David Carroll has built successful businesses in multiple completely different industries—home services, data, software, and print. What ties them together is how he approaches learning, execution, and leadership. He doesn’t chase trends or reinvent things that already work. He studies what’s proven, fixes what’s broken, and builds systems around it until the work runs itself.
Dope Marketing—his print automation company now on track for a $100 million valuation—is the latest example of that formula.
Learn it, do it, teach it
David’s not afraid to start at zero. “If someone else has done it, I can do it too,” he says. “I can buy a book, watch a video, listen to the audio—and I’m going to wake up earlier and go to sleep later than you.”
Before Dope Marketing, he ran a power washing business and filmed YouTube tutorials showing exactly how to operate the machines. When Facebook’s ad platform opened up, he stayed up until midnight experimenting with targeting and audience data. “I just want to look at the backend—what are the people ahead of the curve reading, and how are they doing it?” he recalls.
That habit of total immersion turned into a playbook he still uses: master it yourself, prove it in the field, then teach it. “When you can teach something you’ve actually done, that’s how you go from zero to hero,” he says.
Fix what’s outdated instead of chasing what’s new
David’s biggest wins have come from applying modern systems to industries that haven’t evolved in years. “I don’t try to reinvent an industry right away,” he explains. “I just ask—is there a way something’s been done for a long time where technology or automation has a place?”
That thinking drove Dope Marketing’s breakthrough. Instead of sending bulk mail to cold lists, the company ties direct mail to real-time business events. “When you mark a job approved, the 25 neighbors get a postcard. When you close a job over a certain price, a different message goes out. When a customer hasn’t used a service in six months, you don’t have to remember to follow up—they automatically get something in their hands.”
The result is a print business that looks and performs like software. “Buying a fancier printer doesn’t make you innovative,” he says. “Automation that drives conversions does.”
Hire for curiosity, not resumes
When asked what he looks for in employees, David doesn’t hesitate: “They’re curious. Curious about how things work, how they operate, what’s on the backend. Who built it? What were they thinking when they did it?”
He’s hired hundreds of people across multiple companies and says curiosity is the only trait that consistently predicts success. “You can teach skills, but you can’t teach someone to care enough to ask the right questions.”
Share knowledge—don’t hoard it
David’s view on competition in the print industry is blunt. “They’ve been undercutting each other on pricing for 20 years just to gain a client,” he says. “They have no IP. None. Your customer list? I can call them today. Your pricing model? I can buy the same equipment.”
So he went the other way—sharing his process publicly. “If you can find something that doesn’t make sense, learn about it enough to understand it, and then share that knowledge—don’t keep it to yourself.” Transparency became his growth engine. Clients started seeing him as a partner instead of a vendor.
“It’s not about getting frustrated that no one understands something,” he adds. “It’s about creating content to show people how easy something could be.”
Build around your weaknesses
David knows his strengths—strategy, product vision, storytelling—and knows where he falls short. “I’m the worst manager ever,” he admits. “I literally feel empathy for the people who have to report to me.”
Rather than fight that, he designed around it. He brought in an integrator, limited himself to three direct reports, and focused his energy on leadership and communication. “To have control is to give up all control,” he says. “If I can communicate something clearly and set expectations, then I can give up control and trust someone to handle it.”
That mindset is what keeps Dope Marketing from collapsing under its own growth. He no longer tries to do everything—just the things only he can do.
The difference between ownership and obsession
People often ask how David consistently wins in new industries. His answer is focus, not genius. “Preparation meets opportunity,” he says. “Facebook was just coming out when I started my home service business, and I immersed myself in content creation and audience targeting. It was the wild west.”
That willingness to go deep—and stay there until mastery—is what separates entrepreneurs who scale from those who burn out chasing everything at once. “Failure doesn’t scare me,” he says. “It’s just feedback. It worked and you celebrate, or it didn’t and you learn.”
Real relationships, real presence
David’s network reads like a who’s who of marketing and home services—people like Tommy Mello, Justin Martin, and other top operators. But it’s not networking for show. “Relationships are just a mutual investment of time,” he says. “The faster you’re transparent, the faster people see who you really are.”
He’s been through harder things than bad quarters. “I did four and a half years in prison at 21,” he says. “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, but it made me self-aware. When you’ve lived that way, you learn that authenticity isn’t optional. It’s survival.”
Ambition with perspective
Despite the talk of nine-figure valuations, David doesn’t want to be a billionaire. “Billion dollars scares me,” he laughs. “That’s a lot of responsibility. I’ve seen what comes with it.”
He’s focused on building one company he enjoys running. “I’m not looking for any more spotlight. I love this team, our culture, and what we’re building. If I sold this tomorrow, my kids would be okay—but I don’t want to do it again. I’m right where I want to be.”
He also keeps money in perspective. “If you build a business and sell it for $5 or $10 million, you won,” he says. “Ask yourself—what do I even need $100 million for? What would I do with it?”
Growth means personal change
David speaks openly about sobriety and self-awareness. “Me and my wife will come up on four years of sobriety this spring,” he says. “I used to be the guy out drinking every night, and my wife didn’t even want me around some of my old friends. Growth requires accountability.”
He also talks about emotional control. “When you start to feel that energy in your chest—like ginger ale bubbling—you know you’re about to become the worst version of yourself. That’s the moment to stop, breathe, and be present.”
His advice applies beyond business: “You can’t lead others until you can lead yourself. Growth on the personal side unlocks growth on the business side.”
Staying grounded when things are good
When asked how he avoids blind spots, David’s answer shows maturity. “When things are good and you’re living high off the hog, that’s when I start looking for what’s coming next,” he says. “Because it will come. The economy shifts. The platform changes. You have to stay aware.”
He’s learned that anxiety is worrying about what hasn’t happened, while depression is replaying what already has. “The job,” he says, “is to stay right here—in the moment—so you can see clearly what needs to happen next.”
The real playbook
David Carroll’s growth formula isn’t abstract. It’s methodical:
- Learn deeply before you delegate. You can’t fix a system you don’t understand.
- Simplify old industries with modern tools. Look for manual work that software or automation can replace.
- Teach what you’ve done. Public proof beats private claims.
- Build around your gaps. Hire where you’re weak, double down where you’re strong.
- Stay patient. The invisible months are where real progress compounds.
That combination—discipline, curiosity, and humility—is why Dope Marketing’s growth feels inevitable. It’s not hype or luck; it’s proof of how far you can go when you stop trying to look smart and start building systems that actually work.