CONTENTS

• The Joys of Summer
• Working the CoF Web
• Upcoming CoF Events
• New CoF Groups and Coordinators
• Special CoF Discount for FC Subscriptions

The Joys of Summer

The coming of summer in North America can often mean a slightly slower pace of business. Summer hours may shorten work days leading up to the weekend. People go on vacation with their families. Offices grow quiet. Productivity declines.

Contrary to that conventional wisdom, Company of Friends activity this summer continues to heat up! Several CoF groups have organized impressive -- and successful -- group learning events highlighting senior business leaders featured in the pages of Fast Company.

Early this summer, CoF members gathered for a lively conference call with Fast Company contributing editor Seth Godin to further explore the ideas behind his book "Purple Cow." Fast Company now offers a recording of that teleconference online. In June, members of the Seattle CoF visited the offices of Microsoft to meet with Richard Tait, co-founder of Cranium Inc. -- and a 2002 Fast 50 winner. And later this month, members of the new Human Resources SIG will participate in a Web event with Libby Sartain, Yahoo' s chief of people and VP of human resources.

Those are just a few examples of the activities you can get involved in as a member of the Company of Friends. The CoF is largely what you make it -- and can bring a real Return on Involvement. Keep up the good work!

Working the CoF Web

The Company of Friends is more than a mailing list. When was the last time you explored the wide range of CoF Web tools available to you as a member? Online, you can

• keep up with current CoF activities and opportunities
• search the CoF membership globally -- and locally
• invite friends and colleagues to join the conversation
• manage your membership
• access archives of previous discussion posts and event reports

To help you better acquaint yourself with the CoF Web tools, we offer online Help documentation and a soon-to-be-updated CoF Handbook.

Log on. Tune in. Step up. Work the CoF Web.

Upcoming CoF Events

Every month, as featured in Fast Company magazine, members and local groups of the Company of Friends gather online and in person for discussions, workshops, and other events.

To help you learn more about -- and get involved in -- some of the best and brightest CoF events organized by local groups every month, Fast Company offers a global, public calendar. This network-at-a-glance calendar is accessible by non-members, as well as CoF members.

Use this global calendar as you travel on business. Share it with friends who don' t belong to the network.

New CoF Groups and Coordinators

We' d like to recognize and welcome the newest CoF groups, coordinators, and coordination team members since our last CoF-wide email.

New CoF groups:

• Inland Empire, California

If you' re interested in starting a CoF group in your area, refer to the CoF Handbook and the Rough Guide to CoF Coordination and contact Heath at heath@fastcompany.com to discuss next steps.

New coordinators:

• Orange County, California
• Naperville, Illinois
• Lansing, Michigan
• Dayton, Ohio
• Leadership & Management SIG
• Networking SIG

If you' d like more information about volunteer CoF leadership opportunities, please contact your local coordinator.

Special CoF Discount for FC Subscriptions

As special thanks for your involvement in the Company of Friends -- and for your ongoing support -- Fast Company offers a special subscription discount for CoF members.

As a member of the CoF living or working in the United States, you can subscribe to Fast Company for $10.50 a year -- more than 80% off the cover price! (For Canadian subscribers, we need to add $17 to cover postage and GST.)

If you live outside of North America, the subscription price is $56 -- $30 less than our previous international rate. Subscribe today!

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