Clay Morgan is the executive director of BNI Middle Tennessee, Kentucky, Southern Indiana, the world's largest referral networking organization.
Established in 1985, BNI has over 318,000 small to large business members, in over 11,100 chapters across 76 countries.
With over 19 years of experience in BNI, Clay deeply understands the power and potential of referral marketing and networking for business success.
Clay has led BNI's operations and expansion in Middle Tennessee, Kentucky and Southern Indiana for 10 years. He helps members develop meaningful professional relationships that drive referrals and make their businesses more effective, efficient and enjoyable.
The Challenge
“I reached out [because I was] starting to get a feel for [an assistant] having never had [one] before,” Clay remembers. “I knew I wanted help, but did I have enough work to really justify having an executive assistant?
“After going through the useful surveys and self-assessments on the front end, I realized I probably had been delaying what I needed to do for about three or four years if I was being totally honest with myself.
“From a Virtual Assistant standpoint – for me – one of my biggest fears was, ‘Well, how can I make sure that I do this process — that I've never done before — effectively?’
“Partnering with a company that specializes in that type of hiring, I knew I would get a better pool of candidates [and] that the vetting would be more effective.
“I also had the peace of mind, based on the contract, that if something didn't work out or if it wasn't the right fit, I had the resources and the support in place to then make a change and not feel like, ‘Oh, did I make a big mistake?’
“[BELAY] was, as a package, very reassuring to me.”
Enter BELAY Virtual Assistant Jme Medina.
The Solution
“Being a small business owner, you wear a lot of hats and even if you wear them well, there's a constant feeling in the back of your mind that something is slipping through the cracks, whether that be through email or returning phone calls,” Clay explains.
“[Jme’s task list is] always evolving because schedules are constantly evolving and being added to and sometimes paired down for effectiveness. I [enjoy] having an extra set of eyes on my calendar and on my communications.”
As a result of Jme’s help, Clay had time and space to dream and pursue other passions.
“That helped to think, ‘Well, gosh, there are other things I would like to experience and to try, too,’ and actually, since then, [I] applied and was accepted into an MBA program with the University of North Carolina.
“I would not have attempted that, [or] wouldn't have even applied, had it not been for [Jme’s help]. Bandwidth-wise, I don't think I mentally would've thought I had the time to do it. And in reality, I wouldn't have been able to free up enough time.”
The key to Jme and Clay’s success has been regular communication.
“One way that we work really well together is just doing regular check-ins,” Clay says. “If there's something that we need to do extended follow-up on, we can schedule that appointment.
“We also have a weekly deep dive strategy meeting as well. Keeping it short and easy when you can, but having that opportunity to get below the hood a bit and work on how we're working together and all that once a week or every couple of weeks – that's really been key.
“Having my assistant be someone who thinks [about] people first and also communicates from both a direct but a very supportive kind of frame of reference, and uses that kind of positive language was key for me.”
The Result
“I did a lot of homework on the front end, so I felt prepared and clear on some of the things that I was hoping to get from the experience, and those desires have been met,” Clay says.
“One thing that's been a bit of a surprise was some of the approaches and philosophies that my assistant has helped to bring to my email management. [Jme] also has helped me think about organizing various file folders within our company just [to] follow up processes to have things really be streamlined and work together.
“As a result of working with my assistant, I [am] able to reallocate some of my time and, in some cases, be able to spend that time on money-making measures for the business.”
“I did a lot of homework on the front end, so I felt prepared and clear on some of the things that I was hoping to get from the experience, and those desires have been met,” Clay says.
By working with a BELAY contractor, Clay has been able to focus on growing his business.
“There are so many things to be done in business, and as a small business owner, if you're so busy trying to do all the things that you have to do to make your business successful, that is going to leave only so much time, if any, to be able to work on growing your business,” Clay says.
“BELAY has helped me focus in on my growth strategy by giving me back the time to focus on growth.”
Meet the Specialist
JME MEDINA
Virtual Assistant