"I had no experience working with a VA, let alone seeing ourselves as a remote-first company — and now we're both. I feel very comfortable working with my VA through BELAY, and I'm very proud to say that it has changed the total trajectory of our organization culturally."
— Michael Chatman, Executive Director / Leader
The Challenge
Michael Chatman leads a team of 10 people at a Community Foundation serving approximately 5,200 nonprofit charitable organizations across Southwest Florida. Despite the foundation's meaningful mission — connecting generous donors with community needs — Michael was struggling with a recurring staffing problem close to home.
His previous executive assistants, while skilled, were simply not the right cultural fit for his organization. The mismatch created friction that affected how he worked and led.
"I needed to detox and decompress from people who came to me with a tremendous amount of skill and ability but did not fit the culture," Michael admits. "I needed to create some separation, and so I said 'You know what? Let me try a virtual assistant.'"
With no prior experience working with a virtual assistant, Michael was stepping into unfamiliar territory. But his frustration with past hires — and a willingness to try something new — pushed him to explore BELAY as a solution.
The Solution
After connecting with BELAY, Michael was matched with Virtual Assistant Alison Aparo through a process he describes as refreshingly intentional. Rather than a generic placement, his Client Success Consultant took the time to understand exactly what he needed.
"I think [the engagement] worked out right away because I treated it like being on a dating site," Michael laughs. "[I made it clear] what I was looking for, and [my Client Success Consultant] was able to match me with that person."
The first 30 days were designed as a structured trial period — a runway for mistakes, adjustments, and pivots before finding a productive rhythm. By the second month, Michael and Alison had hit their stride and confirmed the partnership was working well for both of them.
Trust became the cornerstone of how they built the engagement. Alison's responsibilities grew organically as she demonstrated her range — from social media and online research to event registration and blog management. "Her responsiveness in getting back with me on things helped me to build trust," Michael notes. Regular, open communication protocols set early in the engagement reinforced that foundation, and weekly check-ins kept alignment strong throughout.
"I truly see her as a team member – not someone I can just assign a bunch of tasks to – but someone I can jump on a Zoom call, and we can dream together and create something from scratch."
— Michael Chatman, Executive Director / LeaderThe Impact
The results of Michael's partnership with Alison Aparo extended far beyond task completion. What began as a simple experiment with virtual assistance reshaped the entire operational culture of the Community Foundation.
"I had no experience working with a VA, let alone seeing ourselves as a remote-first company — and now we're both. I feel very comfortable working with my VA through BELAY, and I'm very proud to say that it has changed the total trajectory of our organization culturally."
Today, all 10 members of Michael's team work remotely — and Michael credits his engagement with BELAY as the catalyst for that transformation. Remote work has become not just a policy but a brand identity that actively attracts new talent.
"It's become a part of our brand and who we are. It's really helping us to attract more team members because they want to be a part of a remote-first culture," Michael says. What he once considered unimaginable — leading a distributed team with confidence — is now something he embraces fully.
"I could be anywhere and work with someone, and I feel very good about that."