No One Told Me: Aaron and Bryan Chat OCD

Aaron Harvey is the cofounder and executive director at The Made of Millions Foundation, a global advocacy nonprofit on a mission to change how the world perceives mental health. 

He created the organization after spending over 20 years suffering in silence with debilitating intrusive thoughts. It was only after Googling his symptoms that he realized he was living with undiagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder, most specifically, Pure O. Through his experience with OCD, he has become a passionate advocate for democratizing access to mental health education and destigmatizing taboo symptoms. 

His background in marketing has made him an innovative leader in workplace mental health. He has collaborated with numerous organizations such as Yahoo and Mind Share Partners, and has spoken at leading industry events including Adcolor, The Wellbeing at Work Summit U.S., 4A’s Talent @ 2030, Dial Global, and Be Kind 21. 

His personal story has been featured in leading publications like Ad Age, Fast Company, Vice, Bloomberg, Cosmopolitan and Adweek, and in popular advocacy campaigns created by Made of Millions. Most notably, Dear Manager, No One Told Me and Shame Shouldn’t Be a Symptom. 

Outside of mental health, he is the cofounder and executive creative director of Ready Set Rocket, a data-driven agency on a mission to forge a better future. He works with leading brands such as the NBA, Michael Kors, JP Morgan, Puma, Univision, Carnegie Hall, and more. 

In his free time, he loves to surf and run around with his dog, Rue. You can find him on Instagram at @lifebeyondocd.

Featured Articles

• Ad Age - Ready Set Rocket Named to Ad Age's 2016 Best Places to Work 
• Adweek - How A Musician On The 'Front Lines Of Social Media' Co-Founded An Agency
• CNBC - This Boss Sees Great Results From Encouraging Employees To Have Side Projects
• Fast Company - Hip Offices Are Part Of Our Mental Health Crisis, Here's Why
• Fast Company - I’m A Founder With OCD, Here's Why I Don't Hide It From My Employees
• Inc -  Debilitating Mental Health Crisis Almost Ended His Life. Now He Wants To Save Others 
• Inc - 49% Of Entrepreneurs Deal With A Mental Disorder. Here's How To Cope
• Mashable - The Scary, Intrusive Thoughts You Can Only Confess To A Search Engine 
• The Independent - Mental Health Campaigner Reveals OCD Causes Him Dark, Intrusive Thoughts To Prove Condition Not Jjust Being Tidy'
• Webby - Ready Set Rocket Recognized by the 2020 Webby Awards 

Featured Videos And Podcasts

• Adweek Together - Building An Agency During A Crisis
• Grooop, Define the Line, and Made of Millions - HR Solutions And Being A Mental Health Ally
• Made of Millions - Dr. Phillipson And Aaron Talk Science, Symptoms & Treatment Of OCD
• Mental Health At Work 2019 Conference - Firestarter By Aaron Harvey, Ready Set Rocket
• The OCD Stories Podcast - Aaron Harvey: Intrusive Thoughts (Ep134) 
• The OCD Stories Podcast - Aaron Harvey: No One Told Me (#225) 
• Verizon - #Next20: How Are You Feeling?

Millions and millions of people around the world live with mental illness, but their stories are not all the same. They come from different places, cultures, communities and countries. They like different things, have different kinds of friends, and cope with their symptoms in different ways. When talking about mental health, it's important that we highlight these differences and explore how they shape our experiences. Mental health narratives should be as diverse and unique as we are.

Ask the Advocates is an ongoing Q&A series with outspoken mental health sufferers from around the world. Guests will open up about their experiences living with a wide range of conditions and symptoms, and answer your questions about pain, growth, healing, treatment and more. Before each episode, spend some time learning about the scheduled guest and come prepared with questions that are relevant to what they've been through.