We recently connected with Brittany Fox and have shared our conversation below.
Brittany , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?
My husband and I started our company in the second bedroom of our condo here in Miami, Florida. For the firs six months, it was just the two of us—working long hours, waking up at 7 a.m., grabbing a cup of coffee, and heading straight into that small space to build our dream. We worked relentlessly, often grabbing a glass of wine around 6 p.m. and continuing to work until we went to sleep, only to wake up and do it all over again. At that time, our sole focus was on building the business.
In those early days, before we made any hires, I remember thinking that landing one of the major cruise lines would be a game changer for our business. So, we set our sights on making this happen. Within a few weeks of launching our company I had booked a meeting with the director of AI at one of the major cruise lines. I still remember being on that phone call and wondering how we were going to pull off closing this client. I didn’t come from a background in technology or staffing, and yet here I was, pitching to the director of artificial intelligence.
Incredibly, within a few weeks we had a signed contract. We began rapidly placing talent and building out their entire data science and AI team. That moment was pivotal—it showed us how our mindset could shape our reality. We had a vision, and through persistence and focus, we made it come true. It was incredible to see how quickly that came to fruition, and it inspired us to dream even bigger about what else we could achieve.
As we started growing, we slowly built a team. Initially, our first employees joined us in that same second bedroom—eventually, we had five people working there! That’s when we realized we needed to expand and moved into a co-working space.
Our very first hire was a salesperson. From there, we added two more salespeople, and then came the key moment of hiring an executive assistant who also helped with marketing. That hire was truly transformational. It allowed me to shift my focus to the things only I could do, such as strategy, client relationships, and scaling the business.
Since we were bootstrapped, our early hires came mostly from our friends and family network. We didn’t have the time or resources to conduct extensive hiring searches, so we leaned into what was immediately available. Training was hands-on and immersive—everyone was in the same room, listening to sales calls, and receiving real-time feedback. It was exciting, but also chaotic, and required a lot of trial and error.
Looking back, I’d put even more emphasis on building the right team with top talent in key roles. The ability to leverage effectively and take things off my plate was critical to our growth. For my next venture, my priority would be to focus on hiring people who excel in areas outside my strengths, allowing me to stay focused on the higher-level strategy and decisions that only I can drive.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I got into this industry because of my husband’s experience in staffing during our time in New York City. At the time, I was working as a top luxury real estate agent in Manhattan for one of the top ten teams. In my last three years there, our small team of three sold over $600 million worth of real estate. I absolutely loved what I did, and my husband and I often found ourselves comparing our jobs—they were so similar in structure. In real estate, you’re negotiating between buyers and sellers, and in staffing, it’s candidates and clients.
We were always discussing negotiation strategies, refining sales processes, and brainstorming ways to grow in our respective industries. When we moved to Miami, I faced the prospect of starting over in real estate. Instead, through a series of events, we decided to combine our skills and launch our own company together from the second bedroom of our condo.
Our company specializes in IT contract staffing and full-time placements, focusing on the highly competitive MarTech and AI sectors. What sets us apart is our speed and expertise—we guarantee clients will have candidates they want to interview within 24 to 48 hours. This speed, combined with our deep understanding of the market, is our superpower.
I’m most proud of our ability to consistently deliver top talent while giving our candidates what I call the “champagne experience.” From start to finish, we ensure they feel cared for and supported throughout the process. Our industry isn’t always known for stellar service, but it’s a cornerstone of our brand. Both clients and candidates rave about the seamless, elevated experience they have with us, and that’s something I take immense pride in.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for growing our clientele has been a combination of personal networking and referrals.
When we first started, Dave already had an established network of past clients in the industry, which helped us gain some early traction. I, on the other hand, didn’t have a network in the staffing world, so I had to build mine from scratch. Coming from a real estate background, I was no stranger to networking, so I dove right in.
One of the most powerful things I did early on was focus on building my LinkedIn profile. I started connecting with people in the tech community, sending personalized connection messages, and asking to book meetings to learn about them and their work. This approach was incredibly effective and even led to landing my first client.
Another key strategy has been attending industry events. There’s nothing that beats meeting people in person, so we make it a priority to attend tech conferences and get involved in the tech scenes here in Miami and in New York.
Those face-to-face interactions have been instrumental in building relationships and expanding our network.
Referrals have also played a huge role in our growth. We make it a point to ask clients if they know of others who might need our services. Similarly, we leverage our candidate database by encouraging top talent to introduce us to others in their network. After all, top talent tends to know other top talent.
These strategies—personal networking, LinkedIn outreach, industry events, and referrals—have been the cornerstone of how we’ve successfully grown our clientele.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Shortly after we made our initial hires, it hit us—sales was one thing, but running a business was an entirely different challenge. We turned to Google, asking how to run a business, and stumbled upon a Facebook ad for Tony Robbins’ Business Mastery program. A few weeks later, we were on a plane to Las Vegas, jumping up and down with strangers at what I thought was a business conference.
Tony opened by saying, “80% of business success is psychology, and 20% is strategy.” That moment changed everything for me. He emphasized the importance of mindset and surrounding yourself with people on a similar journey. While I was initially skeptical, his teachings made me realize the profound connection between personal growth and business success.
At the event, we learned about his Platinum Partners program—an $80,000 investment per person. We couldn’t afford it at the time, but within a year, we worked hard, grew our business, and joined the program as a couple. It completely transformed our lives, both personally and professionally.
That experience sparked my fascination with personal development. I began exploring how the mind works and discovered Dr. Joe Dispenza’s work on reprogramming your brain through meditation. Meditation has now become a daily ritual for me. For the past three years, it’s helped me refocus, manage stress, and stay grounded during chaotic times.
Books like The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks, Zero to One by Peter Thiel, The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky, and Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss have further shaped my philosophy. I’ve realized that investing in yourself isn’t just beneficial—it’s the most important thing you can do to scale and grow your business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.focusgts.com
- Instagram: @befoxy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyfox305/
