TM Garret Schmid, publicly known as TM Garret, is a German-American author, speaker, and bridge builder focused on de-escalation, mentorship, and the practical work of human change.

His work centers on helping communities reduce violence, increase dialogue across difference, and support people who are trying to rebuild their lives after harmful ideologies or high-conflict environments.
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All aspects of his work can be summarized in one simple sentence: to study and teach how humans assign meaning, and to help people communicate and validate realities, so mismatch does not escalate into dehumanization and turn relationships and societies into sometimes violent conflict.

TM works with educators, faith communities, nonprofits, and civic groups to bring people to the same table and promote responsible, nonviolent problem solving. Over the years, he has also provided guidance and support to former extremists and those impacted by extremism, with an emphasis on accountability, reintegration, and prevention.
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In addition to public work, TM writes essays and op-eds about ethics, mental health, spirituality, social issues, and how people make meaning in the middle of suffering. If his writings have a red thread, it is this: systems shape people, but people can still choose responsibility, truth, and repair.

TM’s own past involvement in extremist ideology ended in 2002. That history is neither the central story nor the headline of his life today, but it remains part of the context behind his commitment to prevention, candid accountability, and the belief that change is possible.
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Together with Sickside Tattoos in Horn Lake, Mississippi, TM launched the Erasing the Hate campaign in 2017 to offer cover-ups for hate- and gang-related tattoos. The campaign built momentum, and many tattoo studios followed TM’s lead and joined the effort, but it faced an unavoidable setback during COVID when many shops were in survival mode and free cover-up work became difficult to sustain, even though the demand never went away. Today, TM is rebuilding that network with a focus on long-term sustainability and realistic capacity.
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Through his work with the Simon Wiesenthal Center and other notable Jewish organizations such as AEPi, StandWithUs, Hillel, and many others, TM discovered a deep ethical match with Judaism and chose to make it his spiritual center. Over the years, TM became supportive of Jewish causes and communities. He completed his conversion to Judaism in 2023, and considers Congregation Or Chadash in Memphis his spiritual home, where he attends regularly.

His work has been featured in major print publications, including The Guardian, The Jerusalem Post, Bild (Germany), Aish.com, and the Atlanta Jewish Times, as well as on prominent television and film outlets such as CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX News, VICE News, C-SPAN, NBCUniversal, WGN-TV, RAI Italy, Germany’s largest public broadcaster WDR, and the German national program Galileo, including a special feature for ProSieben’s International Day Against Racism.

Throughout the years, he has hosted several radio programs, including his more recent shows “Let’s Erase the Hate” with Pastor Ray Johnson on Memphis station KWAM 107.9 FM and “Erasing the Hate” on WKRA 92.7 FM in Holly Springs, Mississippi.
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He has also authored two books: Umsatzmaschine Leads, a German language marketing guide focused on lead generation (together with Thorsten Plößer), and Vergessene Erinnerung, a German-language autobiography detailing a significant portion of his extremist past. He recently finished writing his new book, REWIRED: Memoir of a Former White Supremacist, which is currently in the final stages of editing.