Meet Christian Lehinger: Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christian Lehinger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christian, how does your business help the community?
Mental health affects so many aspects of people’s lives and health, from relationships to how well they are able to manage chronic diseases. Since 1 in 5 people suffer from a mental health condition and most don’t know it, there is a huge need to identify these underlying mental health conditions. Our business is called Connected Mind, and we are making an impact by screening for the 6 most common connected mental health conditions. Our tool is used by doctors and schools, and we just released a free version for use by the public. To date our tool has helped to identify over 2,500 people who were suicidal. We are so proud to be able to make a real impact, and this is only the beginning.

What should our readers know about your business?
Connected Mind is a mission driven company. Internally we call ourselves a benevolent for-profit. Our mission is to improve and save lives by screening for mental health. That means we want as many people to be screened for mental health conditions as possible, so they can get the help they need. We also want to make sure they are being screened for the right mental health condition. Most other screening tools look for mental health conditions one at a time, kind of like fishing with a fishing pole. They bait the hook for depression, and see if there is any depression. The thing is, mental health is connected. As a matter of fact, if you have one mental health condition, you have a 50% chance of having two or more. If those conditions are not caught, it can cause people to suffer needlessly and even lead to suicide. We built Connected Mind to look at the whole picture, like fishing with a net. We look for six of the most common, connected conditions all at the same time. This way we help to ensure things don’t slip through the cracks. I have a perfect example from my own life of why this is so important. A close family member was misdiagnosed as having bipolar disorder. They did not have the condition, but was put on some pretty powerful medication. For three years, they suffered horribly. In the end, proper screening uncovered the real cause of the issues, and they were taken off the medication. The biggest hurdle we have overcome in our business is the stigma around mental health. So many doctors simply don’t want to know that their patients are suffering from a mental health issue. Thankfully, the lockdowns this year are starting to change that. Doctors are starting to take mental health more seriously and the responsibility for identifying it. We also recognized how great the need has become, so we decided to release a free version of our tool to the public. Now anyone can self screen anonymously to find their risk for mental health issues. They can then take the results to their doctor or mental health professional and get the help they need. You can find our free screening tool at https://connectedmind.me/screen-4-life/. Please take one and pass it on.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite thing to do in the metroplex is Jiu Jitsu. There are a lot of great schools, and it is fun to go to different open mats to test my skills against the best. Anytime friends come to town I always take them to my home gym Rogue jiu jitsu in Flowermound. As far as food goes, there is only one favorite, and that is Mio Nonno’s Trattoria. My friend Noti is the owner and he always treats me and my wife like royalty.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am lucky to have some of the most amazing mentors. My life coach, Lori Link, has been a huge support. She has helped me over many years to bring my life into alignment with what I want and say what needs to be said, even when it is hard. Ken Stibler, my business coach, has shared some hard truths when I needed to hear them, and he never lets me quit. My four kids inspire me everyday with their creativity, drive, and energy. My wife is a huge support and my biggest fan. As far as books… Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki set me on the path to entrepreneurship. A Team of Teams by General Stan McChrystal, and Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink were key to developing my leadership philosophies. The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss helped me to think outside the box, and automate everything.

Website: https://connectedmind.me
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connected_mind/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianlehinger/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Connected_Body
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ctdmind
Youtube: https://youtube.com/connectedmind
Other: Take a Free Screening at https://connectedmind.me/screen-4-life