Senior Living Marketing Perspectives

Episode Summary:  What separates senior living sales teams that consistently maintain high occupancy from those that struggle to keep pace? According to Reed Davis, Chief Learning Officer at 1-On-1 Sales Academy, it isn't talent alone—it's a commitment to continuous learning.  In this episode, Debbie Howard welcomes Reed back to discuss how the 1-On-1 Sales Academy has evolved from an online conte...

  Episode Summary:  In today's senior living landscape, families often complete extensive online research before ever reaching out to a community. By the time they submit an inquiry or schedule a tour, they've likely compared pricing, explored competitors, and wrestled with difficult emotional decisions.  So what happens next matters.  In this episode of Senior Living Marketing Perspectives, Debbi...

Episode Summary:  What does it take to successfully market a senior living model that looks nothing like the traditional community?  In this episode of Senior Living Marketing Perspectives, Debbie Howard sits down with Francis LeGasse, Co-Founder and CEO of Assured Senior Living, to discuss how his Colorado-based organization has grown from a single residential memory care home into a network of 3...

Episode Summary:  In this episode of Senior Living Marketing Perspectives, Debbie Howard sits down with Megan Longley, Vice President of Sales at Acts Retirement-Life Communities, for an insightful conversation about occupancy growth, resident experience, referral marketing, and the evolving expectations of today’s senior living consumer.  Megan shares how Acts has built a thriving culture centere...

Episode Summary  In this episode, Debbie Howard, co-founder of Senior Living SMART, sits down with Chris Zook, Director of Search, to break down the rapidly evolving landscape of Google Ads and paid media in 2026.  As the industry moves deeper into an AI-driven era, senior living operators are facing a new set of challenges: declining keyword search volume, rising cost per conversion, and increasi...

Episode Summary:  In this episode, Debbie Howard, co-founder of Senior Living SMART, speaks with Maggie Seybold, Vice President of Customer Insights at WelcomeHome Software, about key insights from the 2025 Senior Living Sales & Marketing Benchmark Report.  As the industry stabilizes after several years of disruption, senior living operators are entering a new phase: fine-tuning strategy rathe...

Episode Summary:  In this episode of Senior Living Marketing Perspectives, Debbie Howard, co-founder of Senior Living SMART, welcomes Donna Cutting, founder and CEO of Red Carpet Learning Worldwide and a globally recognized expert in service culture.  Donna has spent decades helping organizations create memorable experiences that build loyalty and trust. In senior living, that philosophy translate...

Episode Summary:  In this episode, Debbie Howard, co-founder of Senior Living SMART, is joined by Kiera DesChamps, author of After the Tour: Where Senior Living Decisions Are Really Made, to unpack what truly happens after a prospect leaves a community tour.  While operators invest heavily in generating leads and securing tours, Kiera explains why the real opportunity — and risk — begins once fami...

Senior Living Marketing Perspectives: Eliminating the “Sea of Sameness” in Senior Living Marketing with Hoyle Koontz  Episode Summary:  In this episode, Debbie Howard of Senior Living SMART sits down with Hoyle Koontz—partner and co-founder of The Vector and creator of YourTour—to explore how digital sales tools are reshaping the senior living purchase journey. Hoyle shares his path from photojour...

Senior Living Marketing Perspectives: The Future of Lead Qualification in Senior Living with Tripp Higgins    Episode Summary  In this episode of Senior Living Marketing Perspectives, Debbie Howard sits down with Tripp Higgins, Chief Revenue Officer of My LifeSite, to discuss how operators can better qualify prospects through smart financial tools. My LifeSite, known for its educational resources...

Senior Living Marketing Perspectives: Bridging the Affordability Gap in Senior Living with Sue Farrow    Episode Summary  In this episode of Senior Living Marketing Perspectives, Debbie Howard speaks with Sue Farrow, founder of SHORE (Senior Housing Relief for Elders) and former founder/CEO of Integral Senior Living and Solstice Senior Living. After decades of operating senior housing communities,...

Senior Living Marketing Perspectives: Changing the Narrative Through Authentic Storytelling with Nathan Jones Episode Summary  In this episode of Senior Living Marketing Perspectives, Debbie Howard sits down with Nathan Jones, CEO and Founder of Dash Media, to explore how authentic storytelling is reshaping the perception of senior living. With a background spanning faith, football, technology, an...

Episode Summary:  In this episode of Senior Living Marketing Perspectives, Debbie Howard chats with Reed Davis, Chief Learning Officer of One On One Sales Academy, about the changing landscape of sales training in senior living. With decades of experience across operations and vendor-side leadership, Reed offers a fresh, strategic take on why traditional sales methods are falling short—and what to...

Episode Summary:  In this episode of Senior Living Marketing Perspectives, Debbie Howard welcomes Maureen Longoria, CEO and Co-Founder of LivNow Relocation, to discuss the seismic shifts heading toward senior living—and what communities must do to keep up.  From the $84 trillion wealth transfer to the explosive rise of solo agers, Maureen shares data-backed insights and on-the-ground realities tha...

Senior Living Marketing Perspectives: Rethinking Sales Strategies in Senior Living with Kelly Singleton Myers  Episode Summary:  In this episode, Debbie Howard, co-founder of Senior Living SMART, is joined by Kelly Singleton Myers, co-founder of KJB Sales Consulting, to explore the evolving landscape of senior living sales. They discuss the gap between marketing advancements and traditional sales...

Senior Living Marketing Perspectives: Mastering Google Ads to Boost Senior Living Lead Quality  Episode Summary:  In this episode, Debbie Howard, co-founder of Senior Living SMART, is joined by Chris Zook, Director of Search at Senior Living SMART, for an in-depth discussion on leveraging Google Ads to drive leads in the senior living industry. They explore how communities can use innovative searc...

Senior Living Marketing Perspectives: The Power of Professional Outreach and Referral Source Development   Episode Summary:  In this episode of Senior Living Marketing Perspectives, Debbie Howard of Senior Living Smart engages in a thoughtful conversation with Michael Moye, Senior Account Executive at Welcome Home CRM. The episode dives into the often overlooked but critical role of grassroots mar...

Senior Living Marketing Perspectives: Insights on Client Success and Marketing Strategies  Episode Summary:  In this episode, Debbie Howard and Doug DeMaio, Director of Client Success at Senior Living SMART, discuss the parallels between marketing strategies for early childhood education and senior living communities. They explore how understanding and leveraging reporting metrics, crafting effect...

Senior Living Marketing Perspectives: The Executive Director's Role in Sales  Episode Summary:  In this episode, Debbie Howard and Erin Thompson delve into the Executive Director's pivotal role in the sales process. They discuss shifting from a sales to a service mindset, the importance of understanding resident needs throughout their journey, and how building trust and showcasing community streng...

Senior Living Marketing Perspectives: Social Media Marketing with Kerri-Anne Pendergast  Episode Summary:  In this episode, Debbie Howard talks with Kerri-Anne Pendergast, Director of Social Marketing at Senior Living SMART, about the evolving landscape of social media marketing in the senior living industry. They discuss best practices, the importance of storytelling, the impact of social media o...

Senior Living Marketing Perspectives: Consumer Perceptions of the Buyer Journey Episode Summary:  In this episode of "Senior Living Marketing Perspectives," host Debbie Howard from Senior Living Smart welcomes Jamison Gosselin, a 20-year senior living industry expert. First, Debbie and Jamison dive into SMASH survey findings about consumer perceptions of the buyer journey. Next, they continue on t...

Senior Living Marketing Perspectives: Behavioral Science in Marketing Episode Summary:  In this episode of "Senior Living Marketing Perspectives," host Debbie Howard from Senior Living Smart welcomes Nancy Harhut, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of HBT Marketing. Debbie and Nancy dive into the connection between behavioral science and marketing, specifically in the senior living industry. Th...

Episode Summary:  In this episode of "Senior Living Marketing Perspectives," host Debbie Howard from Senior Living Smart welcomes Maureen Longoria, Co-Founder of Live Now Relocation. Together, they dive into the complex process of relocating to senior living communities and discuss how Maureen's company assists both older adults and their adult children during this emotionally charged transition....

Episode Summary: In this episode of Senior Living Marketing Perspectives, Debbie Howard interviews Sarah Nay, the Chief Operating Officer of Duct Tape Marketing and the founder of Spark Lab Consulting. They discuss the significance of having a comprehensive marketing system and its role in driving predictable growth for businesses. Sarah emphasizes the importance of aligning marketing and operatio...

Episode Summary: In this episode, host Debbie Howard engages in a conversation with Scott McCorvie, founder of Vita Senior Living and Generational Movement, about his mission to improve lives in the senior living industry. Scott shares his passion for providing purpose and improvement strategies for seniors and his desire to create a global impact through his company. He discusses his podcast, "Th...