Grow Your Occupancy

Hosted by Julie Podewitz

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Apr 2026

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About the show

Don‘t sell yourself short. Find ways to optimize sales, improve customer experience, differentiate yourself in a competitive senior living, active adult, 55+ living market. Hear what your prospects, residents, influencers have to say. Learn from sales experts both in and out of the senior living business. Elevate sales processes, shorten sales cycle, become one of the top 10% in a growing industry. With staffing becoming as much of a concern as occupancy, guests who specialize in attracting talent, identifying talent, hiring, onboarding and retention will also be featured. Grow Your Occupancy podcast offers everything from sales coaching, the psychology of sales, the buying cycle, the complexity of the emotional sale, informative discussions, and casual, fun conversations. The senior living and active adult markets continue to explode. Are you ready to GROW?

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60 recent

April 24, 2026Episode 16828 min

Unlock Health's Larry Williams Shares What's Actually Working in Senior Living Marketing Today

In this episode of The Grow Your Occupancy Podcast, Julie Podewitz, CEO & Founder of Grow Your Occupancy, chats with Larry Williams, Senior Director of Market Strategy & Growth at Unlock Health, for a candid and highly practical conversation about what’s actually working in senior living marketing today. From the very first search a prospect makes to the final move-in decision, Larry breaks down how communities can better understand and influence the modern customer journey, including how search behavior differs between prospects and their adult children, why industry jargon often misses the mark with prospects, and how local data should drive every marketing decision. The conversation goes deeper than tactics. Larry shares how to prioritize marketing investments when budgets are tight, why paid media (search, social, and programmatic) often delivers the fastest impact, and how communities can avoid the “shotgun approach” by focusing on what truly drives results. Julie and Larry also tackle one of the biggest challenges in senior living today: aligning marketing and sales. They emphasize that leads alone don’t drive occupancy; conversion, follow-up, and a seamless handoff between teams are what ultimately create success. And perhaps most importantly, they highlight a powerful shift happening across the industry: authenticity is winning. Today’s prospects aren’t looking for perfectly polished messaging, they want real stories, real residents, and a genuine sense of community. If you’re looking to sharpen your marketing strategy, improve lead quality, and ultimately drive more move-ins, this episode delivers actionable insights you can put into practice immediately.

April 19, 2026Episode 16728 min

Culture, Connection, & Conversions: The Real Drivers of Sales at Charter Senior Living

In this episode of The Grow Your Occupancy Podcast, Julie Podewitz, CEO & Founder of Grow Your Occupancy, talks with Bradley Scoggins, Senior Director of Sales and Owner Relations at Charter Senior Living, about what really drives occupancy in today's senior living landscape. Bradley shares how Charter has grown from fewer than 20 communities to more than 70 in just a few years, and why that growth is rooted not in amenities, but in culture, connection, and consistency in sales. Together, Julie and Bradley dig into what goes into sales team success, including culture, hiring, onboarding, leadership, and collaboration. If you're leading a sales team, building one, or working to improve occupancy in a competitive market, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-world strategies you can put into action immediately.

April 11, 2026Episode 16623 min

Seniors Guide's Katharine Ross Shares How Today's Seniors and Families Are Researching Senior Living

In this episode of The Grow Your Occupancy Podcast, Julie Podewitz talks with Katharine Ross, President of Seniors Guide, to explore how today’s senior living consumers research communities, what information matters most to them, and how operators can better connect with both prospects and adult children. Katharine shares what Seniors Guide is seeing firsthand: more self-led research from older adults, longer digital buying journeys, greater demand for transparency around pricing, and a growing appetite for authentic content that shows what life is really like inside a community. She and Julie also discuss the power of testimonials, resident and family voices, executive director involvement, and why storytelling may be one of the most effective ways to build trust and close the perception gap around senior living. This conversation is packed with practical insight for senior living operators, sales leaders, and marketers who want to strengthen their digital presence, improve engagement, and create more meaningful connections with future residents and their families.

April 6, 2026Episode 16530 min

Creating Community and Driving Results – Julie Talks With Tom Bahrman of Tenfold Senior Living

In this episode of The Grow Your Occupancy Podcast, Julie Podewitz, CEO & Founder of Grow Your Occupancy, talks with Tom Bahrman, Principal of Tenfold Senior Living, to explore what it really takes to achieve and sustain exceptional communities and high occupancy in senior living. Tom shares how Tenfold has built a strong culture centered on community, resident experience, team engagement, and operational clarity—resulting in one community exceeding 96% occupancy and another reaching 100% occupancy. Together, Julie and Tom discuss the importance of delivering an outstanding resident experience, creating clear distinctions between marketing and sales roles, establishing benchmarks, coaching sales teams consistently, and leading with both accountability and appreciation. This conversation is packed with insights for senior living leaders who want to improve occupancy by strengthening their people, processes, culture, and sales systems. It is a thoughtful look at how curiosity, collaboration, and commitment can help communities move from good results to great ones.

March 29, 2026Episode 16435 min

People, Process, Plan: The Senior Living Sales Framework Behind High Occupancy at The Gatesworth

In this episode of The Grow Your Occupancy Podcast, host Julie Podewitz, CEO & Founder of Grow Your Occupancy, talks with Patrick Leonard, Chief Revenue Officer at The Gatesworth Communities, to explore what it really takes to build and sustain exceptional occupancy in senior living. Patrick shares the story behind The Gatesworth’s journey from post-COVID occupancy challenges to operating at or nearly full capacity. Julie and Patrick discuss the power of people, process, and plan, the importance of breaking large goals into realistic milestones, how daily sales discipline and leading indicators create momentum, and why executive leadership involvement is critical to sales success. They also dig into the role of thoughtful planning, meaningful follow-up, resident ambassadors, transparent pricing, and selling with confidence and clarity. Whether you are new to senior living sales or looking to reset and level up your approach, this conversation offers practical insight, encouragement, and proven strategies from a leader who has helped drive remarkable results.

March 20, 2026Episode 16329 min

How Smarter Sales Strategies Are Driving Occupancy at American Baptist Homes of the Midwest

In this episode of The Grow Your Occupancy Podcast, Julie Podewitz, CEO & Founder, is joined by Austin Blilie, COO, and Tommy Tyler, Director of Sales, Marketing & Development at American Baptist Homes of the Midwest—an organization with nearly a century of service in senior living. Austin and Tommy unpack how a mission-driven, nonprofit provider is successfully navigating today’s rapidly evolving senior living landscape. From shifting prospect behaviors and rising acuity levels to the lasting impact of COVID-19, they share what today’s residents and families expect—and how communities must adapt to meet them where they are. You’ll learn: - How digital transformation has reshaped the buyer journey (and why prospects are more informed than ever) - Why speed to the lead is now a non-negotiable competitive advantage - The shift from traditional tours to needs-based, consultative selling - How occupancy gains in 2025 were achieved through intentional sales training and process improvements - The evolving role of technology, home care, and aging-in-place strategies - How nonprofit, faith-based organizations can differentiate through mission, reinvestment, and trust This episode is packed with practical insights for sales directors, executive directors, and marketing leaders looking to increase occupancy, improve conversion, and stay competitive in a changing market. If you’re still relying on outdated sales approaches—or responding to leads “when you get to it”—this conversation is your wake-up call.

March 16, 2026Episode 16221 min

These Simple Habits Can Transform Your Senior Living Sales Outcomes: Julie Talks With Lori Vernier

Julie Podewitz, CEO & Founder of Grow Your Occupancy, and Lori Vernier, Senior Sales Strategist, continue their conversation about the real-world sales behaviors that drive occupancy growth in senior living communities. Building on insights from the previous episode, Julie and Lori explore the common gaps they see when analyzing sales data across communities—from follow-up timelines that stretch too long, to missed opportunities to invite prospects to tour. Lori shares practical coaching insights from her work with sales directors, including a recent case where small adjustments in the sales process and and database management helped a community dramatically increase move-ins. They also discuss how sales teams can better analyze lead sources, protect their “selling zone” time, and turn their CRM database into their most valuable asset. Along the way, Lori shares simple but powerful habits that every sales professional can implement immediately—like asking more questions, closing to the next step, and tightening the timeline between prospect interactions. If you’re a senior living sales director, executive director, or regional sales leader, this episode offers practical strategies you can implement right away to increase tours, strengthen relationships, and convert more prospects into residents.

March 2, 2026Episode 16118 min

What Is the Data Telling You About Your Senior Living Sales Process? Julie Talks With Lori Vernier

In this episode of The Grow Your Occupancy Podcast, host Julie Podewitz, CEO & Founder of Grow Your Occupancy, sits down with Lori Vernier, Senior Sales Strategist at Grow Your Occupancy, for an in-depth conversation about what the data inside your CRM is really telling you about your senior living sales process. Lori is a master of strategy based on data analytics. She spends time in all areas of senior living sales and brings a unique perspective into the common gaps and how best to fill them. She works closely with communities across the country through market analyses, mystery shops, coaching, and sales strategy development. Drawing from her experience evaluating hundreds of sales teams and databases, she shares how to identify the most important indicators of sales performance—and where many communities unknowingly lose opportunities. Together, Julie and Lori unpack the key metrics that tell the story of your sales funnel, including connections, tours, and conversions. Lori explains why tours are the backbone of the senior living sales process, how weak connection rates can stall momentum before it even begins, and why the tour experience itself is often the biggest missed opportunity. They also discuss common CRM pitfalls, including gaps in follow-up, failure to close to the next step, and missed discovery insights that can derail the customer journey. Lori shares real examples from recent community visits and mystery shops, highlighting how small changes in engagement, planning, and team communication can dramatically improve outcomes. This episode is packed with practical insights for sales leaders and operators who want to better understand their data, strengthen their sales process, and ultimately create more opportunities for move-ins. Stay tuned for Part 2, where Julie and Lori continue the conversation and dive deeper into what mystery shops reveal about competitive positioning, sales skills, and market opportunities.

February 23, 2026Episode 16018 min

Making People Feel at Home Is the Most Important Part of the Customer Experience at QSLM Communities

Julie Podewitz, CEO & Founder of Grow Your Occupancy, talks with Tiffany Cooey, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at QSL Management, about the strong focus on the customer experience at their senior living communities. From the moment a prospect walks into one of their communities, the emphasis is on not only a luxury senior living experience, but also on creating a feeling of home. Listen to find out how, through training and reinforcement, the entire team at each QSLM community delivers on the resident experience.

February 12, 2026Episode 15932 min

Paragon Senior Living's Ground-Up Growth Story: Creating a Culture That Fuels Occupancy Success

In this episode of The Grow Your Occupancy Podcast, Julie Podewitz, CEO & Founder of Grow Your Occupancy, welcomes Tiffany Cobern, President of Paragon Senior Living, for an insightful conversation about launching a senior living management company rooted in authenticity, relationships, and operational excellence. Tiffany shares the story behind Paragon Senior Living, crediting building trust with residents, team members, and the local market for Paragon’s early wins, and how the organization is positioning itself for strategic growth across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Julie and Tiffany explore the non-negotiables of successful senior living sales, including authentic human connection, leadership-driven outreach, and the critical role every department plays in supporting occupancy and revenue. Tiffany also discusses why sales directors must think like business leaders—not just tacticians—and how technology and AI are reshaping the future of senior living sales. This episode is a must-listen for senior living operators, sales leaders, and executives who want to build a culture where relationships come first, leadership is visible, and growth is built on trust, authenticity, and operational alignment.