As I reflect back over the founding and formation of Signature HealthCARE with our amazing board in 2007, and the complicated, brutal healthcare environment that we work within today, I am constantly reminded why we have three foundational pillars in place – Learning, Spirituality, & Intra-preneurship. These anchor the organization when we face 200 mile-per-hour headwinds, like we do today, trying to crush our spirit!

Of the pillars, obviously the third pillar, Intra-preneurship, is the harder to understand, visualize or replicate. Many want to call it “innovation,” which is the most over used word today outside of “good.”
As you would expect, everyone gets Spirituality and it is a big attractor, and Learning is what we all need to really grow, but this last pillar seems to suggest we misplaced a word on our web page…
But in a nutshell, it is quite simple: it’s about building “best in class” companies inside of a company, keeping our best leaders forever, and supporting self-actualization so innovators, visionaries, and entrepreneurs may engage within the organization to create a dream factory. Just the other day I saw another example of it alive and well at the Revolution!
Here is the skinny…one of my top, local CEOs Peter Falk (who has been killing it with us for years, has a diverse background in both ALFs and skilled healthcare, and was a partner in developing and operating some ALFs previously), decided to build a new division for the Revolution called Signature Lifestyles. This is a high-tech, innovative environment that is affordable for elders and is our newest partner. Peter said, “Trust me”…and we did!
I was blessed to stand next to Peter at the ribbon cutting this week in Jefferson City, Tennessee in front of a packed house of local officials, legislators, and stakeholders, as we celebrated Signature Lifestyles. This came from a complicated piece of dirt which he delivered beyond my wildest dreams. New construction on schedule and below budget, and is the coolest new product I have seen in the assisted living space! And for a cherry on top, we got to meet Mrs. Miller, our first customer who moved in before we even opened!
Like every visionary, Peter Falk has it all – beautiful wife Mari working by his side, our ad firm “The Agency”, proud of the new brand they helped create, my top Development Director Tara getting a special award for collaboration, and it hit me – American capitalism is alive and well, great ideas when harnessed can change communities and your best leaders always over-deliver!
An hour later, sitting with Peter’s father and brother basking in Peter’s success, I asked them what Peter was like as a boy. They told me he was mover and shaker, and the hardest worker they knew and boy, is he smart! When I walked away, I kept thinking how blessed we are to have this pillar which creates new revolutionary partners on a regular basis. The Revolution will never die, not because of anyone person, but because the human spirit inspires itself when we let it!
This new organization, Signature Lifestyles, will become a revolution inside of a revolution. How cool is that?
Take a look for yourselves at siglifestyles.com