While preparing for a move, Todd Meleney ’10 opened a storage bin intent on sorting through a random assortment of belongings. But what he found on top of the pile made him stop and rethink his future.
Sitting on the basement steps, Meleney read his rediscovered college thesis. Its aspirational title, “How to Start a Brand in a Competitive Industry,” was rooted in Meleney’s experience launching a surf apparel brand as a student at Endicott (he packed orders in his Bayview room). Reading it with a new perspective, he had an epiphany.
“It was like reading somebody else’s point of view,” recalled Meleney, who by then had spent about a decade helping to build the athletic brand NOBULL as its chief marketing officer (CMO). “I reflected on the skills I was lacking when I decided to stop doing that surf brand and realized I had since accumulated those skills. It was this really profound moment.”
Fast forward to 2024, when Meleney decided to use that aptitude to launch While on Earth, a performance wellness brand founded on the idea of time as our most valuable currency. Over the last 18 months, Meleney has walked away from an established career with NOBULL to take a chance on himself as he first dreamed of doing at Endicott. He’s partnered with athletes who embody While on Earth’s ambitions, including NFL star Christian McCaffrey and CrossFit icons Brooke Wells and Mat Fraser.
Meleney described McCaffrey as the “perfect personification of While on Earth. Authenticity is the magic of a brand because it creates trust and connection.” Known as one of the NFL’s most versatile players, the dual-threat runner and receiver is admired for his fierce work ethic.
Recognizing the time was right to make the leap into his own entrepreneurial endeavor took similar fortitude from Meleney, and he showed that same grit as an Endicott student. Having transferred to the Nest as a junior, the sport management major found himself behind on credits but determined to graduate on time. With support from the school, he doubled up on credits his senior year while running his surf brand and interning for the New England Patriots, where he became the intern to the CMO and gained direct access to learning opportunities from senior executives.
“I fell in love with the process of creating something from nothing,” Meleney said. “I found that the harder the task, the more rewarding it would be.”
After presenting his now prophetic thesis at 22, Meleney continued to commit to personal and professional development. He eventually connected with two former Reebok executives starting their own brand. Meleney initially tried to sell them his company, but the duo instead invited him to their venture. Seeing a chance to contribute meaningfully to something bigger, Meleney joined them at then-startup NOBULL in 2015.
Although Meleney helped NOBULL grow to a $250-million-a-year company, he felt he had more to give elsewhere. He saw an opportunity to fill a gap in the market with a brand that was more holistic in its definition of wellness and would appeal to folks in different life phases.
“I was at this interesting moment where I had the experience, reputation, and network to build what I’d hoped to build 15 years earlier,” Meleney explained, “and if there was anybody capable of capitalizing on this opportunity, it was going to be me and the team I had around me that was interested in coming with me on that journey.”
Along for that ride are former Gulls Jed Magnusson ’15, Vice President of Marketing, and Chris Yonuss ’15, Vice President of Operations. They represent for Meleney the promise of Endicott and the experiential education that transformed him from an undergraduate with big dreams to a young man armed with the practical muscle to realize those dreams.
While on Earth recently launched its first shoe, the Rhythm Runner, and the Christian McCaffrey (CMC) signature line, which emphasize the brand’s hallmark high performance and versatility. The company plans to build additional franchises, highlighting storytelling, identity, and community-building.
Reinforcing the brand’s core philosophy is While on Earth’s “The Pathway” logo. Inspired by a thumbprint, the design reminds people to leave their mark as they find their way. Ultimately, Meleney wants the brand to inspire others to reach their full potential by asking themselves the types of questions that led to the company’s manifestation in the first place.
“Am I showing up as the best version of myself? Am I using my time intentionally? Am I aligned with my purpose?” Meleney asked. “The brand exists as a constant reminder that time on earth is finite and precious, and how we use it shapes who we become. It’s something I’ve grown to learn about myself over time and…it became this connection with finding out what my full potential is.”