Carving Out Creative Time: A Nonprofit Founder Saves 20 Hours A Month By Delegating to a Virtual Assistant

Rachael Kelly lives to make a difference. She’s the Founder & CEO of HiveStrong, a philanthropic organization that supports abuse survivors, and she’s on the board of two other nonprofits. On top of all that, she’s hard at work authoring a book.

All of these incredible ventures demand time and attention from Rachael. But it’s hard to handle it all alone.

In a fascinating discussion, Rachael told us how she uses a virtual assistant to help manage her daily workload and carve out time for enrichment and creativity.

Hitting a Capacity Threshold

Keeping up with her busy workload was no small feat for Rachael. Over time, it became clear that there simply weren’t enough hours to manage everything herself. During our conversation, she revealed the moment she realized she had hit her limit:

I was really overwhelmed with not being able to get everything done. The tipping point was the holidays and thinking about what I needed to accomplish in the new year. I was tapped out and getting bogged down in the minutia.

She decided to work with a remote executive assistant to keep up with the demand.

Delegating to a Virtual Assistant Gave Rachael 20 Hours Back Every Month

Rachael’s Double assistant, Pamela, started taking on essential tasks to help get her busy schedule under control. Here are a few things that she delegates:

• Calendar Management
• Travel Planning & Coordination
• Translating Notes into Presentation Decks
• Updating Decks
• Inbox Management
• Personal Tasks

I would say delegating is a tremendous lift to your ability to bring forward your gifts and craft. The energy, mental lift, and support enable me to do more.

By passing off tasks to a virtual assistant, Rachael saves herself 20 hours per month. That time is precious since it gives her the ability to focus on her family and creative projects:

“Double has given me more time to focus on my book. My creative space has grown and expanded. I've had more time with my boys, and Pamela helped plan the most amazing spring break trip. We went to the Space Coast and got to see a rocket launch. It was really cool. She arranged for us to spend the day with an Astronaut. It was incredible, and she put it all together for us.”

Building Trust and Support With a Remote Executive Assistant

When we asked Rachael about what it was like working with Pamela, she was eager to share about the trusting bond they developed:

“We have a neurodivergent household, so what Pamela has done has been incredible; she really leaned into that support. She has this inherent skill of knowing where the line exists—when to cross the line to help and when to stay on the other side. It’s impressive.”

Pamela also enjoys their working relationship. She told us: “Supporting Rachael has been a journey of true partnership. From the moment we started working together, it felt like reconnecting with an old friend. As she navigates through a period of significant growth, I've had the pleasure of supporting her. It's like catching a wave together – exhilarating and rewarding. Rachael's journey is inspiring, and being part of her team during this exciting time is an experience I treasure."

Less Stress, More Time and Energy

Since hiring a virtual assistant, Rachael has experienced better focus, which has lightened her mental strain. She credits Pamela with helping her reach this more mindful place in her work and personal life:

The mental, stress, time, and energy impact was significant. I felt it immediately from the moment I met Pamela. I trust her –– I know she just gets it and understands me.