What grew out of the boxing world in 1921 has evolved into a phenomenal entertainment marketing enterprise--World Wrestling Federation, Inc. Shane and Stephanie McMahon, son and daughter of Vince and Linda McMahon, are in line to inherit the family-owned operation, which has been in the family for four generations. What is the secret of their success? Education, a lot of hard work and most important, passion.
Raw Magazine/October 1999
By Laura
In this Raw exclusive interview, both Stephanie and Shane speak out about their initiations into the business, their commitments to family and their visions for the future of World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc.
It would be easy to assume that Shane and Stephanie would be next in line to inherit their family's legacy based on birth right alone. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
"We owned Cape Cod Coliseum, a small arena that hosted semi-pro hockey and rock concerts--the Grateful Dead, Van Halen, Ozzy," Shane explains. "That's where Titan Sports, Inc.--now World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc.--was born. I was 11 years old. I started on the clean-up crew after rock concerts. They would line up 30 of us with buckets and we'd start combing the parking lots. We'd go down one side and it was like a big sweep, just done with people. [We'd] fill up all the buckets and dump all that stuff every 30 yards or so. I learned the value of a dollar that way--what it really takes to do hard work."
At the age of 12, Shane graduated to the inside crew and a year later, after both the company and the family relocated to Connecticut, Shane began working in the warehouse in Stamford. He packed orders, filled programs with live event inserts, stacked boxes and stocked the warehouse.
"I did that for two years," Shane recalls. "Then, I went out and I wanted to start saving for a car. I was 14, almost 15, and I wanted to get a raise--but my dad said no. And I was just like, OK. So, I went out and got another job as a laborer for a brick mason and I did that for a few summers. I learned a trade that I could always fall back on if I ever needed it. I actually helped build my parents' house, so I have a lot of pride in it--when I lived there and every time I go back. I helped do all the brick and stone work."
Combined with his labor job, Shane interned at the Federation's headquarters in the marketing department, focusing on licensing. He also had the opportunity to go on the road.
"In '89 I started in the ring crew, traveling around the country, setting up the rings," Shane continues, "where all the guys would get on the plane to fly to the next town--if it was more than three hours, we'd drive the four or five hours. First to get there, last to leave. Once the ring was set up I'd either ring announce or referee or whatever else needed to be done and pack up that night and drive to the next town. I've been to every state in this country, except for Oregon and Alaska. I've set up rings in almost, I'd say, 70 percent of the country."
Stephanie's induction into the business was a little different from her brother's. She was not allowed to go on the ring crew because it was deemed not an appropriate environment for a little girl.
"I wanted the opportunity to go, but I learned different aspects of the company that Shane didn't necessarily learn," says Stephanie. "And I think that, collaboratively, what we have learned will really complement each other. Now, I love the experience of being on the road because I am able to do it, even though I didn't set up the rings and take them down--a fundamental part of our business that I do wish I had been able to experience. But I'm very happy that I got to contribute in other ways.
I started off as a receptionist. At that time reception handled all fan calls, as well as all company calls; there was no fan services department. I opened all the fan mail as well as controlled the stamps and everything else internal. Everything went through the receptionist. I was a receptionist for about two years."
Stephanie then went on to intern in various departments--Human Resources, Marketing and Pay-Per-View, Media Relations, the television studio as a production assistant, New Media, and this year with the president and CEO--her mother, Linda McMahon.
"That's when I became full-time," Stephanie continues. "I spent three months in my mother's office and it was the most incredible three months. It's a tremendous opportunity to be able to sit in every meeting and every phone call that the CEO has, for three months. Then I spent six months with my father, who is the chairman. I miss [working with] him very, very much.
Today, Stephanie is an account executive in the New York sales office and still learning the business. Shane heads up the Federation's Internet division, continues as an on-air talent and contributes creative content for story lines, as well as taking part in the overall direction of the company. Both siblings graduated from Boston University--Stephanie with a degree in Communications and Shane with a B.S. in Mass Communications and Public Relations. The question is: Was it assumed by their parents that Shane and Stephanie would carry on the family business--or did they have a choice?
"My parents never pressured either Shane or me into working for the company," says Stephanie. "My parents were very supportive in everything that we wanted to do. Like I said, when I was younger, I was a little bit of a ham and I used to dance. I took ballet, jazz, tap, point--everything. That was extra-curricular, as well as playing sports in school. And my parents always supported me--you know, if I wanted to become a dancer, if I wanted to be a choreographer, if I wanted to be anything. I always did have this love to perform. But my first love first and foremost has always been the World Wrestling Federation."
The backbone of the World Wrestling Federation's continued success and evolution is definitely family solidarity. I was impressed with the passionate conviction both Stephanie and Shane expressed with regard to the McMahon clan.
"Definitely, family is the most important thing to me," Stephanie discloses. "That's one of the reasons why I love this company so much, and one of the reasons I work so hard for this company is because it is an extension of my family. You know, the World Wrestling Federation has been in my family for four generations and, hopefully, my children will want to be a part of that as well. But I certainly will not pressure them just as we were not pressured. But family is most definitely the number one priority to me."
Family is also on Shane's mind. He and his wife, Marissa--who happens to be the manager of National Public Relations for the World Wrestling Federation--plan to have children some day.
"I want to create a legacy for them... again, if they want it," Shane reveals. "That's up to them. They'll have every opportunity to have the same education. What's really cool for them--and I look forward to the day--is that we'll be so diverse by then, whatever their specifics are, they will have opportunity.
Marissa is an extremely dynamic woman with many talents, one of them being creativity. She has a very creative mind. Among other things, Marissa is an unbelievable chef, artist and business woman; she's really amazing. So, if any of our daughters or sons have that inclination toward her creativity and her drive, we have the whole Creative Services division. Or we might become our own advertising agency... that's wide open for them. Or if they want to be an actor, then that's open for them because we have the movie industry. Or if they want to be a producer of a film, they can go to film school and plug right in.
Then, there's Stephanie and her family... if her children, along with her husband, want that, then it will be open for them, too. As we continue to grow and diversify, hopefully, we can multiply fast enough!" Shane suggests.
Already a diverse entertainment enterprise, Shane and Stephanie have distinct visions of where they plan to take the company. The future of the World Wrestling Federation is certainly in strong, capable hands.
"This company is growing so enormously and so fast... looking into things, such as a record company--we're already in the record business, but really, really focusing on that. So, whatever that company's called... if it's RAW records--you know, the television show--the Internet division [or we] might also do a movie--a movie production company--not just Federation shows, but other television shows," Shane explains. "Also, we have the World Wrestling Federation Hotel and Casino project... you know, the Entertainment Complex. It's getting so big and so diverse that we just want to make every single entity healthy and that's going to take a lot, a lot of planning to build the right team. So, there's plenty of the pie to go around for everybody. That's my vision to continue... whatever product we create, to take that formula of what we do today--which is merchandising, licensing, live events, touring--and applying that same formula to any product we want to create. And we know how to do it and how to be successful doing it."
There is no doubt that Shane and Stephanie have inherited the entrepreneurial spirit and savvy business sense of their parents, Vince and Linda McMahon. So, what does the future hold for Shane and Stephanie, as well as the World Wrestling Federation? While nothing is written in stone, it is certain that the world is Shane and Stephanie's oyster--and one that is most definitely cultivating a pearl.
I see Shane and I being an unstoppable team," explains Stephanie. "And I think that our styles will really complement each other's and make this company even more successful than it is. I don't think that there is any limit to what the World Wrestling Federation can become or already is. We are truly an entertainment marketing enterprise. And the World Wrestling Federation will be a brand that will be associated with music, movies, television--any kind of entertainment. The World Wrestling Federation is a unique brand and with the creative focus that we have on story line and production value, the high quality of product that we put our heart and soul and everything into. Everthing that has that World Wrestling Federation logo, in a sense, has the McMahon name on it. And Shane and I are just going to work our hardest to ensure that it is the best possible product it can be."