As we head into the twilight of 2018, who better to sit down with and look back on the year – and maybe even get a little humble braggadocious – than BELAY’s fearless and – insert first humblebrag – amazing COO Tricia Sciortino?
Because just when it seems that BELAY has hit its stride and is primed for some cruise control, it proves, once again, that it’s only just getting started.
Thanks for taking some time to sit down and reflect on 2018 – though I’m not sure how we got here since I swear it was just January of this year. I must’ve blinked.
“Seriously. Though interestingly, January was actually what I’d consider our peak for this year. We enjoyed a big boost due to our great partnerships with like-minded organizations like Michael Hyatt & Company, Donald Miller, and EntreLeadership.
“These partnerships really propelled BELAY in new ways this year. What’s more is that we’re honored to call organizations like these our ‘friends.’ We share, care, and invest in each other so aligning ourselves with them has propelled our mission and visibility in the markets we align in, such as our partnership with Michael Hyatt and his team to sponsor their Achieve Conference this year, which was very fruitful for BELAY's growth.”
It takes a village – and it seems BELAY has an extraordinary village. So what would you say were some of BELAY's most impactful, powerful lessons from 2018?
“Keeping innovation top of mind was one powerful lesson, as well as our deepening partnerships through which we were able to uncover some exciting opportunities for growth this year – and early in the year, too. I know I already touched on it but it bears repeating – our amazing partnerships offered invaluable mutual support of each others’ business plans.”
During these opportunities for growth and innovation, did you also uncover any obstacles or challenges?
“Oh, absolutely. But interestingly, the challenges we discovered through our increased growth only served to push our team farther and stretch us all. So the challenges ultimately served to motivate us to keep our teams happier, try harder to hire enough people, and lean into our tools to automate and delegate even more.
“As such, bandwidth was a challenge we worked through all year. In fact, our talent acquisition department moved to new platform to scale, save time and keep innovation top of mind, saving time and helping us continue to scale through the growth.”
Any surprises from overcoming those challenges and evolving to accommodate your growth?
“The most amazing surprise was our overall growth and team momentum. Our teams rallied and jumped in with both feet and didn’t let the growth stop them. Though, if I’m being honest, I can’t really say I’m surprised since our teams have a track record of rising to meet every single challenge, obstacle or opportunity we’ve thrown their way.”
If you could humblebrag about BELAY’s 2018 – and only because I’m asking you to, of course – what would you say?
“Only because you asked me to, I’d say that I’m most inclined to humblebrag about exceeding revenue, win and lead forecasting for the year. We experienced phenomenal growth and gains. I can only imagine what incredible opportunities 2019 will bring. I seriously can’t wait!”
Thanks, Tricia, for taking the time to talk with us today! If you want to connect with her or our other leaders, find them on LinkedIn.
To those who are inspired to be innovative in 2019, see how BELAY can help your business grow. Join the 1,000+ leaders who are accomplishing more with the help of a BELAY Specialist.