"I was truly impressed [by BELAY] interpreting and sourcing the right person. All the things that went into determining what I needed, even maybe beyond what I knew, meant that [BELAY] was going to hit a bullseye on the first pass. So when we went to the second round, I thought, 'Well, we'll see if they can do it again.' And [BELAY] did it again."
— Jon LoDuca, Founder and CEO
The Challenge
Jon LoDuca, founder and CEO of PlaybookBuilder — a knowledge management platform built to help organizations scale wisdom and build continuous learning cultures — is exactly the kind of visionary leader who thrives on big ideas. The operational details that keep a business humming, however, were a different story.
Jon was candid about where he needed help. Calendar management, inbox oversight, client communications, and marketing execution weren't areas where he excelled — and he knew it. Rather than paper over those gaps, Jon sought a solution that would let him lean into his strengths while empowering others to own the rest.
He turned to BELAY, describing what he was looking for and trusting the process. What he didn't expect was just how precisely BELAY would interpret his needs — even the ones he hadn't fully articulated himself.
"I was truly impressed [by BELAY] interpreting and sourcing the right person. All the things that went into determining what I needed, even maybe beyond what I knew, meant that [BELAY] was going to hit a bullseye on the first pass."
The Solution
BELAY matched Jon with not one but two Virtual Assistants — Janine Yanez and Shelby Dinkel — each bringing a distinct skill set to complement a different dimension of his business.
Janine stepped into Jon's inbox, learning alongside him which communications could be delegated and how to represent him professionally with clients. She quickly extended her impact into the CRM, not only entering data but proactively offering suggestions and recommendations that improved how the platform was being used. "She went beyond that to what we wanted to accomplish and provide leadership," Jon noted.
Shelby brought a rare combination of operational precision and creative range to the marketing and project management side of the business. As Jon put it:
"Shelby's a bit of a unicorn. She can run operationally, be very tasky and detailed, and then write like somebody whose job it is to write for voice. Those are not typically the things you'd find in the same person."
From the start, BELAY also guided Jon on best practices for making the engagement successful. Jon met that guidance by being transparent about his limitations — and by treating his VAs as genuine partners rather than task-takers.
"It's an indispensable value to have people you trust that you can delegate to. I'm able to focus more strategically because there's fewer fires to fight. I sleep better, we're getting more done, and I enjoy seeing them flourish."
— Jon LoDuca, Founder and CEOThe Impact
The results for Jon and PlaybookBuilder have been both practical and profound. With Janine managing communications and CRM oversight, and Shelby leading creative projects and event planning conversations, Jon regained the mental bandwidth to operate as a true strategic leader.
The depth of trust Jon developed with his two VAs was tested when a family bereavement pulled him away from the business for two full weeks. He didn't check email. He didn't manage anything. And everything ran smoothly.
"I so trust the way emails are handled. I trust the way social media is being done and the way the marketing is progressing. In my absence, because of an unfortunate situation, they ran meticulously."
That trust wasn't built overnight — it came from months of intentional collaboration, mutual accountability, and a shared commitment to getting things right. Today, Jon's check-ins with Shelby and Janine are coordination calls, not catch-up sessions. The work moves forward on its own.
"I'm able to focus more strategically because there's fewer fires to fight," Jon says. "I sleep better, we're getting more done, and I enjoy seeing them flourish. They're working in their unique abilities, and they're having a good time."