The Boss: Kanyessa McMahon
Kanyessa McMahon recognized an opportunity and jumped on it. In 2008, after a frustrating four-month stint working at a video production company, she acted on her entrepreneurial aspirations.
“I was 25 at the time,†says McMahon. “My job wasn’t working out because I wasn’t getting paid on time. My paychecks were bouncing, and my skills weren’t being utilized.†McMahon left the company and, through an industry connection, acquired her first client–Nike. The 30-year-old now calls the shots as head of her own production company.
“Most people who become wealthy do it through entrepreneurship,†says Evans-Motte. A recent study by U.S. Trust, which surveys high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth Americans, revealed that 84% of the survey’s 450 wealthy respondents earned their wealth themselves.
As CEO of New York City-based Suddenly There Productions, McMahon manages brand content for Nike, Adidas, and MTV. She is currently working on a project producing and directing videos for Adidas as its global online brand content producer.
Suddenly There Productions was up and running just a few weeks after McMahon quit her job. Her only startup cost was the $200 filing fee required by New York State to form a limited liability company. She already owned all the equipment she needed for her business; photography, computer, and video equipment had all been purchased while she was a student. McMahon completed her bachelor’s in photography at Pratt Institute in 2004 and her master’s in media studies at the New School in 2006. Her clients provide her with a production budget, which covers contractors and the costs of producing and editing videos.
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