By Jack Cumming

Once you had a dream. Perhaps you dreamed that one day you would be an executive director. Perhaps you dreamed of having your own business and no boss. Did you dream of having enough money, so money wasn’t a challenge? What was your dream?

What Happened to Your Dream?

How has that worked out for you? Do you still keep that dream alive in the quiet moments of the night? Are you actively pursuing your dream? Here’s a tale that I encountered not long ago. Although it’s fictionalized here to help the story flow, it’s based on a true story that might be your story.

We’ll call him Tim. Tim started in senior living as a youngster willing to do whatever it took to get a foothold in the industry. He had just graduated from college with a degree in a field that developed his mind and skills but that didn’t translate into a job. A visit to his grandfather who lived in a CCRC changed his life forever.

Tim was struck by the potential of CCRCs to improve the lives of people who are aging. He wanted to be part of that positive cause. He contrasted how his CCRC grandfather’s life was more empowering than that of his other grandfather, who clung to a recliner in his family home of over 60 years.

Tim met with the executive director of the CCRC where his grandfather lived. He spoke of his enthusiasm and said that he was willing to do anything to get started if the ED would give him a chance. He started as a dishwasher in the kitchen. He was determined to be the best dishwasher ever.

Strong Commitment

Tim committed to senior living. He took courses, read books, took an active role in industry groups, and did all he could to master both the larger picture and the smaller one of all that is involved in the industry. He didn’t study gerontology at a university, but he bought a recommended gerontology textbook, and he mastered its contents. He read everything that came his way. He watched videos on YouTube and other platforms. He was a learning sponge for everything related to senior living. Tim loved it.

With time, he began to have insights, and Tim published his emerging thinking on LinkedIn and elsewhere, so he could get feedback to see if he was on the right track. Tim loved spending time with residents. He listened to their stories, and he considered all their needs to give him a full understanding of how best to respond to those who are aging.

As you can imagine, he grew steadily in wisdom and stature within the industry. His employer recognized that, and Tim advanced steadily. His big chance came when he became associate executive director, able to understudy one of the great executive directors, who was then 20 years his senior. That ED became his mentor.

Becoming His Own Boss

With time, Tim yearned to be his own boss. He knew that would not happen within the multifacility corporate structure in which he was employed. He might eventually have advanced to a post in the central office, but he didn’t want to give up direct contact with residents and their families.

An opportunity came along, and Tim left the multifacility giant to become executive director of a standalone CCRC. Occupancy at his new employer had dropped to the mid-80s, which Tim speculated was the reason why the opportunity was open in the first place. His predecessor executive director had left suddenly and without explanation.

Within a year after taking charge, Tim had worked with staff to stabilize turnover and to bring into being a positive culture in which both employees and residents were empowered to improve life in the community. Contracts were reviewed with input from residents, their families, and an industry law firm.

The reputation for Tim’s community soared. It became the go-to place for older people from the surrounding area who were seeking a safe haven. Occupancy, too, soared, as the only vacancies were those vacated units being prepared for new residents.

Is This Your Opportunity?

Can you be Tim? Many of us toss in the towel before the going gets difficult. The truth is that we are often more capable than we ourselves believe until we put ourselves to the test. We let our inner voice sow doubts like, “It’ll never work,” or “I’m too old,” or “I’m not _______” — fill in the blank with smart enough, qualified enough, or just plain enough!

Don’t let those inner demons prevent you from realizing your dreams. You are fortunate to work in an industry, the senior living industry, in which need and opportunity are everywhere. Seize the opportunities, prepare yourself for what’s next. If you follow that simple advice, there’s no limit to what you may achieve. What’s more important is that you will be enlivening the lives of others and making our world a better place in which all of us can age with dignity and grace.