Emmanuel studied Business Management at Kent from 2015 – 2019. During this time he launched his brand 'Jehucal' which has since amassed over 10,000 Instagram followers and has been sported by a number of celebrities in the UK. Jehucal shares with us how he managed to balance entrepreneurship alongside his studies here at Kent.
How did you balance university life with entrepreneurship?
At the age of 19 I was determined to and had begun to make my own money and the feeling was addictive. At a certain point I felt I was untouchable, staying up running my business then doing an exam the next morning and still managing to get firsts. However as time went on this got more difficult, and at one point my attendance slipped to 35% so I was close to being kicked out but reality hit me. I joined the university business start up challenge and it changed my perspective completely. I saw Jehu-Cal as my future and knew I had to start prioritising.
What motivated you to launch your business (during university)?
Jehucal is my first name. I grew up in a very affluent neighbourhood with kids who had a lot of money and would be dressed in designer outfits every day, and that wasn’t me. I was branching away from mainstream brands. Even my music taste was alternative to what I was surrounded by, and this heavily influenced and inspired my fashion sense and made me realise that I wanted to be involved in the fashion industry when I was older. I was working part time during university in order to save up to buy the outfits and dress the way I'd always wanted to, but due to my height I really struggled finding clothes that fit me.
I [realised] I hate my job. I study business, I like fashion, lets just bring all of that together and start a brand
What elements of entrepreneurship have you struggled with the most?
The biggest challenge has been mental health. People really underestimate the toll that entrepreneurship can have on your life. Running a brand looks like pure fun but its long hours and its constant. I was hospitalised in 2019 because of anxiety, and doctors did multiple tests before realising that my body was reacting to the amount of stress I was going through. Its important to take a break, social media rests, holidays, sleep well, exercise and eat healthy. A healthy lifestyle is so important.
Is there anything you wish you knew before graduating from university?
I was partying a lot, its not that I regret it but I just wish I hadn't done it as much so I could put my focus elsewhere. I also realised how important consistency is - because my business took off nicely I became complacent and it wasn’t until September 2020 that this lesson really kicked in - consistency is so important in every aspect of your life. I also wish I had known the exact direction I wanted my brand to go in.
Who inspired you the most through your university and working life?
My parents are definitely my inspirations. My mum because she used to work in IT then she decided she wanted to own a salon. She would work 9-5 then from 6 she would go to college to get her beauty qualifications. I saw her journey from 'saying-it', to then going to classes, to opening her first small salon and now to having a two floor salon in Essex, all the while keeping her family happy safe and well fed.
I've seen her in her best and her worst times and I just think ‘wow, you said you wanted to do it and you done it’, so I see her and I’m just so inspired, My father taught me how to be a good person and to balance family, work, and his side hustle. Apart from that my main inspiration is the person I want to be in 3 years time.
If you aint got your mental right, nothing else matters
