David Cancel Profile
David Cancel

@dcancel

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Founded @Drift (Sold to @Vista_Equity ), Trustee @WhitneyMuseum , Former Entrepreneur-in-Residence @HarvardHBS . ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡จ

New York, USA
Joined November 2006
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
@dcancel
David Cancel
4 years
1/ What I wish I knew when I was younger ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿฝ
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David Cancel
6 years
The hardest thing for an entrepreneur is not what you think. No one ever talks about it but this will make or break you. People? Process? Product? Nope. It's dealing with the emotional turmoil. Managing the emotional rollercoaster is the hardest skill you must master.
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David Cancel
5 years
If you work in Product use this daily mantra: We are not here to build Products. We are here to solve Customer Problems. We are not here to build Products. We are here to solve Customer Problems. We are not here to build Products. We are here to solve Customer Problems.
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David Cancel
5 years
Expect to be terrible the first time you try anything. And the second and third time. If you want to get good at anything it will require a bruised ego. Keep showing up if you want it.
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David Cancel
4 years
10/ * Psychology. Study it and restudy it. Understanding Social Psychology, human decision making, and cognitive biases is worth more than all the leadership, business and self-help books in the world. Seriously.
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David Cancel
5 years
Show up. Show up when it's hard. Show up when you're scared. Just keep showing up. Show them your truth. Do it by showing up and not backing down.
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David Cancel
6 years
I've been able to lead an incredibly fortunate life since I started following these 3 simple rules: "1) Don't sell anything you wouldn't buy yourself. 2) Don't work for anyone you don't respect and admire. 3) Work only with people you enjoy." - Charlie Munger
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David Cancel
8 years
My best advice for leaders: When things go wrong *take* all the blame... When things go right *give* away all the credit.
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David Cancel
5 years
Remember the four rules for brainstorming: (1) No negative thinking; (2) The wilder the ideas, the better; (3) A large number of ideas is essential; and (4) Combination and improvement of ideas is what you're after. From: How to Completely Change Your Life in 30 Seconds
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David Cancel
6 years
Don't confuse activity with progress. Just because you are doing more doesn't mean you are getting more done. Progress happens when your goals are clear, your activity is laser focused and consistent.
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David Cancel
4 years
2/ * Read every day. It doesn't matter what. It doesn't matter if you "finish the book". Just read.
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David Cancel
7 years
Number of entrepreneurs I've met: 1000+ % with a 4 hour work week: 0 % with fully automated income: 0 % who were overnight successes: 0 % who just got lucky: 0
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David Cancel
4 years
3/ * Find mentors who have achieved success in what I want (love, happiness, community, parenting, financial)
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David Cancel
4 years
9/ * Great opportunities are much rarer than you think. Go all-in when you find the few in your lifetime.
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David Cancel
6 years
Pay careful attention to the people that are by your side during the hard times. Those are your true friends and partners. Never forget them when you are experiencing good times. Instead invest heavily in those relationships during those times.
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David Cancel
4 years
6/ * Prioritize learning from history. AKA you aren't special. Cheat code = read books that have lasted the test of time AKA old books.
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David Cancel
4 years
16/ * Learn to tell stories well. At the end of the day most of success comes down to storytelling. The stories you tell yourself as well as those you tell the world.
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David Cancel
9 years
In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didnโ€™t read all the timeโ€”none. Zero. - Charlie Munger
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David Cancel
6 years
I enjoy @WarrenBuffett 's approach to goal setting. 1. Make a list of your top 25 goals 2. Circle the top 5 3. Ignore the other 20 until the top 5 goals are done. This is also my approach to todo lists except I restrict it to 1 item (aka The One Thing / Big Rocks) per day.
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David Cancel
6 years
"The thing I have noticed is when the anecdotes and the data disagree, the anecdotes are usually right. There's something wrong with the way you are measuring it," - Jeff Bezos
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David Cancel
4 years
4/ * Double down on what's working and don't stop until it stops working
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David Cancel
4 years
14/ * Learning only from your failures sucks. Learning from other people's failures is the only real productivity hack there is. Ignore this and lead a life full of pain and misery.
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David Cancel
5 years
You will either control your time or it will control you. Best habit I have learned and that has stuck is controlling the first hour of my day. Second best habit that has worked well for me is using my calendar as my to-do list (big blocks of create time) What's yours?
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David Cancel
6 years
Simple is hard. Complexity is easy.
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David Cancel
4 years
7/ * Prioritize the biggest rocks each day. Feel no guilt if you never get to the small rocks.
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David Cancel
7 years
What I wish schools would have taught me about having a successful career: 1. Be a positive person. 2. Do a little more than is asked of you. 3. Show up on time every day. 4. Do the work. Practice makes perfect. 5. Go to bed smarter than you woke up. Never stop learning.
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David Cancel
4 years
8/ * Momentum is all the things. Keep the streak going. Search for the perfect wave and ride it as long as you can.
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David Cancel
4 years
15/ * Follow the Golden rule. You will run into people again and again throughout your life. Make sure they speak highly of you.
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David Cancel
6 years
One of the most powerful habits is learning to FOCUS. When you're at work, work. When you are at play, play. Don't play at work and don't work when you should be playing. Train yourself to give all your focus to the goal.
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David Cancel
6 years
The older I get the more I believe that the appropriate answer to almost all questions is either "it depends..." or "I don't know".
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David Cancel
4 years
17/ * Never read/watch the News. Please. You'll live a more peaceful and rich life without it.
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David Cancel
5 years
1. Think long. 2. It's 99% people, 1% everything else. 3. Becoming a learning machine. (read, read, read, mentors, mentors, invest heavily here) 4. Ego is the enemy, stay humble. 5. Focus on the customer (this is the most important step)
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Marcos Ortiz
5 years
hey @dcancel @davegerhardt @eliast I'm working a new website to list the best resources to build a $100 Million profitable company. If you wanted to share 5 tips, which would be? BTW, your book is included in the list :)
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David Cancel
5 years
Celebrated a major milestone at @Drift today by sabering a champagne bottle for the first time. Here is the result ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿฝ (GIF created by the team seconds after it happened... ๐Ÿ˜‚)
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David Cancel
4 years
18/ * Invest in relationships. Your community matters more than you think.
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David Cancel
4 years
5/ * Avoid shiny new distractions. AKA Focus. AKA see above.
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David Cancel
4 years
I closed @Drift today so that all of our employees could have the day off to focus on mental health, be with their friends & family, or just rest. Important for all leaders to acknowledge the impact this crisis is having on our teams. Please encourage unplugging.
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David Cancel
8 years
It's no longer what you know; today it's how fast can you learn.
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David Cancel
10 years
Try to build a company you would never sell.
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David Cancel
7 years
David Ogilvy, the greatest advertising man of our time, didn't begin his career in advertising until he was 39 years old. It's not too late. No matter your age. No matter your story. Start today.
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David Cancel
6 years
"I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions." - Stephen Covey
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David Cancel
6 years
Don't fall in love with your idea. Don't fall in love with your product. Don't fall in love with your company. Fall in love with your customers.
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David Cancel
4 years
13/ * Save for a rainy day as it always comes.
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David Cancel
4 years
11/ * Be patient. A few great actions/bets repeated is worth a million tiny actions.
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David Cancel
4 years
20/ * "Crabs in the pot" is real. Those closest to you will try to tear you down if you try to breakout and be different.
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David Cancel
4 years
12/ * Seek arbitrage opportunities. Invest when others won't, hold back when others are greedy.
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David Cancel
6 years
I recommend that every startup founder reread "The Hard Thing about Hard Things" especially "The Struggle" chapter annually. If things are going well then you should read it quarterly. Stay paranoid. Stay humble. Don't believe the hype.
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David Cancel
4 years
23/ * Context. Never forget how important context is. We always forget that every decision and reaction has a specific context, a time and place. Applying lessons learned without first considering the context will lead to unpredictable results & consequences.
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David Cancel
6 years
All ideas come from somewhere. Stop believing the myth that your ideas are original. Everything is a progression and derivative. Honor those that came before you. Respect. ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿฝ
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David Cancel
4 years
22/ * Take all the personality tests you can find and study your results. Understand how cognitive biases amplify your weaknesses.
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David Cancel
3 years
The homepage of @sequoia today. Wow! Honored. ๐Ÿ™‡๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ™‡๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ™‡๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ™‡๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ
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David Cancel
5 years
No coach, course, book, or consultant can do the important and hard work for you. Simple, not easy.
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David Cancel
7 years
I wish someone would have taught me this early in my life. Find a mentor. Then find another one. Keep learning. Don't stop. Study history. Don't be indecisive. Study others to remind yourself not to fall into a trap based on your biases. The story is always the same.
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David Cancel
4 years
Rules for being a decent human at work * Give credit where credit is due * Donโ€™t be an asshole * Treat everyone as if they were your family/closest friend/partner * Practice gratitude * Always remember you donโ€™t know what someone else is going through
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David Cancel
4 years
19/ * Avoid consensus. Avoid conventional wisdom. That is unless you want average results.
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David Cancel
7 years
Every day you get to make a choice: * Ego or Humility. * Grateful or Entitled. * Curious or Indifferent. * Innovate or Concede.
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David Cancel
5 years
โ€œThe moment you feel the need to tightly manage someone, youโ€™ve made a hiring mistake. The best people donโ€™t need to be managed. Guided, taught, ledโ€”yes. But not tightly managed.โ€ - Jim Collins (Good to Great)
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David Cancel
7 years
Be loyal to the people who gave you your shot. Common on the street but uncommon in business.
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David Cancel
6 years
"Operating" a business requires a very different set of skills than "founding" a business.
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David Cancel
6 years
Be loyal to the people who gave you your shot. Common on the street but uncommon in business.
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David Cancel
6 years
A common trait I find in the highest performers is humility. I believe it is more important than talent. Those with both talent and humility are unstoppable. If you lack pure talent like I do you still have a chance if you focus on developing skill and humility.
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David Cancel
8 years
Want to start a company? Save this and read it 3x.
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David Cancel
5 years
โ€œIf you decide that youโ€™re going to do only the things you know are going to work, youโ€™re going to leave a lot of opportunity on the table.โ€ -- Jeff Bezos The unknown can be scary. However, taking a chance can turn out to be the best thing you could have ever done.
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David Cancel
6 years
If you want to have a good reputation as a business leader, be sure to get into a good business. A strong career record has far more to do with what teams you were a part of than what title you held, how hard you worked or how smart you are. Don't let your ego choose for you.
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David Cancel
4 years
24/ * For every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction. Seriously. Meditate on that.
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David Cancel
8 years
Be an elitist when deciding what books to read, what opinions to listen to and what to invest your time in. Consensus is your enemy.
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David Cancel
7 years
Be nice. Be grateful. Be of service. Do it not to get something but because that's the world you want to live in.
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David Cancel
6 years
Massive results are almost always a result of evolution not revolution. Focus on small daily practice over long periods of time vs big abrupt changes to your routines to achieve the big results you are after.
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David Cancel
8 years
Attention Elon Musk wannabes.
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David Cancel
6 years
โ€œPeople do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.โ€ - Gary Keller, author of The One Thing
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David Cancel
6 years
Two years ago, we gave a name to the paradigm shift happening in marketing & sales โ€“ and now weโ€™ve written a book about it. But we couldn't have done this without you. Thank you all ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ Conversational Marketing, is out today. Get your copy here ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿฝ
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David Cancel
5 years
Please listen to this, especially if you manage people professionally. ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ "Jonathan Haidt on helicopter parenting, the rise of the โ€œcall out culture,โ€ and the dangers of social media." When Good Intentions Go Bad @farnamstreet
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David Cancel
5 years
You have to want it. Want it more than the next person. Really want it. Want it enough to survive the dips. Easy to dismiss this as cliche. Everyone says it but few do it.
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David Cancel
10 years
"Do you create anything, or just criticize otherโ€™s work and belittle their motivations?" - Steve Jobs
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4 years
21/ * Remember that people are different but not a much as we believe. See Social Psychology.
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David Cancel
11 years
"The first prototype isn't meant to show a solution. It's to show that you don't yet understand the problem." - Clay Shirky
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David Cancel
5 years
The hard thing about starting and growing a business is not the strategy, tactics or even endless work. It is constantly dealing with the psychology and emotions that is the hardest of hard things.
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David Cancel
5 years
Couldn't be more excited to finally be able to announce this news. Please welcome Tricia to @Drift as our first ever CMO. ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝโšก๏ธ
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David Cancel
5 years
"Donโ€™t play games that you donโ€™t understand, even if you see lots of other people making money from them."
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David Cancel
9 years
Stubborn optimism. ๐Ÿƒ http://t.co/pKDcuo8e4D
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David Cancel
5 years
Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they canโ€™t lose. Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. Itโ€™s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure. - Bill Gates
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David Cancel
5 years
This is the one thing I've written that I hope you will read. ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ Why? It took me years of pain to learn this lesson and I really want to save you some unnecessary pain.
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You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with, so choose wisely. @dcancel
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David Cancel
7 years
If you read all the same articles, go to all the same events and follow the same people as your competitors it will be hard to leap ahead.
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David Cancel
5 years
โ€œIf you absolutely can't tolerate critics, then don't do anything new or interesting.โ€ย  โ€” Jeff Bezos
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David Cancel
6 years
In today's world it is impossible to have everyone agree with you. Don't strive for consensus, stay strong and bring positivity into the world.
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David Cancel
6 years
Honored and humbled to be included in the list of Top CEOs for Diversity today. It's been a lifelong struggle for me, good progress but much work ahead for us. So proud of our community and of our team at @Drift ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿ™‡๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธโšก๏ธ
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David Cancel
5 years
Difficult conversations will always be difficult. There's no trick to make them easy.
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David Cancel
6 years
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
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David Cancel
5 years
Truly innovative ideas aren't obvious. They are usually controversial and highly prone to failure. This is why having a culture of consensus is dangerous if your priority is delivering exponential results. How do you avoid consensus?
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David Cancel
5 years
โ€œ...most companies don't die because they are wrong; most die because they don't commit themselves. They fritter away their valuable resources while attempting to make a decision. The greatest danger is in standing stillโ€ โ€• Andy Grove, Only the Paranoid Survive
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David Cancel
9 years
OH: Failure is logarithmic. Success is exponential.
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David Cancel
5 years
"Half of life is fucking up. The other half is dealing with it." - Henry Rollins
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David Cancel
7 years
Don't look back at where the competition is today, look forward to where the customer is going tomorrow.
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David Cancel
6 years
Good people > Good ideas Simple but not easy. It took me a decade to really learn this. I share this often because I hope you can learn this lesson faster and with less pain than I did.
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David Cancel
10 years
Work hard, never stop learning, create remarkable things, help others and always stop to enjoy the moment. It's really that simple.
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David Cancel
3 years
We back. ๐Ÿคฒ๐Ÿฝ
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David Cancel
8 years
Showing up every day and putting in the work. Underrated.
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David Cancel
5 years
There are people who exist to do nothing more than to tear other people down. To establish their social influence by being a culture vampire. Don't let them in your life, don't feed them with your attention. Stay positive, give more than you take, and keep your head up. โœŒ๐Ÿฝ
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David Cancel
6 years
This is a reminder to you and me: ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿฝ We didn't come this far to only come this far. Don't relent. Keep going. We got this. Ain't nobody stopping us but us. Let's get it. โšก๏ธ
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David Cancel
5 years
Don't overthink it. The simple choice is usually the right one.
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David Cancel
6 years
Work hard, never stop learning, create remarkable things, help others and always stop to enjoy the moment. It's really that simple.
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