""I've gained so much as a leader because I can focus on the business, which is something I had been neglecting. When I have 200 emails in my inbox and I look over and I have a big pile of things to get back to people on and bills and property statements, it distracts me. Having an executive assistant and bookkeeper to handle the check-off-the-box things, that's freed me up to really focus on the big long-range planning and strategic direction for the company.""
— Rich Fettke, Co-Founder
The Challenge
Rich Fettke co-founded RealWealth with his wife Kathy to help everyday investors build real wealth through real estate — and by many measures, the company had succeeded. With over 66,000 members and three consecutive years on the Inc. 5000 list of America's Fastest Growing Companies, RealWealth was growing fast. But Rich was struggling to keep up in the right ways.
Instead of leading the company strategically, Rich found himself consumed by the operational details — overflowing email inboxes, endless scheduling requests, and an ever-growing pile of to-dos that left no room for vision or leadership.
"The biggest problem for me [in the beginning] was not having the time to focus on the business. I was so in the business. I was doing so much of that detailed work, and my email inbox was overloaded. So many people were wanting to schedule meetings on my calendar. Even that was hard."
The real cost wasn't just time — it was impact. Rich recognized that being stuck in the weeds was preventing him from fulfilling his most important role: empowering his team and clarifying the direction of RealWealth.
"It was keeping me from clarifying the vision for our company and really doing my job as a leader to empower everyone who works with RealWealth. I needed help."
The Solution
The turning point came when Rich heard entrepreneur Don Miller describe how an executive assistant had transformed his business. Rich recognized the solution immediately and turned to BELAY. From the very first call, the experience exceeded his expectations.
"There was that initial relief of just going through the process and meeting the Client Success Coordinator. I was excited just after that call because she asked me so many good questions about what's worked for me in the past and what hasn't worked [and] what my typical day looked like. She was able to say, 'Here are the things your VA is going to be able to help you with.'"
BELAY placed Rich with Virtual Assistant Tonya Allen-Mucci, whose fit with RealWealth's culture proved so strong that Rich and Kathy eventually brought her on as a full-time Executive Assistant.
"She just really fits our culture. We all care about each other, and Tanya shares those values. She loves everyone on our team and she shows it, and in turn everyone loves her."
To address the financial side of the business, BELAY also provided Accounting Specialists Samuel Card and Marilyn Leyva, giving Rich a complete support team handling both executive and bookkeeping functions — freeing him entirely from the administrative and financial details that had been pulling his focus.
""The biggest problem for me [in the beginning] was not having the time to focus on the business. I was so in the business. I was doing so much of that detailed work, and my email inbox was overloaded.""
— Rich Fettke, Co-FounderThe Impact
With BELAY's support in place, Rich was finally able to show up as the leader RealWealth needed. The combination of executive and bookkeeping assistance removed the constant friction of administrative work and gave him the mental clarity to focus on strategy and long-range planning.
"I've gained so much as a leader because I can focus on the business, which is something I had been neglecting. When I have 200 emails in my inbox and I look over and I have a big pile of things to get back to people on and bills and property statements, it distracts me. Having an executive assistant and bookkeeper to handle the check-off-the-box things, that's freed me up to really focus on the big long-range planning and strategic direction for the company."
The experience transformed not just how Rich worked, but how he thinks about building a business. He now considers an executive assistant and a bookkeeper among the most critical first hires any entrepreneur can make — foundational to creating the systems, support, and freedom that define true entrepreneurial success.
"You're not really an entrepreneur if you're not creating freedom for yourself. You create a job for yourself unless you have a team and support and systems and processes in place. And one of the first things you can do, one of the first hires you need to make, is an executive assistant and a bookkeeper."