The Heart of the House: Hospitality as a Leadership Approach

In this episode of TALATalks, host Anthony Ormsbee-Hale is joined by Aaron Fish, Founder and CEO of Trestle Hospitality Concepts, for a conversation that goes beyond food—it’s about leadership, culture, and the power of hospitality to transform senior living communities.

Aaron shares his leadership philosophy and how strong culinary operations can serve as a cornerstone for operational success, team engagement, and resident satisfaction. Together, Anthony and Aaron discuss how intentional leadership in dining programs creates ripple effects across staffing, retention, and community reputation.

This episode explores:

• Why hospitality should be a core leadership competency in senior living
• The connection between strong dining culture and workforce stability
• How leaders can coach, empower, and retain frontline hospitality teams
• The role of innovation, empathy, and consistency in culinary leadership
• Practical steps for transforming food service into a leadership-driven differentiator

Whether you lead operations, manage a team, or support culinary staff, this episode delivers actionable insights on how to lead through hospitality—and why doing so is essential in today’s competitive senior living landscape.

To learn more about TALATalks and stay updated on upcoming episodes, visit https://tala.org/talatalks/ or reach out to Anthony Ormsbee-Hale at anthony.ormsbee-hale@tala.org.