"I didn't know how much better it would be having her work with me. She's been so eager to help, and I don't feel like I'm burdening her. I'm shocked at how well we were matched — she's amazing."
— Wendy McFalda, Founder & Dermatologist
The Challenge
Dr. Wendy McFalda, founder of Clarkston Dermatology — Michigan's leading dermatology office — was running at full capacity. Seeing patients four and a half days each week, with appointments scheduled every 10 minutes, she had virtually no margin in her day to handle the administrative and personal demands that continued to pile up.
"I was just finding it impossible with my patient load to get anything meaningfully done during the day, and I needed help," Wendy recalls.
The situation became more acute when Wendy merged her practice with a larger group of physicians, losing the built-in assistant she had depended on. At the same time, she was managing construction on a new home and laying the early groundwork for a skincare company she planned to launch. With her calendar consumed by back-to-back patient care, critical tasks — coordinating contractors, managing communications, and sourcing industry experts — were going unaddressed.
Wendy needed a trusted partner who could take ownership of the details during business hours, so she could stay focused on her patients and her vision for what came next.
The Solution
Wendy turned to BELAY and was matched with Virtual Assistant Kelly Wirtala — a pairing that quickly proved to be exactly what she needed. Kelly dove in immediately, bringing order to Wendy's inbox and configuring her calendar so that her office staff could access and manage it seamlessly.
"I matched with Kelly, and she has been incredible," Wendy says. "She is much more tech-savvy than I am. She went through and organized my emails, and got my calendar set up so that my office staff has access to that."
Kelly's support extended far beyond email. She took on coordination with contractors for Wendy's home construction — contacting vendors, sharing building plans, and scheduling site meetings. For the dermatology practice, she categorized months of FDA and pharmaceutical study emails, labeling and archiving anything Wendy hadn't yet organized. And for the emerging skincare company, Kelly began researching professional organizations and identifying cosmetic chemists for Wendy to interview.
"She has been weeding through a lot of the professional organizations online and finding chemists for me to interview," Wendy explains. "She's been everywhere."
Though it took a short adjustment period for Wendy to get comfortable delegating, the trust between them was present from the start — built on Kelly's transparency, eagerness, and genuine investment in Wendy's success.
"Things used to really weigh on me, and she's taken away that burden. [Having this partnership] helps free me up to think about what's next — both professionally and personally."
— Wendy McFalda, Founder & DermatologistThe Impact
With Kelly handling the daily details, Wendy has found something she didn't realize she was missing: mental clarity. The tasks and follow-ups that once weighed on her between patient appointments are now managed — giving her the space to think strategically about both her practice and her new company.
"Things used to really weigh on me, and she's taken away that burden. [Having this partnership] helps free me up to think about what's next — both professionally and personally," Wendy reflects.
What began as an uncomfortable adjustment in asking for help has evolved into an enthusiastic and growing collaboration. Wendy has leaned into BELAY's delegation frameworks and Kelly's proactive suggestions, sharing her 2022 goals to get the most out of the engagement. The shift in mindset has been remarkable — from hesitation to a standing question of what else she can hand off.
"I've gone from feeling guilty about asking to now, 'What else can I give her?'" Wendy says. "I feel like I have an ally, not an employee."
Kelly has also become a genuine stakeholder in Wendy's skincare venture — reading industry articles, saving resources to Google Drive, and identifying contacts she's excited to introduce. For Wendy, the partnership has delivered something beyond productivity: the confidence and support to pursue what's next.