Mission in Motion: A Minute With Maxwell

Staffing the Future of Long Term Care | Jodi Hall

In this episode of A Minute with Maxwell: Mission in Motion, host Heather Maxwell sits down with Jodi Hall, CEO of the Canadian Association for Long Term Care, to unpack one of the most urgent challenges facing Canada today: how we staff, support, and sustain the future of long-term care. With Canada now at a historic demographic turning point—more seniors than children—this conversation explores what it truly means to build a long-term care system that is resilient, modern, and centered on dignity. Drawing on national data, policy insight, and frontline realities, Jodi outlines why workforce shortages, infrastructure gaps, and system fragmentation are no longer future concerns—they’re already here.  Through a deeply practical and policy-informed lens, Heather and Jodi explore: * The demographic tipping point: Why Canada’s aging population is reshaping healthcare, workforce planning, and national priorities—and why long-term care must now be seen as critical infrastructure. * Workforce shortages and retention challenges: With tens of thousands of vacancies across the country, the conversation breaks down why recruitment alone isn’t enough—and how retention, culture, and career development play a defining role. * Leadership gaps in care environments: Why long-term care leadership roles are increasingly difficult to fill, and what needs to change to build the next generation of leaders in the sector. * Infrastructure and modernization needs: From outdated buildings to growing waitlists, why Canada may need to nearly double long-term care capacity—and what that means for funding, timelines, and care quality. * Technology, AI, and workforce enablement: How innovation can reduce administrative burden, improve communication, and support care teams—without replacing the human element at the core of care. * National strategy and government collaboration: Why a coordinated, Canada-wide workforce and infrastructure strategy is essential—and what success could look like over the next five years. * Redefining success in long-term care: A future where staffing is stable, care is high-quality, infrastructure is modern, and long-term care is seen as a respected, desirable career path. This episode is a powerful call to action for policymakers, healthcare leaders, and organizations across the country: solving workforce sustainability isn’t just one priority—it’s the foundation that everything else depends on. About Maxwell Management Group: This podcast is brought to you by Maxwell Management Group, a national executive search and education firm specializing in the continuing care sector. For nearly two decades, they’ve partnered with organizations to build values-driven leadership, vibrant workplace cultures, and purpose-led employer brands. Learn more: maxwellmanagementgroup.com Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction to Jodi and Mission in Motion 2:39 – Canada’s Demographic Shift: Why This Changes Everything 6:55 – National Priorities: Workforce, Infrastructure, Innovation 9:25 – The Reality of Staffing Shortages in Long-Term Care 12:19 – Recruitment vs. Retention: What Actually Works 23:03 – The Leadership Gap in Long-Term Care 24:46 – Workplace Culture, Burnout, and Psychological Safety 26:52 – Infrastructure Crisis and Capacity Challenges 31:34 – Technology and AI as Workforce Enablers 36:33 – A National Workforce Strategy: What’s Needed 40:06 – What Success Looks Like for the Future of Care 42:49 – Final Thoughts: Long-Term Care as Nation-Building

Developing Leaders People Want to Work For | Stacy Lademar

In this episode of A Minute with Maxwell: Mission in Motion, host Heather Maxwell sits down with leadership development expert Stacy Lademar to explore what it really takes to develop leaders that people actually want to work for—especially in the senior living sector, where leadership directly impacts resident experience, team stability, and turnover. Drawing on her journey from retail executive trainee on Fifth Avenue to manager of learning and development for major brands like Walmart and Royal Caribbean, and later into senior living during the pandemic, Stacy shares the hard lessons she learned about trying to “do it all,” the power of delegation, and why promoting your best individual contributor without support is often a setup for failure. Through practical stories from the floor—like assistant buyers in tears over untrained managers, or a star chef turned struggling culinary director—Stacy shows how lack of people-skills training quietly erodes culture, performance, and retention, and what organizations can do differently. Key themes they explore include: * From top performer to first-time manager: Why so many organizations promote high achievers into leadership without giving them the tools to succeed—and how this leads to confusion, frustration, and avoidable turnover. * High-potential and new manager programs: How identifying emerging leaders early, and offering targeted training in feedback, delegation, emotional intelligence, and expectation setting, can transform both performance and engagement. * Feedback as a gift—not a threat: Using simple frameworks like What Went Well / Even Better If / Must Be Better and the FBI model (Situation, Behaviour, Impact) to make feedback specific, normal, and safe—for both positive reinforcement and constructive coaching. * The critical role of one-on-ones and psychological safety: Why early and ongoing one-on-ones help new leaders build trust, become “safe spaces” for their teams, and surface struggles before they become performance issues. * Delegation, clarity, and follow-through: Practical advice for leaders who are used to doing everything themselves—how to let others do things “their way,” ensure understanding, and follow up without micromanaging. * Time management and the 80/20 rule: How journaling your time, then reviewing it with your supervisor, reveals where your energy really goes—and how to refocus on the 20% of activities that drive 80% of results. * Trust as the foundation of leadership: Why trust—built through honesty, consistency, and admitting when you don’t know—is the core trait that separates leaders people endure from leaders people choose to follow. Stacy also lifts the curtain on how Walmart and Royal Caribbean structured their leadership development—through intentional promotion-from-within programs, extended manager training, and open-access leadership classes—and how organizations of any size can adapt these ideas using fractional learning and development support. This conversation offers a clear, actionable roadmap for organizations that want to stop “hoping managers figure it out” and start intentionally developing leaders who listen, clarify expectations, give meaningful feedback, and create workplaces where people—and residents—truly thrive. About Maxwell Management Group This podcast is brought to you by Maxwell Management Group, a national executive search and education firm specializing in the continuing care sector. For nearly two decades, they’ve partnered with organizations to build values-driven leadership, vibrant workplace cultures, and purpose-led employer brands. Learn more: maxwellmanagementgroup.com [https://maxwellmanagementgroup.com/] Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction to Stacy and Mission in Motion 2:20 – Stacy’s Journey: From Retail to Leadership Development 4:27 – The Pitfall of Promoting Top Performers 6:43 – Building High-Potential and New Manager Programs 8:42 – One-on-Ones and Creating Psychological Safety 9:52 – Feedback as a Culture, Not a One-Off 10:54 – Practical Feedback Models (WWW/EBI and FBI) 12:47 – The Power of Positive Feedback and “Catching People Doing Right” 18:06 – Traits of Leaders People Want to Work For 19:19 – Clarity, Expectations, and Job Descriptions 21:37 – Interviewing as a Critical Leadership Skill 23:33 – Onboarding New Leaders and Reinforcing Expectations 25:15 – Delegation: Letting Go of “My Way” 28:09 – Time Management and the 80/20 Rule for Leaders 29:51 – Trust as the Core of Effective Leadership 32:06 – What Walmart Got Right in Developing Leaders 33:11 – What Royal Caribbean Got Right in Developing Leaders 35:04 – How Stacy Partners with Organizations Today 35:53 – Closing Thoughts and How to Connect with Stacy & Maxwell Management Group

How Mentorship and Succession Power Senior Living Leadership Pt. 2 | Arta Shala & Mike Traub

In this episode of A Minute with Maxwell: Mission in Motion, host Heather Maxwell continues the conversation with Mike Traub, former Vice President of Operations at Riverstone Retirement Communities, and Arta Shala, now Riverstone’s Vice President of Operations, to explore how lived experience, immigration, and frontline work shape people-first leadership in senior living. From arriving in Canada with two duffel bags and no clear plan, to walking through a snowstorm to her first retirement home interview, Arta shares how chance, courage, and deep respect for elders led her into the sector—and why she never looked back. Through powerful resident stories, including a Holocaust survivor whose quiet rituals spoke volumes, Arta reveals how listening beyond the surface transformed the way she leads teams, supports families, and carries forward Riverstone’s people-first culture. Key themes they explore include: * Immigrant experience and leadership lens: How Arta’s journey from a war-torn country to Canada shaped her resilience, empathy, and refusal to take opportunity for granted—and how that perspective informs every leadership decision she makes today. * Frontline to executive leadership: Why starting as an office manager in a retirement home gave Arta a ground-level understanding of residents, families, and staff that now guides her as VP of Operations. * Seeing beyond the surface in resident care: The story of a Nazi camp survivor, and how understanding hidden histories changed Arta’s approach to care, compassion, and dignity in senior living. * People-first as a daily practice: How small moments—checking in on a withdrawn team member, asking “Are you really okay?”—reinforce the belief that “it’s a people business” where kindness, curiosity, and non-judgment are non-negotiable. * Determination, fairness, and growth: The realities of being underpaid, having to work harder for promotions as a newcomer, and why those experiences made Arta more determined to build workplaces where people feel seen, valued, and supported. The conversation offers an honest, story-driven look at what it means to lead with humanity in senior living—drawing on personal history, cultural transition, and everyday moments of care to shape a leadership style where people come first, and everything else follows. About Maxwell Management Group This podcast is brought to you by Maxwell Management Group, a national executive search and education firm specializing in the continuing care sector. For nearly two decades, they’ve partnered with organizations to build values-driven leadership, vibrant workplace cultures, and purpose-led employer brands. Learn more: maxwellmanagementgroup.com [https://maxwellmanagementgroup.com/] Chapters: 00:00 – Intro: Mission in Motion & Guest Introductions 00:09 – Why Mike Chose to Mentor Arta as His Successor 01:07 – Heather’s Welcome and Episode Framing 01:20 – Arta’s Unplanned Entry into Retirement Living 03:02 – First Job in Retirement & Early Culture Shock 03:13 – The Story of Mrs. Zem and Seeing Beyond the Surface 05:59 – “Be Kind”: The People-First Nature of Senior Living 06:39 – Arta’s Immigration Story: From War-Torn Kosovo to Canada 08:57 – An Immigrant Lens on Team Members’ Hidden Struggles 10:44 – Family Roots: Parents, Daughter, and Leadership Values 13:14 – Challenges as a Woman and Immigrant Leader 16:08 – Leading a Large, Diverse Team at Riverstone 22:45 – Psychological Safety, Trust, and Frontline Voices 26:55 – Mike on Retirement, Hobbies, and Ongoing Mentorship 28:11 – Mike’s Legacy: People, Properties, and Riverstone’s Growth 30:00 – Succession Planning Advice for Executives Nearing Retirement 31:32 – How Arta Defines Success and Leadership Today 34:27 – Advice to Newcomers & the Power of Mentorship 38:56 – When You Must Hire Externally: Choosing the Right Search Partner 42:01 – Final Reflections on Purposeful Careers in Senior Living

How Mentorship and Succession Power Senior Living Leadership Pt. 1 | Arta Shala & Mike Traub

In this episode of A Minute with Maxwell: Mission in Motion, host Heather Maxwell sits down with Mike Traub, former Vice President of Operations at Riverstone Retirement Communities, and Arta Shala, now Riverstone’s Vice President of Operations, to explore what legacy leadership and people-first succession look like in senior living.  From building Riverstone “boots on the ground,” to leading through COVID-19 without ever closing the office, to cultivating teams and residents who stay for 15+ years, Mike and Arta offer a rare, practical look at succession planning that is both strategic and deeply human. Key themes they explore include: * Legacy leadership in senior living: How Mike intentionally prepared his own successor—from identifying Arta’s potential to gradually expanding her responsibility—so Riverstone could grow without disrupting residents, families, or staff. * People-first, profit-follows philosophy: Why Riverstone’s guiding principle—“We look after the people and then the profits follow”—has shaped culture, operations, and long-term success across all communities. * Mentorship and internal promotion in action: Real stories of informal mentorship, stretch assignments, and how most support office roles (and even a former accountant) were developed into successful leaders from within. * Leading through COVID-19 and rapid growth: How Mike and Arta stayed “boots on the ground,” supported homes that couldn’t work remotely, and maintained trust, stability, and continuity during crisis and expansion. The conversation offers a grounded, story-rich roadmap for organizations that want to turn mentorship, internal promotion, and succession planning into everyday leadership practices—especially in mission-driven sectors like senior living. About Maxwell Management Group This podcast is brought to you by Maxwell Management Group, a national executive search and education firm specializing in the continuing care sector. For nearly two decades, they’ve partnered with organizations to build values-driven leadership, vibrant workplace cultures, and purpose-led employer brands. Learn more: maxwellmanagementgroup.com [https://maxwellmanagementgroup.com/] Chapters: 00:00 – Intro: Legacy Leadership in Senior Living 00:59 – Early Impressions of Arta’s People-First Management 03:03 – Mike’s Path: From Hotels to Retirement Living 05:57 – People-First, Profit-Follows Philosophy 06:39 – Growth, COVID-19 & Responsibility to Residents 12:42 – Choosing Arta as Successor & Mentorship Begins 17:15 – Culture, Connection & Stories of Long Tenure 20:21 – Inside the Mentorship: Exposure to the Executive Role 24:34 – Why Succession Planning Matters 26:30 – Arta’s Journey: Being Mentored into Leadership 29:31 – Practical, Informal Mentorship & Internal Promotion 33:37 – Outro

The New Era of Workplace Mental Health: Dr. Rachel Toledano

In this episode of A Minute with Maxwell: Mission in Motion, host Heather Maxwell sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Rachel Toledano to explore how workplace mental health has transformed since COVID-19. They discuss the most common mental health challenges facing today’s workforce, why supporting mental health is now a business imperative, and how organizations can create psychologically safe cultures. From no-cost strategies like flexibility, trust, and daily recognition, to paid supports such as enhanced benefits and EAPs, Rachel shares practical, actionable ways leaders can better support their teams.  * Post-COVID shift in mental health: From stigma to normalization; “everyone was struggling” so the conversation opened up. * Common workplace mental health challenges: Burnout/adjustment disorders, depression, anxiety, and especially substance use concerns. * Evolution of EAPs and access to care: From a few in‑person sessions to ongoing, flexible, remote and tech-enabled support. * Role of technology & AI: Tele-mental health, AI-driven matching with therapists (language, culture, identity, role-specific needs). * Psychological safety at work: Reducing stressors like workload, role overload, and poor work-life balance; clear responsibility between employer and employee. * Organizational responsibility & ROI: Mental health as a business imperative with clear return on investment. * Leadership behaviors: Empathy, active listening, non-judgment, openness, and having real human conversations about struggle. * No-cost / low-cost supports: Flex work where possible, reduced micromanagement, autonomy, trust, and everyday recognition and gratitude. * Paid supports: Benefits for mental health, improved EAP structures, ergonomic and practical supports, dedicated mental health roles. * Workplace culture & energy: How toxic versus positive cultures impact energy, engagement, productivity, and burnout. * Burnout and return-to-work: Need for real accommodations and dialogue to prevent relapse, not just box-ticking. * Using data for action: Turning engagement and satisfaction surveys into concrete, visible changes and closing the feedback loop with employees. The conversation also looks ahead at trends like AI-driven care, tele-mental health, and holistic wellness approaches that are reshaping how we think about work, well-being, and burnout prevention. About Maxwell Management Group This podcast is brought to you by Maxwell Management Group, a national executive search and education firm specializing in the continuing care sector. For nearly two decades, they’ve partnered with organizations to build values-driven leadership, vibrant workplace cultures, and purpose-led employer brands. Learn more: maxwellmanagementgroup.com [https://maxwellmanagementgroup.com/]