As the owner and sole founding member of Schaffer Law Firm, Rachel Lawson has proudly served Tennessee’s hospitality businesses for nearly nine years through every phase of startup and growth by providing holistic solutions – and not just legal advice.
The Challenge
Early on, Rachel realized she was doing very little legal work, answering emails for what felt like a year straight. It was all she did every day and it left her feeling like she hadn’t accomplished any of her goals.
Simply put: She wasn’t being an attorney; she was being all the things common for every business owner.
Rachel realized that she had been around long enough to know better.
In talking to some mastermind groups to which she belongs, it was recommended she look into hiring a virtual assistant. So she read an article itemizing all the things VAs could do.
“I was really blown away,” she shares.
The Solution
Rachel had read about BELAY – but worried she didn’t have enough for a VA to do.
But she believes that everything happens when it’s supposed to – and that’s when she was matched with Brandy. Rachel describes the matching process as ‘seamless.’
The first thing Brandy accomplished within the first week was getting Rachel’s email to a manageable level. Rachel now checks email once or twice a day as she and Brandy have an organizational system that works and makes sense.
Rachel also started including Brandy in her staff meeting after a major shift in October to exclusively serve the food and beverage industry. This required looking at every process and procedure and Brandy provided great input.
Brandy was also instrumental in making sure the phones were set up properly after the transition period. She also manages the process of sending representation agreements, making sure clients pay for services, and much more.
The Results
As Rachel prepares to celebrate her firm’s 10th anniversary, she reflects on what it took to reach such a monumental milestone.
“The biggest differentiator for my practice is how responsive we are to everyone,” she shares.
And for Rachel, it just took trust – and listening to her gut.
“I think at the end of the day, you just have to just go for it – and I know how to trust my gut,” she explains. “Delegation only works if you have a 100-percent trust.
“I’ve had associates in the past where I don’t feel comfortable delegating because the trust isn’t there but [with Brandy], I’ve never had to do that. She is dynamite.
“My stress level has decreased a lot, too,” she continues. “[And] I am just as satisfied now as I was when I first started working with BELAY. There are constant touchpoints to make sure everything is good.”
But the most important thing Rachel has reclaimed since partnering with Brandy and BELAY?
“[Brandy] gave me back time – and you can’t put a price on that.”