December 10, 2025

Sales Summit 2025: From Transaction to Transformation in Senior Living

By One On One Sales Academy · 3 minute read

To everyone who joined us in St. Louis for our 2025 Sales Summit, especially those who traveled from afar to attend, thank you!

We are grateful for the speakers whose insights will support sales excellence in so many ways, to the sponsors who helped make it possible, and especially to those of you who braved the winter storm and navigated canceled flights, long drives, and delayed connections to be there in person. As panel host Sarah Sheridan wrote, “Not even a snowstorm could stop the momentum at the One On One Sales Academy Summit in St. Louis this week.”

Here's a handful of the quotes taken from LinkedIn posts One On One Sales Academy was tagged in during the event:

"A fantastic speaker lineup of industry titans and shakers, love that this is being brought back to life."

Evan Kuo
Director of Business Development, Medtelligent

"It’s no secret that I ❤️ sales, and the inaugural One On One Sales Academy Sales Summit filled my sales soul!"

Christy Van Der Westhuizen
Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Jaybird Senior Living

"“Just finished up the last conference of the year… it was one of my favorite, if not my favorite of the year.”

Nathan Jones
CEO & Founder, Dash Media

"Awesome job... Great speakers, content and conversations.."

Carmen Fronczak
Chief Revenue Officer, Friendship Village STL

"I came home with new skills, new energy, and a few new friendships I truly value. But the real impact for me was the sense of connection and shared purpose in the room."

Nichole W.
Regional Director of Sales and Marketing, Charter Senior Living

"I leave St. Louis grateful for connections with friends & new voices leaving me energized & inspired to lead with authentic empathy."

Bethany DeBerard
VP of Sales & Marketing, Bethesda Senior Living Communities

This Summit was more than a conference. It was a milestone for senior living sales — a moment where sales leaders, executives, and front-line counselors came together to put selling time, emotional readiness, and connection back at the center of our work. In doing so, we carried forward the legacy of Tony Mullen, whose vision was to “prioritize and make the sales position into an executive level position in pay, selection, training, development and prestige.”

With tickets sold out and a room full of people committed to helping more older adults and their families make a decision sooner, and with confidence, this year’s Summit set a new bar for what a senior living sales gathering can be.

The Presentations

Hosted by Founder David A. Smith and Chief Learning Officer Reed Davis, the Summit unfolded over two days of keynotes, panels, and practical workshops designed to elevate the craft of senior living sales. See speaker details and the agenda on the event page.

Here are audience photos of the presentations, which were recorded and will be available via Sales Academy next year (scroll down for more info).

Casey Jackson explored how the psychology of change and Motivational Interviewing can unlock prospect motivation, helping teams move beyond objections and ambivalence to meaningful commitments.

"Are You Ghosting Your Prospects? Personalized Sales Journey Follow-Up" was the panel hosted by Sarah Sheridan with Alex Bennett, Kyle Yates, and Stacy Muehlher.

Nick Jasmon showed how laughter, playfulness, and core sales disciplines can coexist to create energy, reduce resistance, and still drive serious results.

Lacy Jungman reframed the executive director as the community’s chief sales officer, modeling behaviors that protect selling time and support the sales team every day.

Kelly Singleton Myers unpacked why meeting prospects in their homes is still one of the most powerful ways to build trust, untangle emotional resistance, and accelerate move-ins.

Kristin Kutac Ward focused on discovering a prospect’s legacy, themes, and values so sales conversations move beyond features to deeply personal meaning.

Nathan Jones showed how authentic storytelling and resident interviews can help prospects imagine a new life, and how teams can use video and social content to inspire self-guided change.

Aaron Catoe offered practical strategies for keeping yourself energized while igniting long-term motivation in sales teams.

Matt Jesperson reminded us that it’s not about more data but the right data, and showed how to use insight to motivate teams and drive occupancy.

"Beyond Quotas: Inspiring Teams and Satisfying Stakeholders" was the panel hosted by Patrick Leonard with Kevin Carlin, Deborah Howard, and Carmen Fronczak.

Anya Fisher showed how therapeutic skills, empathy, and inventive follow-up tactics can keep relationships alive until prospects are emotionally ready.

Christie Freeze demonstrated how unexpected, personalized touches in video and outreach can cut through the noise and convert more prospects into residents.

The Sponsors

We were delighted to have amazing partners who helped bring this first-ever Summit to life:

Your support didn’t just underwrite an event; it helped invest in better sales cultures, better training, and ultimately better outcomes for older adults and their families.

The Film Crew

We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Thomas Torrey and the Protagonist production team for their work behind the camera, capturing not just sessions and slides, but the emotion, connection, and energy of the room.

The Recordings and 2026 Summit

If you were in the room and want to revisit a session, or if you weren't able to attend, recordings of the presentations and panels will be available next year through a Sales Academy membership.

If you become a Member or renew before January 1st, you can lock in 2025 pricing ($150 per month per community) on your Sales Academy membership for next year, and get a discount on the next Sales Summit–stay tuned for details on the date and location!

A Few More Photos Before You Go

Thank you again to everyone who was part of our first Sales Summit. Until next time, join us at Sales Academy to learn more and share the ideas and inspiration you took home.