Rising ICON #53: Luke Wendlandt
What name do you prefer to be called?
Luke
Full name Luke Wendlandt
What are your pronouns?
He/him
Where did you grow up?
Hutchinson, Minnesota
What city are you currently based in?
Dellwood, Minnesota (just the North Side of White Bear Lake)
How do you typically introduce yourself to new people?
My name is Luke Wendlandt, and I am honored and privileged to work in the mental health and substance abuse space and I live for helping others.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about you?
I love the gutter of life….I believe that is where the magic really happens. These are the gold moments. When life and/or work get really hard, I believe I am at my best.
Who do you help?
Every.Single.Day. Whether it is supporting individuals on a one-off through voluntary coaching efforts in both their personal or professional endeavors or the enterprises that I’ve been blessed to work in/with; Cadre and Northstar Behavioral Heath,
What are you building now?
Right now, I am in the process of working with the most amazing team at Cadre. Cadre is the first ever platform inspired by social media but for mental health. Imagine going to YouTube, TikTok, Insta, etc, and only seeing videos/content from trusted sources on grief, loss, mental health, professional development, anxiety, depression, yoga, meditation, etc. We have worked our tails off on developing the place to go for all of your needs, ALL IN ONE!! Instead of going to Google to try and “figure it out”, you can come to a collaborative and connected community for support, knowledge, information, and tools to begin your journey from whatever position you are at on this journey in life.
What were you building ten years ago today?
I was not building a thing, but deteriorating as a human, husband, friend, and colleague. I sure am glad that my life is very different today than it was then.
What do you predict of yourself 10 years from now?
I will have done 10 amazing things each year with each year working towards my Misogi (something so big that it takes a little bit each day to achieve your goal(s). I will be a proud father watching my 4 children off to do their thing, whatever that may be. My gut is I will be trying to help solve some big problem that hasn’t been adequately addressed up to this/that point that affects human beings.
What’s a fact or statistic you wish everyone knew about your industry?
Very few people actually get the help they need in both the mental health and substance abuse field. There are countless resources available but very few people take advantage of them. Like my wife always says, “There are two different types of people in this world, those that take advantage of their resources and those that don’t”. We need to make it more accessible, easier to navigate, and more affordable to ensure the efficiency and efficacy of the great wide world of mental health, behavioral health, and all the other health and human service options this world offers.
Why do you believe the work you do matters?
I fundamentally believe it with all my heart or I wouldn’t be doing it. I believe that all human beings fundamentally want to be better and don’t wake up saying, “I want to feel worse today. I want to take steps to make my life more miserable. I would like to push the boundaries of my life and scare those around me”. No one can prove that to me to be true. What I do know is that some people are down, hitting a lull, and maybe haven’t addressed some mental health, trauma, grief, or family challenges that still affect them to this day. Our job is to support those individuals to find “their” path towards healing, hope, change, and a better life…whatever that may look like from their lens.
Who is your mentor and what is the best advice they’ve given you?
Dr. George Randall Smith, everyone knew him as Buzzy. He passed away 10 years ago. Miss him so much. “Luke, that’s water under the bridge”. At the end of the day, what is done is done. Now that “it” happened, what are you going to do about it? Also, the second message he would always say to me, “No one better outwork you. EVER”
What piece of content about you or your company are you most proud of?
Cadre was honored by the St. Paul Business Journal to be highlighted as a “start-up” to watch. I think this shows that our brand and team are starting to gel and making a difference. It’s all about the team and this article really highlighted our team in the article. Made my heart happy.
What publication do you hope to appear in next?
I would love to have our organization (Cadre) showcased in a white paper in conjunction with the University of Minnesota. This was a goal of mine for 2024. I am honored to be working with U of M on the research they are conducting with Cadre and the supply/demand crisis in the mental health space.
Who would you love to be interviewed by?
Dan Harris from the 10 percent happier fame and past new anchor who struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. I will meet him this year at some point. He was in my goals/vision for 2024. My goals are non-negotiable.
If you had to give a TEDTalk tomorrow, what would the title be?
“The audacity of belief. It only takes one person to change your life”
What award would mean the most to win?
If one of the leaders of Cadre received a 40 under 40 or a 30 under 30….or, a CTO, CFO, CHRO, etc would be nominated/showcased in an article/publication. I think this would mean the most to me. Multiplying other human beings towards higher levels of leadership is what I truly live for!
What makes zero sense to you?
Waiting for things to happen. THEY DON’T. Go get it. Fish don’t just magically end up on the end of your line. You need to put yourself in the position of success to be able to catch fish and sometimes, the fish still don’t bite! That’s actually amazing, you will learn so much and the next time you go fishing, the odds are better that you just may reel in that small perch, or monstrous musky!
What’s a word in your industry you hope gets re-evaluated?
Destigmatize. It means we haven’t moved the needle enough. Simply put, there shouldn’t be any stigma surrounding mental health, substance abuse, etc. In my opinion, destigmatizing is saying, “We haven’t done enough, yet”.
What game are you changing?
Two things. Social media for good and easy access to all things mental health and wellness!
What’s the next thing you’re a part of that you want to invite more people to participate in?
I can’t wait for the iHeart Radio R-E-S-P-E-C-T event to change the narrative in the modern workplace, from all things mental health to neurodiversity to communication in our workforce. It’s going to be a game-changer. Also, if you are an HR leader and haven’t utilized the Cadre app with your team, you are really missing out!!
Where can we follow you online?
LinkedIn - Luke Wendlandt
What’s one thing that makes every leader better?
Working at it every single day. Leaders need to practice the skill sets to be better leaders daily. I often hear about leadership retreats at the end of the year and most organizations believe that is enough. It’s not. Every day….read, listen, develop, build, and work your leadership muscle like you do the other skill sets in your professional venture or how you work out in your day to day life. To become an amazing leader, be humble and learn from others all the time!!
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We’re grateful to each Rising ICON for their transformative work. Thank you, Luke, for sharing your story!
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“We need to make [mental health support] more accessible, easier to navigate, and more affordable to ensure efficiency and efficacy of the great wide world of mental health, behavioral health, and all the other health and human service options this world offers.”
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