Mindset During Adversity: Turning Brain Cancer Into a Blessing w/ David Karp
Release Date: 10/09/2025
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Mindset During Adversity: Turning Brain Cancer Into a Blessing w/ David Karp
Building Your Sales Engine
How a brain cancer diagnosis became the best thing that ever happened—and what it teaches us about responding to adversity in business and life. "It was one of the best things that ever happened to me." That's how David Karp describes his brain cancer diagnosis—and he means it. On his 60th birthday, David got a call from a neuro-oncologist confirming he had a tumor in his brain. Instead of falling into despair, he made a choice—and that choice changed everything. In this conversation with Mark McGraw, David shares the mindset shifts that helped him navigate adversity: deciding it's not...
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How to hire, place, and coach sellers with assessments—so you avoid hunter/farmer mis-hires and reduce burnout. Assessments aren’t paperwork—they’re how you hire better, place smarter, and coach faster. Mark McGraw and Rachel Chang break down using work style/DISC, personality, sales capacity, and object reasoning assessments to prevent bad hires, align roles with natural strengths, and target training where it moves the needle. Interviews show experience; assessments reveal potential and capacity. 🔗 Download exclusive sales resources at: Guest: Rachel Chang — Project and...
info_outlineHow a brain cancer diagnosis became the best thing that ever happened—and what it teaches us about responding to adversity in business and life.
"It was one of the best things that ever happened to me." That's how David Karp describes his brain cancer diagnosis—and he means it.
On his 60th birthday, David got a call from a neuro-oncologist confirming he had a tumor in his brain. Instead of falling into despair, he made a choice—and that choice changed everything.
In this conversation with Mark McGraw, David shares the mindset shifts that helped him navigate adversity: deciding it's not about you, pre-deciding how you'll respond before crisis hits, and being a "person person" instead of a "people person." He also shares the "dog poop principle"—a moment on January 1st that prepared him for the hardest year of his life.
If you're facing adversity in business, health, or life, this episode is a masterclass in perspective, resilience, and choosing growth over fear.
About David Karp:
David Karp is Chief Customer Officer at Disqo, where he leads customer success for some of the world's biggest brands measuring brand advertising impact. With decades of experience in sales, account management, and customer success, David specializes in closing operational gaps and championing the customer. He's been married for 36+ years, is rooted in his faith, and believes in showing up for others—especially when life gets hard.
🔗 David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidalankarp/
Host: Mark McGraw — Building Your Sales Engine
In This Episode:
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The brain cancer diagnosis on his 60th birthday—and why David calls it "the best thing"
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How to pre-decide your response to adversity before it happens
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The "dog poop principle": What stepping in dog poop taught him about perspective
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Why "it's not about you" is the most powerful mindset shift in crisis
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The roller coaster analogy: Holding hands through the terrifying moments
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How David influenced 10+ men to start going to the doctor
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Be a "person person," not a "people person"—the power of presence
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Why 80% of people you meet are going through something serious
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The sphere of control vs. influence: What you can actually change
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Learning from adversity: Growth-minded lessons from failure and hardship
Links
Sandler: https://www.Sandler.com
Episode page: https://www.BuildingYourSalesEngine.com
Show links: https://linktr.ee/buildingyoursalesengine