Open a boutique senior living home. Serve seniors the way they deserve — and build a business you're proud of.
Taught by an operator who runs 10–20 bed homes today, not a guru who sold a course.
Founded on 12 years of operating
1 caregiver to every 5 to 8 residents
45,000+ in our free community
Curriculum from the company Brandon bought
The shortage is the opportunity
By 2030, about 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 or older, up from 13% in 2010. At today's pace, new senior housing construction is not keeping up with demand. Small, residential homes are one way to add care capacity in local neighborhoods.
560,000+
new senior housing units needed by 2030 to meet demand
191,000
units on pace to be added by 2030 at current development rates
370,000
approximate projected shortfall in senior housing units by 2030
Sources: NIC MAP Vision data, as reported in February 2025; U.S. Census Bureau population projections. Industry projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Big box vs. boutique
Institutional (big box)
- Commercial zoning, institutional buildings
- Set meal times in a central dining room
- Larger caregiver-to-resident ratios
- A larger, more institutional setting
Boutique (what SLA teaches)
- Residential house on a quiet street
- Home-cooked meals in a real kitchen
- More staff per resident — one caregiver to every 5 to 8
- Dignity and a family atmosphere
Built for four kinds of people
Real estate investors
Put property to work serving seniors with a service business attached.
Nurses, CNAs & healthcare workers
Turn hands-on care experience into ownership of your own home.
Mission-driven founders
Build a business around dignity for seniors in your community.
Current operators who want to scale
Add homes, systemize operations, and grow with a proven playbook.
Real homes. Real operators.
People discover the model in our free 45,000+ member Facebook group. They come to Senior Living Academy to join the private member community where operators learn to open and grow their homes.
"SLA walked me through state licensing step by step. The Phase 3 worksheets kept me out of a property that would have bled me dry. We opened a 12-bed home and were at capacity with a waiting list inside the first year."
Rob
Owner-Operator · Pennsylvania
"I already owned rentals, but boutique assisted living felt like a black box. The bus tour was worth it — you walk through actual licensed homes. We now have two homes and a third in renovation."
Craig
Real Estate Investor & Operator · Kentucky
"What sold me was that Brandon still runs his homes. The weekly Office Hours calls gave me answers I couldn't get anywhere else, and the CRM system turned our tours and follow-ups into a real machine."
Bob
Founder & Operator · Missouri
Real SLA members, shared with permission. Results are not typical, and yours will vary. See our Earnings Disclaimer.
What you get inside
Everything you need to research your state, choose a market, find a home, get licensed, staff it, run it, and serve more seniors.
See MembershipComplete Home Study Guide
All 8 phases, 42 lessons and 7 operator stories, unlocked on day one — the full operating playbook.
Private community
Connect with operators at every stage inside the SLA community.
Weekly live Zoom with Brandon
A weekly call with Brandon, plus Marketing Monday and Operations Wednesday for Premium.
GoHighLevel CRM
A CRM built for senior living operators to track every inquiry and tour.
Brandon & Kelli Schwab
Brandon founded Shepherd Premier Senior Living in 2014. Its residential-model care homes in Illinois are staffed with one caregiver for every 5 to 8 residents. He runs those homes today. SLA teaches the actual operating playbook.
He started his first business at 15 detailing boats and RVs, built it to $750,000 a year, and built 23 rental properties. On a trip to Florida he walked into a residential-style senior care home and it became his life's mission.
“In 2014 I paid exactly $1,200 for a home study course. I later bought that company. Everything in it — revised for today — is inside SLA.”
— Brandon Schwab, Founder & Operator
Starter membership is $1,200 a year — exactly what Brandon paid for his own start in 2014.
That's intentional. You get the full Home Study Guide, the private community, a weekly Zoom with Brandon, and a GoHighLevel CRM — all on day one.
Senior Living Academy LLC provides education and community only. Results depend on the individual, their market, and their execution, and are not guaranteed. See our Earnings Disclaimer. Nothing on this site is legal, tax, financial, investment, medical, or licensing advice. Verify requirements with your state and licensed professionals. Nothing on this site is an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security or investment, or an offer of financing.