EP #47 Crafting Purpose with The Bridge Studio

Ever wondered how childhood observations shape our career paths? Michelle Fox, founder of The Bridge Studio, traces her entrepreneurial roots back to watching her parents transition from long DC commutes to running a home-based consultancy. That pivotal shift planted a seed: work could mean being present in your community while pursuing passion-driven projects.

Michelle's journey from art student to creative director unfolds organically across our conversation. What began with a college freelance gig evolved into a thriving consultancy approaching its tenth anniversary. The Bridge Studio specializes in assembling tailor-made teams delivering strategic communications and branding services specifically for purpose-driven organizations. Michelle challenges the notion that only products need strong brands, asserting that nonprofits, government agencies, and thought leaders equally benefit from powerful brand identities.

Despite her professional success, Michelle remains refreshingly down-to-earth, enthusiastically embracing Fredericksburg's vibrant community since moving here eighteen months ago. From ukulele lessons at Picker Supply to ceramics at Liberty Town and exploring local disc golf courses, she's fully immersed in the local scene. For budding entrepreneurs, Michelle offers golden advice: you're not alone. She encourages listeners to tap into valuable resources like local Chambers of Commerce, Small Business Development Centers, and SCORE mentorship programs—all designed to help small businesses thrive. Connect with Michelle at thebridgestudio.org or find her on LinkedIn if you're considering an independent consulting path or need strategic communications support for your purpose-driven organization.

Michelle Fox

The Bridge Studio

thebridgestudio.org/

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
, the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Dori Stewart.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome back to another episode of the
Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, where we share the stories of
our favorite local brands.
I'm excited to introduce you tomy guest today.
Michelle Fox is with The BridgeStudio.
Michelle, welcome to thepodcast.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Thank you so much for having me.
It's good to be with you.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Well, I'm excited to learn all about you and learn
about your business.
So let's start there.
Share with the listeners alittle bit about the Bridge
Studio.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Sure.
So I am an independentconsultant and the creative
director behind the BridgeStudio, and what I do is I call
together fit for purpose teamsto deliver strategic
communications, branding andproduct design services to
purpose-driven organizations,and what I like to say is that I
work with really good peoplewho are doing great things say

(01:06):
is that I work with really goodpeople who are doing great
things.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
I love that.
That's such a perfect tagline.
That's amazing.
So tell me, how did you getinto this?
Tell us about your journey.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
Sure.
So it really started inVirginia.
I grew up in Prince WilliamCounty, just north of
Fredericksburg, and I watched myparents commute in and out of
DC every day and for a few yearsthere was a latchkey kid and I
have to say that I don't thinkthat that arrangement really

(01:36):
worked well for anyone.
But one day it all changed whenmy mom started her own
consulting business and myparents went from being out of
the house all day, every day, tobeing in the house all day,
every day.
And at that moment in time thevision was sort of seated inside
of me that for my own future, Iwanted the after of this

(02:02):
paradigm.
I wanted to be close to home, Iwanted to be in my community, I
wanted to do work that I waspassionate about and that I got
to choose, and I didn't reallyset out intentionally or with
like a plan to be a businessowner.
But I think that vision sort ofcreated a pathway that I

(02:23):
followed through to success, uh,my early twenties.
So I went to school, I studiedart and um in college, I got my
first freelancing client and Icontinued freelancing even after
I got a full-time job.
And one of those freelancingclients said to me.

(02:45):
You know, michelle, maybe it'stime for you to incorporate your
business.
And I had no idea what thatmeant, but thanks to some online
platforms, I was able, at theripe age of 24, to go online and
click, click, click, click,click.
I was suddenly a business ownerand I started doing this

(03:06):
freelancing stuff, but through alegal entity and with some
systems in place, and I grew italongside staff positions for
the first few years and inJanuary 2026, I will have been
self-employed as my sole sourceof income for 10 years.

(03:28):
So it's been, yeah, about 15years in the making, but 10
years as like a fully fledged,sustainable business model.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
Wow, congratulations.
That's a big deal hitting that10 year mark.

Speaker 3 (03:44):
Thank you.
Yeah, it's kind of crazy.
It's kind of crazy to just likereflect on all of that.
But yeah, thank you.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
And what great lesson you learned from your parents
at such a young age.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think too, just so much of
what they were able todemonstrate and, I think,
pioneer at the time of likehybrid working environments,
having staff work from home,remotely from anywhere in the
world has deeply informed myvalues around work-life balance
and really what I try to do as asolopreneur.

Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, so important.
So let me ask are there anymyths or misconceptions around
the industry?

Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Like I said before, I workprimarily with purpose-driven
organizations.
Nonprofits, governmentfoundations and big ideas need
brands just as much as productsdo, and so when I tell people
that I do communications anddesign, people often think like,
oh, marketing, yes, like,marketing is a big part of it.

(04:53):
But or getting your message out, you know I call my version of
marketing is brand raising.
But I think the biggestmisconception is that you know
nonprofits, people, thoughtleaders need brands.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah, so important, so clearly you work very hard in
your business.
So when you're not working, letme ask what are you doing for
fun?

Speaker 3 (05:21):
For sure.
So, yeah, I was, I think, aboutthis question, and I'm somewhat
new to Fredericksburg, eventhough I grew up in Virginia.
I've been living inFredericksburg for about the
last year and a half and when Ifirst landed.
So I like to study musicOccasionally.
It's something that I come backto, and so I started studying

(05:41):
the ukulele with Pete Mealy atthe Picker Supply.
So shout out, yeah, if anybodyis looking for a guitar,
mandolin, ukulele teacher, peteis your guy.
I'm also a lifelong ceramicist,so I'm I love to get my hands
in clay, and so I've discoveredthe Liberty Town.

(06:03):
Shout out to Didi.
They have a great studio, greatsetup there that I've been
enjoying.
And then, of course, I love theoutdoors, exercising straight,
training disc golf, like I wasso thrilled to find that there
are two great disc golf coursesin the area and just wonderful
hiking trails and kayaking toexplore.

(06:25):
Um, so yeah, lots of things todo when I'm not working.
Amazing, fredericksburg has sucha great little art scene
absolutely, yeah, I was reallyblown away when I discovered
just like the vibrant downtownarea.
Um yeah, I've really fallen inlove with fredericksburg yeah,

(06:48):
amazing.

Speaker 2 (06:49):
So what is something that you wish the listeners knew
about your business?

Speaker 3 (06:55):
Something that I wish people knew is that it's just
me, the business is just me.
I subcontract, I build thesefit for purpose teams.
I call people in when we needto deliver on a client and when
we need to deliver on a clientproduct.
But it is just me.

Speaker 2 (07:21):
And that's possible for people to do yeah Well, and
it's nice for your clients tohave direct access to you and
know that you are going to takevery good care of them, because
you are their sole point ofcontact, I imagine absolutely
yeah, and even as, like the, theteams that the bridge studio
brings on um expand and contract, I am the point of contact

(07:44):
throughout that experienceamazing.
I love that.
So if someone listening isthinking about starting their
own business, do you have anyadvice that you would give them?

Speaker 3 (07:58):
I have so much advice .
There's so many things, so thethe biggest thing that I would
want that I want to share is umto access your local resources,
and there are so many people outthere who want to help you
succeed.
So, number one I'm a big loverof chambers and getting involved

(08:20):
in your local chamber, and ifyou're not vibing with your
local chamber, you can find aneighboring chamber to go and
belong to or just attend theirnetworking events.
Um, something else that I wouldsay is the sbdc.
You can reach out to your localsmall business development
center.
There are free resources therefor you.

(08:41):
And then there's also score,and score provides business
mentors to entrepreneurs.
Um, and it's.
You know, I think I wish that Ihad known that much earlier on
that there are a lot ofresources out there and a lot of
people who want to see yousucceed yeah, that's such great

(09:02):
advice.

Speaker 2 (09:02):
You're not in it alone.
There are a lot of peoplearound that want to help small
business owners get off theground absolutely yeah, thank
you for that advice.
So if the listeners want toconnect with you or learn more
about your business, where canthey find you?

Speaker 3 (09:19):
sure so my website, www.
thebridgestudio.
org, and you can also find me onlinkedin just look up Michelle
F Fox, yeah, and I would love toconnect with anybody,
especially anybody in the area,who's looking at or considering
the idea of starting their ownindependent consulting practice.

(09:41):
I am always excited to talk topeople anywhere on that journey.

Speaker 2 (09:46):
Amazing, amazing.
Michelle, thank you so much forjoining me on the podcast today
and sharing the bridge studiowith us.

Speaker 3 (09:55):
Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 1 (09:58):
Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg
Neighbors Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tofxbgneighborspodcast.
com.
That's fxbgneighborspodcast.
com, or call 540-534-4618.