""One of the hardest things about being a leader is realizing that, whether you're an entrepreneur or you step into a leadership position in a corporate company, you sometimes feel like you need to be in the middle to feel valuable. And the real benefit of having an assistant or having the right team means that you are able to focus on the vision of what you need to accomplish.""
— Ali Schwanke, Founder
The Challenge
Ali Schwanke, founder of Simple Strat — a B2B marketing and sales technology consulting firm and Diamond HubSpot Solutions Partner — had spent over a decade building her entrepreneurial career. But as her business grew, she found herself buried in tasks that didn't reflect the value of her time.
Ali had been aware of BELAY for years, following their content and hearing them on podcasts long before she was ready to make a move. When she finally reached out, the motivation was clear:
"I got to a point [where] I knew that I needed to not be [doing tasks] that were not worth my time when I look at what my time is worth."
Having worked with assistants before, Ali knew what she needed — help with email management, invoicing, travel booking, and following up on outstanding items. What she was looking for wasn't just task coverage, but a trained professional she could trust. BELAY's structured onboarding process gave her the confidence to move forward.
The Solution
BELAY matched Ali with Virtual Assistant Melany Montero, who quickly took ownership of the day-to-day details weighing Ali down. Melany started by managing Ali's calendar — scheduling everything from client meetings to her child's soccer games — and helping her design a productive daily and weekly rhythm.
Over time, Melany's responsibilities expanded naturally. She began sending invoices, handling personal bills, coordinating webinars, managing LinkedIn details, and even stepping in to support the broader Simple Strat team when needed.
"She's going to start handling some more of my personal bills. Before, it was strictly just business and email and calendar, and now she's doing a lot more of that sort of stuff."
Ali and Melany built an efficient, asynchronous working system using tools like Loom to communicate and train without requiring real-time coordination.
"We developed a cadence. We run a lot of asynchronous stuff, so I'll record a Loom video, and send it to her to teach her how to do something. It's so efficient. I love it."
""You own it and report to me; I shouldn't follow up with you. And for me, that's a win. Anytime any team member of mine works in that way.""
— Ali Schwanke, FounderThe Impact
Three years into her partnership with BELAY, Ali describes a working relationship that has evolved from task delegation into true team integration. Melany is so embedded in Simple Strat's operations that the entire team refers to her as "Ali's assistant" — and her contributions extend well beyond Ali's inbox.
The ROI Ali experienced wasn't measured in a single metric, but in reclaimed focus and business momentum. Melany helped secure meetings that turned into new business, coordinated lead-generating webinars, and ensured critical software systems stayed on track.
"I feel a lot of the weight off my shoulders in managing some of those little details. She's been able to secure meetings for us that I'm sure have turned into business."
Perhaps most importantly, Ali shifted her mindset from how will I do this? to who will do this? — a fundamental change in how she leads. Her advice to others considering a similar investment: be patient, commit to the process, and trust the relationship to develop.
"So now that we're three years in, we don't have to talk as often, and I can feel like even if there's clarity that I need to provide, we both own whatever pieces we need to iron out."