Fox hired Lori Coletti, a facility management specialist from a large telecommunications company.
Coletti had a degree in interior design and experience with business furnishings that complemented Fox's business degree and relocation skills.
Although Fox was happy to gain an employee with Coletti's background, hiring a full-time employee was unsettling.
As Fox explained:
Hiring Lori, my first permanent employee, was the first big milestone for the business.
It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.
I was suddenly responsible for someone else-for her family-for her livelihood.
It was a combination of worrying about not having enough work for her and having to pay her even if the work wasn't coming in.
We sort of got around that. We negotiated an hourly wage, figuring that if I didn't need 40 hours per week consistently, I wouldn't have to pay for it.
But in reality, Lori ended up working 50 hours a week from the start and that has never really changed.
She is still here-and is vice president of the company.