We were lucky to catch up with Fehintola Bright recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Fehintola thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
El Empire is a faith-based videography and multimedia company whose goal is to utilize Media and The Arts to provide a platform for, showcase, and tell the stories of our clientele, partners, and business-owners. El Empire was birthed in May of 2022, however, it was an interesting journey. The “faith based” aspect of El Empire is based off of the concept that it was only by a promise from God and a leap of faith that the founder, Fehintola Bright, manifested a vision into a reality ㅡ El Empire.
One day, at an event in May, Fehintola was serving as a waiter for her boss’ Wait Staff company. She noticed that her boss was struggling to capture the video content that they needed to use for social media. So she offered to help. In the moment of recording from an 8th generation iPhone, Fehintola had a light bulb that went off. She thought, “why don’t I just do this instead of serving behind the table? Why don’t I use my gifts to help support someone else’s business?” From that moment on, Fehintola served in the aspect of “content creator” for that company, S.B. Servers. Simultaneously, Fehintola was a video content creator on the Media Team at her church Kingdom Full Tabernacle. In this duality, Fehintola was helping to promote the vision for other people, while also gaining more knowledge and skills in which she would eventually use for her own business.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks, Fehintola started a business called “Fehintola Films You.” She was excited for the launch and sent it out to all of her friends, family, and church members! Fehintola started to take her iPhone and gimbal to events, parties, and other places to create content for clients, business owners, church, and more.
In a couple of months leading up to the new year, Fehintola felt an urge to evolve her business. God was leading her to evolve and change, however, she had her doubts and fears. She questioned herself. “What if this was just a short lived venture?” “What if I’m not as good as I thought I was?” “What if I fail and disappoint myself and others?” “What if people don’t take me seriously?” All of these questions were a projection of fear that others and even herself instilled in her. During the months of operating her business as “Fehintola Films You”, there were people who would underestimate Fehintola and her capabilities. They would laugh at her. They would price her down or ask her to work for free. They would say “can you move to the side.” They would question “what do you know about videography? Or how long have you been in the game?” They would affiliate her only as “the person that works for so and so” rather than “a business owner.” And as someone who never allows others to stop her or underestimate her capabilities, Fehintola for some reason eventually gave into the doubt and negative criticism when her business was at its most critical moment of evolving. After months of prayer and fasting, quiet and clarity, Fehintola finally came up with her new business name and brand ㅡ El Empire.
Getting to that point of self-realization of her business’ next level wasn’t an easy process. However, she got there only by seeking wisdom and revelation (James 1:5) from God, the promise-giver. El Empire is a name that carries revelation and weight. El Empire, when translated in old Hebrew means “The God Empire.” To break the name down even further, “El” in Hebrew means “God.” In English, “El” is the first two first letters of Fehintola’s English name, Elizabeth. And in Hebrew, Elizabeth translates to mean “an oath with God.” The second half, “Empire” symbolizes the expansion that will take place with this business. All in all, El Empire is a pact between Fehintola and God to expand through displaying the many beautiful things that videography, photography, graphics and other media and art forms can capture. El Empire is God’s Empire. El Empire is an Oath with God.
In this business, I know I will succeed because I didn’t go in this venture alone, nor did I even plan this. This is all God. Like I said before: “ El Empire is God’s Empire. El Empire is an Oath with God.” With any journey, I understand the reality that there will be up’s and down’s. And not only do I celebrate the up’s but I embrace the down’s. I will embrace the moments of being in the valley, because I know He will be with me (Psalm 23:4). I will not depend on my own strength to accomplish this; for when I am weak, He is strong (Philippians 3:13, 2 Corinthians 12:10). The entire journey, I was and still am being led by God. I had a desire to serve others going into this. To see others get the exposure and platform they deserve through content creation. I had a desire to serve people with the gifts I’ve been given. I had a desire to be used and sent by God. “Here I am, send me! (Isaiah 6:8)”, I said. I place my confidence in knowing that this is something that because I am going in it with a selfless heart, a heart for others, and to please God, that God will be with me every step of the way. And as Angela Bassett once said, “if God be for me, who can be against me.”
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My name is Fehintola Bright. I am Nigerian-American and from the DMV area. I studied Africana Studies and Public Health. Excitingly, I even studied abroad for an entire semester at the University of Ghana to further my studies. After coming back to the DMV area from my study abroad trip that ended in May, I immediately got into content creation/videography. Little did I know at the time that it would turn into a business I am so passionate about. Looking at my life in retrospect, unsurprisingly I can see how this all comes together full fold. In high school I took my first graphic design class and immediately fell in love with the many different elements of graphic design. When I was younger I was always into “media” and “the arts.” I loved singing, drawing, editing videos, pictures, and audio, acting, and the like. And in high school, for my church’s teen group, I started a “media and arts productions committee” to be a space for teens to use our talents and gifts for the church. At one point, I even wanted to go to college and study graphic design. As stated before, I’ve always had a deep love for media and the arts and that was truly manifested as a business in May 2022 when I came back from my study abroad trip. One day, at an event in May, I was serving as a waiter for my boss’ Wait Staff company. And I noticed that they were struggling to capture the video content that they needed to use for social media. When I offered to help, in the moment of recording from an 8th generation iPhone, that is when I had a light bulb that went off. And I thought, “why don’t I just do this instead of serving behind the table? Why don’t I use my gifts to help support someone else’s business?” That moment is when El Empire was preconceived.
El Empire is a faith-based videography and multimedia company. Our goal is to provide a platform for, to showcase, and to tell the stories of our clientele, partners, business-owners, and creators, through Media and the Arts. Elements of content creation services include videography, photography, graphics, interviews, podcast episodes, and other media and art forms.
Everyday we meet and see new people. Whether we’re scrolling through social media or walking down the street. Have you ever saw someone and wondered ㅡ what is that person’s story? Or maybe you looked in the mirror and stared at yourself and said: I have a story I want to tell the World. El Empire is a place where content creation meets storytelling. Where media meets faith. Where the WORLD meets YOU. We all have a story to tell. And your story is important. At El Empire, you tell us your story and we will show the World.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
We all have a story to tell but not the platform in which to show it. Whether the story is of a business-owner or the everyday person, El Empire’s ultimate goal is to tell and show stories through Media and the Arts. We want to showcase a diverse array of clientele, business-owners, and other creatives (in their respective industries) back to the world. El Empire is founded on the two biblical concepts that there are those who people are waiting to see revealed (Romans 8:19) and that in order to be given what’s your’s, you must first be faithful to what is another person’s (Luke 16:12).
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Whether it will be defined as a lesson or a mindset, one thing I had to unlearn early on in life is that perfection isn’t state of flawlessness but it is the absence of newness and openness to be molded into something that is different from one’s norm and comfortability; perfection can stump growth and evolution. Albert Einstein once said, “s person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” In other words: no risk, no reward.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theelempire.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elempiree/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElEmpiree
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elempire/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElEmpiree
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elempiree
- Other: Tiktok: http://www.tiktok.com/@elempire LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/elempiree
Image Credits
Photos used were not captured or taken by El `Empire. However, creative edits, such as light editing and added text, were done by El Empire. All original credits of each photo goes to the photographers. Photographers have been listed below. Judah Avenue Chias World Smooth Prince John Sekyere Tony Pixled