Finalist
Emerging
Shelly Sun opened BrightStar Healthcare in 2002 after serving as one of the youngest vice presidents in CNA Insurance’s history. Inspired by a close family member and despite a lack of a medical background, she knew her health care start-up could make a difference in the lives of others.
BrightStar now has more than 120 locations across the country serving more than 3,300 families, providing in-home senior care.
Sun has three traits that have been key to navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. The first is her ability to apply a laser focus to an issue. The second is her practice of trying something on a small scale, measuring results, and then either expanding or trimming back the idea. The third is her strong bias toward action; upon deciding a course of action, she wastes no time implementing it.
Sun’s streak of independent thinking and her habit of asking “why not?” not only led her to leave a successful corporate career to begin BrightStar, but it’s also fueled the rocket ride it has become. Her secret is simple: She lets the facts set the course, ignoring the crowd psychology.
In order to reward the BrightStar team for helping the company perform at its highest levels, Sun implemented a long-term incentive program and annual awards for all employees to show her appreciation for their contributions. Building a company is hard work, and she realizes how important it is to celebrate the successes.
Sharing BrightStar’s success throughout the company structure is an initiative that accurately reflects the company’s culture. Each and every person within the company is invested in working together to make BrightStar the best it can be. Employees are motivated by both giving back to the community and by the rewards they receive, and the emphasis on results as opposed to on hierarchy or other nonproductive activities that may hinder other companies is a key to BrightStar’s employee retention success.
For More Information: BrightStar Healthcare, www.brightstarhealthcare.com
