""It has multiplied my efforts fivefold in terms of what I've been able to accomplish. I've gained time back in my week to work on the most important things that move the business forward as opposed to the administrative tasks.""
— Joe Garcia, CEO
The Challenge
When Joe Garcia co-founded NoFo Brew Co — a craft brewery and distillery born from a love of adventure and great beer in Cumming, Georgia — he knew from the start that running a lean startup would stretch any entrepreneur thin. Having worked with BELAY through previous ventures, Joe recognized early that managing bookkeeping, executive tasks, and a growing web presence internally simply wasn't sustainable without a dedicated team.
The fundamental problem was one of resource constraints. As a small business, NoFo Brew Co couldn't afford to bring on a full-time bookkeeper, a dedicated executive assistant, or an in-house IT professional. Yet without reliable support in each of these areas, Joe risked spending his most valuable hours on administrative work rather than growing the business.
"We started with bookkeeping because when you start a small business, you can't afford to hire a bookkeeper internally."
On top of financial management and day-to-day operations, Joe also needed someone to keep the brewery's WordPress site secure, current, and functional — an essential but time-consuming responsibility for any hospitality business without an IT department.
The Solution
Drawing on his prior experience as a BELAY client, Joe Garcia built a three-person contractor team to cover the most critical needs of NoFo Brew Co. BELAY Bookkeeper Amanda Wiltse came on first, quickly becoming indispensable by producing financial reports and balance sheets, processing payroll, managing accounts payable, and maintaining onboarding documentation for new hires.
"She's never seen our business, she's never been here, but she's been phenomenal and super instrumental in our business for payroll and bookkeeping. We love her."
Next, Joe added Executive Assistant Amanda Bolton, who took the time to understand his daily routine and identify tasks she could take off his plate. She now manages his calendar, email, travel, communication with prospective meeting partners, and candidate interview scheduling — returning more than ten hours to Joe's week.
Finally, Website Specialist Joshua Rystedt rounded out the team, maintaining the NoFo Brew Co WordPress site by keeping content updated, security tight, and integrations like Shopify running smoothly. Joe's prior history with BELAY also helped him set realistic expectations about onboarding, allowing him to invest the patience needed to integrate each contractor effectively into the business.
""As a CEO, you should be a year to 18 months ahead of the business. Well, if your inbox has 500 emails in it, how do you take any strategic time to think? Being able to do that has been tremendous.""
— Joe Garcia, CEOThe Impact
The partnership with BELAY has been transformative for Joe Garcia and NoFo Brew Co. With three specialists handling bookkeeping, executive support, and web operations, Joe has reclaimed more than ten hours every week — time he now dedicates to revenue-generating activity, strategic thinking, and investing in his team.
"It has multiplied my efforts fivefold in terms of what I've been able to accomplish. I've gained time back in my week to work on the most important things that move the business forward as opposed to the administrative tasks."
Perhaps most meaningfully, Joe has recovered the mental space to think like a CEO. Instead of drowning in a backlog of emails and administrative tasks, he can now look ahead and set the strategic direction for the business.
"As a CEO, you should be a year to 18 months ahead of the business. Well, if your inbox has 500 emails in it, how do you take any strategic time to think? Being able to do that has been tremendous."
After three years working together — including time before NoFo Brew Co even opened its doors to the public — Joe and his contractors have built a deep, trusted working relationship. As the brewery enters a new season of growth, Joe is leaning into their expertise to help him scale the business more intelligently and cast a clearer vision for where it's headed.