"I would just say that, for prospective clients, I believe that it's the best thing that you can do for yourself, for your health, and for the health and expansion of your business. So while making this investment can maybe feel like a sizable investment at first, I would say it's come back to me tenfold in terms of my own mindset and my own health, and the health and opportunity for expansion of my business."
— Dr. Taryn Stejskal, Chief Resilience Officer
The Challenge
Dr. Taryn Stejskal was, by any measure, extraordinary — and overwhelmed. As the Chief Resilience Officer at Resilience Leadership, she wore an almost impossible number of hats: resilience educator, psychologist, keynote speaker, executive coach, corporate executive at a global Fortune 50 company, and writer — all while being a mom, athlete, international traveler, and philanthropist.
Despite her remarkable accomplishments, Taryn was a one-woman show, and the weight of it was catching up with her.
"I constantly felt like there weren't enough hours in the day – I couldn't keep up. I was behind, I felt disorganized, even apologetic that I wasn't getting things in on time or doing the caliber of work that I wanted to be doing."
She knew she needed help, but a traditional administrative assistant wasn't the answer. Taryn wanted someone multifaceted and expansive — someone who could grow alongside her business, operate as a true extension of her brand, and even engage audiences on social media.
"Our work and footprint began to ramp up, [and] what I recognized was that I needed help from an administrative standpoint. But I wanted the role to not simply be someone who would schedule meetings as a traditional administrative assistant would, but to have someone that was able to step into more of an expansive role and to be able to support me across the business."
The Solution
BELAY matched Dr. Taryn Stejskal with Virtual Assistant Mari, and the connection was immediate. Taryn approached the partnership with intentionality, starting with a comprehensive onboarding document that laid out every aspect of her business — an exercise she found clarifying for herself as much as for Mari.
"When Mari and I were matched, it was like just an almost immediate lovefest. We got each other personally, and she was excited about the business, our vision and mission."
Rather than micromanaging, Taryn extended trust from the outset — defining clear end goals and guardrails, then giving Mari the freedom to find her own rhythm. Mari responded with proactivity and a steady stream of thoughtful questions, ensuring she understood Taryn's preferences in every detail, especially around her calendar.
For Mari, the mission was clear:
"I just want to be the best support to her and make sure that she's well cared for, and I don't want to overwhelm her in her schedule either. I just really feel like she appreciates proactivity and thoughtfulness, which allowed her to see that I want to take care of her."
"I felt like there were items on my to-do list or really audacious goals that I just couldn't get to because I was so mired in the minutiae. So the two significant differences for me have been [that] I no longer constantly feel behind and overwhelmed, and I now feel like I have a true partner who can support me."
— Dr. Taryn Stejskal, Chief Resilience OfficerThe Impact
The transformation Dr. Taryn Stejskal experienced after partnering with BELAY VA Mari was both practical and deeply personal. For the first time in years, the external calm she projected finally matched how she felt on the inside.
"I felt like there were items on my to-do list or really audacious goals that I just couldn't get to because I was so mired in the minutiae. So the two significant differences for me have been [that] I no longer constantly feel behind and overwhelmed, and I now feel like I have a true partner who can support me. If I'm in a client meeting and something happens, I've got another set of hands to work through things, either in the foreground or in the background."
With Mari handling the day-to-day details and stepping in whenever anything needed attention, Taryn could finally pursue the audacious goals that had long sat untouched on her to-do list. The investment, which may have seemed significant at first, delivered far beyond expectations.
"While making this investment can maybe feel like a sizable investment at first, I would say it's come back to me tenfold in terms of my own mindset and my own health, and the health and opportunity for expansion of my business."