What BELAY's Kyle Willis says about fractional staffing and AI
BELAY is a remote staffing company that matches busy leaders with U.S.-based fractional assistants and financial professionals, starting at 10 hours a week. On The Think Factory Podcast, BELAY VP of Growth Kyle Willis explains how AI-enabled assistants can make those 10 hours feel like 20, and why he says only about 1% of applicants make it onto our talent bench.
Host Alka Bahal is a partner with Outside General Counsel Solutions and chair of its Corporate Immigration Services Group. In the episode, she and Kyle talk through how BELAY matches talent and what Kyle has learned about leadership along the way.
Kyle's background gives him a view from several seats. He's worked in growth roles at companies in the $10 to $20 million range, co-founded a startup that began at $0 in revenue, served as president of StoryBrand, and now leads growth at BELAY.
What does BELAY do for business leaders?
BELAY provides remote, fractional staffing for business leaders who need support without a full-time hire. That includes Executive Assistants, Marketing Assistants, Bookkeepers, payroll support, and Fractional CFOs, all based in the U.S.
Clients can start with as few as 10 hours per week and add hours as their needs grow. Kyle explains that BELAY manages the full process, from getting to know a leader's business to making the match and managing the engagement month to month.
The point is to take administrative work off a leader's plate so they can focus on the work only they can do.
How does BELAY find, and vet, assistants?
BELAY narrows a huge applicant pool down to a small group of highly qualified professionals. Kyle calls finding talent our superpower.
"And I think the way that we are able to do that, just to kind of give you some numbers, we have close to 7,000 to 8,000 people apply every single month for one of our assistant roles."
Applicants complete an application, an interview, a personality test, and an AI assessment. Kyle says only about 1% end up on BELAY's talent bench.
Kyle points out that most business owners weren't hired to be experts at hiring. If you've swung and missed on a few hires, he says BELAY can take that work off your plate:
"If hiring is not your thing, we can absolutely find you the right hire right now."
How does BELAY match assistants with leaders?
BELAY's matching works in both directions, so assistants choose the leaders they're excited to support. Discovery calls with clients happen over video, which lets assistants see a leader's personality and business before raising their hand.
Kyle describes the process as "a true two way street." An assistant might step forward because they believe in what the organization stands for or already know the software a leader uses.
That mutual interest makes for stronger matches. The assistant who shows up on day one already wants to be there.
Who are the assistants BELAY matches with clients?
Many BELAY assistants are experienced corporate professionals who want remote work or need fractional hours. They have strong skills and want to keep growing, even if they're only available 20 hours a week.
Kyle shares the story of one assistant who supported a financial advisor in an office for close to 10 years. When she started a family, working 40-plus hours in person no longer fit her life. Because wealth management support has traditionally been an in-office, full-time role, she assumed that chapter of her career was over.
Then she found BELAY's Financial Client Services Assistants, a distinct BELAY Assistant role built for people with wealth management experience. These assistants already understand client onboarding and the compliance documentation advisors deal with. BELAY matched her with an advisor at the same broker-dealer she'd worked with before.
"But what an awesome story, right? It's truly on both sides, it is a win for everyone."
How did COVID change remote work for assistants?
COVID opened the door to remote work in a way that's still compounding. Kyle says BELAY helped define the remote assistant category over more than 15 years, back when most people didn't know what a "virtual assistant" was.
The pandemic brought short-term costs, since many small and midsize businesses were reevaluating spending. Over time, though, leaders became far more open to remote workers and what they can accomplish.
That shift even changed how BELAY talks about its assistants.
"So we actually even moved away from the term of virtual assistant back to executive assistant because these are assistants that are serving at an executive level."
How do Executive Assistants use AI to save time?
BELAY assistants use AI tools to get more done in the hours a leader pays for. Kyle frames it with a question he asks leaders often:
"So I want to always ask everyone the question, what would it feel like to pay for 10 hours a week, but it feels like you're getting 20 hours of work per week, right?"
Assistants are using note-taking and calendar tools to speed up their work, along with project management software. Kyle says some assistants have told him that tasks that used to take two hours now take about 20 minutes.
"I think AI has continued to expand what's possible within the fractional workforce."
Why do leaders still need a human assistant with AI tools?
AI tools still need someone with judgment to manage them. Kyle notes that most leaders are too busy to keep up with new software on their own.
An assistant can plug into the tools a leader already uses and help implement new ones.
"They can help with implementing that, but they can also continue to be the hub, the person that also has the judgment, that has the discernment, some of those things that AI cannot replace."
We'd go a step further. The more AI tools a business adds, the more valuable it becomes to have one trusted person running them on the leader's behalf.
How does BELAY measure growth?
Revenue matters, but Kyle says client retention is one of the clearest signs BELAY is delivering real value. Because BELAY is a fractional, outsourced model, clients aren't locked into long-term contracts.
"Because contractually, there's not a whole lot holding this person back from leaving us, yet they're deciding to stay with us for two years, four years, six years."
A big part of Kyle's role is education through BELAY's channel partnerships. Some leaders use that free education to extend their runway. Others hit a ceiling and decide it's time to bring in an assistant.
What should startups consider when making their next hire?
Leaders with limited resources have to be strategic about every hire. Building a startup from $0 shapes how Kyle talks with founders today.
"I understand what it is like to be a small business owner and say, okay, I don't have endless resources."
Whether a leader is choosing one next hire or planning for the next 100, Kyle says people's decisions always sit at the top of the list. For many founders, that key hire is an Executive Assistant who can become their right hand.
How should sales and marketing teams work together?
Sales and marketing should work as one team with shared goals. Kyle has seen plenty of companies where the two groups operate in silos and point fingers at each other.
"I think they should be thinking of this as one ecosystem, one team, one goal as far as what they're doing."
When he's leading marketing, one of his first stops is the sales team. He wants to know where the product is overperforming and what prospects are asking for that the company can't offer yet. He also asks marketers whether they've talked to clients and sales reps recently.
When marketing is done well, Kyle says prospects already understand the problems a company can solve before they ever talk to sales. His advice for reps is direct: "your marketing team should be your best friend."
How do you build business relationships beyond networking?
Real relationships grow from trust and from helping people before you ask for anything in return. Kyle describes himself as a relational seller.
"I think relationships are built on trust."
He says you also need authority in your space and a real understanding of the other person's world. At both StoryBrand and BELAY, he's seen the value of giving away helpful advice for free. Some people will use it and never need more. Others will hit a new ceiling and come back because the trust is already there.
How do you step into a leadership role you're not ready for?
Say yes to the opportunity and surround yourself with people you trust. Kyle's advice to his younger self is that "you don't have to have it all figured out."
His first president role came at StoryBrand right as the pandemic hit. StoryBrand was an events-based company, so losing in-person events threatened its main revenue driver. Kyle had also gone from peer to leader overnight.
He gathered about five trusted people in a room, and they quickly decided to pivot to live-stream events. Some clients pushed back, and StoryBrand asked them to trust the team.
"And an amazing thing on the opposite side was not only did we keep the lights on, we had our best year ever from a revenue perspective, which was awesome."
Listen to the full conversation between Kyle Willis and Alka Bahal on The Think Factory Podcast.
If you're ready to get more done in fewer hours, get matched with your right-fit BELAY Executive Assistant. When you're ready to talk, fill out our Get Started form, and we can connect as soon as today or tomorrow.
FAQ
What is a fractional Executive Assistant?
A fractional Executive Assistant works a set number of hours each week instead of full-time. With BELAY, leaders can start with as few as 10 hours per week and add more as their needs grow.
Are BELAY Assistants based in the U.S.?
Yes. BELAY's Assistants are U.S.-based professionals who work remotely.
How does BELAY vet its Assistants?
BELAY accepts only the top 3% of applicants. Each one completes an application, interview, personality test, and AI assessment before joining the talent bench.
Can an Executive Assistant use AI?
Yes. Assistants use AI tools for note-taking and scheduling to finish work faster. Kyle Willis says some tasks that once took two hours now take about 20 minutes.
What's the difference between a Virtual Assistant and an Executive Assistant?
BELAY moved away from the term "Virtual assistant" because our Assistants work remotely but serve leaders at an executive level.
How do I hire an Assistant through BELAY?
Visit belaysolutions.com and fill out the Get Started form. BELAY's team can often schedule a call the same day or the next.
