Community Interest
#WomensWork Feature: Abby Ogden and Meg Fox
Meet Abby Ogden and Meg Fox, co-owners of Fox and Finch.
“We own lots of power tools,” say Abby Ogden and Meg Fox, co- owners and managers of Fox and Finch. “And we use them often!” That wasn’t necessarily the case when they started their business, a specialty furniture rental company that runs a photography studio out of its warehouse. They taught themselves to build, upholster, paint and stain, and rewire light fixtures—skills that empowered them, and that they hope will encourage others to be skillful in the beauty they create.
The pursuit of beauty is the bedrock of their business. Lovers of vintage furniture with complementary personalities and skills, Ogden and Fox founded their company with the goal of helping people create spaces that provide elegant hospitality for their guests in any setting. They are both constitutionally creative people who need an outlet; creating Fox and Finch, then, was “a no-brainer.”
But taking on a new business is not without risks, financial and personal. Both Ogden and Fox had small children when the business launched, and making time to build the business and negotiate the slight shift in their personal identities was a process. Striking a healthy balance had its attendant struggles and triumphs.
Balance, like a professional path, can be elusive—but attainable. Ogden and Fox advise patience, faith, and education. “Though your talents and aspirations don’t necessarily fit into an exact job (that you know of right now),” they say, “God is molding your abilities and blessing your efforts for a reason.” And don’t be discouraged by a limited skill set. “Learn,” they say, “and do. There are a host of resources available to develop your interests.”
Ogden and Fox love their home in the Lehigh Valley, and the people they share it with. They see women across the area learning and doing, culturing businesses and serving clients that remind them of the way a mother nurtures a child. “There are things to do and many ways to get them done,” they say, “and these women gauge the personalities involved and make it work, with all the ferocity, forgiveness, tenderness, and love they have.” Fox and Finch has clientele in Philadelphia and throughout Bucks county, and their goal over the next few years is to grow their local base. Their homes and their hearts are right here.
