"LIndsey's just super smart. [It's her] technical ability, problem-solving – modern solutions to solve modern issues, technology and automation and critical thinking, and just the quality of conversations. It's not just helping, but being a part of the solution."
— Anthony Armendariz, Partner and Head of Design
The Challenge
Anthony Armendariz co-founded Funsize, a digital service and product design agency, and quickly found himself stretched across nearly every dimension of the business. His responsibilities ranged from ensuring the agency remained strategically forward-thinking to supporting sales, growing the design team, and building systems for individual career development — all simultaneously.
As a family-owned business, even pinning down his title was complicated.
"My job is to make sure that our agency is future forward, [and] thinking enough to meet the demands of the current landscape to have a viable business, [to] support sales, grow the design organization, and build systems and structures for individuals to grow their design careers and connect those to client opportunities."
Anthony knew he needed help, but doubts held him back. He worried about compatibility — whether an outside assistant could ever truly fit within Funsize's collaborative, ideas-driven culture.
"I was in my head. I know my personality, my quirks, [and] my fears, like, 'What if I get paired with someone that I just can't work with?'"
The turning point came when he recognized the parallel between BELAY's model and Funsize's own business: at least 50 percent of Funsize's revenue comes from staff augmentation. If he trusted that model for his clients, it was time to trust it for himself.
The Solution
Anthony partnered with BELAY Virtual Assistant Lindsey Kelly, and what began as foundational executive support quickly evolved into something far more strategic. Lindsey started by managing Anthony's calendar and inbox, then expanded her scope into sales support and cross-functional coordination between Funsize's design and sales teams.
"I came in and was supporting him directly with calendar management, inbox management and things like that. And then my role shifted to sales support and some coordination between design and sales."
At Funsize, order-takers don't last — the culture demands involvement, ideas, and ownership. Lindsey met that bar. Anthony described her contributions as genuinely collaborative:
"LIndsey's just super smart. [It's her] technical ability, problem-solving – modern solutions to solve modern issues, technology and automation and critical thinking, and just the quality of conversations."
Over two years, Anthony came to view Lindsey not as a contractor fulfilling tasks, but as an embedded member of the Funsize team.
"It's not just helping, but being a part of the solution... We see them as part of the team."
"I think having a company like BELAY to work with where you could potentially [find] someone that has [a] skillset in creative writing or podcast production or even project management makes a lot more sense for us than to commit to long-term costs that we can't sustain."
— Anthony Armendariz, Partner and Head of DesignThe Impact
With Lindsey handling the operational and administrative load, Anthony gained the bandwidth to focus on what Funsize actually needed from him — strategic leadership, business development, and building a culture where designers could grow. The partnership also gave the agency a flexible, sustainable staffing model that aligned with their intentional growth philosophy.
Funsize deliberately keeps 10–20 percent of its workforce as non-permanent members, using that balance to scale smartly without overextending on fixed costs. BELAY became a key part of that equation.
"I think having a company like BELAY to work with where you could potentially [find] someone that has [a] skillset in creative writing or podcast production or even project management makes a lot more sense for us than to commit to long-term costs that we can't sustain."
The results validated the approach: Funsize was ranked No. 94 on the Inc. 5000 Regionals list of fastest-growing, privately-owned companies in Texas — a prestigious milestone that reflects the agency's momentum.
For founders who are hesitant to delegate, Anthony offers hard-earned perspective:
"I just think it takes some time... Learning how to do that can take quite some time and it can be painful. [But] the VA [can] step in and pull [you] along. Once you see the value, it's easy to get over it."