Enter: BELAY
Joining a startup during the recession was risky, but I took a leap of faith. As BELAY’s first employee and virtual assistant – and then onto serve as Director, Vice President, President, COO, and now CEO – I’ve spent the last nearly 10 years ‘walking the walk’ of what we call the Third Option: the ability to cultivate a balanced life with a successful career while making family and personal relationships a priority.
As a leader, I’m passionate about each of us owning and forging our own paths, careers, and professional development, putting each of our valued employees and contractors in the driver’s seat to cultivate the balance of work and life that best suits them.
I’m so committed to helping people realize this that in 2020 I launched a podcast, One Next Step, to show leaders that they can not only grow their business but also help them create more margin so that they can enjoy their life.
Together with guests and my co-host, Lisa Zeeveld, BELAY CFO, we share real-world business knowledge that will help real-life leaders.
It’s been said that ‘time is money,’ I couldn’t disagree more because unlike money, time is finite so I am passionate about boundaries, saying ‘no’ and knowing my limits – knowing where I add value, where I can step aside and where I need to show up, both personally and professionally.
I live in Charlotte, NC with my husband, two daughters and stepson and am grateful – seriously grateful – for the opportunity to live out my third option every day as a hands-on mom while supporting those I lead in living out theirs.
One Next Step Podcast
114: What Can a Virtual Assistant Do For You?
When scaling a business, it’s natural to reach a point where you feel like your limited capacity is slowing down the business’ growth. In this episode, LZ will talk with Bruce Ackerman about his experience hiring a BELAY virtual assistant. Bruce is the founder of Printavo, a software company that helps screen printing shops stay organized as they grow. Bruce will also talk about some of the biggest challenges he’s overcome while building his business and will share advice for other entrepreneurs.
113 BONUS: The Number One Lesson from Building Winning Cultures
In this Bonus Next Step, Brian Dodd shares about his most respected sports figure – who is it, why, and the biggest lessons he learned from them.
113: Everything Last Year Taught Us About Leadership
Join us for our conversation with Brian Dodd, Director of New Ministry Relationships at Injoy Stewardship Solutions. He’ll chat with us about all things leadership – from how to measure effective leadership, to building winning cultures, to questions we should be asking our teams, and a whole lot more.
Recent Press Releases
BELAY Makes Inc. 5000 Annual List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies for 8th Consecutive Year
August 16, 2022
BELAY Expands Its Bookkeeping Services to Better Meet Clients' Needs
July 12, 2022
BELAY Makes Inc. Magazine’s Annual List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies—the Inc. 5000—For the 7th Consecutive Year
August 17, 2021
BELAY Continues to Find Opportunities to Serve Remote Workforce With Launch of New Management Course
June 1, 2021
BELAY Wins Category Among Highest-Scoring Businesses on Inc. Magazine’s Annual List of Best Workplaces 2021
May 12, 2021
BELAY Continues to Earn Awards & Recognition for Growth Year Over Year
April 20, 2021
Don’t Fear, Plan. Top 2021 Trends For Business Leaders
October 14, 2020
BELAY Lives Up to ‘Fast-Growing Company’ Recognition With Meteoric Growth in Q1
March 16, 2021
Recent LinkedIn
How to Leverage Your Executive Assistant - Pt. 1
August 26, 2022
Leading Up: Leveraging Influence For Impact
August 9, 2022
Lead Anyone From Anywhere: An Excerpt From Our Newest Book
June 22, 2022
'Having It All' With The Third Option
May 26, 2022
Women in Leadership: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
April 21, 2022
Recent Bylines
National Workforce Development Month: What Lies Ahead
September 7, 2021
Inspecting What You Expect: The Importance Of Year-End Reviews
October 15, 2021
Overcoming the 4 Biggest Mistakes Leaders Make When Managing a Remote Team
November 30, 2020
Doing More With Less: How to Grow Your Business With the Staff You Already Have
November 2, 2020
Extroverts: Here’s How to Survive Remote Work
September 18, 2020
Lessons from a Remote CEO: How to Create Boundaries When WFH
July 30, 2020
Recent Appearances
BELAY Virtual Contractor Summit 2022
August 3, 2022
How to Regain Focus After Taking Time Off
July 7, 2022
How to Protect Your Energy During the Summer
June 30, 2022
10 Pieces of Compassionately Direct Feedback That Have Helped Us Grow
June 9, 2022
7 Jobs and Services Virtual Assistants Should Master to Build a Successful Business
March 8, 2022
5 Powerful Ways People Are Celebrating Black History Month
February 3, 2022
Recent Podcast Interviews
Introducing
Rise Up & Lead Well
How Leveraging An Assistant Will Change Your Life & Maximize Your Time
A new ebook to eliminate the uncertainty and get a clear plan for how to effectively use an assistant. This isn’t fluff, theory, or pure inspiration. It’s battle-tested tactics directly from our CEO.
Learn More
