Listen to 30-year wellness and fitness veteran Glenn Colarossi discuss the merging of health and hospitality in senior living. Trends discussed include wearable health technology, functional fitness, outdoor exercise, wellness playgrounds, social cognitive programs, and much more.

About Glenn

Glenn Colarossi is a 30-year veteran of the health/wellness/spa space. As Executive Director for newly renovated Atria Stamford, CT, he offers a lifestyle of choice, with industry-leading quality standards and customized care options. Glenn uses his wellness background to promote a healthy and productive lifestyle, along with his business acumen owning and operating health and wellness properties. Atria has over 20,000 senior units throughout the United States.

Glenn has been an owner/operator and consultant to some of the best health clubs/spas in the world. Some of the more notable clubs that he has owned include The Downtown Athletic Club in Miami Florida, and the Landmark Athletic Club in Stamford Connecticut. He was engaged by Starwood Hotels to assist in the development of the WestinWORKOUT (Starwood’s branded fitness concept). Subsequently, he developed fitness brand standards for Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Miraval, TDIC (Tourism Development Investment Corporation Abu Dhabi), and InterContinental Hotel Group. His client list is that of a “who’s who in quality” - Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, W, St. Regis, Fairmont, WCI, Luxury Collection, The Plaza Hotel, and Frette to name a few.

He earned a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from Adelphi University and did post-graduate work at the University of Physical Culture in Moscow. He has served on the Connecticut Governor’s Council on Fitness and was an advisory board member for; ICAA (International Council on Active Aging), ACE (American Council on Exercise), ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine, Health Fitness Journal) and the Keiser Institute on Aging. He has been a presenter/panelist at prestigious events around the world, from the International Hotel Show (Rome and Venice), NYU Real Estate Investment Conference, IHRSA, Club Industry, US Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing Forum, and mini-conference for the White House Conference on Aging. He has been quoted extensively by trade publications, as well as, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. He is also the former President of Hospitality for Cybex (NASDAQ cybi).

Key Takeaways:

Welcome to the Glowing Older podcast, where we feature powerful voices in aging well. We’re your co-hosts, Nancy Griffin and Katherine Lord, and together, we lead Glowing Older, LLC, a coaching firm designed to support people in creating their life plans to age well. We are working to change the narrative around aging, and this podcast is central to that vision.

Nancy, Glowing Older’s Co-Founder and CEO, is a hospitality veteran, and comes from a lineage of senior care leaders. Her grandparents founded one of the first Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC), Broadmead, outside Baltimore in mid 1970's. Nancy’s grandfather also advocated for resident’s rights by starting the National Continuing Care Residents Association (NaCCRA) in the early ’90s, which is still active today. Over time, Nancy’s dichotomic perspectives of high-end resorts and senior living communities led her to a truth: senior living operated from an institutional model, and inclusive wellness programming was absent.

Since then, hospitality and wellness trends have infiltrated aging services, including senior living, in a big way. There is now a focus on active aging, multigenerational engagement, and longevity. In 2020, Nancy decided to shift her professional focus from hospitality marketing to aging, and with that, she launched the Glowing Older Podcast, published a B2B trade brief, SeniorTrade, and created Expose Ageism, a movement to raise awareness about ageism in the spa, wellness, and beauty industries.

Then, in May 2023, Nancy partnered with Katherine Lord to co-found Glowing Older, LLC. Katherine’s background in business and social work poised her to serve as Glowing Older’s Principal Glow Guide, where she provides individualized coaching for clients to create wholistic life plans. Further, she facilitates Glowing Older’s Better with Age events, which are immersive experiences that bridges education and enjoyment of aged food and beverages with conversations around aging. Katherine is a member of the “sandwich generation,” caring for both her aging parents and in-laws, as well as for her young son. She brings both her professional and personal experience to the conversations she facilitates, with clients and podcast guests alike.

We hope you enjoy this podcast, whether you are an aging services professional, or an individual wanting to learn about all that’s available in the evolving in the aging industry. Join us each week for a new episode, and enjoy the journey of Glowing Older.