"The machine that BELAY has created — the selection process, the onboarding process, the information gathered ahead of time — has contributed to huge success, and it's impressive. I've talked to a lot of people about it, and I'm a fan."
— Jim Amundson, President and CEO
The Challenge
Jim Amundson leads BankIn Minnesota as President and CEO, an organization with a mission to provide community banks across the state with the resources and advocacy they need to remain independent and thrive. Though his team is small, the scope is anything but — BankIn Minnesota serves nearly 200 community banks statewide, advocating for the institutions that support individuals, families, small businesses, and farmers throughout Minnesota.
That mismatch between team size and organizational reach began to take a real toll.
"We have a small team, but it's a large scope given that our focus is statewide and [we serve nearly] 200 community banks. There are a lot of moving parts and things that come at us quickly at times. As the person who was hired to lead the organization, I was finding myself weighed down mentally and physically in too many of the details."
A candid conversation with a colleague — who happened to be a BELAY client — helped Jim see a path forward. Though he acknowledged he would have been skeptical of a virtual assistant model just a year earlier, by March 2021 he was ready to make a change. He contacted BELAY almost immediately after that conversation.
The Solution
BELAY matched Jim with Virtual Assistant Lauren Herzog, and the partnership hit the ground running. Lauren's first major challenge was stepping into the middle of a complex virtual event — one that had historically been held in Washington, D.C., and involved coordinating meetings with eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives and two senators.
"There was part of me who [wanted to wait until that event was done] before trying to integrate someone new to the process. But I'm so glad I didn't wait because she jumped right in, and she was invaluable."
Lauren took ownership of communicating with congressional offices and staff to coordinate 10 busy schedules — a task that required precision, professionalism, and initiative. From there, her role grew to encompass weekly strategic meetings with Jim to identify immediate and long-term priorities, as well as coordination support for state conventions, online silent auctions, a chairman's dinner, and a 15-person team brand project.
Rather than pushing lower-priority items to the bottom of his list, Jim now had a trusted partner helping him move through them — freeing his attention for the work only he could do.
"It has helped me become a better leader and ultimately a better communicator with the other team members."
— Jim Amundson, President and CEOThe Impact
The results of the partnership have been both measurable and deeply personal. Jim estimates that Lauren gives him back an average of three hours per day — time he can now spend on higher-impact leadership work rather than getting caught in operational details.
"To get an average of three hours back into my day … has been a huge win, and she has integrated well with the staff. All of her peers think highly of her and that's a huge win. They have confidence in her."
The impact extends beyond Jim's own productivity. Lauren has built genuine relationships across the entire 15-person team, earning the trust and confidence of Jim's colleagues. She describes the experience as feeling fully included:
"I feel plugged in and not like an outsider at all. I feel like part of the team."
For Jim, the biggest win may be the leadership clarity he's gained.
"In the past, that would've probably consumed a big part of my day … but now it allows me to turn my attention to other items that are more impactful. It has helped me become a better leader and ultimately a better communicator with the other team members."