• Kelvin Mensah is a personal jet dealer, luxurious life-style specialist, and cofounder of PJKev Authorised LLC.
• His purchasers embody music trade titan Mr. Sean Combs, or Diddy, the Kardashians, soccer celebrity Neymar Jr., and firms like Forbes.
• Mensah shared how he went from an bold teen within the Bronx to working his personal chartering enterprise and making a considerable earnings within the luxurious sector.
• Networking and offering top-notch service have considerably contributed to his success.
• He suggested different entrepreneurs to not be afraid to spend just a little extra on higher high quality advertising and marketing or service to maintain purchasers coming again.
• Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Although celebrities are sometimes noticed on business flights, many stars take to the skies in non-public jets to keep away from being bombarded by followers and journey in fashion and luxury. These flights are sometimes chartered, organized by non-public jet brokers who deal with reserving and different particulars. 

For the previous seven years, Kelvin Mensah has been climbing to the highest of the luxurious life-style trade, arranging non-public flights for high-profile purchasers. From celebrities like music trade titan Mr. Sean Combs, or Diddy, to enterprise moguls just like the Kardashians and soccer celebrity Neymar Jr. to company purchasers like Forbes, Mensah’s Rolodex is spectacular. 

However Mensah is not solely spectacular for his consumer checklist. At simply 29, he is one of many youngest African American non-public jet brokers and luxurious life-style specialists on the planet. In 2019, he cofounded his own company, PJKev Authorised LLC, and chartered greater than 300 jets.

Mensah shared the story of his meteoric rise from city life in New York to flying himself and his purchasers the world over in high-end aircrafts. 

From the streets of the Bronx to worldwide skies

As a teen residing within the Bronx, Mensah held an array of jobs in retail and meals service, however stated he felt the decision of entrepreneurship when he observed how typically paperwork, nepotism, and “purple tape” restricted alternatives for development and success.

After studying books like “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” Mensah made it his objective to construct a enterprise that may grant him monetary independence. His leap into the world of high-end choices got here when an acquaintance launched him to the luxurious actual property trade in 2013. 

Keen to offer himself each benefit on the planet of luxurious gross sales, Mensah started working with a multilevel advertising and marketing firm in 2015 to develop his basic gross sales abilities. From there, one other colleague advised him about an organization that was promoting chartered jets. On the recommendation of his good friend Justin Combs (whom he met by means of famend NYC DJ Webstar), Mensah moved to Los Angeles shortly after. 

“My first time in LA, I keep in mind going as much as the hills and all these mansions,” he stated. “That opened up my imaginative and prescient and mentality to the way it’s potential to amass these property and construct wealth for your loved ones. I stated, ‘If I might discover a area of interest of shut associates with a high-net-worth enterprise, I might make some huge cash from a small proportion.'”

Even then, Mensah understood the worth of a robust community. In reality, it was due to his relationship with Justin Combs that he landed his first high-profile non-public jet consumer, well-liked rapper French Montana, at age 21. 

Mensah admitted that he made main errors on that first reserving, chartering a light-weight plane as an alternative of the mid-sized jet Montana requested due to restricted availability. However due to the sound rapport Mensah had constructed with Montana, the rapper continued to belief him to ship. Mensah did not disappoint, happening to satisfy and exceed Montana’s expectations on future bookings. 

The reserving that moved the goalpost

Mensah has continued to make wonderful customer support and honest costs his calling card. However it wasn’t till he was chartering a flight for Brazilian soccer phenom Neymar Jr. that he realized he might strike gold as a luxurious life-style specialist.

“It hit me that if individuals of that caliber can contact me, then I do know that I will need to take it significantly to go to that subsequent stage and proceed buying extra high-net-worth purchasers,” he stated.

Mensah poured most of his earnings again into his enterprise, leveraging his community and establishing a standout model. He branded himself as PJ (“non-public jet”) Kev, a nickname given to him by acclaimed music trade exec Zoe Younger. That title has since turn into synonymous with luxurious life-style in lots of circles.

Within the final eight years, he is established a consumer checklist of greater than 300 individuals throughout high-profile industries like leisure and sports activities. When these purchasers name, Mensah and his workforce deal with each element. With the help of the PJKev Authorised workforce — cofounder and enterprise supervisor Aaron Wilson, strategic advisor Mo Kanu, and director of operations Diamond Santos — Mensah ensures consumer requests are correctly fulfilled, together with chartering the jet, vetting the flight crew, and guaranteeing all key facilities. 

“The job isn’t executed as soon as the passengers are within the air,” he stated. “The job is completed when they’re of their vehicles on their approach to the vacation spot. So, something from A-Z with regards to arranging the flight, establishing floor transportation and catering, and arranging lodging once they arrive at their vacation spot.” 

A ‘pandemic-proof’ trade

It is a large job with many transferring elements. It is much more sophisticated with the present COVID-19 pandemic.

Security has been on the high of Mensah’s precedence checklist this previous 12 months. Along with the opposite obligations his workforce normally manages, he is additionally guaranteeing that every one surfaces are wiped down and sanitized between flights, masks and hand sanitizer are on board, and purchasers are finishing the obligatory COVID-19 well being declaration. However Mensah’s enterprise flies on regardless of all of it. 

The pandemic hit business airways arduous, with airlines having to reduce capacity by 32% to watch social distancing guidelines. Demand for business flights has additionally plummeted. On December 3, 2020, TSA recorded 738,050 vacationers. On the identical date in 2019, the quantity was thrice that at roughly 2.2 million passengers. 

However many private jet companies have reported that they’re operating at nearly pre-pandemic levels, and Mensah has observed an analogous sample in his enterprise. 

Although he is brokered fewer non-public flights this previous 12 months (about 90) due to journey restrictions, he is seen his purchasers broaden from primarily celebrities and company purchasers to extra entrepreneurs and middle-class vacationers. Mensah famous that individuals who traveled top notch pre-COVID-19 have been in search of out non-public flights as an alternative to restrict their time in airports and publicity to fellow vacationers.

Classes for fulfillment at any altitude 

However that is not the one cause Mensah’s enterprise has continued to thrive at a time when so many others have struggled to remain afloat. Mensah attributes his ongoing success to some easy methods:

You possibly can’t earn a living pinching pennies 

Mensah famous that in non-public aviation, high quality comes at a price, with costlier choices just like the International 6000 (nicknamed the “front room of the sky”) providing a much more luxurious expertise than a light-weight jet. However it’s a price he is prepared to pay to make sure his purchasers have the premium expertise they anticipate. Mensah acknowledged that this reality applies in any enterprise. 

“Typically, the only option is likely to be costlier, however at all times go along with the choice that has the very best suggestions and top quality,” he stated. “Whether or not it is PR, model administration, images, no matter, at all times attempt to work with the very best.” 

Constructing a community takes persistence

Mensah’s story is stuffed with proof of the worth of a great community. Mensah acknowledged that it is simpler than ever to achieve out to potential companions, mentors, or purchasers due to social media. But when that door closes, it is no excuse to give up. 

“Discover one other approach to attain out,” Mensah stated. “It isn’t solely social media. You have got emails and phone numbers. For me, if I wish to attain out to somebody, I will discover the three individuals closest to them and attain out to them first.”

Small particulars hold individuals coming again 

For Mensah, the key to excessive income is not getting a variety of purchasers; it is retaining those he already has. To make that occur, he places excellence first in any respect prices. Typically, that comes from the smallest issues. 

“If a jet holds eight individuals, I am not going to place eight individuals on the checklist,” he stated. “As an alternative, I will improve the consumer to a jet that may match 9, so the eight individuals can have just a little bit extra leg room.” 

Grounded in a much bigger mission 

Mensah not too long ago co-authored a e-book titled “How to Get Funding for Your Startup” that outlines efficient methods for elevating capital.

However his objectives to offer again additionally prolong past entrepreneurship. He is joined forces with a company referred to as KJM Basis that gives clear water and schooling provides to villages in Ghana, the nation the place his dad and mom have been born. He is additionally keen to make use of his expertise within the journey sector to develop Ghana’s tourism trade. 

“My coronary heart is dedicated to going again to Africa and leaving a mark,” Mensah stated. “I wish to be remembered as somebody who gave again to his neighborhood and his individuals.”