Imagine. Inspire. Transform. Words to live by for Author and Producer, Cavan Mahony.
Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Cavan now resides in the English countryside with her husband, son, and their beloved dog, August. Cavan is a graduate of Wellesley College with an MBA from Harvard Business School, Cavan’s own personal journey has been filled with twists and turns, miracles and magic. Her entrepreneurial spirit led Cavan into the international world of luxury fashion and beauty, working with iconic houses including Lancôme, Chanel, and Missoni.
It was her passion for storytelling, self-discovery and transformation that inspired Cavan to write her first book, Clara and the Magic Circles, and to co-found UK-based media platform Coat Company Productions with Sarah, Duchess of York.
At The Legacy Globe we are collectively working alongside each other to leave lasting legacies which will empower future generations. How do you feel that your upbringing has shaped you?
I admire the mission of The Legacy Globe. It is so important we come together to help future generations feel empowered and to work together to create platforms which could make the world a more peaceful, happy and healthy place. I am very grateful for everything about my upbringing from the gift of an incredible education to the hardship of my family’s sudden financial troubles and resulting emotional upheavals. My upbringing taught me grit, endurance and a deep appreciation for the present moment.
Today I am passionate about helping children to recognise their own limitless potential and to give them the tools to find a way out of
self-judgment, sadness or anger and to become aware at a young age that they are the heros of their own lives. I am also passionate about creating content for both children and adults that is uplifting and positive.
You are a serial entrepreneur and have achieved huge success throughout your career. What do you think is the key to success?
Believe in yourself and your vision enough so that no one can derail it.
Know yourself well enough to know what you are good at doing and what a Partner or employee or consultant do better than you can.
Check your ego.
Listen and learn from other people.
Ask yourself, “what does it mean to me to be successful?” Is it a number in your bank account? Is it fame? Is it the pursuit of excellence? Is it a passion that you must follow because you will regret it forever if you don’t?
I am a Mother of a thirteen year old boy. When he was very young I was working all the time. It is physically impossible to be in two different places at the same time. I took time out when we exited our Missoni business to spend time with him and really my greatest success today is the relationship I have with him as a result of the time spent together.
You have stated that you wrote your book "Clara and the Magic Circles" to encourage children to believe in their limitless potential and manifest their dreams. Tell us about your experience writing it.
I thought about writing a book for many years before I finally wrote Clara and the Magic Circles. Looking back, I realise I made countless excuses because I was afraid to write. I was afraid to be judged as a writer. I felt comfortable (and very passionate) about the activity and working life as an Entrepreneur. We re-located to the countryside during the first lock down. I was incredibly inspired by the nature of the English countryside. I knew I had run out of excuses, and I had to try. Once I started writing I could not stop. I have so many more stories I am excited to write about now. It’s incredibly liberating. This particular story I wrote to my eight year old self to say everything you ever need is inside of you. Outside circumstances, friends nor family define you. I hope to inspire children to feel this at a young age instead of having to learn this so much later in life.
Your passion for storytelling led you to
co-found 'Coat Company Productions'
with Sarah, Duchess of York. Tell us about
the company and what we can look forward to viewing?
We are currently in development of a historical drama series with an incredible team of writers and producers. We are very excited about it and
I look forward to telling you more about it in the future! I founded Coat Company Productions with Sarah, Duchess of York to create uplifting and meaningful content as well as to work together in teams with integrity and honour.
How important do you think it is to give back as part of our legacies?
It is so important! I have learned so much about giving back particularly from my stepfather, Howard Stevenson, Professor Emeritus at Harvard University, Chairman of Harvard Business School Publishing, Senior Associate Dean at Harvard Business School, Professor of Entrepreneurship and so much more! Howard has spent a lifetime mentoring students, entrepreneurs, investing in start-ups to more established businesses. Both he and my Mother are passionate about giving back. They champion the charities they are passionate about and give back to regularly. To quote Howard, “Success is legacy in the form of leaving something behind that will continue to build others’ capacity for success.”
Any measure of giving back from mentoring one person to helping an entire group or organisation can change this world for the better.
What does the word Legacy mean to you?
The definition of legacy normally refers to leaving financial means for a person or a group of people. I have always associated the word legacy with that of a long lasting company. For example, the legacy of Estee Lauder is phenomenal and admirable. Estee Lauder built a company that today is probably much more successful than she ever thought possible. I would ask the question – what does success mean to you? As what does legacy mean to you?
For me, the most important legacy I could leave is that my son feels he was loved unconditionally by me and his father and that we gave him the wings to fly on his own. As well,
I hope and I aspire to help as many people as I can in my life-time to find their own limitless potential, through storytelling, through platforms, charities and collaborations.
