"The partnership has brought immense value by optimizing my time and allowing me to focus on business growth and have extra time and energy for my wife and kiddos. Molly has also improved our operational efficiency and client satisfaction. We present more professionally [as an organization]. We're finding more opportunities. I'm getting more done with less effort and less stress in my life."
— Zac Cerrato, Furniture Sales Consultant
The Challenge
Zac Cerrato, Furniture Sales Consultant at Evo Business Environments, had helped grow the family-owned commercial furniture dealership from five founding members to a 35-person team generating over $20 million in annual revenue. But with that growth came an increasingly unsustainable personal workload.
As one of three owners alongside his brother Casey and father Chris, Zac wore many hats — and the administrative burden began crowding out the leadership, strategic planning, and client relationships that actually drove growth.
"My ability to manage all those things well and balance that with being a great husband and dad without getting stressed was getting pushed to the limit."
Compounding the problem, Zac found himself assigning administrative tasks to Evo's specialized interior design team — pulling them away from the high-value work they were hired to do. When he recognized a post-COVID burnout risk taking shape, he knew change was necessary. "I knew I was ready when I found myself spending too much time on administrative tasks, which prevented me from focusing on strategic growth and client relationships," Zac says.
The Solution
BELAY matched Zac with Virtual Assistant Molly Rogers, who stepped in immediately to provide the relief he needed. From monitoring emails while Zac was on the road to scheduling meetings and handling client correspondence, Molly took ownership of the tasks that had been consuming his day.
"I immediately felt a weight lifted off my shoulders, knowing that essential but time-consuming tasks were being handled efficiently. Mainly, that clients weren't being buried in unmonitored email and waiting for me to get back to my desk to comb through important tasks."
Getting the partnership off to a strong start required clear communication and a structured onboarding process. Zac and Molly established regular check-ins, a shared Google Doc for journaling and task tracking, and set Molly up with her own email and Microsoft Teams account. Weekly meetings gave way to flexible, ad-hoc conversations as trust and rhythm developed.
Molly's responsibilities grew to cover a wide range of needs — calendar management, meeting scheduling, client follow-ups, marketing assistance, event planning, and even ordering office supplies — giving Zac the bandwidth to stay focused on his highest-value work.
"The more you invest into that person that you're delegating to, the better and better job they're going to do, and the more trust you build up and the more relief you get. It's short-term costs for long-term benefit."
— Zac Cerrato, Furniture Sales ConsultantThe Impact
With Molly handling the administrative side of the business, Zac has been able to redirect his energy toward leadership, strategic planning, and pursuing new opportunities for Evo. The results have been felt throughout the organization.
"The partnership has brought immense value by optimizing my time and allowing me to focus on business growth and have extra time and energy for my wife and kiddos. Molly has also improved our operational efficiency and client satisfaction."
Evo presents more professionally as an organization, responds to clients faster, and continues to find new opportunities — all without Zac burning himself out. The relationship has matured to the point where Molly anticipates his needs with minimal direction. "Molly understands intuitively what I'm trying to accomplish, she's after it, and I get to reap the benefits of that. I have to explain less and less and less what I'm going after."
"Working with BELAY has been a game-changer for my business. I feel happier and less stressed. With Molly's support, I am focusing on what I do best, which is growing the business and serving our clients. The lessening of stress and extra time makes me a better husband and a better dad to my kids."