Marc Sampogna, Canopy’s Managing Director, was recently asked to give his best advice on being fearless and getting ahead. Check out what he had to say below.

The best advice I can offer to young entrepreneurs looking to succeed is to be proactive rather than reactive. Seeking out opportunities that can inspire and drive you versus waiting for them to be put in front of you is key. In addition, to be an entrepreneur is to uncover an idea, product or service that captures people’s attention in ways they never realized. That means, taking risks that you can validate and are calculated. Strategically sound individuals will succeed over those who just jump in blindly. Lastly, surround yourself with people smarter than yourself. If the people around you and their ideas or thinking don’t challenge you, then you are not maximizing potential. You should partner with those who can elicit a debate and shed new light on things that you may never have thought of. It will make your idea, product, and/or service that much stronger.