Meet Cara Lunsford of HolliBlu in San Fernando Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cara Lunsford.

Cara, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2008, I started off my nursing career at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the pediatric oncology department. For eight years, I worked in this emotionally sensitive area of nursing until I realized that I had burned out. Burn out is very common in nursing and happens to almost everyone at one point or another in their career.

For me, it was the constant life and death moments in a pediatric setting that took its toll. I decided to try my hand at home health but soon found that I was right back where I started, caring for children with cancer but, instead of the hospital, they were at home. It was even worse because now I was in the most intimate setting possible without the boundaries that are imposed by working in a hospital.

By this time, I decided to make a move to administration and took a job as a director of nursing for home health in LA. I was finally free from the direct patient care that had been tearing at my heart for years. I loved taking care of people more than anything, but I knew I needed a break.

It was at this turning point I had some time to reflect on my experiences as a nurse, and I realized quickly that I wanted to make a true difference in the lives of those who were dedicating themselves to the care of others… the nurses. I had an idea to create a nurse app; it would have tools to help stay organized, professional opportunities and best of all, community support.

The idea was to create a totally supportive community for nurses so they could sustain this vital work and continue to care for all those who need them. Nurses are the life-blood of the healthcare system, and without them, there would be a complete collapse.

It is my passion and mission to create the most supportive, engaging and dynamic community for nurses because, at the end of the day, great patient care comes from healthy, well-supported nurses.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. HolliBlu was funded by friends and family at the beginning which is a huge responsibility to have as an entrepreneur. “You can’t lose anyone’s money, failure is not an option here” I would say to myself.

As we move toward our seed round of funding, our app safely on the AppStore, and a community of almost 900 early adopters, I have left my job as director of nursing, and I am solely committed to building HolliBlu. I’m moonlighting at odd nursing jobs here and there to stay financially afloat all the while being a mom to my 7-year-old son and a wife to my partner of 9 years. I won’t lie, it’s so hard.

Sometimes I’m terrified but every day I wake up, and I look in the mirror and say, “you can do this, you have to do this. It’s for you, and it’s for all the nurses out there that feel under-valued, overworked and unappreciated.” This is what keeps me going.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about HolliBlu – what should we know?
In a world of health tech innovation, there are new apps coming out all the time. What makes us different is the heart of this company. We are not just an app, we are a community, we are a movement. When a nurse signs on to HolliBlu, I see them. I take time to look at every one that signs in and creates a profile.

At that moment, unbeknownst to them, I make them a promise. I promise to make their life better in some way, to be a champion for them and a voice. This is the message I want to share with my fellow nurses. There is strength in numbers and with their help, we can and will be heard.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have had amazing champions and co-founders that have joined me to help create HolliBlu. It takes a team of people to build something so big. Marcia Strassner CO-Founder, Dylan Decker co-Founder, my initial investor, my dad for investing when money was about to run out.

Sharon Rochford, a dear friend and nurse who gave $10,000 when we were almost broke and asked for nothing in return, Katie Vigos for her tireless support and social media work, Jim Caldwell who taught me how to run a business, Andree Mulia from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles who believed in HolliBlu and made CHLA and early adopter of the technology, all my amazing family for their endless support and encouragement and last but not least, my wife. She is always my number one supporter and the person who keeps me going every day.

She was the one who held me while I cried when a patient died, the one who had a glass of wine and dinner waiting after a long 12-hour shift, and the one who sat patiently and waited while I stepped outside, again, and took another patient or nurse phone call at dinner. She is the one that said we should take out a line of credit on our house so we could help fund HolliBlu. She is a true partner in life, and I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without her.

Contact Info:

• Address: 16350 Ventura Blvd, Suite D179 Encino, Ca 91436
• Website: HolliBlu.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holliblu/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/HolliBlu1
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/holliblu1?lang=en

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