Harry Paul — co-author of the Best-seller “Fish! A Proven Way to Boost Results and Improve Morale” — shared thoughts from his latest book with members of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce who attended the First Friday Breakfast at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa this morning (Feb. 7). His message and animated delivery informed, motivated and entertained the audience: you have to choose to be excellent, or else you’ll fall into being “average.” The thoughts are included in his new book, “Who Kidnapped Excellence? What Stops Us from Giving and Being Our Best.” “If you don’t choose excellence, what are you choosing by default?” Paul asked. For a business, falling into “the average,” could lead to drops in performance and, eventually, profitability.

Paul said to achieve excellence, you need a five-pronged approach that includes: passion (motivating every employees to be fullfiled); competency (everyone has the skills they need to do their best); flexibility (being able to respond to unique situations when they occur); communication (clearly communicating roles and expectations); and ownership (everybody gives their best effort). Afterward, Paul signed copies of his book. “I think it opened ip my mind to a lot of ideas of how to expand the services that we offer to our clients,” said Catherine Magaña of  WWN Financial. Click on the video below to hear a small portion of Paul’s speech. Join us for our next First Friday Breakfast from 7-9 a.m. on Friday, March 7, when the featured speaker will be Best-selling author Mimi Kirk, who People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) named the Sexiest Vegetarian Over 50. Kirk will offer tips  on how to live a long and healthy life by healthy eating. Register by clicking on here.