Monte Pedersen returns to the Level Up podcast to help me revisit and look back on how I have evolved as a top leader for my business ventures in the areas of strategy, execution, and organizational performance. It has been 3.5 yea...

[Content Disclaimer: this episode explores themes of loss, including death by suicide.]Loe Hornbuckle is the owner and operator of Sage Oak, a network of boutique care homes for seniors. I had the opportunity to visit him and the team a...

Tracey Scheffler is the daughter of one of our residents at Bella Groves, a dementia care community near San Antonio, Texas. She initially reached out when we first opened, but it wasn’t until almost a year later when our mutual connection, Joa...

If I could only use one word to describe Angie Gray it would be PASSIONATE.  She is passionate about the senior living industry. She is passionate about nurses. She is passionate about authenticity, and showing up with love, and also speak...

Kim Kaupe is a self-described "accidental entrepreneur" who has built a crystal clear personal brand as someone who helps other leaders to thrive.  Her opening statement on her website boldly reads, "I h...

Elaina Davis is the Chief Community Officer in her new role (at the time of this recording) at a senior living consulting firm, primarily serving the Richmond, VA market.In this special episode of Level Up Leadership Podcast, I had the ...

"No founder has it all." Christie Stukenholtz, the co-founder and CEO Senior Care Finder, is mindful of how critical it is for any organization - but especially an entrepreneurial endeavor - to assemble an All Star caliber team.From her...

Michael Emery's career spans a wide range of healthcare roles starting from ICU nursing, to advanced nurse practice, senior operations roles, and now serves as the Executive Vice President of Senior Living for Curana Health.  He is also on...

What are the building blocks of consistency?  How disciplined are you at...discipline? Leaders have the double-duty of being disciplined and creating discipline in their organizations.  I looked to

Erin Thompson shares her leadership experiences, anecdotes and lessons learned about psychological safety in the work place.  Erin and I share a lot of similar experiences, and we dug into s...

Nathan Jones is a former college football coach turned senior living advocate. Nathan was introduced to the world of senior living just out of college, and from the moment he first stepped foot into a senior living community, he was hooked. Sin...

Season 3 of the Level Up Leadership Podcast kicks off with a rather provocative episode: “Do People in Aging Services Perpetuate Ageism?”  [YouTube vide of episode.]It’...

"Don't just think positive thoughts.  Feel positive feelings."  This is just one of many golden nuggets of wisdom I gained from my conversation with Dana Garnett, a conflict management strategist and professional mediator.   Dana...

Jack York is a successful leader who self-describes as a "mediocre CEO".  A co-founder of the senior living technology company, iN2L, Jack is the prototypical Head + Heart leader that we talk about.  In...

Executive Directors lead the day to day work within a senior living community.  In my opinion, this is a cornerstone role for any leader in our industry.  Whether it is a career-long role or a pivotal experience along your career jour...

There are two critical components of having high emotional intelligence: inward facing (self management) and outward facing (social management).  In this episode, I share three practical tips on how you can build your self-awarenes...

Sean is a turnaround guru.  In his wide ranging professional experiences in helping distressed companies to restructure and turnaround, he has observed lots of organizational patterns that may have contributed to tough times.In thi...

Sean is a turnaround guru.  In his wide ranging professional experiences in helping distressed companies to restructure and turnaround, he has observed lots of organizational patterns that may have contributed to tough times.In the...

“Purpose transcends ego.” This was one of the many quotable quotes that came from the discussion between James and Anna Hall, the Chief Purpose Officer for Connected Living and the inventor of the Purpose Equation.  In this episode, Jam...

Why do people go to websites?  It's probably not to see an advertisement of your company.Advertisements are inherently disruptive.  They are designed to interrupt what you are doing (i.e. watching TV) to pay attention to your ...

James reunites with managers from the first community where he was an Executive Director to recall and revisit what elements of their leadership culture made the team special.  Does culture correlate to performance?  How does an in...

Monte Pedersen enjoyed a 35-year career in hospitality management before deciding to form his own leadership and training firm focused on Strategy Execution Management.  In this episode, James and Monte discuss some basic concepts of st...

I discuss the value of having a leadership model with serial entrepreneur Josh Crisp, the CEO and Founder of Solinity Senior Living, Solinity Marketing, and the co-creator of Bridge The Gap Senior Living Podcast (among many other ventures)....

This podcast is for mission driven leaders who want to level up their own abilities, skills, and mindset to create powerful relationships. Host, James Lee, shares some of his guiding principles of life that inspired him to create a...