Stephanie Harris is CEO & Principal at Arrow Senior Living. Harris established Turnaround Solutions in 2005 while in college, which later became Arrow Senior Living four years later in 2009. Harris is a strong advocate for sales techniques that strive to increase the value of communities for seniors.
In her Changemakers interview, Harris discusses how she has changed since first creating the company, how her appetite for risk has greatly helped her grow over the years, and what she does to ensure her employees continue to work at a place they love.
How have you changed as a leader since starting in this industry?
Since starting in this industry, I’ve evolved from a turnaround consultant traveling from coast to coast and living onsite at communities to building a senior housing operations company, which has included the development of over 30 new communities. This journey has transformed me into a leader who not only stabilizes distressed assets but also drives innovation and growth through new construction.
Obviously, we at SHN think of you as a changemaker, but do you see yourself that way — are you always excited to drive change?
Absolutely, I see myself as a changemaker. Change is in my origin story. I founded this company in 2005 as Turnaround Solutions with the purpose of transforming previously distressed assets through hands-on problem-solving and relationship-based sales solutions. My business card even defines the word ‘Turnaround’ as “becoming changed for the better.” It’s ingrained in our culture to constantly improve and evolve, seeking better ways to operate senior living through best practices in sales, marketing, and technology.
In what areas do you think you are a changemaker?
I am a changemaker in building higher performing sales strategies and implementing technologies to automate and supplement workflows.
What I am most proud of is the culture we have built. Most of our team members come from outside of senior living and must learn the business from our vantage point, versus bringing old solutions and habits. This fresh perspective has helped us build a continuous improvement model and attract a dedicated team committed to revolutionizing how we engage with employees, residents, and families we serve.
With that in mind, can you talk about a change you’ve made in this area, and why you made that change?
In 2011, I had the opportunity to consult with a group entering senior living that had experience in movie theater operations. They were revolutionary in running a data-driven model and ensuring each team member, from concessions to ticket sales, could read data in real-time to learn from and modify their behavior to drive results. Their thesis was to operate more affordable senior living operations by testing different management and employee engagement models.
This experience caused us to rethink how we could use data to drive efficiency in operations and how to optimize the role of each community-level management position. We have continued this work within our development platform over the past decade. In 2015, we implemented technology for fall detection and prediction, which has significantly improved resident safety. Having almost 10 years of history with this robust technology has put us in a unique position to benefit from the insights it provides, integrating it into our entire care delivery model. We have also integrated all our systems into one platform to develop a better 360-degree view of our residents and operations. This insight has helped us build more automation and efficiency.
What are some ways you think senior living needs to change in the next 5 years?
Our industry standard sales process is passive and need-driven, which perpetuates higher care and heavy turnover outcomes. We need to become better at lengthening the stay of residents. Our sales process must become more patient and proactive. While we are all experiencing an increase in new inquiries, conversion is lagging. Our post-COVID response has created a more reactive model that is a turnoff to the more discerning consumer.
Additionally, we need to become more collaborative in our business model to encourage greater engagement with employees and residents. Historically, senior housing has focused heavily on what can and can’t be done, and we need to be more flexible and inclusive in how we run the business and manage the communities.
As you look across the rest of the senior living industry, do you think that it’s changing fast enough to keep up with the times?
I don’t think the industry is changing fast enough. We can borrow and adapt many great practices from outside our industry to accelerate our progress.
Can you talk about a time when you tried to execute a change and things didn’t go according to plan? How did you pivot, and what did you learn as a leader?
When we first implemented clinical technologies in a new development, it was an abysmal failure. The technology company was building the plane in the air and could not get the system to function as promised. We learned a considerable amount from this deployment that helped refine our selection and implementation process. Since then, we have built a Vision Team that drives our technology selection process and implementation.
Changemakers tend to be risk-takers. Do you agree with that statement? How do you describe your own appetite for risk?
I am a risk-taker. I bet the house when I formed this business while in law school, so much so that I had to move into my office. Over the past 24 years in this industry, my appetite for risk has become more balanced by a strategic approach to decision-making. I believe in taking calculated risks that drive innovation and growth. I do find myself more focused on gentle evolution versus revolutionary change as our organization grows and matures. I worry in some ways that over time I may hinder future progress if my appetite for risk changes.
What is the single greatest driver of change in today’s senior living industry?
Technology is the single greatest driver of change, with the potential to revolutionize how we operate, engage with residents and employees, and improve overall efficiency. The operators who best adopt it into their business models will be the ultimate best-in-class providers.
Can you talk about how you see the need for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the industry, and what you are doing to drive change in this regard?
Initially, we were slow to prioritize DEI, and I was probably the slowest one. I took for granted that our culture’s openness to individuals new to our industry was enough to attract a diverse workforce. Over the past several years, we have been working with Ayana King from Maximum Communications to build greater education and awareness. This collaboration has opened our eyes to the need for even more deliberate efforts to build diverse communities for people to work and live in. I am very proud of our Diversity and Inclusion speaker series that was launched a couple of years ago, where our residents host experts on DEI topics to explore building greater inclusion and belonging.
The coming year, 2024, is shaping up to be a year of growth and evolution for many senior living operators. In what way is your organization/company changing for the times?
We are expanding our relationships with our existing capital partners and identifying new development locations. We are also continuing to work within our organization on reimagining and improving current workflows.
Use a movie, book, or TV show title to describe the year ahead for the senior living industry in 2024.
“For All Mankind.”
We need to expand our view to a cosmic perspective, not just a worldly one.
Choose one artist, scientist, thinker, entrepreneur or other person, living or dead, to help change the senior living industry for the better. In only a few words, who are you choosing and why?
Elon Musk. He envisions solutions to problems several steps ahead, transforming entire industries.
