"The support that I've had has enabled the growth of the business and, by default, my own growth as well. I didn't have a clue how to lead, and I knew I didn't, and I was really worried about that when I got to BELAY."
— Anne Sullivan, Founder
The Challenge
Anne Sullivan founded Harp Mastery in 2017, starting with a blog aimed at helping harpists of all ages find fulfillment and joy in their playing. As the business expanded to include a podcast, online courses, live events, and a proprietary coaching process, the operational demands grew faster than Anne could manage on her own.
The first signs of strain were immediate and practical. Her inbox was overflowing, her workflows were scattered, and she had no systems in place to keep the business running smoothly.
"I had too many emails to respond to. I felt really scattered. I have never been a systems ninja, and I was looking for somebody to help sort of organize things and help bring some order to it."
Anne's entire professional training had been in music — not business management. Leading an ensemble or teaching a student was second nature; building and running a company was not.
"I went to music school. I had no leadership experience or training outside of that. I can lead an ensemble. I can conduct. I can teach. But trying to do it in terms of the business — and trying for the first time to think of what I was doing as a business — was a big leap for me."
The Solution
Anne turned to BELAY for support and was matched with Virtual Assistant Lindsay Greene, whose skill set aligned perfectly with Harp Mastery's needs. Lindsay immediately took on management and updates of the website, applied her graphic design background to blog content, and learned the backend of the educational courses platform. Over the course of three years, her role grew and evolved alongside the business.
The depth of that partnership became clear when Anne felt confident enough to take a three-week overseas vacation — without her laptop — for the very first time in her career as a business owner.
"To be able to step away from my business for that long — I've never done that. I'm not even taking my computer with me. It's thanks to [Lindsay] in large part, that I'm able to do that and trust that my business will run on its own."
As Harp Mastery continued to grow, Anne brought on Social Media Manager Amy Pugh through BELAY. Lindsay helped onboard Amy seamlessly, and the three quickly developed a strong collaborative rhythm. Amy's knowledge of the music industry made the working relationship feel natural from day one.
"[Amy] not only understood what I needed, but she had enough knowledge of the music field that the discussions were easy. We were able to make a quick connection, and Lindsay was able to bring her on board so smoothly that the three of us communicate really well together."
"With the help that I've gotten, I was able to really focus on [our] mission, and I can see it coming to life in a way that I really couldn't when I was trying to do everything."
— Anne Sullivan, FounderThe Impact
The results of Anne's BELAY partnership have been both measurable and deeply personal. Harp Mastery has grown its membership significantly, reaching new milestones that would have been unattainable without the right team. Amy actively manages and grows the brand's presence across five platforms — Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn — while Lindsay has designed and launched branded merchandise and integrated music downloads directly on the main website.
"This is all stuff I never would've been able to get to. There's a level of organization I never could have hit without [their] help."
Beyond the operational gains, Anne has experienced meaningful personal growth as a leader — something she once feared was beyond her reach.
"The support that I've had has enabled the growth of the business and, by default, my own growth as well. I didn't have a clue how to lead, and I knew I didn't, and I was really worried about that when I got to BELAY."
With a trusted team in place and momentum building, Anne is now focused on what comes next.
"With the help that I've gotten, I was able to really focus on [our] mission, and I can see it coming to life in a way that I really couldn't when I was trying to do everything."