Amazing ideas about how to make an impact on the senior living industry.

By Steve Moran

We are really delighted to announce that Jayne Sallerson will serve as the chair of the Senior Housing Forum Women’s Initiative, Empower. She and the rest of the advisory board have some amazing ideas about how to make an impact on the senior living industry.

At the Argentum conference this past April, Fara Gold had a chance to spend some time talking to Jayne about the career path that led her to be the Chief Operating Officer and partner at Charter Senior Living based in Chicago. You can watch the entire interview at the bottom of this article but here are the highlights:

  • As so many people in our industry did, Jayne stumbled into senior living. She was doing sales for a group purchasing organization and wandered into a senior living community where she met a regional director of operations. A few months later that regional called her up and asked if she were interested in becoming a senior living salesperson. She had no idea but said yes. That was the beginning of her journey.

  • “It is one of those industries that just bites you.” She discovered that she could really make a difference in people’s lives.

  • She is really excited about taking a leadership role in this effort because, in her organization and in most senior living organizations, 80% of the positions are filled by women. And yet, industry-wide, most of the top leadership roles are held by men, though she notes this is changing.

  • There are so many successful women in our industry and tapping into these women leaders will help emerging leaders figure out their next move.

  • On being a COO: Because of her background in sales, everything she does as a leader starts with keeping the customer . . . the resident, front and center and that when you do that you will always do the right thing.

Advancing Your Career

Fara and Jayne spent time talking about how women . . . really anyone can advance their career:

  • Get educated, figure out how things work, and then teach others. Go beyond thinking you need to learn just enough to do your job.

  • Give more than you get, be willing to volunteer, to go the extra mile without asking, “What’s in it for me?” Know that over time this will pay amazing dividends.

  • Stay humble, don’t go around telling people what they are doing wrong.

  • More than anything, just be willing to take risks, try new things, and do things/try things that will impact.

You can watch the entire video here.