"From my end, it was super simple – not a single headache. I hired [BELAY] because they are the experts so I relied on their expertise. And I'm super glad I did. It was an amazingly efficient and simple process, and super easy on me. It requires a certain level of vulnerability and trust, but it's a great process. I'm a complete fan."
— Caleb Sutherland, Founder and CEO
The Challenge
Caleb Sutherland founded LIT Device LLC after witnessing firsthand the limitations of existing lung isolation tools during his time as a licensed EMT. His mission was clear: build a simpler, more effective Lung Isolation Device for emergency medicine. But launching a medical device startup from the ground up meant doing everything at once — and social media kept falling to the bottom of the list.
"I was starting from the ground up. I didn't have accounts where I could then turn the reins over. Plus, I am terrible at social media. I have hard enough of a time keeping up my personal accounts. But I knew we needed to have a presence for the company – but I was definitely not the person to do that."
As a first-time founder, Caleb needed someone he could fully trust to own the company's digital presence — ideally without requiring constant hand-holding from him. The breakthrough came when his brother heard a mention of BELAY on a podcast. Though it didn't register immediately, the idea kept nagging at Caleb until he finally looked it up and discovered BELAY's Social Media Manager service was exactly what he'd been looking for.
The Solution
BELAY matched Caleb with Jackie, a Social Media Manager with a background in journalism and communication. Starting completely from scratch, Jackie built LIT Device LLC's entire social media presence — creating accounts, establishing brand voice, and developing a structured content workflow from day one.
"She came in and really started from the ground up. She created accounts for the company. She created everything."
Jackie implemented an organized folder system mapping out upcoming content for the following week or two, giving Caleb a clear view of what was scheduled, the ability to review posts before they went live, and performance data on what content was resonating. The two connected weekly for just 30 minutes to align on messaging priorities and approvals.
Caleb gave Jackie significant creative latitude, trusting her expertise while retaining final say. That balance of autonomy and oversight proved to be the foundation of a highly effective working relationship.
"I don't really understand that philosophy of trying to do everything yourself. I know what I'm good at, and I know what I'm bad at, and if I'm going to hire someone to do something, I want them to be able to do that job. I don't want to stand in the way, and I don't want to hire someone and then also try to tell them how to do what I hired them to do."
— Caleb Sutherland, Founder and CEOThe Impact
The results validated Caleb's decision to delegate quickly. LIT Device LLC's social media presence gained traction steadily, building enough data and engagement within weeks to begin boosting posts and running paid advertising — a milestone that genuinely excited the founder.
"Watching [our social media] gain traction is fascinating. We are growing our followers and engagement and we got to the point two weeks ago that we started boosting posts and doing more ads. And we've accumulated enough data that we can start analyzing it, and then pivoting and adjusting."
Beyond the growth metrics, Caleb valued the peace of mind the engagement brought him. A founder who knows his strengths and limitations, he found that trusting BELAY's expertise freed him to focus on innovation — the thing he does best.
"I hired [BELAY] because they are the experts so I relied on their expertise. And I'm super glad I did. It was an amazingly efficient and simple process, and super easy on me. BELAY is just a fantastic company."