Bio

Kelly Fore Dixon, ASLA started her business career at the age of 24 by purchasing an exercise franchise and quickly learned the ins and outs of marketing and micro finance—and buying too many leotards. Deciding that a formal education would be an excellent ‘next step’, she went back to school to complete her degree in Landscape Architecture. But as they say, ‘What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School…’ quickly became evident when she started her own design firm just two years after graduation. Environments, a Garden Company, Inc. grew from an ambitious start-up to a $1.3 million dollar business over the course of seven years. With a 20-year old pick-up truck dubbed “Herb” and two guys from the local 12-step program, Environments grew to a 10-person firm providing design, installation, and maintenance. Loyal clients pre-purchased a year’s worth of maintenance services, which provided a much needed line of credit. During this time, she wrote a book, taught classes, co-founded a garden travel group, and lectured to homeowners and landscape designers about garden design. Ultimately, the happiest day of her life (besides marrying husband Terry) was when employees became ex-employees, and sub-contractors provided every other aspect of that business. Subsequently, 5 of the 10 employees started their own businesses, probably not as a result of how easy she made it look—more like, “If Kelly can do it…”

Then, a moved to California seemed in order—call it a mid-life crisis. The move provided a wide range of experiences, from being employed one day, to being self-employed (i.e. unemployed) the next. Along the way, Kelly became a licensed general contractor and landscape contractor, worked for one of the top landscape architecture design firms on the west coast, served on professional advisory boards, and co-founded a multi-disciplinary lecture series. She and her husband also currently own an ornamental metal fabrication business—Make Fabrication.