Slade McLendon is the CEO of Sunbelt Fire, a family-owned-and-operated company with over 35 years of experience providing safety products to emergency response services throughout the Southeast.
About the Company
Slade McLendon is the CEO of Sunbelt Fire, a family-owned-and-operated company with over 35 years of experience providing safety products to emergency response services throughout the Southeast.
Tom McLendon founded Sunbelt Fire in 1983 with the simple and important mission of serving those in the fire service, and since then, it has grown into a team with over 65 employees across five states.
It delivers superior performance to its customers while making a distinctive impact on the communities it touches and achieving lasting relationships through dedication and teamwork.
Sunbelt Fire’s commitment to customers is to build authentic relationships, provide quality products, and deliver outstanding service.
The Challenge
“We're not the same kind of company we started with,” Slade remembers. “We were growing, but we knew we needed something to help us continue the growth and lead and serve well.
“We opened our third facility in December, and our 10-year goal [is to] double the size of our company. I need somebody [who can], when I get into my focus days, really help us serve the company or move us forward, hitting our goals or profit. I need somebody to think for me and to be able to partner with me.
“I've had assistants before, [and have] appreciated them, [but] I found it became very cumbersome when I'm having to move at the speed of light.”
After chatting with his C12 chair at C12 Group, Slade reached out to BELAY for help.
And that’s when we matched Slade with BELAY Virtual Assistant Madison Sutton.
The Solution
“Instantly I was like, ‘Okay, this is going to work,’” Slade says. “Madison is a tech expert. I love her autonomy, how she can think, she can multi-[task], she can move fast. Not everybody can do that, but not everybody needs that either. I need that.
“It was pretty eerie how quick we were able to connect on things.”
“I can be selectively detailed when I need to; [Madison has] a high attention to detail. Her work ethic [is] excellent. I don't like to micromanage people, and I don't like to have to call multiple times. I've never had to do that [with her].”
One of the main things Madison has helped Slade with is managing his inbox — setting up folders and systems, drafting emails and scheduling meetings and interviews. She also creates itineraries and travel plans as well as updating Slade’s daily task list to help him on his designated focus and buffer days each week.
“She's been helping me get better at [my three weekly focus] days [and] getting more prepped on the buffer days,” Slade says. “She's given me more time, which has given me a higher return back into the company.”
The Result
“When I believe in something, I'll push it to others — and within our own team,” Slade says. “So I believed [in] it enough to where now our COO [has] his new Virtual Assistant from [BELAY] starting for us [this week].“
For Slade, Madison has become so much more than an assistant. He sees her as a project manager who is able to be his eyes and ears for him.
“The win for me is I'm able to move fast, I'm able to come up with ideas, and I'm able to do the kind of things I need to do,” Slade remarks. “I'm able to say, ‘Hey, I need you to figure [this] out,’
“It's not just one win I can count on her to get me to. [And] that's what I need.”
Meet their BELAY Professional
MADISON SUTTON
Virtual Assistant