WHO ARE WE?

FOUNDER STORY AND INSPIRATION

I started Millennial Debt to start a conversation. And honestly… to make some money. As of right now I’m in $34,238.96 of credit card debt and $194,390.69 of student loan debt. So let’s just say that my blood pressure is high and my savings account is low.

For most of my life, I did everything I was told to do. I got good grades, went to college, landed a job, then was told I needed a master’s degree to get ahead. So I got one. I worked hard, got another job, burned out, became depressed, quit my job for my mental health, and when I wanted to change careers, I was told I needed another master’s degree. Looking back, it’s easy to see that the “right” way to do things wasn't exactly the best way, but I still thought I was doing what I was supposed to do.

Now I’m 37, with a mountain of credit card and student loan debt, no house, no kids, and still living paycheck to paycheck. For a long time, I carried a lot of shame about that. I’d scroll through social media and see people buying homes, traveling, starting families - and I’d feel like I’d somehow failed.

There was a time, right before my second master’s program, when I was unemployed and trying to find any job to make ends meet. I applied everywhere - restaurants, bakeries, retail stores - and was told I was overqualified or didn’t hear back. I was helping a friend recover from surgery, and she paid me $100 a month. Most months, that $100 was the game changer that decided whether or not I could pay rent or my car insurance.

As I’ve gotten older and started giving less of a fuck about what people think of me, I began having more honest conversations with friends about finances. What I found was that so many of us were in the same boat - not where we wanted to be financially, still struggling, many of us battling credit card debt with a student loan debt chaser. Though our situations still sucked, it made all the difference to know that I wasn’t alone in all of it. It made me realize that I didn’t fail; I was just a product of the systems I was raised in.

These experiences have stayed with me. They made me realize how many of us are just trying to get by - people who work hard, follow the rules, and still feel like they’re treading water.

Millennial Debt was born from that realization. It’s a brand about removing the stigma, wearing our truth, and helping each other out along the way.

10% of all proceeds go into The Fund - a community pool that gives back directly to our customers. When you buy an item, you can share your Venmo handle. At random, we’ll send someone a little boost: maybe $10 for coffee, $50 for groceries, $100 toward rent. For those who want to pay it forward, people can also donate to The Fund to help the cause. 

This brand isn’t just about clothes - it’s about connection. It’s about admitting that we don’t have it all together, and that’s okay. Because none of us are alone in this.