Who is Fang?

You might be wondering about our mascot Polly, aka Fang. When we started this company back in 1999, we knew we had to get a URL on the web. All of the good names were taken, as this was near the peak of the web bubble. Finally, in desperation, I typed in Polly's nickname and sure enough Fang Consulting was available. Fang.com was taken and I foolishly skipped fang.net, only to have it taken soon after.

So the company is named after my pet Cock-a-poo. She is almost 6 years old now and has been a never ending source of joy in my life. Polly spends a lot of time with me in the office, watching squirrels out the window. I went into consulting to get more flexibility in my days and Polly and I have both benefited immensely from that decision.

You'll see her pictures on all of the newsletters; I try to keep them seasonal. Polly and I live in Southwest Minneapolis, so we walk around Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles pretty regularly. The picture on the main page is the oldest, it was taken when she was 9 months old. Polly's fur has lightened up as she has gotten older.

Cock-a-poos need to be groomed regularly, as they do not shed their fur. This is why she has short summer haircuts in some pictures and has her long, curly and usually matted winter coat in others. This thick fur also causes Polly to over-heat easily. She likes to swim and usually jumps into the lake at least 3 or 4 times during an average walk, even in April and October.

Polly has also helped in one other important area of the company. Anytime I have to track down an invoice, I just call Accounts Payable and ask about the invoice with the dog on it. They always remember it and usually tell me about their dogs and how much they wish they could work with their dog too.