The witty and wise words of the Co-founder of Force One Capital, David Farris, may come as a surprise to entrepreneurs. Party your way to success. Yet there is no doubt, he is living proof of the above statement. Having started his journey as a humble entrepreneur to now a Partner of the thriving company Force One Capital and Co-Founder of Cubed BioTech Inc., a newly formed biotechnology company looking to disrupt mental health care.

Discover David’s remarkable journey as he traveled the globe, built lasting connections, and scaled his startup to a valuation of $20+ million in a three-year time frame. David shares three important tips for young entrepreneurs.

David spent the greater part of his 20s exploring the world. After graduation, he pursued further education abroad. David enrolled in a health consultancy program in London England, during which he met individuals from all walks of life. They worked and studied collectively before being sent off to Italy to work on cruise lines. This time of work and travel was a big part of David’s journey.

David was intrigued by a friend he met in England, Dave Nelson, who told him about his supplement business in Australia. He suggested David visit Australia to learn the ins and outs of the company. Gladly accepting the invitation, David arrived in Australia, where he would spend the next little bit building lasting relationships while immersing himself in the nutritional-business world. Recognizing the great potential, David idealized extending the business model to his Northern homeland, Canada. Upon his return, David found that Canadian regulations differed significantly from that of Australia’s. A number of hurdles proved as David says, “the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze”. His plans for launching the nutraceutical company didn’t go quite as planned saying “you need to know when to trim the fat”. After a few years in the start-up world, self-funding his own initiatives and others, connecting with many CEOs he joined forces with Anthony Rossi to form Force One Capital where he now helps grow and maximize multiple companies’ potential.

The key takeaway David gained from his experiences in travel was not foreign from the age-old expression: your network determines your net worth.

Network = Net worth 

During the years of travel, David did not miss any opportunity to network. He attended social gatherings, events, and parties, taking up any chance of interaction. “You never know,” says David, “where a simple hello will take you…” As David can attest, always showing up = never missing an opportunity.

Long ago were the days entrepreneurs cooped up working tedious hours independently to achieve success. In today’s fast-paced and technological world, networking moves us forward. “Talking to everyone will eventually get you talking to the right people. They may become your clients, your partners, or simply just add value in the form of advice,” explains David. His openness to networking was the foundation of an invaluable Rolodex of contacts from a diverse range of industries, skill sets, and opportunities. The relationships formed, partnerships built, and ideas brought to life all began from one simple yet profound concept: interaction.

The Butterfly Effect in Business

The magic of interaction is the spontaneity of not knowing what it could eventually lead to. In most minimalist terms, it would be a waste of time. On the optimistic stance, it could be a life-changing moment. The butterfly effect is exemplified in the formation of Force One Capital. David describes a cold fall evening a few years back, “Anthony extended the invite to go for dinner and drinks. I could have very easily stayed on the couch, relaxing watching Netflix, however, I felt that I should go to meet up. And from that evening of hearing and sharing each other’s greater plans, we decided to go into business together… and here we are.” Thus, a simple interaction led to the inception of an industry-leading company.

Winning: The Universal Goal

With much going on in the daily lives of entrepreneurs, communication is an asset that should not be overlooked. David emphasizes the role of a well-framed network in establishing victory. “Just as I am depended on,” says David, “I depend on the people in my network to help with all angles of business and life. In the grand scheme of things – if there’s no one helping each other, nothing can get done. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing and where I am if I didn’t respect my relationships and everyone I work with. And with that being said – it’s very common for me to mix business with pleasure as the people I do business with tend to become great friends.”

David enjoys meeting new people and leads with a no pre-judgment approach. His advice is to leave behind prior expectations, opinions, or history before each unique interaction. To put this into further perspective, David says, “I also believe everyone is valuable and brings value. The goal is always to win, for everyone. There have been many times I didn’t follow through with a win-lose deal, I couldn’t and didn’t do business that way  – and to add to that, a good relationship is invaluable. Nothing feels better than great chemistry.”

Advice to Young Entrepreneurs

• Network, network, network

Everyone has the ability to network regardless of the entrepreneurial knack. However, you do need to have that desire to collaborate and have a good business mind. That’s been with David since he was younger, starting his elderly assistance company, 60 Plus Fitness, with his now good friend, Roman Stefanic, who at the time was a 65-year young man from Israel that he met in a shopping center, trying on shoes. David says. “Don’t stress if you never started a company early, or feel like you don’t have that ‘knack for entrepreneurship’. Go for those coffees, those meet-ups, and make it important that when you meet someone you listen to them and remember what they’re all about, because one day you may have something you both can benefit from.”

• Expand your horizons 

Every culture and ethnicity has a unique style of doing business. “Whether I was trying to buy a watch in Turkey or negotiating with a salesman in Egypt, it is much different than doing business in Toronto, however being in one of the world’s most diverse cities, I’m bound to do business with someone from Egypt. In which I’ll be able to leverage the memory of that interaction.” Anything associated with culture is enriched with history and meaning and can easily be the foundation of a new bond. This knowledge will display a sign of respect and openness which will enable you to collaborate and even relate with others. Every culture is diverse, with unique sets of values that encompass different strengths and merits which in turn allow one to build an extremely polished repertoire.

• Strengthen your communication skills

“Communication will be your greatest asset as an entrepreneur,” says David, “when you’re in a foreign country or crossing paths with someone who doesn’t speak the same language as you, it’s important to stretch and strengthen your communication skills rather than just relying on verbal. Allow yourself to gain knowledge on all other lines of communication – and gaining those sets of skills becomes hard-pressed in yourself.” says David. Whether it’s leading a presentation on sales forecasts or simply onboarding a new client – the outcome always boils down to your communication skills. A great communicator can make a mediocre idea seem brilliant – whereas a weak communicator the opposite. The best way to polish your skills is by being open to meeting new people, diverging in new, and sometimes even uncomfortable situations, and ultimately just putting yourself out there. With practice and consistency, you’ll find that expressing yourself and your ideas while connecting to others will come naturally, and perhaps lead to the start of something great.

We would like to thank Aaisha Ali for interviewing Dave and writing this article.