""The biggest thing that we've been able to accomplish as a team is [I'm] now seeing better communication across the organization. She has helped tremendously, not only with my schedule and my efficiency but the efficiency across the entire organization.""
— Chris Darley, Owner & Operator
The Challenge
Chris Darley, owner and operator of two Chick-fil-A locations in Georgia, found himself drowning in the operational details that pulled him away from his greatest strengths: big-picture thinking, casting vision, and investing in his people.
A self-described visionary and long-term strategic thinker, Chris recognized he was stuck in a transition moment where critical details were slipping through the cracks. His calendar was disorganized, meetings were being double-booked, and the administrative weight of running two high-volume restaurants was draining his energy.
"I needed someone to help me keep my priorities priorities. I was in a transition moment, and I had a friend who works at BELAY, and, ironically enough, we had a conversation that turned into, 'Well, maybe this is the right time, or the right fit, to try this.'"
Chris knew the solution wasn't to push harder through tasks he didn't enjoy. It was to find the right person to fulfill that role so he could lead at the level his organization needed.
The Solution
Through a connection with a friend at BELAY, Chris was matched with Virtual Assistant LeeAnn Isley, and the impact was immediate. At their kickoff meeting, they identified the most pressing pain points: eliminating double-booked meetings and cleaning up his calendar. Both were resolved within the first 30 days.
LeeAnn quickly expanded her role beyond basic scheduling. She began managing Chris's email by monitoring, responding, and forwarding messages to team members with clear action items. She also took ownership of coordinating training and orientation schedules, as well as Chris's personal calendar, so everything aligned seamlessly across the organization.
"[LeeAnn is] so, so intuitive, and [I'm] very thankful for that. This is really on the vetting side of BELAY. [They are] looking for individuals who are high caliber, and she is super high caliber. That is what I hoped for in that role, that's really what I've achieved over the years, and it was able to happen really quickly with her."
Despite being six states apart, Chris and LeeAnn built a deep foundation of trust. One that extended beyond the professional, with both of their families eventually meeting in person during a trip to Georgia.
""I stopped having double-booked meetings. At our kickoff meeting, we were able to sit down and talk about the main pain points we wanted to have solved in the next 30 days. And that was no double-booked meetings and to be able to have my calendar cleaned up, and that was accomplished in the beginning.""
— Chris Darley, Owner & OperatorThe Impact
With LeeAnn managing the details, Chris's entire organization felt the difference. Communication improved across both locations, scheduling gaps that had caused frustration and inefficiency were eliminated, and Chris was able to re-engage with the leadership and culture work he was built for.
"The biggest thing that we've been able to accomplish as a team is [I'm] now seeing better communication across the organization. She has helped tremendously, not only with my schedule and my efficiency but the efficiency across the entire organization. [She's] engaged in our leadership team; [she's] engaged in the culture and of the restaurant that we ultimately want to have. She's been a huge part of that."
Perhaps most meaningfully, Chris regained the energy that had been quietly depleted by doing work that wasn't his to do. He recognized that holding onto administrative tasks wasn't diligence. It was actually costing his team.
"What I was doing was robbing someone of what they love doing, and I was doing something that I didn't enjoy, and it was draining me. And so it has given me more time, more space, [and] more energy to lead at the level that I know I need to lead."
