About the author
Paul Akers is founder and president of FastCap LLC, based in Ferndale, WA. FastCap is an international product development company founded in 1997 with over 2000 distributors worldwide. A prolific inventor, Paul holds US and International patents. His company FastCap, a lean manufacturer, launches approximately 20 new innovative products per year and has won Business of the Year in 1999 and 2010.
Paul and his wife, Leanne, have built FastCap from their garage into a multi-million dollar company.
Born and raised in Southern California, Paul was drawn towards excellence and high standards from an early age. He earned his Eagle Scout at age 14. Inspired by woodworking artisans, he earned awards and recognition for furniture design before graduating high school. At the age of 15 he built his own guitar and earned the attention of guitar designer Bob Taylor, who mentored and eventually put Paul to work for Taylor Guitars. As a true American innovator, Bob made a lasting impression. Paul took part in building over 2000 world class musical instruments. He graduated from Biola University in 1983 with honors, obtaining a degree in education with an emphasis in Greek and German. Paul and Leanne married that same year and eventually added 2 children, Andrea, and Kolbe to their family.
Paul worked in Pasadena restoring some of the most prestigious historical homes and became part of an exclusive group of craftsmen that built the home for the editor of Architectural Digest.
He catapulted into the business world when his knack for problem solving led to an invention and eventually to his own manufacturing business that started in his garage. Through a series of twists and turns, he discovered LEAN and the Toyota Production System (TPS) which helped to launch his business from the garage into the successful international product development company known as FastCap.
Using LEAN, Paul’s company has prospered and expanded even in times of economic downturn. He has never had to lay off an employee, nor cut one salary and currently offers among the highest entry level pay in the region.
Paul is an energetic speaker whose core passion is helping people discover their full potential in life and teaching others how to implement Lean thinking for their own business and personal success. He has spoken to the Israeli Defense Forces, numerous large construction companies, many educational institutions and his passion is to spread the lean message all across the globe.
Paul has thousands of followers of his weekly webcast, “The American Innovator” where he teaches about the power of innovation and lean thinking. He also shares his insights and observations, along with staggering photography, videography, and drone footage from his travels and adventures around the world.
In 2010 Paul ran for the US Senate in Washington State on a lean platform of transforming government by empowering people. After the election, Paul has continued to work with various government agencies teaching them Lean thinking and helping them create a lean culture in government organizations throughout the world
In June 2011 Paul won the prestigious award of Business Executive of the year for Seattle Business Magazine. He also wrote his first book, 2 Second Lean, about manufacturing and creating a fun lean culture.
In 2013 Paul was invited to do a TEDX talk on making Lean Fun. And in 2014 was invited to be part of the Liker Leadership Institute, where he continues to teach Lean concepts to others.
In 2015, Paul developed the Lean model for "Personal Development" and launched the LEAN PD App along with his second book entitled Lean Health.
Of course, since "LEAN is a Journey" (quote from Paul's first book), it's only obvious that Lean Travel be the next book written by Paul launching the Summer of 2016.
Paul's Lean journey continues to bring this proven workplace concept to life... that living LEAN as a lifestyle is a recipe for success.