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.

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.

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.