How to Drive Senior Living Development in Tough Markets

Video Description

In this episode of Bridge the Gap, we sit down with returning guest and industry leader Heather Tussing, President of The Aspenwood Company, to explore what it takes to build thriving, scalable, luxury senior living communities. Heather shares updates from her three-year leadership journey: from launching successful urban infill developments in Nashville and Charlotte to expanding through acquisitions and third-party management. This week, we cover: • How Aspenwood transformed a strong company into a market-leading culture • Building authentic sales relationships long before a community open • Supporting high-performing teams and reinforcing culture at scale • Strategic refreshes and CapEx planning for luxury senior living assets • Maintaining brand standards across developments and acquisitions Meet the Hosts: Josh Crisp: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshcrispsocial/ Lucas McCurdy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucasmccurdyseniorlivingfan/ Connect with Our Guest Heather Tussing: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-tussing-933a9316/ This episode was recorded at the NIC Fall Conference 2025 For more information about the podcast, visit https://btgvoice.com/ Produced by Solinity Marketing. Sponsored by Aline, NIC MAP, Procare HR, Sage, Hamilton CapTel, Service Master, The Bridge Group Construction and Solinity. Become a sponsor of Bridge the Gap. YOUTUBE TIMESTAMPS 01:03 – Culture at Aspenwood 01:32 – Creating community culture that’s felt instantly 03:26 – Development challenges and Nashville success 04:08 – Secrets to strong pre-opening sales and relationship building 05:46 – Economic pressures & building investor confidence 06:24 – Longstanding relationships and operational track record 07:04 – Independent living vs. memory care positioning 09:04 – Dual sales strategy and walkable urban consumers 10:40 – New developments + acquisitions 11:21 – Light refresh strategy for newly acquired 2010s-era buildings 12:45 – Staying in your niche vs. chasing every asset class 13:43 – Meeting luxury expectations 14:26 – Scaling culture across multiple properties 15:30 – Strong teams, strong outcomes 16:35 – Pivoting, innovating, and improving continuously 17:21 – Ambassador program and industry collaboration 17:42 – Closing remarks & where to connect