Tips from Trestle: The Senior Living Food and Hospitality Podcast

In this powerful episode of Tips from Trestle — the senior living food and hospitality podcast — Aaron revisits an amazing convbersation he had with friend of then podcast Joseph Cope, nationally recognized speaker and "The Empathy Guy," to dismantle one of leadership's biggest myths: that empathy is a soft skill. Joseph redefines empathy as a fierce, measurable leadership competency that directly drives employee retention, team morale, and organizational culture. Together, they explore self-empathy, the neuroscience behind stress and creativity, how to hold teams accountable with compassion, and why human connection is the true currency of future business success. Whether you're a senior living executive, culinary director, or mid-level manager, this conversation will challenge you to lead from the inside out.

Senior living leadership | empathy in the workplace | employee retention strategies

Tips from Trestle is sponsored by:

• WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOx
• AdvantageTrust GPO: https://bit.ly/TFTAdvTrust
• Dining With Dementia: https://bit.ly/TFT_DwD
• 100% Leader: https://bit.ly/TFT_100

#TFT512 #EmpathyInLeadership #SeniorLiving #LeadershipDevelopment #TipsFromTrestle #EmployeeRetention #WorkplaceCulture #HumanConnection #SeniorCare #ElderCare #EmpathyAtWork #FierceLeadership #SeniorLivingLeadership #HealthcareLeadership #HospitalityIndustry #MentalHealthAtWork

From KGB interrogations to Bedouin tents in the desert, the Traveling Nanas are living the kind of “retirement” most people only dream about.

In this episode of Tips from Trestle, Aaron welcomes Sandy & Ellie - the “Traveling Nanas,” two remarkable older adults who turned loss into a launchpad for adventure. The Traveling Nanas share how they visited roughly 50 countries and all seven continents after 80, from journeys and intrigue on the Trans‑Siberian Railway to dodging check points as war erupted in Syria. Their stories challenge every stereotype about aging, senior living, and long‑term care, proving that curiosity and courage don’t retire. Aaron connects the Traveling Nanas’ bold journeys to everyday senior living operations, exploring how leaders can design truly inspired social experiences, meaningful engagement, and intergenerational programming that pull residents out of the easy chair and back into life.

Get their book “Here We Go” here: https://a.co/d/0bCs5gU7

Tips from Trestle is sponsored by:

• WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOx
• AdvantageTrust GPO: https://bit.ly/TFTAdvTrust
• Dining With Dementia: https://bit.ly/TFT_DwD
• 100% Leader: https://bit.ly/TFT_100

#TFT511 #SeniorLiving #ActiveAging #PositiveAging #SeniorLivingLeadership #SeniorLivingMarketing #ResidentEngagement #IntergenerationalLiving #SeniorLivingFood #SeniorHospitality #TravelingNanas #AgingBoldly #SeniorTravelGoals #LifeAfter80 #LongTermCareInnovation #SeniorLivingCommunity

Tips from Trestle explores transformative senior living through food, hospitality, and community experience. Hosted by Aaron Fish, this episode features guest JP York from the 2054 Institute discussing LEGO Serious Play—an innovative therapeutic intervention for memory care and dementia. Discover how hand-based building activates undamaged brain regions, improving cognition, dexterity, and emotional well-being in seniors. Learn about the hand-brain connection, the four-stage LEGO framework, and real resident stories of breakthrough communication and restored identity. This episode bridges geriatric care innovation with practical, accessible solutions for skilled nursing facilities, memory care communities, and senior living professionals. Perfect for healthcare leaders seeking evidence-based, engagement-focused alternatives to traditional activities. Explore how creative play addresses isolation, purpose, and dignity in senior care environments

Tips from Trestle is sponsored by:

• WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOx
• AdvantageTrust GPO: https://bit.ly/TFTAdvTrust
• Dining With Dementia: https://bit.ly/TFT_DwD
• 100% Leader: https://bit.ly/TFT_100

#TFT510 #SeniorLiving #MemoryCare #DementiaCare #GeriatricHealth #TherapeuticActivities #SeniorEngagement #InnovativeHealthcare #CaregiverSupport #MindfulAging #SeniorWellness #HealthcareLeadership #CNAJobs #NursingCareers #SeniorCommunity #CreativeTherapy

In this episode of Tips from Trestle, Aaron sits down with Sadiya Abjani, Director of Learning and Instructional Design at SAGE, to explore how senior living organizations can better serve LGBTQ+ older adults through inclusive leadership, cultural competency, and person-centered care. Sadiya brings 15 years of training and curriculum design experience, deep expertise in LGBTQ+ aging, diversity and equity, and a track record of training more than 80,000 people across multiple learning environments. The conversation covers inclusive marketing, non-discrimination language, intake forms, hiring, staff retention, chosen family, and the practical steps leaders can take to create safer, more affirming senior living communities. This episode is essential for senior living operators, executive directors, healthcare leaders, and hospitality professionals who want to improve resident experience, strengthen workplace culture, and deliver equitable care that truly reflects every community they serve.

Tips from Trestle is sponsored by:

• WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOx
• AdvantageTrust GPO: https://bit.ly/TFTAdvTrust
• Dining With Dementia: https://bit.ly/TFT_DwD
• 100% Leader: https://bit.ly/TFT_100

#TFT509 #SeniorLiving #LGBTQSeniors #InclusiveCare #SadiyaAbjani #SAGE #HealthcareLeadership #ResidentExperience #CulturalCompetency #PersonCenteredCare #AgingServices #HealthEquity #InclusiveLeadership #ElderCare #LGBTQAging #SeniorLivingLeadership

What does it really take to build a thriving culture in senior living — and can it actually move the needle on census, retention, and resident satisfaction? In this episode of Tips from Trestle, host Aaron Fish sits down with Kathy Rainwater-Roe of Phoenix Senior Living, recorded live at the Georgia Senior Living Association Conference. Kathy's session, Building a Positive Culture in Today's Evolving Senior Living, is a masterclass in human-centered leadership. From high-fiving second-shift staff at the front door to living your mission statement beyond the frame on the wall, Kathy unpacks how open communication, genuine appreciation, and consistent empathy create cultures where staff stay, residents thrive, and census grows. If you lead a senior living community, this conversation is your blueprint for sustainable, measurable culture change.

Tips from Trestle is sponsored by:

• WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOx
• Ben E Keith Foods: https://bit.ly/TFT_BEK
• AdvantageTrust GPO: https://bit.ly/TFTAdvTrust

#TFT508 #SeniorLiving #WorkplaceCulture #SeniorCare #LeadershipDevelopment #AssistedLiving #StaffRetention #ResidentExperience #ElderCare #SeniorLivingLeadership #PositiveCulture #HealthcareLeadership #CaregiverAppreciation #AgingInAmerica #SeniorLivingMarketing #EmployeeEngagement #ElevateTheExperience

In this episode of Tips from Trestle, host Aaron Fish sits down with John Claytor, Assistant Vice President of Food and Nutrition at Health Trust Group, for a forward-looking conversation on senior living dining in 2026 and beyond. They unpack how Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) can go far beyond pricing contracts to deliver culinary training, real-time purchasing dashboards, capital equipment strategy, and labor-saving solutions. John shares expert insights on navigating food cost inflation, protein supply disruptions, tariff pressures, and the power of flexible menu planning. The episode also explores the untapped white space of extending senior living dining services into the broader community — from home health partnerships to ghost kitchen concepts. If you manage food service in senior living, this episode is your 2026 strategic roadmap.

Tips from Trestle is sponsored by:

• WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOx
• Ben E Keith Foods: https://bit.ly/TFT_BEK
• AdvantageTrust GPO: https://bit.ly/TFTAdvTrust

#TFT507 #SeniorLiving #SeniorLivingDining #ElderCare #FoodService #SeniorCare #DiningInnovation #GPO #FoodInflation #HealthcareFood #CulinaryLeadership #SmartKitchen #FoodAsMedicine #AssistedLiving #SeniorLivingLeadership #HospitalityInSeniorLiving #ElevateTheExperience

Managing agitated family members is one of the biggest challenges in senior living — and in this episode of Tips from Trestle, host Aaron Fish sits down with caregiving expert, Certified Dementia Practitioner, and founder of Inspired Caring, Michele Magner, for an honest, practical conversation that every senior living professional needs to hear. Recorded live during the January Cocktails & Conversations event, Michele unpacks why families arrive emotionally raw, how to use Brené Brown's marble jar trust-building framework to strengthen family communication, and why curiosity, communication, and compassion are the three non-negotiable pillars of caregiving. You'll walk away with real-world strategies to help your frontline teams de-escalate tension, rebuild trust fast, and turn frustrated families into confident partners in care.

Tips from Trestle is sponsored by:

• WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOx
• Ben E Keith Foods: https://bit.ly/TFT_BEK
• AdvantageTrust GPO: https://bit.ly/TFTAdvTrust

#TFT506 #SeniorLiving #AssistedLiving #Caregiving #Caregiver #DementiaCare #ElderCare #SeniorCare #FamilyCaregiving #CaregiverSupport #SeniorLivingLeadership #AgingInPlace #TrustBuilding #FamilyCommunication #SeniorLivingProfessionals #InspiredCaring #TipsFromTrestle

In this episode of Tips from Trestle, host Aaron Fish sits down with Chef Alan Velazquez, culinary director at Oaks Senior Living, live from the Georgia Senior Living Association (GSLA) Conference in Savannah. The conversation unpacks what makes independent living dining a fundamentally different — and often underserved — experience in senior care. Chef Alan shares proven strategies for elevating resident dining, including cross-utilization of ingredients, resident-driven menu building through a "Chef's Corner" model, and intentional kitchen design that blurs the line between care levels. He also explores QR code technology for RSVPs, smart revenue reinvestment, and his golden rule: "You can recoup a steak. You can't recoup service." Essential listening for senior living operators, executive chefs, food service directors, and culinary professionals seeking to use dining as a marketing and retention powerhouse.

Tips from Trestle is sponsored by:

• eMenuChoice: https://bit.ly/TFT_eMenu
• WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOx
• Ben E Keith Foods: https://bit.ly/TFT_BEK
• AdvantageTrust GPO: https://bit.ly/TFTAdvTrust

#TFT505 #SeniorLiving #SeniorDining #IndependentLiving #HospitalityFirst #SeniorLivingFood #ResidentExperience #CulinaryOperations #ActiveAdults #AgingWell #FoodServiceLeadership #SeniorLivingTrends #DiningInnovation #SeniorCareLeadership #FoodAsWellness

Discover how curiosity-driven sales strategies transform senior living communities' closing rates and customer relationships. Jessica Phaup and Kelly Singleton Myers from KJB Sales Consulting reveal proven techniques for senior living sales professionals, including the revolutionary "treasure box" method for gathering prospect information and the counterintuitive power of slowing down to close faster. Learn why replacing clinical jargon with empathetic language creates deeper connections, how leveraging team expertise elevates the sales experience, and why the sales process previews what life will be like in your community. This episode delivers actionable insights for sales directors, community leaders, and hospitality professionals seeking to improve occupancy rates, enhance customer experience, and build lasting relationships in senior housing, assisted living, and memory care environments.

Tips from Trestle is sponsored by:

- eMenuChoice: https://bit.ly/TFT_eMenu

- WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOx

- Ben E Keith Foods: https://bit.ly/TFT_BEK

- AdvantageTrust GPO: https://bit.ly/TFTAdvTrust

#TFT504 #SeniorLiving #AssistedLiving #SalesTips #CustomerExperience #SalesStrategy #Hospitality #MemoryCare #LeadershipDevelopment #SalesTraining #ActiveListening #SeniorHousing #CommunityLiving #SalesCoaching #EmotionalIntelligence #RelationshipSelling

Our second episode on 2026 trends features the operators perspective, as Aaron sits down with John Tolbert, Associate VP of Culinary for Sagora Senior Living, to unpack 2026 food and hospitality trends. They dive into leveraging GPOs and POS technology to fight inflation, cut waste, and boost revenue while still delivering restaurant-quality, home-style comfort food residents love. From personalized menus built on resident preference data to bistros, room service apps, and “high tech, high touch” service models, this conversation shows how modern senior living communities can elevate both experience and efficiency. Aaron and John also explore wellness-focused menu design, “stealth health” recipes, and flavor-forward nutrition that keeps residents happy, healthy, and engaged. It’s a must-listen for senior living leaders, culinary directors, and hospitality teams.

A special thanks to Ben E Keith Foods for hosting this episode in their corporate recording studio in Fort Worth!

Tips from Trestle is sponsored by:

• eMenuChoice: https://bit.ly/TFT_eMenu
• WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOx
• Ben E Keith Foods: https://bit.ly/TFT_BEK
• AdvantageTrust GPO: https://bit.ly/TFTAdvTrust

#TFT503 #SeniorLiving #SeniorLivingDining #FoodAndHospitality #SeniorLivingLeadership #CulinaryInnovation #ResidentExperience #WellnessThroughFood #SeniorDining #HighTechHighTouch #POSforDining #HospitalityMatters #BoomerGeneration #MenuEngineering #GPOstrategy #HealthyComfortFood