IAM152- Dynamic Speaker, Promoter of the Philosophies and Processes Helps Teams and Executives Find Value and Be Happy

Graduating from Georgia Tech in 1991 with Highest Honors in Electrical Engineering, Angela Fox has often been asked how she moved from such a technical education with early roles in corporate systems and strategy into a life where she is transforming companies and communities, building cultural facilities, and serving as a catalyst for change and role model for impact and meaning in every area she touches. The answer is simple. At engineering school, she learned to solve problems – the more complex the issue, the more elegant the solution. She walked away with a Co-Op student’s awareness that there are many areas where a creative mind is key, that molds are meant to be broken, and that there is no situation that cannot be made better. As the CEO of the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID), she was asked to create an organization that would change the way people see, perceive, and experience Crystal City. In a very short time and at a nationally-recognized level, she did just that. From a long-standing belief that the area was a “concrete canyon” that no one would visit without an appointment to the shortlist for Amazon’s HQ2, as well as a winner of the International Downtown Association’s Pinnacle “Best of the best” award because of her strategic implementation of competitive programs, as well as her ability to engage and infuse energy into the community as a whole.

People are the heart of any company, campus, culture, and community, and the only way to bring about real, active, and repeatable transformation is to enlist their energy as stakeholders in the process, the progress, and the ultimate success. As a 32-year, Tesla-driving vegetarian who runs 5Ks, cycles thousands of miles every year, and practices all forms of yoga, all while being committed to her community by serving and chairing local arts boards, and she inspires people to embody the changes they seek to achieve.

She is a dynamic speaker, dedicated mother, friend, and proud promoter of the philosophies and processes that she learned on the ground throughout her career. She has traveled all over the world (6 continents, 72 countries, and 47 states), worked with a Japanese Security Software firm as a C-level coach and interim Marketing VP, and run her own consulting firm providing business strategy, marketing, and executive coaching services to individuals, corporations, and non-profits. She has re-introduced many people to the personal and business value of building lives that matter, to them, helping them become active contributors, board members, citizens, and participants. Whether launching Verizon.net, introducing new programs at Cultural Tourism DC, or building an award-winning new theater in downtown DC, she is dedicated to her community and is honored to forever be a Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech!

• CEO Hack: De-cluttering and de-papered environment. 
• CEO Nugget: Choose who you work with carefully
• CEO Defined: Get stuff done and connect that with the team

Website: https://www.northernvirginiamag.com/northern-virginians-of-the-year-angela-fox/

Twitter:@crystalafoxy 

IG: @angeladfox

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Transcription:

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:27

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Angela Fox with Fox Gloves and the founding CEO of Crystal City BID. Angela, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Angela Fox 0:38

Oh, it's so good to be here. Thank you.

Gresham Harkless 0:39

No problem. I'm great to have you here. And what I want to do is just read a little bit more about Angela, so you can hear about all the awesome things that she has been able to accomplish. And graduated from Georgia Tech in 1991. With the Highest Honors in Electrical Engineering, Angela Fox has been asked how she moved from such a technical education with early roles and corporate systems and strategy to a life where she is transforming companies and communities, building cultural facilities, and serving as a catalyst for change and a role model for impact and meaning in every area she touches. The answer is simple. At engineering school, she learns to solve problems the more complex the issue the more elegant the solution. She walked away with Co-Op students aware that there are many areas where a creative mind is key that modes are meant to be broken and that there is no situation that cannot be made better.

As the CEO of the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID). She was asked to create an organization that would change the way people see perceive and experience Crystal City in a very short time and at a nationally recognized level she did just that, from a long-standing belief that the area was a concrete canyon that no one would visit without an appointment to the shortlist for Amazon's HQ2 as well as a winner of the International Downtown Association’s Pinnacle best in the business award because of her strategic implementation of competitive programs as well as her ability to engage and infuse energy into the community as a whole.

So whether launching Verizon.net introducing new programs that cultural tourism DC, or building an award-winning new theater in Downtown DC, she is dedicated to her community and is honored to be forever a rambling wreck from Georgia Tech. Angela, I appreciate having you on. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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Angela Fox 2:22

I am absolutely ready to speak to the I AM CEO community.

Gresham Harkless 2:24

Awesome, awesome. So what I want to do is just hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story and what led you to start your business.

Angela Fox 2:30

So it's really interesting, though, because one of the things in the bio, when we wrote this it was we weren't in the shortlist for Amazon, and actually now we'll be one. So it's been quite a week on that front, and just uh watching Arlington economic development, and what they did in that was just phenomenal. So that is so exciting, and our areas are about to transform all over again.

So, it's my parents kind of liking to say that I was probably a CEO from about the time I was five, one point I was doing a birthday party and I had 25, like the whole kindergarten class coming for, you know, and people are asking my mom, are you worrying mom's like no, and just this? Well, activities are all over the place. And so just I loved transforming systems and having an impact. I got to do some very interesting things at Georgia Tech. But it's very interesting being a Co-Op student because I worked in an anechoic chamber, which is basically a box about the size of Yugo running tests on high-end equipment.

And I sat there in this box by myself, like reading books, while I was running these tests, and surely there are other things engineers can do. And I love the motto of Georgia Tech, which is We don't make them all we break it. And whether I was at Verizon, and I had some just phenomenal opportunities, amazing mentors, that just wouldn't, you know, bring me into a system that was broken, that needed to be fixed. And it was always launching something typically very innovative, and a company that wasn't ready to do those kinds of innovations or didn't understand what it was.

And I come into it, I would be working with teams that had no idea sort of what the point of what we were trying to do, and really no particular interest in figuring out ways to soar. A Verizon example is figuring out how to launch something called personal communication service, which is a precursor to mobile inside a company where nobody had cell phones. And I had leaders that were asking questions like, why would you want your calls to follow you around? Now, it's like everybody's phone is dependently eleisha.

So but to figure out inside this corporate culture, how to motivate and excite people about something and get their buy-in because my model for how I think teams work isn't a top-down model. I mean, certainly, there's always a component of what's the Northstar that we're heading towards it creating that vision, but how people get engaged, feel taken care of, but also able to contribute is a key aspect.

Gresham Harkless 2:47

That's awesome. Sounds like you're an innovator, to say the least, and being able to like you said like sometimes you have a square peg in a round hole. We try to force that square peg in, but it sounds like you would definitely preach on creating that environment where that person then is a square peg, so to speak, and cultivate and flourish. So I guess Could you tell us a little bit more about Fox Gloves? What are you doing with Fox Gloves? How do you support the clients?

Angela Fox 5:17

So, one of the aspects of, what I wanted to do next, was I had looked at joining companies full-time, and I talked with a bunch of CEOs that were very interested in trying to recruit me. And when I sat with them, I sort of realized I can do more and add more value by actually working with CEOs that were struggling, they were losing sleep, they were working constantly feeling like they were never getting ahead, stressed out, not vacation, they not taking care of themselves, you know, in teams that are spinning in the wrong direction, and trying to be successful, because the market is successful, but also sort of not feeling that, like we're all cohesive and moving along.

And so, that kind of ended up evolving, and basically, I was walking with one CEO, and suddenly that CEO was a client. And I formed companies before, in fact, this is my fourth one. And, you know, I have a vision for how I want my life to look, but also how I can help other executives and teams, you know, feel happy, right and happy and fulfilled, and they're participating in adding value. So that was kind of the impetus that led me to Fox Gloves and the name, essentially, if you look it up, it is a beautiful and Deadly Flower, which is kind of funny. But I love sort of the model with like fox phones, or kids box, sort of putting a spin on it.

Gresham Harkless 6:37

That makes sense. And I usually ask for a secret sauce. But you might have already touched on that, do you feel like that is what kind of distinguishes you, but you've been able to kind of bring all those different facets together into one?

Angela Fox 6:47

Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, so when I, when we set out to transform Crystal City we said, we want to place it as active, artful, accessible, green, innovative, and creative. And to do that, to create that, you have to be that so. And to me, those were the things that I thought made a well-rounded community, but also make a well-rounded person.

And I'm a runner and do yoga, 32 years old, vegetarian, so I try to try very hard to take very good care of my body. And, you know, but also to, you know, it's just a good way to be active and explore, I mean, some of these vacations that I go on, or cycling or hiking or camping adventures in so that there's the fitness piece, you know, and you don't want to get to, you know, I'm 75 and now I'm falling apart because it didn't take care of myself all along.

And then on the artful piece. I love theater. And I would find that theater and arts like it, when you're working really crazy hours, you go to a play, and like an Edgy Theater, which was a woolly mammoth is the one I'm thinking of specifically. And at the end of the play, it's like you've rehumanized, a human. And, so that's the artful piece.

So make and so that's where we're putting art all over Crystal City was to make it aspirational and inspirational and colorful and vibrant, accessible, the need to be accessible. Plus, if you're spending your life on the road, wherever you're getting, you're stressed out, you know, so to walk to an airport versus sit in traffic, to walk two blocks to your office, versus you commuting an hour or less each way, green is the environmental component, we all have a responsibility to give back and take care of our world in that way. And so like spirit to actually do this, and you have to be those things.

And that's that authentic from the inside. And here's what I try and do with a lot of my executives, like some of the, you know, my clients, like well have big meetings, and in between the hike, or MOBIKE, or we'll do things that are also fitness oriented. So that works kind of bringing other aspects of our brain or we'll go to an earnings event. And look at that, so that we're taking care of the whole person.

Gresham Harkless 6:59

That makes perfect sense. And it's funny, because a lot of times you're quote-unquote, thinking outside the box, but you're just being authentic to who you are. And sometimes that's where those great ideas and that perspective come from when you're doing something best. Other than the norm, I should say,

Angela Fox 9:14

Absolutely. I mean, it's almost like a version of meditation, mindfulness, or taking your mind off. Sometimes I remember we were hosting a big photo event, and we were trying to come up with a name. We had a whole crystal, there were a lot of light elements to everything we were doing.

We couldn't come up with a name and I went to bed as you know when I can't think about this. I went to sleep like the middle of the night, two o'clock in the morning, I wake up and like flash, and that was what we call them, you know, which was a perfect name, you think about it, photography, light flash, and so, but that's kind of the sometimes when you take your mind off, you know, focus on other things or slave, yourself. You know, suddenly you get a eureka moment.

Gresham Harkless 9:58

Exactly, exactly. Just too close to it. So that makes perfect sense. So now I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an app or book or habit that you have, but it's something that you feel makes you more effective and efficient as a business owner.

Angela Fox 10:12

Effective and efficient as a business owner. So I'm very much paperless. And not trying to keep track of a bunch of papers, you know, and clutter. So having a very De-Cluttered, De-paper, there's an environmental aspect of it. But a lot of the things with my calendar are sort of my to-do lists, my organizer, everything that I'm keeping track of, you know, my son's schedule. So it's, and it's color coded. And it's kind of funny, because I used to have a print version, and I would like a color mark, electronically changed things, because once you put it back, so but I, it's just part of like how my life is infused with color in general.

And so I can look at it, and I know what I'm focused on. Okay, so this is my son right now. So it's kind of a little way just to keep things a little simpler. Yeah. But the other aspect is when I'm with clients, you're doing something that's creative. So it's not just sitting straight on having a conversation, but maybe we're hiking. Maybe we're at some awesome art exhibit, like the Hirshhorn exhibit right now, there's just Scully, which is colorful and beautiful. And so we're talking as we're also absorbing, so the environment and I think that when you start to engage with your right brain, at the same time as your left brain, it's a really great way to unlock creativity.

Gresham Harkless 11:36

Awesome, we love those. And I definitely appreciate you for sharing. And now I wanted to ask you for a CEO nugget. And this might be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. I like to say if you can happen to be a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Angela Fox 11:48

So it's interesting because my dad was a CEO. And I remember asking him at one point, what's the one piece?

Gresham Harkless 11:57

Yeah.

Angela Fox 11:57

And he said, choose your process very carefully. And my corollary, if you will, is, to choose who you work with, carefully. Make sure you are aligned, I'm a very missionary driven very internally authentic. I really want to add value person, I'm not motivated by externals or many things. So align yourself, obviously, you want to have different views and opinions that make sure you really are engaged with the people that you're working with, and that you're aligned on how you what your styles are. And some very careful picking metrics.

Gresham Harkless 12:35

That makes sense. Yeah. Be careful of your environment and the company you keep. So that makes perfect sense. And it's great to hear that you still incorporate that from your father.

Angela Fox 12:41

Yeah

Gresham Harkless 12:42

Yeah. Well, now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of being a CEO, and we're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEOs on the show, but hopefully, spark a conversation around entrepreneurship and what it means to be a CEO. So I wanted to ask you, what being a CEO means to you.

Angela Fox 12:57

So it's very interesting because when I first started, career-wise, I always thought of myself as like, I would be a CEO. And the reality is, I'm a horrible CEO. Because that's where you get into, and I mean, I can do the detail for and I will always, like, there have been plenty of times where I will get in there and like, dig in.

And I'm like, doing whatever needs to be done in important a storm. But the reality is that creativity pays that motivation piece, like putting teams together and really sort of thinking at looking at a system and seeing it differently. That's the vision component.

And for me, CEO is certainly the visual component, but it's also figuring out the execution component. Because you have to be able to get stepped out, it's not enough to just have the ideas, it's not enough to just drive and do stuff without a real good vision for where you're heading. So to me, it's sort of aligning those things, connecting those things with a team. That is what being a CEO is today.

Gresham Harkless 13:59

Makes perfect sense. Well, Angie, I truly appreciate you for taking some time out of your schedule, what I want to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional, you want to let our readers or listeners know and then also how best people can get ahold of you.

Angela Fox 14:11

I know a lot of my friends and they're very big, they've got their five-year plan and they know where they're headed. And I'm is always been more of an unfolding, which is probably a little yogi a little bit like to sort of flow, and sometimes there's them and there's not as much going on and sort of trusting that kind of period of ambiguity. Full on, that it's like it's getting the breaks and like sort of, hand you those when you need them, even if you don't think you need them.

So, that's a big piece for me. And it really like gets back to what makes you happy. And there are a lot of unhappy, and lonely, and we never know what's going on with the person next to us and in finding ways to truly connect with other people. That is to me what really matters, you know whether in connecting with my 15-year-old son, or connecting with my team, or my clients, or my friends, that at the end of the day experiences, moments memories, but above all, it's people in relationships.

Gresham Harkless 15:14

Makes perfect sense. You're always so much more alike than we sometimes give ourselves credit for. So it's important to kind of connect and reach out and find out what's going on with anybody else. Yeah, well, awesome. If somebody wanted to reach out to you what would be the best way?

Angela Fox 15:27

So the best way to reach me would probably be so there's Twitter, which is @crystalafoxy. Instagram @angeladfox. I have not done the whole website thing yet. It will be coming eventually. So and also you can find me on LinkedIn.

Gresham Harkless 15:44

Awesome, and we'll make sure to have those links in the show notes. But I truly appreciate you for taking some time out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Angela Fox 15:50

Thank you. It's been a pleasure.

Outro 15:52

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co

I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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