Today we’d like to introduce you to Emmitt Brooks.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Kansas City and played basketball basically my whole life competing in the 2024 youth Euro Cup in barcelona and playing at Kansas Christian College, but at some point I got just as into filming stuff as I was into actually playing. I don’t come from money and I don’t have a college degree, so I just had to figure it out myself. Started E3THE1 Media in 2020 with basically nothing, just me and a phone, and kept grinding until it turned into something real. Now I’m at 180K+ followers across platforms and over 100 million views all time.
I created Unranked to 5 Star, a scripted basketball series that’s done millions of views on its own, and I write, shoot, and edit most of it myself. Along the way I’ve worked with local businesses like shoot360 and events with the Hoopbus in 2024-2025 during march madness and landed paid deals with brands like BetterGuards, TruHeight, Rigorer, and XbotGo, and I negotiate all of that myself too.
About two months ago I moved from Kansas City to Orange County knowing almost nobody out here, because I knew if I wanted to actually make this work I needed to be in a bigger market. That’s kind of just how I operate I’d rather put myself in an uncomfortable spot and bet on myself than stay comfortable somewhere small. I’m still running E3THE1 day to day, but I’m also building out a storytelling brand on top of it, and lately I’ve been really deep into the psychology and marketing behind social media and personal branding. I don’t just film something because it looks good, I actually think about why someone stops scrolling, why they stay, why they feel something. Right now a lot of my focus is on content around personal growth and development stuff that actually means something, not just stuff that performs.
Looking back at everything, I feel like I’ve been able to build a pretty unique life for myself from nothing, and if that shows anyone anything it’s that you can genuinely chase whatever you want. Anything is possible if you believe in it enough and actually put in the work to back it up.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
no, it hasn’t been smooth at all. I started with no money and no network nobody in my corner who knew this industry or could open doors for me. I had to teach myself everything from scratch, editing, filming, even how to negotiate brand deals, all of it just trial and error with nobody showing me how.
The bigger struggle was following a path that isn’t really set. I wasn’t going the normal route I left school to do this full time, betting on where I felt social media and the internet were headed instead of doing what everyone around me expected. That’s a scary thing to commit to when there’s no guarantee it works out. Then more recently I left my hometown completely, moved to Orange County knowing basically nobody, because I knew I had to be in a bigger market to actually make this work. Every part of it has been building the plane while flying it, but that’s kind of what pushed me to figure things out faster than I would have otherwise.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I run E3THE1 Media, a basketball-focused content brand I started in 2020, and now I’m also building out a separate storytelling brand on top of that. I do it all myself filming, editing, writing, negotiating brand deals everything from scratch. I specialize in short-form storytelling that’s built around psychology and retention, not just stuff that looks good. I think through why someone actually stops scrolling and stays.
What I’m most known for is Unranked to 5 Star, a scripted basketball drama series I write, shoot, and edit myself that’s pulled in millions of views. Across everything I’ve built, I’m at 180K+ followers and over 100 million all-time views, and I’ve landed paid partnerships with brands like BetterGuards, TruHeight, Rigorer, and XbotGo.
What I’m most proud of is that I built this whole thing from nothing no money, no connections, no degree, just figuring it out myself and betting on where I saw social media going. What sets me apart is that I don’t just create content, I actually study the psychology and marketing behind why content works.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Honestly, most of what fuels me comes from YouTube. I’ve got a whole lineup I go to Alex Hormozi for business and marketing, and channels like Orion Taraban (Psych Hacks) that break down the psychology side of things, which ties directly into how I think about content. I also watch a lot of creator-focused channels like Think Media and Kallaway to stay sharp on the marketing and growth side of what I do, plus guys like Mino Lee who I look up to as a storyteller. It’s less about one specific book or app and more about surrounding myself with people who think at a high level about business, psychology, and content, and pulling pieces from all of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://app.notion.com/p/Portfolio-394da293595a80738ce0e274f1073dbd?pvs=39
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e3the1_?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmitt-brooks-992826391/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ap_mwlite_feed%3BXiwHubGbQ1yCHU%2B56uKRSg%3D%3D
