Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Necessity is the Mother of Invention
A CEO’s journey from nanny to national leader 

By Alanna Gonzales, MBA | Chief Marketing Officer at CorporateCARE Solutions, Inc. 

Sharon Lurtsema is the CEO of CorporateCARE Solutions (CCS). With clients such as 23andMe, TMC Healthcare, United Nations Foundation, Vantage West, and Bob’s Red Mill, she now leads a successful National Backup Child and Adult Care Company, but the journey was long and often painful.  

In the beginning
In 1990, Sharon resigned from her position at the University of Arizona and made a complete career U-turn. She packed up her life and moved to New York City to work as a professional nanny. She learned a lot and gained independence, but mostly she grew up. After nearly three years, she returned to Tucson and started a local nanny agency. However, she did not exactly know how to run a business—she just knew how to be an awesome nanny. Armed with a typewriter, a phone with call-waiting and an ad in the newspaper, she opened for business!  

She placed her first nanny on January 6, 1993. Her father said, “You’ve done it once, you can do it again.” Soon she was placing numerous permanent nannies with local families in need. Then clients began asking for a little extra help… a babysitter for this, a housekeeper for that, a pet-sitter here and there. She quickly realized a temporary services division should be part of her business model. Before long, when someone needed assistance with their children, parents, grandparents, pets, home, or errands in Southern Arizona, she was sourcing it. 

Expanding with technology
In the late 1990s, Sharon began exploring sick and emergency backup childcare opportunities for employers. Her first client was Raytheon Missile Systems—no need to start small! Before she knew it, adult care was quickly added, and she was providing backup care for many of the Southwest’s elite employers.  

Sharon’s quest for expansion did not stop there. She certainly did not know how to provide backup care for employers nationally, but she knew there was a need. In 2011, with an angel investor by her side, she began the design and development of what is now CorporateCARE Solutions.  

After incorporating in 2012, she knew two vitally important things needed to occur before garnering any clientele. She needed to establish a national network of highly vetted care providers and she needed technology to orchestrate it all. Industry-specific technology was non-existent, so she and her team created it. She now touts SHRM® award-winning technology as one of her proudest accomplishments. It is also one of CCS’s key differentiators. CCS started out as a Backup Care company that needed technology. Ten years later, CorporateCARE Solutions has evolved into a technology company that provides Backup Care. National Pet Care and Tutoring Support are also part of CCS’ menu of services. It is true, necessity is the mother of invention.  

Commitment and perseverance
However, there were a few bumps along the way. Sharon’s hardest times began in 2012. Immersed in the development phase of CCS, Sharon filed for divorce and found out she had breast cancer. She moved, had a double mastectomy, another four surgeries and finalized her divorce, all in a 15-month period. She believes the creation of CCS is what pulled her through many dark tunnels. Forgoing a paycheck to ensure others were paid first happened often, but for her, it was just part of the process. Others may have decided to change lanes, however, for Sharon, that was not an option. She was never willing to check the “I give up” box. “Just trust me,” continued to be her motto. “It’s time to throw in the towel, enough is enough, this will never work” was said to her many times. She always replied, “You are wrong. I am not giving up. I know people need this.” 

Sharon has always been acutely aware absenteeism is a problem for employers, but the COVID-19 pandemic shed a bright light on just how much this impacts companies that may have thought they were immune. Schools and daycares closed at alarming rates, and countless parents found themselves without assistance.  

Bright future
Sharon is still not finished. She looks forward to a day when backup child and adult care are mainstream employee benefits, as common as health, dental and vision insurance. By making backup care affordable and easy to use, CCS remains committed to giving every company the ability to implement family-friendly benefits.  

What is next for CCS? Services were recently opened in Guam and Puerto Rico. Before the year’s end, CCS intends to be a global organization. Learn more at corporateCAREsolutions.com. 

Sidebar: Congratulations to Tucson Metro Chamber as you celebrate 125 years! Thank you to all the local business leaders who shared their legacy in this edition of Chamber Edge. Tucson is a wonderful place to be. We have a bustling downtown, a sea of red and blue on game days, award-winning schools, and plenty of job opportunities, all thanks to their hard work.  

CLICK HERE to read the entire digital edition of the 2022 Chamber Edge: The Legacy Issue.