The Power of Lived Experience: Leadership Lessons from Plugged In Recovery with Wade Muhlhauser

Welcome to another episode of Recovery Reach! Guest host Cliff McDonald, Chief Growth Officer of Recovery.com, sits down with Wade Muhlhauser, CEO and founder of Plugged In Recovery, to explore how personal narrative and authenticity can become powerful assets in building a brand that truly converts in behavioral health. Wade shares his journey from corporate life to recovery leadership, revealing how vulnerability, data-driven strategy, and a people-first approach can transform both organizations and lives. Whether you’re a founder, marketer, or someone passionate about recovery, this episode is packed with actionable insights and inspiration.

— Explore mental health and addiction treatment options: https://recovery.com/

— Learn more about Plugged In Recovery: https://pluggedinrecovery.com/

— Connect with Wade on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wade-muhlhauser-b9347735

Topics Covered:

• Wade’s founder story: from corporate to recovery leadership
• The power of authenticity and vulnerability in branding
• Reframing “conversions” as helping people, not transactions
• Building admissions and marketing strategies with KPIs and systems
• Leveraging technology and a strong tech stack in behavioral health
• The value of lived experience vs. business acumen in hiring
• Lifestyle and alumni-driven content for audience growth
• Educating and supporting clients through the continuum of care
• Creating a proactive, differentiated content strategy
• Training and coaching admissions/frontline staff for empathy and impact

Time-Stamped Show Notes:

• 0:00 – Introduction: Meet Wade Muhlhauser and today’s topic
• 1:05 – Wade’s journey: authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership
• 4:30 – Embracing lived experience and being “outed” in recovery
• 7:00 – Reframing conversions: people over transactions
• 10:45 – Bringing corporate KPIs and systems into behavioral health
• 15:00 – Tech stacks, business acumen, and competitive advantages
• 20:00 – Building a team: lived experience vs. outside expertise
• 25:00 – Lifestyle content, alumni engagement, and audience growth
• 30:00 – Explaining the continuum of care and client education
• 35:00 – Admissions playbooks, data, and experimentation
• 40:00 – Training staff for empathy, compassion, and brand alignment
• 45:00 – Lasting relationships, community trust, and closing thoughts