"Now, I'm not worried about some of the things that I could have someone else doing for me – I feel like I'm winning. Those small incremental improvements get me to that point where I'm not doing daily tasks. I'm able to focus more on the right things. And that's a win-win for everyone."
— Clint Ebel, Director of Operations
The Challenge
Clint Ebel, Director of Operations at Clint Pharmaceuticals, had spent years doing a little bit of everything. As the second generation to join the family business, he described his reality plainly:
"I've done almost everything with the exception of a few, like accounting. So that put me in this role as Director of Operations, which sometimes I feel like just means I'm a 'jack of all trades, master of none' wearing a lot of hats."
With his parents eyeing retirement, the pressure to evolve was building. The long-term vision called for Clint and his sister to take over the company — but that future demanded he step out of daily operations and into genuine leadership.
"The plan is that eventually, my parents will want me to run the company alongside my sister. And they've been saying for years that I need to start getting out of the day-to-day stuff and into a little more of a leadership role."
The operational details weren't just time-consuming — they were piling up. Expense reports had fallen two to three months behind, creating a domino effect across the business. Upcoming projects like a phone system upgrade loomed as further distractions. Clint knew something had to change, and he started asking a critical question about every task on his plate:
"Should I be doing this task? Am I the best person to do this or should someone else?"
The Solution
Recognizing that his existing staff was already stretched, Clint turned to BELAY. Virtual Assistant Janet joined the team and started exactly where the friction was greatest — email management and communications.
"At first, we started with email management and some communications. I think that really helped her understand my communication style. She was even reading some of my sent messages just to kind of get to know me better."
From there, Janet tackled the expense report backlog head-on. Rather than waiting for Clint to hand off receipts, she took a proactive approach that kept everything current.
"She's been great with that because it was one of those things where I feel like I'm sufficient but when I started getting two or three months behind, it started to have a domino effect on everything. So having someone to proactively collect receipts and stuff like that was really helpful."
But Janet's most defining quality was her initiative. When a full phone system upgrade came up — the kind of project Clint would have normally managed himself — he asked her to take it on instead. She did, handling the entire rollout from start to finish.
"She's very assertive; she's not afraid of any task."Her confidence and capability gave Clint the freedom to stay focused on what only he could do.
"She's very assertive; she's not afraid of any task."
— Clint Ebel, Director of OperationsThe Impact
With Janet handling the operational details, Clint gained something he hadn't had in years: mental space. For the first time, he could consistently think beyond the day-to-day and focus on the strategic future of the family business.
"I gained a little more space to think about long-term goals and objectives."
The shift wasn't just practical — it changed how Clint showed up as a leader. Freed from the tasks that had been quietly consuming his time and attention, he could give his energy to the work that actually required his seniority and judgment.
"Now, I'm not worried about some of the things that I could have someone else doing for me – I feel like I'm winning. Those small incremental improvements get me to that point where I'm not doing daily tasks. I'm able to focus more on the right things. And that's a win-win for everyone."
Perhaps most telling was Janet's own attitude toward the partnership. Even when her plate was full, she consistently looked for more ways to contribute.
"She's always asking – even like when her plate is full – 'Is there anything that I could be helping you with?'"That proactive spirit gave Clint the confidence to keep delegating, knowing the details were in capable hands as he stepped further into his role as the company's next generation of leadership.