed away, and it’ll be five years ago on April 8th, one of the things that I did, I never laid down, I never sat down, I never laid down. I wore a dress for a year, because you can’t lay down in a dress. And I thought to myself [that] I will show my daughters strength and I will never let them be afraid. I will never let them wonder if they’re going to be okay. The first thing I said to them was, “You’re gonna be sad for a very long time, but you’ll never be scared, because I will take care of you.” And in that strength, I just kept moving forward, because there is no direction other than forward in life. And so I guess, to me, I want to be an example to my daughters and other women, that when things happen to you, you have a choice. And when you have a choice, always choose good. Because if you choose good, it will reward you, even though you’re not seeking rewards.”

On being asked to join the creative time: “Well, I was invited to be a part of the creative team. I was absolutely thunderstruck and excited, and it’s an honor. I’ve been a writer since the time I was small. That was what I identified as. Since third grade, when I won my first award at a book fair. I’ve always called myself a writer, and then I put my own addition on the shelf when I got married to raise my children. I still wrote children’s books. I still taught them both to read by the time that they were four. Because I think literacy is such an incredibly important civil right, quite frankly. And I love literature. I love words. And it was a complete surprise to be invited to take part.But now that I am, I champion women’s voices and authentic women’s voices. And that opportunity given to me by our chairman is just an example of how he champions women in this industry too. And talk about evolution. We have really grown, and it was an honor to be able to break a glass ceiling.”

On if we’ve seen her work on WWE TV yet: “You have, but it’s also so collaborative that I would never point out and take credit for things that are collaborative teamwork… Which is the greatest part of writing in that setting. And when people identify that’s mine, no it’s not. It’s an idea, and it’s fluid, and everybody adds a little something to it. One person can have this idea and by the end of it, it’s something completely different, but better. And that is what our chairman really does. He’s the figurehead of making better ideas, searching for great solutions, and enlisting people to help him get there.”

On if she’s enjoying the work: “I adore it. But there’s nothing in life that I don’t wake up … no matter what happens and whatever I’ve faced. And I faced some pretty rough things that I’ve never, I wouldn’t speak of publicly, because [with] every challenge… if you choose to go forward and do the very best you can and keep slugging and never lay down — never give up — in a way you prepare yourself for success. And that’s only outcome I’m willing to have.”