"You can't create time. I know the things that Jenna is handling are being managed exceptionally well and if she needs something, I know that she'll reach out to me. I now have that time back in my schedule to do the things that only I can do to help grow the company or give the business a more critical look. Jenna gives that time back — which is invaluable."
— Rob Blankenship, Co-Founder
The Challenge
Rob Blankenship is the co-founder of EMsono, a web-based emergency ultrasound education platform built to help healthcare professionals master point-of-care ultrasound. After nearly two decades in business, Rob found himself caught in a familiar entrepreneurial trap: too much time working in the business and not enough time working on it.
"As I looked at our company, EMsono, I came to the realization that I was spending a lot of time working in the business."
Day-to-day tasks — calling customers, handling administrative lookups, resetting passwords — were consuming his schedule and leaving little room for the strategic work that would actually move the company forward.
"I'm calling customers, I'm looking up something, I'm resetting someone's password, but unfortunately I really didn't have the time I needed to work on the business. [I needed to work on] how to grow, how to reach more people, how to better send our message out to those who could potentially benefit."
Recognizing the problem clearly, Rob turned to BELAY to find someone who could take over those operational responsibilities and give him the bandwidth to focus on growth.
The Solution
Rob came to his BELAY discovery call well-prepared. Having already worked closely with an administrative assistant at a hospital, he had a clear picture of his own leadership style and what kind of partner would thrive alongside him. That self-awareness paid off — BELAY matched him with Virtual Assistant Jenna Ziegler.
"BELAY was able to quickly find us a great match in Jenna in regard to her personality, her drive, and the professionalism that we needed."
Jenna stepped in immediately, starting with inbox and calendar management to learn the business from the inside out. She used that foundation to begin auditing and refining EMsono's internal workflows, and her role expanded naturally from there.
"At first, it started with me managing inboxes and the calendar which was a perfect way to start — learning how the company works and learning all the systems. Over time it's just grown and grown. I've helped with streamlining processes, and I'm helping with business development. It's been natural in the way that it's progressed."
What made the partnership especially effective was Jenna's genuine connection to EMsono's mission. Her passion for the medical field made her not just a capable assistant, but a true collaborator who could engage meaningfully with customers and contribute ideas for growth.
"We were looking for an administrative assistant – and we got that – but we also got a partner."
— Rob Blankenship, Co-FounderThe Impact
With Jenna handling daily operations, Rob reclaimed the time he needed to do the strategic work only he can do — guiding company growth and ensuring EMsono continues to deliver exceptional service to its customers.
"You can't create time. I know the things that Jenna is handling are being managed exceptionally well and if she needs something, I know that she'll reach out to me. I now have that time back in my schedule to do the things that only I can do to help grow the company or give the business a more critical look. Jenna gives that time back — which is invaluable."
Jenna's role has evolved from reactive to proactive — shifting from day-to-day client management to long-term business development strategy. The foundation of their success has been radical transparency from the very first conversation.
"On our first call that Rob and I had, we spent an hour and a half going over three questions: 'How do I want to be seen? What can you expect from me? And what can I expect from you?' I've never had a client or a manager or anyone do that and go over those questions. For me, it was so helpful to know those things from the get-go and understand each other's personalities. It's been a game-changer."
A structured weekly catch-up — run by Jenna — keeps the partnership aligned and moving forward. For a business nearly 20 years in the making, having a trusted partner ask "how can we better serve our customers and scale this responsibly?" has proven to be exactly the outside perspective Rob needed.