From Overwhelmed to Empowered: How BELAY Helped Whisper's Founder Focus on What Matters Most
With the right team behind him, Bryan Davidson is leading his nonprofit into its next chapter with more focus and a bigger impact.
Bryan Davidson is the founder of Whisper, a grassroots nonprofit tackling one of the most pressing challenges in education today: student loneliness. Whisper partners with schools to foster connection, community, and emotional support for students who often go unnoticed.
“Our focus in three words is, combat student loneliness,” said Bryan. “Some students go through their entire day without having one genuine interaction. They leave the day feeling unknown.”
But as the movement gained momentum, the operational demands began to pile up. Bryan found himself stretched too thin — juggling hands-on leadership, strategic growth, and day-to-day logistics.
“There's a lot of operational overload behind what I do … I knew I needed an assistant who could take that stuff off the plate.”
“I just needed help. I was drowning at times,” said Bryan, “There I was trying to help students with their pace and rhythms of life — and I needed that in my own life.”
A Team Behind the Mission: BELAY’s Support Network
It began with BELAY Client Success Consultant (CSC) Allie.
At BELAY, every client has a CSC — a dedicated partner responsible for understanding each client's unique needs and ensuring a personalized match with the right hire. Allie’s intentional approach ensured Bryan was paired with someone who genuinely aligned with his mission.
“Allie was awesome from the beginning,” said Bryan. “She really made sure we found the right fit.”
And her support didn’t stop after the match. As Bryan quickly learned, having a CSC meant having someone in your corner — committed, consistent, and all-in.
“I could talk about Allie for a while. She even came and filled a table with her friends at our fundraiser dinner. It really shows you her heart for what we are doing. She’s definitely a rockstar.”
With Allie’s guidance and BELAY’s ongoing support, Bryan found the reliable structure he needed. It gave him the freedom to lead with clarity, focus on relationships, and invest more deeply in the students Whisper serves.
Meet Dianne: The Game-Changer
Allie’s thoughtful matching led Bryan to Dianne Russell, the Virtual Assistant who became a pillar of Whisper’s success.
“Dianne Russell has been absolutely incredible,” Bryan said. “Couldn't be a better fit for us.”
Dianne quickly took ownership of tasks large and small to free Bryan from the details and allow him to be present where it mattered most.
“She wanted to do whatever it takes to take stuff off our plate. She was going to be proactive. She tackled very practical things like ordering pizza for our gatherings and then finding really good prices so we could be good stewards of what we have.”
From planning Whisper’s 300-person gala to troubleshooting tech issues with ease, Dianne proved herself to be a versatile, invaluable asset.
“She’s actually really good at technology … probably better than some of the students we work with. She knows how to do research super quickly, and she understands technology and knows how to use it to get things done.”
More importantly, she brought heart to every task.
“You can just tell she believes in what we're doing. She has a heart for this generation, and that matters so much for our work.”
“In a sense, our goal is to help students be less lonely, and Dianne’s making me be less lonely by taking stuff off my plate. It’s not all on me to get stuff done.”
Transformational Support = Transformational Impact
With BELAY, Bryan received far more than a helping hand. He found a system of support that changed everything. Through delegation, he was able to reclaim the time and mental space he needed to be truly present in his ministry.
“Dianne has breathed the source of life in me to help me lead the organization at another level than I was leading it before.”
“Being able to go to an event and not having to think of so many tactical things means you're just able to be present.”
That transformation ripples out to the very students Whisper was built to serve.
“She gives that security of efficiency that we can do a lot better, prepare for much bigger growth, and go to hundreds and thousands of schools across the country.”
Looking Ahead
The combination of Allie’s strategic guidance and Dianne’s hands-on execution has given Bryan exactly what he needed — a strong foundation and the right support to build what’s next. Together, they’ve created a launchpad for Whisper’s next chapter.
“So for me as a visionary, I feel like we're just getting started. We're building a foundation. We're moving forward.”
And as momentum builds, so does the need for even more support.
“We’re at 30 hours right now, and honestly, the more I get, the more it's like, ‘Boy, we need more time.’”
With BELAY behind him, Bryan isn’t just keeping up — he’s growing forward.