The Visionary Leader Facing the Weight of a Growing Organization

Carlon Howard is the co-founder and Chief Impact Officer of Equity Institute, a nonprofit focused on creating pathways for the next generation of educators along with equitable, sustainable learning environments for students everywhere. 

As a leader, Carlon thrives at generating big ideas and dreaming up new ways to create impact. But turning those visions into executable plans — and delegating them — was a growing challenge.

As Carlon put it, “I am definitely a visionary... Where I struggle as a leader oftentimes is taking all those ideas, turning it into actual steps, and then delegating it to other people.”

And as the Equity Institute began to scale, the pressure to manage a team, juggle responsibilities, and maintain momentum grew along with it.

“Being an entrepreneur is one thing — to figure out how to get resources together and show up to places to make things happen,” said Carlon, “It's another thing when you start building something and now you have a team and a staff that you have to manage and lead and support.”

From Overwhelmed to Empowered

Carlon knew it was time to make a change.

“I had a significantly large list of things to do,” he admitted, “and didn’t have the capacity to get it all done. I end up with to-do lists that are 20, 30, 50, 100, thousands of items long, you know?”

That’s when he partnered with his BELAY Assistant LaShanda.

“The most immediate relief,” he said, “was just getting everything out of my head and somewhere where it made most sense.”

In their first week together, they connected daily.

“I am someone who likes to process out loud,” Carlon explained. “And you know, oftentimes when you are in a leadership position, you don't have someone who you can just process all the to-dos and tasks of that nature out loud.”

With LaShanda’s support, Carlon was able to sort, prioritize, and delegate with confidence.

“I was able to figure out what things can be assigned and what things can't — or what things I need to do,” he said.

Reclaiming Time for What Matters Most

One of the most transformative changes came in Carlon’s schedule.

“The big thing was scheduling,” he shared. “The number of requests for meetings and things of that nature is just overwhelming sometimes.”

LaShanda stepped in to streamline his calendar and protect his time.

“For me,” Carlon said, “organizing all of those folks and figuring out what to say no to and yes to, figuring out how to structure my week so I'm not just in meetings every single day all day… That’s what LaShanda supported and made possible.”

The results were immediate and meaningful.

“With a lighter load, it allows me to actually be fully present with someone without worrying about the million and one things that have to be done.”

Carlon had tried virtual assistant services before, but BELAY was different.

“I've used virtual assistant services in the past where it was purely like you send an email to someone and say what the task is, and then they pump it back out to you,” he said.

This time, he found something deeper: a real partnership.

“Having someone that I can actually engage with, talk to, think things through with is significant,” Carlon said. “And because we built that level of trust and relationship, we can do that in a very open, transparent way.”

Leading With Purpose, Not Pressure

Now, Carlon leads with clarity and confidence, measuring the worth of his day by the impact he made — not his to-do list.

“I think that was probably one of the bigger lessons I took away,” he said. “That it’s okay to let go. And if anything, you're able to get more done when you're able to co-create results with others.”

With LaShanda in his corner, Carlon is focusing on what truly matters.

“I feel like I can be more effective in terms of leveraging the strengths that I bring into spaces,” he shared. “I’m able to ask the big questions like, How do I build relationships? How do I lead authentically? How do I create results that are meaningful — not just how many checks I got on my checklist—but that actually made a significant impact?

“Those are my litmus tests now for what it means to be effective.”

Ready to Reclaim Your Time & Lead with Confidence?

If you're ready to offload the tasks that are holding you back and find the right support to help you thrive, BELAY is here to help. Invest in the support you need today so you can grow your impact tomorrow — just like Carlon.

Get matched with a BELAY Assistant who understands your industry, challenges, and goals.