What happens when a VA partnership actually works? Ask Beth Fleming.
- Rockstar Staff
- Aug 16
- 3 min read
Beth Fleming is a pediatric speech language pathologist. She and her husband Tim, an orthotist and prosthetist, own Chatterbox Pediatric Therapy just outside Savannah, Georgia. They serve kids from birth to age 21 across occupational, physical, and speech therapy.
Five months ago, they brought on Gail, a Rockstar Global VA. Beth doesn't call her an assistant. She calls her family.
What was happening before Gail joined?
Beth was doing what most practice owners do. Absorbing a little more of the day-to-day every week until the line between "mom," "wife," and "business owner" disappeared. She and Tim run Chatterbox together, and they'd been going back and forth for a while on what kind of support they actually needed.
Hearing other owners' stories on Will Humphreys' podcast was part of what pushed them to try it. They decided to look for an executive assistant, and that search led them to Gail.
What were the early days actually like?
Hard, honestly. Gail came from a completely different industry. Corporate background, zero healthcare experience. She describes it as information overload.
What she didn't do is try to memorize everything and hope it stuck. She watched how Beth and Tim made decisions. She paid attention to their thought process, not just their task list, because that's what actually builds a foundation that holds up.
Beth remembers it as challenging too, but says having a partner instead of a direct report made the early learning curve feel safe instead of stressful.
When did it stop feeling like task support and start feeling like a partnership?
For Beth, it was almost immediate. She points to shared values. Gail believed in the mission behind Chatterbox from day one, and it showed in how willing she was to figure things out and ask for help when she needed it.
For Gail, the shift happened when she started anticipating Beth's decisions before Beth had to say them out loud. She stopped needing everything explained twice. She could see the vision without Beth walking her through it again and again. That's the moment she knew they were actually in it together.
What does Gail handle now that she didn't before?
Beth used to plan and run every single monthly all-team meeting herself. Last month, Gail built the entire thing. She created the slides in Canva, designed the group activity, and led part of the session herself, on a topic about how differently people communicate on a team.
The staff loved it. Beth says it gave her team the chance to hear from someone besides her, and to see firsthand how capable Gail is.
Gail also now owns first drafts of policy and procedure updates. Beth explains what she's thinking. A few days later, Gail comes back with something built out, and they refine it together.
What would Beth tell another owner who's on the fence?
Don't give up if the first match isn't right. Beth's words: "Sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince."
Her second piece of advice matters just as much. Take the time to actually understand cultural differences instead of assuming your communication style translates the way you think it does. Check in. Ask if you're moving too fast. Look at the full picture before deciding something isn't working.
What is Gail most proud of?
That success doesn't have to be loud to be real. She describes it as soft but consistent. Her goal now is for Beth to fully step back from day-to-day operations without worrying whether the clinic can run without her in the building.
Beth put it simply: "I do feel like you are the person that I know I could leave the business in good hands. It means the world."
