Contributor Wednesday

What if the biggest reason new hires leave isn't pay, scheduling, or workload, but the experience they have during their first few weeks? In this episode of Contributor Wednesday, Cara Silletto explores how senior living leaders can dramatically reduce costly early turnover by rethinking onboarding as an "on-ramp" rather than a one-time orientation event. Drawing from conversations with senior liv...

Sales fatigue is one of the most common, and least discussed, challenges facing senior living sales teams today. Christy Van Der Westhuizen is back to explore what sales fatigue really looks like, why even top-performing professionals experience it, and how leaders can help teams maintain momentum without sacrificing wellbeing. Drawing from her own experiences, Christy shares the emotional realiti...

In this contributor episode of Bridge the Gap , Cara Silletto explores two foundational, but often overlooked, drivers of employee retention: organizational values and strategic priorities . Drawing from her Employee Retention Ecosystem framework, Cara challenges leaders to reconsider whether their mission, vision, and values still resonate with today’s workforce. She argues that values shouldn’t...

In this episode of Bridge The Gap , contributor host Christy Van Der Westhuizen breaks down one of the most important and often misunderstood skills in senior living leadership: business and financial acumen. This conversation goes far beyond spreadsheets and dashboards. Christy explains how executive directors and sales directors can use data to tell the story behind occupancy, move-ins, move-out...

On this week’s Contributor Wednesday, Cara Silletto breaks down why leadership development is no longer optional, and how to build a program that actually drives retention and performance. She makes the business case with compelling ROI data, showing how investing in leaders reduces turnover, improves productivity, and strengthens workplace culture. Key Topics Covered Why leadership development is...

Christy Van Der Westhuizen is back to challenge a common assumption in senior living: that struggling occupancy is a strategy problem. Instead, she argues it’s an execution problem, and one that many teams are guilty of. From delayed lead response times to ineffective follow-up language, Christy breaks down the everyday habits that quietly stall growth. Key Topics The hidden cost of “busy work” in...

In this candid and thought-provoking episode, Cara Silletto tackles one of the most pressing issues in today’s workforce: unsustainable workloads. Drawing from real conversations with senior care executives and leaders across industries, Cara breaks down why “analyzing capacity” consistently scores low in organizations, and what that means for employee retention. She argues that the workaholic era...

In this heartfelt episode of Contributor Wednesday, Christy Van Der Westhuizen reframes what it truly means to work in sales, especially in the senior living industry. Drawing from her personal journey and family experience, she explains why senior living sales is not about persuasion or pressure, but about the life-changing impact of senior living. Christy Discusses: Why senior living sales is fu...

What does professionalism really mean, and who gets to define it? In this episode of Contributor Wednesday, Cara Silletto explores the often unspoken expectations that shape workplace culture. Through a candid personal story about unknowingly breaking an “unwritten rule,” Kara reveals how easily judgment, generational assumptions, and unclear standards can create tension on teams. She challenges l...

What does a Regional Director of Sales really do in senior living, and why might it be one of the toughest roles in the industry? In this episode of Contributor Wednesday, Christy Van Der Westhuizen, SVP of Sales & Marketing at Jaybird Senior Living, pulls back the curtain on her 18-year journey from community sales director to senior leadership. She shares the myths versus realities of region...

Employee retention isn’t broken because of one issue; it’s broken because organizations keep treating it like a single-issue problem. In this episode of Contributor Wednesday , contributor host Cara Silletto continues the discussion around the Employee Retention Ecosystem . Listeners will learn how to assess whether their organization is thriving, surviving, or wilting through an 18-point retentio...

In this episode of Contributor Wednesday, Cara Silletto, President and Chief Retention Officer of Magnet Culture, shares a timely update on how the workforce has evolved and what leaders must understand to retain employees today. Drawing from over a decade of experience in generational dynamics and retention strategy, Cara walks listeners through updated workforce demographics heading into 2026, h...

Contributor Wednesday is officially back on Bridge the Gap, and Lucas McCurdy and Josh Crisp are kicking off an exciting new chapter for the BTG Network. In this episode, we cover why the Contributor Wednesday series was so impactful in the past, why listeners asked for its return, and how it will evolve in 2026. Unlike the traditional Monday episodes that focus on high-level thought leadership, C...

In this episode from recruiting expert Chris Heinz, learn how to make next year the best year ever! Join Bridge the Gap in thanking Chris for his outstanding contributions this year as a Contributor Wednesday host. Meet the BTG  Contributors . Powered by  Peak Senior Living  by  Functional Pathways. Connect with us on social media: YouTube  Instagram Facebook Twitter Linke...

Creating “Magic” First Impressions Host Christy Van Der Westheuizen shares how first impressions play a HUGE role in the sales outcomes of senior living.   “It will be someone’s first time to Disneyland every single day.” - Walt Disney How does this inspire your commitment to creating positive first impressions in your own community?  Here’s what Disney does to create magical first...

Solving the Office Puzzle In this episode,  Julie Podewitz  takes us from The Office to Las Vegas!  During this series, Julie takes a deep dive into how to solve the occupancy puzzle by identifying the problem, determining strategy, what actions to take, and how to get there. These episodes narrow in on a key area of the occupancy puzzle, what contributes to the outcome, what a...

Mentorship program organizers only need a handful of tools to get metrics in place that measure success. In this episode, Anthony discusses the impact the Kirkpatrick Model has on mentorship programs and how leaders can use this as a tool to measure the program’s ROI. Learn more at Kirkpatrick Partners and Magnet Culture . Listen to more Contributor Wednesday episodes here . Meet the BTG  Con...

Improving health and longevity in aging adults is key, and there is great importance in providing occupational, speech, and physical therapy for seniors.  Kathryn Wyatt , Division VP of Senior Living at  Peak Senior Living  by Functional Pathways, discusses the focus on wellness and the impact it produces. Meet the BTG  Contributors . Powered by  Peak Senior Living  b...

In this episode from recruiting expert Chris Heinz, learn about 10 tips that will help get the candidate you want to hire! During our Mindset Moment, BTG Contributor Chris Heinz, Managing Partner of Westport One, discusses the concept of the journey vs the destination. Make sure to stay to the end! Meet the BTG  Contributors . Powered by  Peak Senior Living  by  Functional...

The Importance of Showing Gratitude to Your Sales Teams with host Christy Van Der Westhuizen. In this season of thanksgiving, it is vitally important to show gratitude, especially with your sales teams. Now, you may be thinking…well isn’t a commission check “gratitude enough?” Nope! Gratitude and appreciation are so important to the success of any team and especially important to the success of yo...

Solving the Office Puzzle: What watching The Office can teach us about senior living sales.  During this series Julie Podewitz takes a deep dive into how to solve the occupancy puzzle by identifying the problem, determining strategy, what actions to take, and how to get there. These episodes narrow in on a key area of the occupancy puzzle, what contributes to the outcome, what action to put i...

You and your mentee have met, started to get acquainted, and talked in general terms about what you’ll both accomplish during your mentoring partnership. Now what? Where do you go from here and how will you accomplish your goals with the mentee?  Anthony Ormsbee-Hale  shares activities that are designed to help establish goals, build trust and develop skills. These best practices are a g...

Time if your most precious resource, right? What if you could make it exponentially more valuable? In this episode from recruiting expert Chris Heinz, learn about utilizing the time of others to help you reach your goals in hiring and retaining talent. During our Mindset Moment, BTG Contributor Chris Heinz, Managing Partner of Westport One, discusses not burning bridges and the impact it can have...

LinkedIn - Just Do It! BTG Contributor, Christy Van Der Westhuizen, shares how to build your personal brand, as well as your company’s brand, on LinkedIn. What is LinkedIn?  At its core, LinkedIn is a professional networking platform - so want to build your business?  Use LinkedIn!  Learn about BTG Network sponsorship opportunities HERE . Meet the BTG  Contributors . Powered by...

During this series Julie will take a deeper dive into how to solve the occupancy puzzle by identifying the problem, determining strategy, what actions to take, and how to get there.     This series focuses on specific pieces of the occupancy puzzle, what contributes to the outcome, what action to put in place, and how to coach others.    For this episode on coaching others...