One of the things I love about the senior living industry is that there is a common thread that runs through everyone involved in the industry. Whether you're a product or service vendor or you are one of the caregivers or front line or an operator in the business. And it's the people. I've constantly throughout my career been struck by the awesomeness of the people in this industry. One of the reasons why I love the senior living industry so much is the people. And if you work in this industry, you will soon learn that relationships matter. People don't tend to stay in the senior living industry if they're not really mission driven. And so if that describes you or somebody that you know, you're going to be a part of that common thread and understand that relationships matter in the senior living industry.

In this interview with Lucas McCurdy, The Bridge Group Construction Founder, he explains the importance of referrals and provides insight on industry-standard resources.

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Why Are Referrals and Relationships So Important?

15 years ago, when I stepped foot into the first assisted living community I had ever been in in my life, it changed the trajectory of my career. And over the last 15 years, I have made some incredible relationships. And those relationships have propelled my business here at The Bridge Group. I lean on those relationships to bring business to our teams so that we can pursue our mission to improve the lives of older adults in the environments that they live in. Those relationships have kept me going over the years and are sure to keep me going for many more.

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Tailor Made Senior Living Companies 

Senior living-focused firms and companies are so important to this business. You'll often hear me say on Bridge the Gap, the Senior Living Podcast, that companies that provide tailored services to the senior living industry - we need more of them. And that's what The Bridge Group Construction is. It's a tailor focused company. The only thing we do is renovations in senior living, and it was built, purpose built from the ground up to be just that.

The commercial construction industry can be very, very challenging. And there may be a lot of options out there that, yes, may have the skill set to actually perform construction work, but do they know the nuances of your community? Can they do that work around older adults in an open and operating community and environment? Well, that's what The Bridge Group Construction thrives on, and that's a part of our mission and our goal to improve the environments where older adults live.

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Senior Living Conferences: A Networking Resource

Over the last 15 years of my career in the senior living industry, I have participated in so many conferences! More than I can even remember. But there are a number of them that really stand out to me for different reasons. Some of the big national conferences are ones I attend every year and have made a big impact on me and my company.

The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care Conferences, or the NIC Conferences that happen twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall is a not to miss conference if you're looking for decision makers. I've attended the NIC Conferences for over a decade, and I have made some incredible relationships throughout those years.

 Another great national industry conference is ASHA, American Seniors Housing Association. It's a great conference. They meet twice a year, once in the winter and once in the summer, and it is a great, more low key and more informal conference to attend. But you can have some amazing conversations, have some amazing meetings, and also get some great educational content while you're there.

And if you're looking at state shows, you cannot miss Texas Assisted Living Association’s Conference (TALA) and Florida Senior Living Association’s Conference (FSLA). They have some of the best and the biggest state industry senior living conferences, and I surely attend them every single year and get so much out of them.

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What Are The Best Strategies For Networking At Conferences?

Throughout my years of attending conferences, I try to use a number of tools in my toolbox to try to get in front of the people that really matter to my business. Obviously, social media is a big one. LinkedIn is the biggest. Yes, our space can get a little bit noisy, but you've got to find a way to get creative, to cut through that noise and get the attention.

Create some curiosity. Create conversation. Give them a reason to want to meet with you and want to discuss with you the aspects of your product or your service, and why they should work with you.

Conference apps, candidly, can be pretty hit or miss. 

You're going to have to find some creative ways to get in front of decision makers that may be able to help you with your company or your business. Ways to do that are create a social media presence on your own. Create content. Put your knowledge out there for them to freely access. And that way on their own they can get to know, like and trust you through your content. It's a well known fact that social media dominates the space in many different industries, and senior living is no different. Create some content around what your customers need and you're going to win.

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What Are Some Of The Best Industry Resources?

Industry resources? Spoiler alert! Bridge The Gap The Senior Living Podcast. Yes, I might be biased, but this is going to be an incredible resource for you, even if you've been in the industry a long time, but especially if you're new to the industry. I often tell people that I meet at conferences that are new to the industry - I say go and binge Bridge The Gap, because you're going to get to hear some of the best thought leaders in this industry. You're going to learn the language, and you're going to know who you're going to need to connect with. So go to BTGvoice.com and access over 500 educational episodes at your fingertips. And you can't go wrong from that.

Social media is also a great resource if you're looking to learn more about the senior living industry. Places like LinkedIn, Instagram and even TikTok are filled with people creating content around the industry that we love. So get on social media, do some hashtag searches or some keyword searches and find some content creators that really speak to you.

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What Are Some Other Ways To Get Involved?

And if you're looking for ways to get involved outside of a conference, if you want to get on a leadership committee or some sort of educational group that you want to learn more. One great one, is  you can go to BTGvoice.com and look into the ambassador program. This is an elite group of people that share that common thread and passion around the industry. So if you're looking to network and learn more from people who are like-minded and care about this industry, the ambassador program through Bridge the Gap may be for you.

There is no better time to be in the senior living industry than today. There are more resources than ever. You can do a Google search and find many, many resources to help you learn more. But no matter how much you learn, you're going to get out what you put in. So you've got to put yourself out there. You've got to meet people, you've got to show up. Because if you don't, you're never going to really connect with different people in the industry. So I encourage you: start a podcast, put some social media content out there, start telling people about who you are and why you care about this industry. And I promise you, you will see the fruits of your labor, I sure have. I've loved serving this industry over the past 15 years. I have learned so much. It has been so meaningful to me, and I know it will be for you too, if you just take that first step. Step out and do it. I promise you, you will not regret it.

Here at The Bridge Group Construction, senior living is why we exist. We love what we do. We love the time we get to spend inside your community, as well as the stories, the residents, and the staff that we get to meet. Renovations inside an open operating senior living community are not for everyone. We specialize in doing just that. Reach out to us: https://www.thebridgegc.com/contact to get your community updated today.