“It’s best to keep your ego in your back pocket because you never know when you could get kicked off the throne.”

Jonathan Lemkin has always believed in giving back to the community when he achieved success for himself, and today he did just that at Skid Row in Los Angeles. Skid Row has over 2,000 citizens without shelter, and today Jonathan and his crew offered them food, water, and haircuts.

“Today we’re just giving back and bringing awareness to certain issues that affect us everyday such as mental illness and homelessness, and we’re just hear to uplift, so we’re giving out water, food, and haircuts, to people in need.” Jonathan had foregone the fitness expos this year instead to bring his supplement company to the streets of Los Angeles. “Not everybody is as lucky as you and I”, Jonathan states, “Some of us could end up here…I feel like your brain could attack you at any time. It could happen to a CEO, an actress, the average Joe, it could happen to anybody.”

One thing that had always bothered Jonathan since he moved to Los Angeles was the homeless condition. “Not everybody here is a drug addict, some people are just less fortunate”, he mentions. He lamented the fact that people could care more about animals while simultaneously stepping over homeless people they saw on the street.

The Unnaturals movement was created on the foundation of the truth, but Jonathan believes that one of its tenets is giving back to the community. Being Unnatural isn’t just going beyond natural barriers in your fitness and lifestyle, it’s having the capability to give back at unprecedented levels.

“We’re all climbing the ladder of success”, Jonathan says. “But this is about taking a detour and keeping it real.”

We recently interviewed self-made entrepreneur Jonathan Lemkin about his efforts in charitable giving. Jonathan Lemkin is 43 years old and resides in Los Angeles. Being a former police officer, he chooses to offer support for the NYPD. “One cause I strongly believe in is the New York City Police Foundation”, he mentions. “I’m from New York and the NYPD has always been a positive role model for me.”

The New York City Police Foundation was founded in 1971 as an independent, non-profit organization to support the NYPD. They are the only organization that raises funds on behalf of the NYPD and all donations to the foundation go towards assisting the NYPD in improving public safety.

Because over 90% of the NYPD budget is targeted to funding personnel, there are usually few resources left for extra programs. As a former police officer, Jonathan Lemkin understands the importance of providing additional support to NYPD programs so that they can better help the community. “I understand the dedication these officers put towards the community and that the risks they take to help others, in some cases even giving their own lives”, Jonathan says. “As a former police officer I knew I had to offer my support to these brave workers who are making the best efforts to keep us safe.”

One of the programs Jonathan has supported is the Neighborhood Policing program. The purpose of this program is for the NYPD to build trust with the local community and to support community activities. The program creates partnerships within the community where 650 community leaders serve as liaisons between police and neighborhood residents. The foundation also sponsors events and meetings to educated the public in effective methods of neighborhood policing.

Jonathan has contributed to the New York Police Foundation’s Crime Stoppers program. The New York Police Department also has a rewards program known as Crime Stoppers, offering rewards of up to $2,500 for anonymous information that leads to the arrest or indictment of violent felons. “What’s amazing about the program is the clear results it has achieved since it’s inception, an anonymous tip led to the arrest of the perpetrator of a murder from over 22 years ago”, Jonathan states. “The program since 1983 has been over to offer over $2,000,000 in total rewards and I’m proud to be able to be a part of that.”

As an entrepreneur Jonathan believes in the importance of giving back to others. “Once you become successful it’s important to give back to the community”, he says. Law enforcement has played a helpful role in my life by teaching me discipline and making sacrifices to help others, and they continue to play an active role in my life by keeping me and my family safe.” Jonathan looks forward to expanding his business ventures further so that he can make a larger impact on supporting the NYPD and other police organizations around the nation. “I’ve become very busy with the 5 businesses that I’m running but in the end there’s always going to be time for charity”, he says. “I’d like to keep supporting those who make America great, our law enforcement, veterans, and other servicemen.”

Jonathan Lemkin, 30, loves having the freedom to guide his own business and doesn’t want anyone else to control his brand, even though he has had offers from buyers. “I value my brand and being able to shape it towards my vision. ” he says, “I don’t trust anyone else to be able to provide the same level of quality products and customer service.”

Lemkin, who lives in Los Angeles, is the head of unnaturalslabs.co, a site that sells nutritional supplements. The success of the business, which he runs under the company Unnaturals Labs, is due to his personal investment and the daily personal care he puts into cultivating the company.

“To me, customer service is more important than expanding too rapidly,” Lemkin said when we spoke recently. “I never I felt that I needed anything fancy like a big house or expensive cars. I am not against anyone who chooses that lifestyle, but my ultimate focus is on helping people achieve their fitness goals by providing high quality products for them”

Lemkin makes up a small percentage of entrepeneurs, those who were able to become successful without a traditional employment structure. Instead of following the standard business model, certain entrepreneurs like Lemkin tap into the creativity of contractors, having a vast network available that can help him build his visions into reality.

Lemkin became passionate about the fitness industry while he was a police officer, finding inspiration from bodybuilders such as Rich Piana. “I found that Rich Piana and his competing inspired me to increase my understanding of bodybuilding and form my own supplement company.” he wrote to me in an email following our phone call. He found inspiration from other bodybuilders such as Rich Piana. “I found that Rich Piana and his competing inspired me to increase my understanding of bodybuilding and form my own supplement company.” he wrote to me in an email following our phone call.

Lemkin started unnaturalslabs.co one year ago because of many goals he had: He wanted to teach others how to achieve fitness and bulk up, he wanted to provide high quality supplements to his customers, and he wanted to dispel false notions in the industry. “As I started bodybuilding, I realized supplement companies put out a lot of myths and half-truths,” he says. “There is a lot of information out there on supplementation but no one knows what is real and what’s not.” By supporting the truth instead of following along with others, Lemkin has sometimes come under critcism and been personally attacked. However, he believes in the value of the truth even in the face of adversity, “People are often told things about products that aren’t true or they are purposely given the wrong information. My belief is to make high quality products but not to make any extraordinary claims beyond what they are capable of.  My following deserves to know the truth behind the industry.”

Lemkin was already a seasoned entrepreneur at the time of founding Unnaturals Labs. While developing his passion for bodybuilding, he founded The Unnaturals, a company selling fitness based t-shirts. Afterwards he saw the need for a supplement company and began to found Unnaturals Labs. Both businesses had one thing in common: He relied on independent contractors to help the businesses grow. In the case of both business, Lemkin hired web developers, designers, markets, and other experts to ensure the growth of the company. “Whenever something is going successfully, I bring in contractors to run it more attentively,” he says. “I pay them fairly, let them run it, but I make sure that the core vision is maintained.” Jon believes that retaining a majority stake and not compromising on his ideals is the key to the continued success of his business. “The next step is to sponsor athletes and market my products at industry events such as Mr. Olympia,”, he says. “The Unnaturals way of life is about freedom and truth. Regardless of your goals, whether natural or unnatural, we continue to provide top-quality products to help you achieve your goals and to unleash your unnatural potential!”