Meet Michelle Hammer

We recently connected with Michelle Hammer and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Hi I’m Michelle Hammer. I live in New York City and I have Schizophrenia. Around 5 years ago I was riding the subway and looked down the car and I saw a homeless man with schizophrenia talking to himself. I then realized how lucky I am. I know it’s strange to think that I say I am lucky when I have Schizophrenia, but I am. If I didn’t have my friends, family, and Doctor, I too could be homeless. This is when I decided I wanted to be an advocate for change. I wanted to show the world that people with schizophrenia should not be dismissed or forgotten. I wanted to make a change and give back to the Schizophrenia community. This is when I started my brand Schizophrenic.NYC. I sell mental health merch on the streets of NYC and talk to everyone who stops by all about mental health in NYC and the changes that need to be made to support our community. I want to inspire people to want to make a change.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I have Schizophrenia and I created the company Schizophrenic.NYC Mental Health Clothing and Lifestyle Brand. I sell T-shirts, Tank Tops, Pillboxes, Sweatshirts, Jewelry, my Artwork and other accessories. I usually pop up on the streets of New York City. I have had some amazing interactions. I have met people who have connections to schizophrenia or other mental illnesses. I’ve met two young girls who had a schizophrenic mother and wanted to know what it’s like for her. I’ve met people who also have schizophrenia who love that I am out there telling my story.

I am now expanding my line to a home and living venture that you can find at Home.Schizophrenic.NYC.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I’ve gained a lot of knowledge working at so many different jobs in New York City but here are some important things that I have learned.

1. Be friendly and make as many friends as possible. Friends are great if you need advice or tips.

2. Do your research. If you own a business, you will always have competitors. See what they are doing and do it better. Research what’s popular, and what’s trending. Use your research to figure out how you can dominate the industry.

3. When you are starting a business everyone will love to give you advice. Take the advice of people who have started a business before. Just because someone makes a lot of money, doesn’t mean they know anything about starting a business, building a website, creating ads, and talking to the public.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
As a Mental Health Advocate with Schizophrenia, I am always looking for collaborations. Some collaborations that I do are creating custom shirts. I’ve done that for mental health music festivals and a few non-profits. I also have guested on many podcasts. A lot of people like to interview people who live well with Schizophrenia. I’ve been featured in videos for WebMD, MOMA, and news outlets like NBC, CBS, and ABC. What I love the most is making speeches about my Schizophrenia story. I’ve made speeches at different high schools, colleges, businesses, and hospitals.

If you would like to connect with me, check out my website Schizophrenic.NYC, or email me at info@Schizophrenic.NYC.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Michelle Hammer

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