We recently connected with Jonathan Unger, CEO & Founder of Unger Media, and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jonathan , thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
Launching Unger Media almost four years ago was the epitome of taking a risk. After almost two decades on both the buyer and production company side, I was beginning to feel unfulfilled as a creative. I felt a responsibility as a Producer to make a difference in the world. That’s where the spark of Unger Media began. After leaving NBC Universal, my soul felt inspired to create stories with an impact, collaborating with individuals who lead with heart and intention. While the actual leap felt scary leading up to it, there were signs along the way and the moment I jumped…the safety net suddenly appeared. It’s almost if God needed to see that I believed enough in His plans to take that leap and it’s been the best gift of my entire life. Now, I encourage others to take risks wherever they may present themselves. You only learn from failing and we have to think of failing not as a bad thing, but as practice towards getting it right. Be gentle with yourself during the process.
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.
Growing up in VA, TV was my best friend, while Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide were my peek into the industry. TV would become my safe space where I could also see people like me on screen, i.e. Ricky from My So-Called Life. That feeling never left me after I graduated from University of Virginia and flew to Los Angeles. My first job was in unscripted casting and lasted for over a year and a half, so my first glimpse at freelance work made me think every job would be that long. Boy, was I wrong :) Freelance work for over four years allowed for me to work with various companies and shows, getting to know people from all walks of life. I loved hearing people’s stories and discerning the potential impact from their background. That type of passion for storytelling evolved over time and under various creative powerhouses, such as ABC, Viacom, dick clark Productions, and NBC Universal. What always stayed with me was the feeling when we felt like we were making a difference in the world.
And that’s where Unger Media began. We are industry disruptors, believing in the power of storytelling and how it can not only connect us, but also change the way we view the world. What matters most to us is not only entertaining audiences and making them think, but ultimately making people feel seen. With deep relationships across scripted, non scripted, documentary, and audio visual/podcast genres, we continue to actively create stories that reflect groundbreaking voices that deserve to be heard.
Content comes in all forms, but our motivation is to make a difference and the world a better place with everything we create, constantly pushing to shine a light on underrepresented audiences. While we not only collaborate with giants of the industry, we also cultivate and mentor those who are growing in front of and behind the camera. Finding unique POVs and talent drive us everyday. At the end of the day, we believe that when creatives at every level are in it together, true magic happens.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
There have been several unexpected pivots along the journey of launching Unger Media. You do not predict a pandemic or two industry strikes when launching a company. However, we leaned into it and found other doors to open. For example, during the pandemic, we utilized that time to simply get to know people better, to check in on the creative community, and simply chat about ideas. It was a personal way to spark a relationship for the future, when the time was right. The same thing happened during the strikes where we had to pause on our scripted projects and then pivoted to exploring more unscripted/documentary ideas. The biggest thing I’ve learned in life is that there’s SO much out of your control. As long as your spiritual and mental core are a priority, the rest will fall into place and you can trust that these pivots are for a bigger reason.
How’d you meet your business partner?
My business partner and partner in everything is my husband, Chris Tucker. While I was on the corporate ladder, we supported each other when he made a career shift into the culinary world and the same was for me when Unger Media became a reality. We originally met in Choir almost ten years ago and this new venture has allowed for us to be creative and impactful together. Chris actually also runs our Unger Media Talent Department and we make it work. We hope to be an example to other couples that you can create together AND still celebrate each other’s differences at the same time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ungermedia.com
- Instagram: @ungermedia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.unger.714
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-unger-9448b716/