"She's working 40-45 hours a month and she's a lot more productive [because] for me, that would be 60 hours worth of stuff that I'm doing, but that's time that I get back – [fewer] evenings and weekends. So that [is] the major benefit, and really where she's been able to help."
— Rod Whitson, Managing Partner
The Challenge
Rod Whitson, Managing Partner of the Strategy Shop, built his career helping entrepreneurial leaders get what they want from their businesses. As an executive coach and EOS implementer, he works with CEOs, founders, and executives to implement the Entrepreneurial Operating System — helping teams align, solve root problems, and gain traction. But as Rod's own client base expanded, he found himself facing the very challenges he helped others overcome.
As referrals and new clients poured in, Rod's calendar grew increasingly packed. The reliability and attention to detail that had defined his reputation began to slip. Clients who had come to expect prompt follow-up, organized sessions, and polished communication were starting to notice a change.
You meet with somebody and say, 'Hey. I'll send you this article.' And all of that stuff is incredibly attractive to people. But then what happens is you start getting busy because you're attracting people and you're getting referrals. You start getting really busy and that reliability starts falling off.
Rod needed a solution that would free him to do what he does best — sell and serve clients — while someone else managed the operational details that were eating into his evenings and weekends. He turned to BELAY for help.
The Solution
Rod enlisted BELAY Virtual Assistant Becky Boland, who hit the ground running. At the start of their engagement, Rod provided her with the book Traction, and Becky quickly got herself up to speed on the Entrepreneurial Operating System before diving in. Her initial focus was Rod's calendar — scheduling appointments, eliminating conflicts, and keeping both Rod and his clients accountable and prepared ahead of each session.
As their working relationship deepened, Becky took on a more strategic role. She spearheaded the implementation of CoachAccountable, an automation platform that streamlined scheduling and pre-session communication for Rod's Vistage coaching clients. The system sends personalized preview emails before each meeting — prompting clients to reflect in advance — without ever feeling generic.
The cool thing about [it] is none of [it] annoys clients and none of it comes across as boilerplate. We can go in and customize it a little bit [so] they get an email that feels like it's custom-crafted to them. And Becky's been able to put all that stuff in place.
Becky's guiding philosophy was to automate as much as possible so she could keep uncovering new ways to lighten Rod's load:
The more that [I] can automate for our client, the more time frees up for both [myself] and client, which then allows me to see what else I can remove from Rod's plate.
"Clients are noticing that we're on the ball a little bit more. We're a little faster on things and that it's a better experience for them. And that we're a little more organized [and] paying attention to details more."
— Rod Whitson, Managing PartnerThe Impact
With Becky managing the operational details, Rod reclaimed meaningful time each month. Becky works 40–45 hours per month on tasks Rod estimates would have taken him 60 hours to complete himself — hours that had previously come at the expense of his evenings and weekends. Rod was clear about the vision from the start:
I told her, 'All I want to do is sell this stuff and be in front of clients. And if I can do that, then we can build more and make more and I'm working less.' And so she's really been able to help do that.
The impact extended well beyond Rod's schedule. Clients began noticing a tangible difference — faster follow-through, better organization, and a renewed sense that they were a genuine priority.
Clients are noticing that we're on the ball a little bit more. We're a little faster on things and that it's a better experience for them. And that we're a little more organized [and] paying attention to details more. All those details matter – she cares about [what] we're doing.
Built on strong communication, mutual responsiveness, and a shared commitment to continuous improvement, the partnership has allowed Rod to grow his EOS practice, deliver a higher-quality client experience, and do what he set out to do — without sacrificing his personal time to make it happen.