""Any CEO or any leader really needs to not only have a Virtual Assistant but [also] let go of the things that [they're] not good at. Lean into the things that you are good at and allow someone else to use their gifts to help move things forward – and that's what Tina does. She is excellent at administrative matters that I am not excellent at. And I'm deeply, deeply grateful for her.""
— Bruce Strom, CEO
The Challenge
When Bruce Strom founded Administer Justice in 2000, his mission was clear: help low-income individuals navigate the legal system through a growing network of Gospel Justice Centers. By the time his organization had expanded to 76 church locations across 14 states — adding four to five new sites every month — the administrative weight of that growth had become unsustainable.
As CEO, Bruce found himself buried in calendar management, donor meetings, and fundraising logistics that consumed far more of his time than was healthy or productive.
"Late last year, [I discovered] I was working ridiculous hours as the CEO. We'd been growing a lot. We added about four to five locations a month now, and that requires a lot of fundraising."
The core of the problem was time: coordinating with busy donors and stakeholders demanded constant scheduling attention that pulled Bruce away from the higher-level leadership and vision work only he could do.
"A lot of my work is fundraising and development, and that means meeting with a lot of people — meeting with a lot of very busy people – [including] a lot of calendar management that just takes an unbelievable amount of time."
Bruce recognized that his pace was not only unsustainable for himself, but a barrier to the organization reaching its full potential. Something had to change.
The Solution
BELAY matched Bruce with Virtual Assistant Tina Swafford, whose approach to onboarding set the tone for a highly effective partnership from the very beginning. Rather than easing in slowly, Tina prioritized frequent, structured communication to build trust and shared context quickly.
"[Our Client Success Coordinator] really stressed the importance of frequent communication, and that's something we've both been really committed to. Not only do we have our weekly one-on-ones – and we always stick to that – but then also in the beginning I would add things to the calendar, and we realized that it would be helpful for us to do a daily check-in."
Each morning, Tina gives Bruce a full rundown of the day ahead and he shares anything she can help move forward — a rhythm that keeps them aligned and eliminates surprises. Beyond scheduling, Tina quickly became a trusted representative for Bruce externally, taking ownership of her responsibilities with the care and diligence that Bruce needed.
"Bruce was very good early on [that] if he sent things to me, he trusted that I was going to take care of it, and [it] was my responsibility to make sure that I maintained that trust for him."
Bruce noted that the speed of Tina's ramp-up exceeded his expectations — a result he attributes to BELAY's intentional matching process and the strong communication foundation established early in the partnership.
""[Tina] is an extension of me and even early on when we had conversations, it became critically important that there was a high level of trust because she literally represents me to the outside world.""
— Bruce Strom, CEOThe Impact
With Tina handling the administrative and scheduling demands of his role, Bruce was able to step back into the CEO seat with greater focus, clarity, and peace of mind. The impact was felt not just in the office, but in his personal life as well.
For the first time in years, Bruce took a family vacation — and truly disconnected.
"I didn't look at email because I knew it was all handled. I didn't look at any appointments or issues because I knew that [Tina] would troubleshoot them and take care of them. I literally could have a vacation without concern, without worry, without returning from it and being overwhelmed, almost wishing I hadn't taken a vacation."
When he returned, the transition back was seamless. "We hit the ground running – didn't miss a beat," Bruce said — a testament to the trust and systems he and Tina had built together. For Bruce, this kind of partnership is not a luxury but a leadership imperative.
"Any CEO or any leader really needs to not only have a Virtual Assistant but [also] let go of the things that [they're] not good at. Lean into the things that you are good at and allow someone else to use their gifts to help move things forward."
With Tina as an extension of his leadership, Bruce can now pursue Administer Justice's ambitious vision — launching 1,000 Gospel Justice Centers — without sacrificing his health, his family, or his effectiveness as a leader.