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Michael Hammond, Founding Director
Hello, I’m thrilled that you have taken the time to explore the Property TV website and have found your way to my page where you can get to know a little bit more about me.
It’s my firm belief that a good challenge is a great way to develop and improve, which is why I make a point of seeking out challenges in the professional realm as well as in my personal life.
In my professional life I am the founding director of Property TV, the UK's only television channel dedicated to the property industry. The channel can be found on the Sky 192.
In my personal life I am a proud father to my beautiful daughter and gym enthusiast.
During the day you will either find me traveling between my home in Sevenoaks Kent, in our office and studios in Canary Wharf or indeed moving around London and possibly further afield meeting the movers and shakers of property industry.
If you would like to contact me, please be sure to leave a message below.
Michael Hammond
On a filming day
Graduating with law and philosophy
Growing up in the heart of Kent, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to study at Sutton Valence School as a day pupil. Whilst developing a broad spectrum of life skills, I particularly enjoyed participating in sport (mainly rugby & cricket) and becoming a NCO in the in the Army cadet force. Academically, it was the three sciences that held my largest interest and still do to this day.
After leaving Sutton Valence School I went on to study both Law & Philosophy as a joint honours degree at Oxford Brookes University. Both these subjects provided me with a great opportunity to develop my critical thinking, reasoning and a variety of other skills. All of which have been invaluable in my professional life and elements of these subjects I use on an almost daily basis.
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In terms of hobbies, I try to keep myself as active and healthy as possible and aim to go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week as my work schedule allows. Aside from the gym other hobbies include clay pigeon shooting, watching motor sport and occasionally fencing sabre!
Michael Hammond in 20 Questions (as asked by Entrepreneur Network)
1) Where are you right now?
I’m on the move all the time and having been brought up in Kent, I’m usually on a train. And as I write, that’s exactly where I am.
2) What did you have for breakfast this morning?
‘Most important meal of the day’, so my Mother drilled into me from a young age. I do love breakfast so like most mornings, I’ve gone for two full eggs and one egg white with turmeric on toasted brown seedy bread. Exercise and eat well, that’s where I’m coming from.
3) What TV re-run do you sit down to watch whenever it is on?
Sit down? Despite being in the TV world, I find it difficult to dedicate enough time to watching new programmes, let alone re-runs. I do watch a lot for work purposes, but if I was going to pick one out for pleasure, it’d have to be Top Gear. I’m a car nut.
4) What do you like to cook?
I do like cooking too, but as with most things which I enjoy most I just don’t get as much time as I’d like to cook. Saying that, my girlfriend and I have agreed that making tacos at least once a week is part of our personal contract.
5) What song do you have memorised?
I have a terrible memory for lyrics but I can mumble my way through most of Radio 1's most current playlist. I’m putting that down to listening to the radio while doing thousands of miles in my car!
6) What was the last movie you saw in the cinema? Was it good?
The Revenant, I definitely didn't think it lived up to the hype. There are a few on my list right now but it’ll be a case of finding time once they’re on Netflix or similar.
7) What is your favourite book?
The E Myth – without doubt. I like fiction in small doses, but I’m more into factual stuff. Right now, everything is about PropertyTV as a business so I find myself consuming chapters from various business and entrepreneurialism books.
8) What is your favourite Disney Movie?
The Mighty Ducks. A cracking movie to help you unwind.
9) When was the last time you had a true "midnight snack"?
Last night! Travelling all the time and being in so many meetings means that I’m snacking all the time. Quite often, evenings are the best time to get my head focused and go through numerous proposals for brands looking to advertise with us so I’m grabbing all kinds of things from the snack cupboard at midnight! Most days.
10) What part of pop culture do you wish would just go away?
Pointless hashtags. Hashtags are meant to aid trending. #hashtaggingsomethingthatnoonewilleversearch is not a good use of the internet in my opinion.
11) How do you like to spend your spare time?
What little I have of it I spend at the gym or with my girlfriend – making tacos, of course.
12) What changes do you find hardest to accept?
When your favourite restaurant takes your favourite meal off the menu. Prezzo, was the Gamberetti pizza that unpopular?!
In all honesty, change is something that I embrace. People or tools that challenge me or the ‘norm’ can only be a good thing – that’s what we’re doing with PropertyTV. It’s changing the way people are educated and profit from property here in the UK, and abroad.
13) What is something you know you do differently in business than most people?
It's hard to comment on what others do in their business, but what I feel is one of my fortes is dealing with setbacks efficiently and finding the positives in a situation which would appear negative. Having a ‘can do’ attitude and seeking solutions is vital for every business if they wish to be successful.
14) What was the most rewarding professional experience that you’ve ever had?
Switching on the TV on the morning of 1st June 2015 to see my own television channel. That was pretty rewarding!
15) What in your life have you left up to chance?
I try to avoid leaving things to chance but instead, guide fortune. I’m a huge believer in making your own luck and it frustrates me when people shout about how fortunate somebody is or has been – you’ve got to be in the right place, or meet the right person by being in that particular meeting or location. That bit is down to your decision making. Hence my belief in making your own luck.
16) What’s the best piece of entrepreneurial advice you’ve ever received?
Surrounding myself with 25 of the most experienced and intelligent business people who are all a part of PropertyTV has meant that I get tonnes of amazing advice – which I think has been the best possible learning for me.
Focus and your own instinct is massively important in business, but the piece of advice that sticks out for me is that I should be looking to create a business, not a job, this means delegating and constantly looking to evolve. Simple, but very important.
17) How easy would it be for you to take a year off?
Simply impossible both logistically in my business and mentally. To know I'm not making progress would be difficult so it’s not going to happen for many, may years. Which I’m glad of.
18) Do you have faith in the next generation of entrepreneurs? Why?
Yes I do, there are many young entrepreneurs challenging established business models and I love it. They have grown up with technology and adapted so it has literally become part of my generation, it's natural for them to become leaders in the field. Those under 30 years old, and particularly 25 years old look at what’s available, and can easily see where improvements can be made. In today’s world, anything is possible and everything can be improved. That’s what inspires me, and the generations either side of me.
19) Who is the entrepreneur you most admire?
Elon Musk, definitely. Just look at what he is achieving with Tesla and Xspace, what is there to not admire?
20) What business would you want to start that would make a difference in the world?
You make a bigger difference not by giving someone a fish but teaching them how to fish. I want to start a business that can give young entrepreneurs the resources, finances and exposure they need to be the difference makers.
With PropertyTV, we’ve already begun that process. We’ve got some great talent in with big ideas and lots of energy. Our huge filming studio and office space in Ashford is a major factor to that so we’re looking forward to working with many entrepreneurs – you can be an entrepreneur within a business too, don’t forget.