Leading With Understanding: Cassie Wilfore on Mental Health and Purpose
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, WISE is highlighting a leader who brings compassion and clarity to both her professional and personal life. Cassie Wilfore is an inspirational individual who brings a global perspective to private brands and a deeply personal mission to mental health advocacy.
Cassie (Cassandra) Wilfore, who has spent over two decades building a career in private label through Daymon, blends global business acumen with a powerful commitment to mental health awareness. From her work in Japan leading innovation, product development and sourcing strategy consultation for the APAC region’s top grocery retailer, to her role on the executive board of i understand—a nonprofit focused on mental health and grief support—Cassie embodies the true value of leading with understanding.
Cassie's global journey began at Meijer as an analyst, eventually expanding into innovation and global sourcing across markets like Europe, Southeast Asia, India, China, and Japan. She notes the nuances in how retail operates across cultures, such as Japan’s 7-ELEVEN stores, which differ significantly from their U.S. counterparts. These stores often serve as supermarkets in small formats and reflect the nation's preference for public transportation and convenience.
Cassie’s deep curiosity about people has always driven her, through studying psychology, advertising, and religion, not just for her college credentials, but to truly understand what shapes human behavior. That same spirit of inquiry and empathy continues to guide her today, in both business and her advocacy for mental health.
That mission took shape after the heartbreaking loss of her best friend Jessica in 2017, following years of struggle with pain at the hands of her husband’s addiction. “She wasn’t crazy. She was in pain,” Cassie says. “We often treat mental health as a label, but it’s not always chronic. Sometimes it’s like a cold; it can come and go, often triggered by grief, loss, or trauma.”
Jessica’s death moved Cassie into action. What began as participation in the AFSP National Suicide Prevention Walks turned into a family-led charity golf outing in her honor: The Best Is Yet to Come. It became a space for storytelling, community, and hope. Eventually, Cassie and Jessica’s mother were introduced to Vonnie Woodrick, who founded i understand after losing her husband to suicide in 2003. The organization’s mission, to change the conversation around mental health and support those grieving, deeply resonated with Cassie.
Today, Cassie serves on i understand’s executive board. The organization offers grief support groups for people who’ve lost someone to suicide, as well as those who have survived attempts themselves. They’ve even partnered with the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum to create the Kimberly Mutch Bergner Mental Wellness Exhibit, a space that uses weather metaphors to help kids express emotions like sadness, anger, and hope without shame.
As someone who has supported others through mental health struggles while managing a demanding career, Cassie offers valuable advice, especially to those juggling multiple roles. “It’s all about balance, but balance looks different for everyone,” she says.
For Cassie, that balance means proactively scheduling mental health time like any other meeting. She blocks off time on her calendar for workouts, meditation, and simple moments to step away from her screen and reset.
“You have to put it on the calendar and then protect it,” she explains. “Treat it like something you’re doing for others, too. Because if your cup’s not full, you can’t pour it into anything else.”
She speaks with deep emotion about Jessica’s experience. “Her whole adult life was centered around healing her husband and sheltering her kids from the harmful reality of his addiction,” Cassie recalls. “She lived with such a high level of stress for so long that her ‘normal’ was essentially a fight-or-flight state. Her body became trained to live like that, and because she didn’t have the space, or didn’t feel she could take it to center herself, it took a toll. It’s never just one cause, but if she had felt allowed and safe to take more time for herself without negative consequence, I believe it would have helped.”
Through all of this, the theme of understanding has remained central to Cassie’s life. Professionally, she’s led teams to connect across cultures, business strategies, and languages. Personally, she’s devoted herself to building spaces where grief isn’t ignored, pain is acknowledged, and healing is nurtured.
“Understanding isn’t about having the answers,” Cassie reflects. “It’s about creating space for people to be seen, heard and supported.”
As we reflect on our own journeys, whether managing global brands or navigating personal challenges, Cassie’s story is a reminder that understanding is the foundation of every meaningful connection we build.
About i understand
When Vonnie Woodrick lost her husband Rob to suicide in 2003, she was met with silence, stigma, and misunderstanding. What she needed most was compassion and the space to grieve without judgment. Her experience led her to found i understand in 2014, a nonprofit dedicated to changing the conversation around mental health and suicide.
i understand believes suicide is not a choice, but the result of unbearable pain and mental illness. The organization provides peer-led grief support groups, educational outreach, and healing-centered programs for children and adults—all grounded in compassion and understanding. Its strategic pillars focus on reducing stigma, providing support, and inspiring joy.
You can support i understand by:
• Donating to help fund programs and outreach.
• Sponsoring or attending events like the i understand Love Heals gala.
• Following and sharing their mission on social media.
Learn more or get involved at www.iunderstandloveheals.org.
Featured in: The Power of Sharing
Cassie and Jessica’s story is also featured in the book The Power of Sharing, edited by Vonnie Woodrick with forward by Doug Meijer. This powerful collection highlights personal stories of loss, hope, and healing, including Cassie’s heartfelt tribute to Jessica. “Addiction didn’t just take Jessica,” she writes. “It broke all of us who loved her.” Through the cycles of relapse and recovery, Jessica fought for a picture-perfect life while quietly enduring trauma that would ultimately overwhelm her.
Through these narratives, the book breaks down stigma and helps readers feel less alone in their struggles with grief and mental illness.
The Power of Sharing is available online at iunderstandloveheals.org, on Amazon or wherever books are sold.