“When I decided to get sober in April 2018, I went cold turkey on drugs, alcohol, cigarettes – everything except coffee. For the first time in my adult life, I felt like a veil had lifted and I could see the world with fresh eyes. I started asking: where am I going? Who am I?”
McGrath’s transformation began when his partner Gabby told him she couldn’t watch him destroy himself anymore. Shortly after getting sober, they purchased their first investment property – a decision that would change everything. When they realised they’d made a poor investment choice, McGrath became obsessed with understanding why some properties perform while others don’t.
With just $5,000 in savings, they launched their business in April 2019. The early days were brutal – they often chose between spending money on business growth or food, sometimes eating samples in supermarkets because they couldn’t afford groceries. Despite these challenges, they persisted through 18-hour days, seven days a week.
“We’ve always been missionally driven, not monetarily driven. If we wanted to make more money, we would’ve been better off as a single operator making $500,000 a year at 90% profit margin with low stress.”
Their business model differs from traditional buyer’s agencies. Rather than having one person handle the entire client journey, they created specialised roles where team members focus solely on what they excel at. This delivers superior results for clients and creates a more fulfilling work environment.
“BAI gave us the framework to hit the ground running. Without it, I wouldn’t have had the clarity to grow this fast.”
Today, Dash operates as a fully remote business with innovative policies like unlimited paid annual leave and a “freedom and responsibility” approach that allows team members to integrate work and life optimally.
“When it’s just like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this,’ you’ve got to have something bigger than you to make it worthwhile. If I can have a positive impact on the world, that’s a building block of a life well lived.”
