"[But] the biggest thing I've noticed is I now have the headspace to pause. I like to be Mach 50 with my hair on fire. And now, I actually have time to think beyond tomorrow and what I want next for my business."
— Tanya DiSalvo, President
The Challenge
Tanya DiSalvo is the third-generation President of Criterion, a female-owned precision machine shop founded in 1953 that serves the high-stakes industries of medical device, aerospace, defense, and photonics. By all outward appearances, business was thriving — but Tanya had unknowingly fallen into what she calls the hustle fallacy.
"… fat, dumb and happy – and not focusing on the right things."
With no one paying close attention, a cascade of problems began to surface — legal issues, falling behind on payables and receivables, and critical tasks slipping through the cracks. Tanya describes it as a horrible trickle-down effect that quietly destabilized the business she had worked so hard to grow.
The toll was deeply personal, too. The only time Tanya could get through her emails, calendar, and other essential work was between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. She was exhausted, overwhelmed, and at her wit's end — until she first heard about virtual assistants and allowed herself to ask: "What if we just got a little bit better, and I carved out a little bit more time for myself?"
The Solution
Like many driven business owners, Tanya initially resisted the idea of delegating. She believed she was a unicorn — that no one else could manage her schedule, her communications, or her priorities as well as she could. Even as things were clearly slipping, the idea of handing over control felt uncomfortable.
"I kind of started feeling this panic like, 'OK. Maybe I need some help.'"
BELAY paired Tanya with Virtual Assistant Jheri, who quickly became indispensable. Jheri took over Tanya's email management — checking it several times a day so nothing falls through the cracks. She handles scheduling, books travel, and manages key projects on Tanya's behalf.
One of Jheri's most meaningful contributions was designing Tanya's perfect week — a structured framework to help Tanya reclaim her time with intention. When Jheri promised to have it ready for their next meeting, Tanya was skeptical. She shouldn't have been.
"[Jheri] said, 'I'll have that for you by the time next time we speak.' And I'm like, 'You gotta be kidding me.'"
"Managing that is a load off my mind. I don't think, 'Oh my gosh. I've got to check my emails because I'll miss something' anymore. That is such a relief."
— Tanya DiSalvo, PresidentThe Impact
With Jheri managing the day-to-day operational load, Tanya finally had permission to step back and focus on the work only she can do. The shift was immediate and profound — not just in her schedule, but in her mindset.
"Managing that is a load off my mind. I don't think, 'Oh my gosh. I've got to check my emails because I'll miss something' anymore. That is such a relief."
Tanya candidly acknowledges that she isn't naturally strong at every aspect of running a business — and has made peace with that. The question she now asks herself reflects a powerful shift in perspective:
"I'm not really good at some things. So why the hell am I doing them?"
Most significantly, Tanya has gained something that no amount of late-night hustle could provide: headspace. The woman who once ran at Mach 50 with her hair on fire now has the mental clarity to pause, reflect, and think strategically about the future of Criterion — not just what needs to happen tomorrow, but what she wants to build next.