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Meet Emmanuel Iheke of Un-Associated in Westwood

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Emmanuel Iheke.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Emmanuel. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up, I would consider myself to be the most insecure student at my high school. I was the Nigerian kid – son of a pastor – at Lincoln High School, an inner city school with low-income minorities, you get the picture. I wasn’t the cool kid, I wasn’t the athlete or the banger. I was just Emmanuel – not actually knowing what that meant. I think for all of us, there comes a time when we are presented with the ever-pressing question – “who am I?” For some this question is easy to answer, for others it may be harder. For me, it was hard. Many of the things others would use as the foundation of their identity, I just didn’t have. The cards weren’t dealt to me that way. Like I said, I’m an African kid in the hood – I wasn’t a star athlete, I wasn’t a well-respected banger, I sure as hell didn’t get all the girls. I was just Emmanuel – whatever that meant.

One day, things began to change. It was my Junior year of high school when I found out that I was on track to become the Valedictorian at my school. I had the best grades in the entire school – me – the kid that wasn’t the athlete, banger or playa. I finally had something. I could be the smart kid. And it was at that moment, in the blink of an eye, the most insecure kid at Lincoln high school became the cockiest kid at Lincoln High school. Of course, cockiness isn’t the same thing as confidence. Confidence casts out insecurities while cockiness only covers it up. But the bottom line was that I finally had something – a foundation – on which I’d build my identity. That is until I gave my speech at graduation and was soon shipped off to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Here, unfortunately, Emmanuel no longer had the luxury of being the smart kid. I am still not the smartest kid at UCLA. So now the cloak of cockiness I once wore receded, uncovering the insecurities that waited patiently for this moment of resurgence. Who was Emmanuel now? It didn’t take long for college to break me. Thankfully when I broke, God was there to piece me back together.

I’m talking about the moment I laid in my bed, pitch black, ready to go to sleep. Only there was no sleep in my eyes, only anxiety. That night I gave myself a label. I came to terms with what my new foundation would be – “loser”. My new identity. I was a “loser.” Now that, that was understood, I was prepared to go back to sleep. However, this process was interrupted by a thought that was not mine. I’m sure you’ve heard of people say they heard God’s voice from the heavens. Before you roll your eyes, hear me out. It wasn’t some thunderous voice, just a thought that I knew wasn’t my own. The thought quoted “You’re a winner.” I paused….thought about it …then shrugged it off and went to sleep. Ya boi had to wake up early for a conference the next day.

I get the conference the next morning. I’m eating the breakfast they so politely provided and BOOM! Right there, on a projector that was cycling through different graphics and announcements, I saw a sign. The sign quoted “I am a winner”. God now had my attention.

I was given a preposition. God spoke. He told me that I had a choice. Option 1: I could continue to go about life thinking I am a loser. I could continue to define myself by the things that have happened to me, my environment, the way people perceive me and so on. I could continue to give myself temporary cockiness and label myself with temporary labels. Or – option 2 – I can believe (with faith) that I am who He says I am. Then I’d take His hand, and do what He created me to do. I chose the latter option.

God told me I was something that was in complete contrast to how I was feeling. It was the opposite of how I imagined the world labeled me or how I even labeled myself. So then it became apparent to me: God is our creator, so He must know what we are, who we are, and why we are here more than anything or anyone. If God says I’m something, nothing can change that. It’s like you’re in ceramics class and you make a mug. You know it’s a mug, and you gave that mug the purpose to hold your coffee. That’s how God knows us and why we exist. So now what was I supposed to do next, you might ask? Spread the word.

Spreading the word called for a platform that would centralize all of the positive messages in pop culture and society that could inspire people to define themselves correctly. It called for content to be created: video interviews, short documentaries, editorials, podcasts and the trademark Un-Associated Poetry Jam. It called for Un-Associated, LLC to be created – www.un-associated.com – a platform that did all of these things. This is the vehicle God has given me to do what He needs me to do; inspire.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Nothing worth having comes easy. I’ve heard that line, and I’ve experienced that line. It’s not easy running a lifestyle media platform and there’s a lot of reasons why. If I had to narrow them down, I’d highlight three main reasons. (1) I’m multitasking with school, (2) it can be hard to get people to engage with your content, and (3) doubt.

Being a student can be hard as is, but it can be even more tough when you have extracurricular to be concerned with. I’ll wake up, go to class from 9am – 4pm, then I go to my campus job for the rest of the night. Oh, and sometimes I’ll lead a Bible study or have something to do for a club. Sometimes I imagine how much more I’d be able to get done if I weren’t in school. However, I know I need this though. The network, the contact with the company’s core audience, the resources – all of it are important. So my tactic in getting through this is avoiding those times where I’d normally sink into self-pity. It doesn’t help anything. I push through. I endure. I rely on God. I keep fighting.

Early on, getting people to engage with our content was a process that included many tears. It’s very discouraging when you put your all into something only for a couple of people to view it or care to acknowledge it. When you first start a new brand, everyone pays attention and gives you praise. But then a month goes by and they have to return to their own lives. The spotlight isn’t on you and your brand anymore. So now you have to work extra hard for everyone’s attention. That’s when you know if you really got it or not. This is still a problem I face at times, and I imagine this is a problem that larger media platforms deal with too. Not every piece of content is a first-round pick if you know what I mean. One thing that has helped me get through this process is remembering that every piece of content I make is not to get 1 million views, but to serve and inspire people. And shockingly enough, in my experience, those genuine pieces of content tend to get the most attention.

Doubt is a huge obstacle every human being faces. It is one of our biggest enemies alongside fear. The doubt can come from past failures, insecurities, or just the devil himself. However, to combat this obstacle, we must be convinced that we are who we are, doing what we were created to do. I was made to do the Un-Associated thing. The doubt is a feeling, but I know the truth.

Please tell us about Un-Associated.
Today, suicide is the #2 cause of death for people between the ages 10 and 30. Young people need help. I believe that in these years, a fundamental process we all encounter is the process of self-discovery. This process is hard, and when failed can result in a frenzy of repercussions. Of course, I don’t want to generalize the reasons behind this statistic, but I believe we can all agree that this information reveals that mental health is a serious issue amongst our youth (and beyond age, really). I’m no psychologist, but I strongly believe that when a human being is completely sure of himself, he operates with a healthier mindset. When a human being knows exactly who he or she is and why he or she exists, it doesn’t make all their problems go away, but it does build a mental fortitude. Un-Associated builds mental fortitudes. We promote the “un-associated lifestyle” which states that you are not your past, environment, or what anyone perceives you as. You are who God created you to be.

We do this by creating content. We make editorials, video interviews, short documentaries, podcasts, and merchandise. Not to mention, we host our trademark live event, The Un-Associated Poetry Jam twice a year. Our platform specializes in curating and/or centralizing content with positive messages that help young people discover themselves and their purpose. Virtually all of our work/messages are published and shared on our website and Instagram page.

When it comes to this company, what I’m most proud of is its ability to both relate and communicate with our audience. It’s sometimes so funny to me how much two people from completely different backgrounds can still find grounds to relate. Un-Associated is ran by young people who live life everyday. Our writers write editorials based on lessons they personally learn. Our documentaries tell stories of real people that have overcome real-life problems they refused to let define them. And this, I’d say, is what sets us apart. We aren’t just a company, we are a community. Our “audience” is composed of people who have bought into wanting to live the “un-associated lifestyle.” They heard, watched or read something from us that resonated with them, and then decided to hop on board by coming out to the poetry jam, subscribing to our newsletter, following us on Instagram or even reaching out to set up a video interview with us or be a guest on our podcast. Un-Associated is a community of people – a growing community – that are choosing to define themselves and purpose through a different process everyday.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
LA is a great city. I bag on it about 75% of the time, but in all fairness, it’s a great place to be. The best thing about this city is the opportunity it has available for people like me. Running a media platform brushes shoulder with corporate partners, the entertainment industry, the art world, fashion world and so on. And pretty much all of those scenes are present in LA within some capacity or another. It’s a place with great soil for planting the seed God has given me.

Now the traffic… the devil himself runs that part of the city.

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