Here We Grow Again
Whelp, it’s spring and here at Sunways things are definitely blooming! We are excited to welcome our Chief Strategy Officer, Lauren Perpetua to the Sunways Senior Living Concierge Team. Lauren brings her experience in marketing and strategy development to Sunways to help us grow so we can help more families and serve our mission of helping families and caregivers navigate the senior healthcare maze by providing advocacy and support in finding senior living community options and other senior resources.
Learn More about Lauren:
I’m originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia. I am a Panther / Duke. I attended the University of Pittsburgh for my BA, and recently completed my MBA at James Madison University. I have twenty years of experience in marketing, and helping companies grow.
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had an interest in business, telling and hearing stories, and helping others.
Before I even knew what the term “commerce” meant, my sister, neighbor, and I had already launched our own business, The Busy Bottom Bead Braiders, at our local pool club. Our business was to braid little girls’ hair and secure the braid with a small bead. The idea was simple, and the alliteration great, I mean Busy Bottom Bead Braiders– what could go wrong? Well, a lot did- it turned out to be a very hot day, so a lot of people were at the pool. The line for girls wanting braids quickly wrapped around our small table. We were hot and did not plan for breaks. We were also ill-equipped, only bringing enough beads for about 100 braids which really pissed a few little girls off, not to mention their mothers. Finally, we priced our braids all wrong- charging only $.10 per braid. The braids took longer than we thought. After a day of sweating, and trying to make our customers happy, we were asked by the pool to stop braiding because of the complaints of our unhappy customers. The kicker is we each only made $2. Let’s just say, I’ve learned a thing or two about business since then.
That very same summer, I spent lazy afternoons with my sisters on my grandparent’s back porch writing and illustrating stories. My sisters will tell you my perfectionism got in the way, and my output was low because of it, but I remember loving it. I love to tell stories. Even more, I love hearing stories. I am so grateful when someone opens and lets me in on a piece of their life. I feel connected and appreciative to be trusted with information. I am excited to share the stories of our Sunways family.
Finally, I believe that we are all connected, and it is so important to help others. It’s not easy to rely on others, and I am grateful when anyone allows me to help. I am grateful for the next stage of my career, one where I can put my energy toward helping others. Sunways’ mission and my own personal core values are in sync, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
My prior professional experience includes selling advertising at the local rag, working as the Marketing Director for a franchisee of Panera Bread, working as the Marketing Director for Worldstrides, an Educational Travel Company, and most recently, working at James Madison University as the Director of Recruitment and Marketing for the MBA Program. Outside of the office, I am a caffeinated mom to twin boys, a nagging wife (ha, love you Joey), a sister, a daughter, a soul sister, a friend, a yogi, a runner, a skier, a want-to-be mountain biker, a want-to-be watercolor artist, an animal lover (I have 2 dogs and a cat), a nature lover, a city lover, and lover of travel.
So, if you are still reading and haven’t scrolled on yet, it’s awesome to meet you! I look forward to connecting more.
