I’m writing this from the Greek island of Rhodes, where I’m spending the month living and soaking in a whole different pace of life. Everything here is slower. More connected. More human.
Yesterday, I sat with my new found friend, Papa Niko, on a sun-warmed stone outside the old wooden door you see in the photo above. I met him the day I arrived in Rhodes, at the tiny shop he runs on this street. With a dramatic sigh, he told me he’d been so busy all day that he missed his afternoon nap. “I had to eat quickly at my table,” he said, struggling to find the right English words. Then he frowned and added, “I was eating like… I don’t know the word…”
I smiled and offered, “Like an American?”
We both burst out laughing but the truth of it hit me! How did we get so fast? So efficient? So… dang disconnected from the every day moments?
All of it has me thinking: what would it look like if we brought more of a Greek Island feel to senior living? I’m not talking serving gyros for lunch. I’m talking more intentional time to think. More connection with people. More awareness of what’s going on in the present moment.
In a field that’s built around caring for others, sometimes we forget to care for our team. How can you do that? Use one of my all-time favorite exercises that I’ve linked below. It’s fun, fast, free, and guaranteed to get your creativity flowing when it comes to connecting with the incredible people you work with every day.
It’s called the 11-Star Experience. This idea originally came from the founders of Airbnb back when they were trying to figure out how to create a standout guest experience. They started imagining what a 5-star stay would look like, then pushed that further to 6 stars, 7 stars, and all the way up to 11 stars.
Here’s what that progression looked like:
- 5-star: You arrive at your Airbnb and the host opens the door right away. A good start!
- 6-star: You’re greeted with a welcome gift, the home smells amazing, and there are plush towels and fancy toiletries waiting.
- 7-star: The host knows you love surfing and has a surfboard ready for you. And oh—your favorite wine is chilling on the table. This is next level.
- 10-star: You step out of your car and there’s a crowd cheering like you’re a rock star. You’ve got a reservation at a restaurant that normally takes six months to get into.
- 11-star: Your favorite music artist meets you and takes you and your family to their concert in a limo. You’ve got front row seats and backstage passes.
Now obviously, in our field, it might be a bit hard to get Taylor Swift to show up in her limo. BUT, when you let yourself dream up the impossible, the possible starts to look a bit easier. Suddenly, a handwritten note or knowing your team member’s favorite snack doesn’t feel like a “stretch”. It feels like something we should have been doing all along!
So, grab a pen and your team, put on some Taylor (or whatever music makes you happy) and start dreaming up what connection could look like on a 5-star level. Then 6, 7… all the way up to 11. Then, look back at your list and ask: What’s realistic at the 5, 6, or 7-star level? Are there ideas at the other levels that can be tweaked a bit to make realistic? That’s your sweet spot.
Maybe it’s the Greek island vibe getting to me, but here’s the truth: you don’t need big money or fancy programs to create experiences people remember. You just need to sloooooow down, actually see each person, and then show them that you love and care about them.
And if you are reading this, just know that I love you more than feta cheese. And trust me…that’s a lot!
Download our free 11-Star Experience Worksheet by clicking the button below
Με αγάπη, Ντενίζ
(With love, Denise)
PS I will neither confirm nor deny that Papa Nico is now my emergency contact in Greece. I’m just hoping I don’t get injured, especially during his coveted nap time! 
