From Caregiver to Coach
💛What 25 Years in Senior Care Taught Me About Leading with Heart
By Tesse Lester | Life Coach, Mentor, and Advocate for Women Who Lead with Compassion
It’s not always sunshine and roses. That’s true in senior care. It’s true in motherhood. And it’s definitely true in life.
But even on the hard days—the days when nothing goes as planned, when grief sits heavy, when the to-do list feels like a mountain—I show up. I smile. I lead. And I give the best I can to the people who count on me.
Because that’s what I was born to do.
🧠 A Heart for the Aging—and the Overlooked
For over 25 years, I’ve worked in the geriatrics industry. As Executive Director at Bickford Senior Living in West Des Moines, I’ve had the honor of caring for seniors in assisted living and memory care—many of whom are facing Alzheimer’s, dementia, or the slow fading of independence.
It’s sacred work. It’s emotional work. And it’s not for everyone.
You can teach someone how to manage a schedule. You can train them on protocols. But you can’t teach empathy. You can’t fake compassion. And in this field, if you don’t have both, it shows.
I don’t want to boss people around. I want to lead them. I want to mentor them. I want to model what it looks like to show up with heart, even when it’s hard.
💬 My Life Hasn’t Been Easy—But It’s Been Worth It
I’ve gone above and beyond for my residents. But I’ve also had to go above and beyond for myself.
At 16, I became a single mom. My daughter Ashley was born with Cerebral Palsy and a congenital heart defect that required 11 open-heart surgeries. I was terrified. I was exhausted. But I was determined.
I’ve survived toxic relationships. I’ve rebuilt my life more than once. I went to college at 41 and earned my bachelor’s degree at 46. I’ve walked across a graduation stage hand-in-hand with my youngest daughter Megan. I’ve sold makeup online, studied personal development, and built a business from scratch.
I’ve looked at life from all sides—through the lens of teen pregnancy, special needs parenting, and senior care leadership. And every challenge has shaped me into the woman I am today: a powerhouse of resilience, purpose, and unapologetic truth.
🔥 Why I Coach
I coach because I know what it’s like to feel invisible. I coach because I’ve lived through the kind of pain that doesn’t show up in a résumé. I coach because I believe that personal growth and professional growth go hand in hand. And I coach because I want other women to know: it’s never too late to rewrite your story.
Whether you’re a caregiver, a leader, a mom, or a woman trying to find herself again—I’m here to help you rise. Not with fluff. Not with empty affirmations. But with strategy, support, and straight-up truth.
✨ My Mission
My goal is simple:
To help women see their inner and outer beauty.
To use social media as a platform for healing and hope.
To write a book that tells the truth about what it takes to rebuild.
And to speak on stages that remind women they are not broken—they are rebuilding.
I want to be a beacon of hope. A voice of reason. A reminder that big things don’t happen all at once—they happen one day at a time.
💡 My Best Advice?
Be intentional. Be purposeful. Be positive. And above all—take accountability.
At the end of the day, it’s not up to anyone else to change your life. If you want change, you’re going to have to make it happen. And I promise you this: you can.
When your head hits the pillow tonight, remind yourself that you’ve done a good job. Be patient with your progress. Big things are built one day at a time.