🎧 Episode 4 – How One Conversation Changed My Entire Direction with Dawn McGruer

In this intimate episode, Susie sits down with her mentor, Dawn McGruer, to talk about the real work behind growth, the messy parts, the mindset shifts, the identity changes, and the breakthroughs that don’t show up on Instagram. Together, they unpack the behind-the-scenes journey of building confidence, scaling businesses, embracing discomfort, and navigating the challenges that shape entrepreneurs. If you’ve ever wondered what working with a mentor actually looks like, this conversation takes you inside it.

Timestamps:

01:13 – What working with a coach really looks like

03:07 – Trust, energy, and choosing the right mentor

05:07 – Dawn’s role as a scaling strategist & serial entrepreneur

07:47 – Dawn’s childhood, early career, and unconventional path

12:21 – The risk-taking era, loss, writing a book at 21

14:26 – Building networking events, communities & global platforms

16:49 – Creating accredited training and launching multiple businesses

18:12 – Scaling clients, burnout, and stepping back from the operational grind

19:27 – Rebuilding a business model that supports health, wealth & impact

Connect with Dawn McGruer:

Website → dawnmcgruer.com

Instagram → instagram.com/dawnmcgruer

LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/dawnmcgruer

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📥 Download the Speaker Kit → susiebatista.com/speaker

📧 Bookings → bookings@susiebatista.com

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Transcript:

Susie Batista (00:00)

Welcome to the Just Build It podcast. I am your host, Susie Batista. And before being a full-time property developer, I built and sold a luxury interior design firm. That chapter taught me far more than how to run a business. It taught me about standards, pressure, and confidence. This podcast is a space to talk honestly about money, mindset, and all the small decisions that shape our lives over time. If you're building something in business, in property, or in yourself, you're in the right place. This is Just Build It. Today's episode is a really special one for me because it's not just about showcasing somebody I admire, it's about letting you in on the behind the scenes of my own journey. Every step I've taken so far in building my personal brand has been shaped by the conversations I've had with today's guest. Dawn isn't just a mentor and coach. She's been my sounding board, my challenger, my biggest pusher when I wanted to play small, and the calm voice when I wanted to throw it all in. We're going to talk honestly about what it really takes to grow, the blocks I've had to work through, and the lessons that aren't in the textbooks.

Susie Batista (01:13)

So if you've ever wondered what it's like to work with a coach, or if you're curious about the shifts that actually change someone's life and business, this one's for you. Let's dive into the conversation with Dawn McGroer. Dawn.

Dawn McGruer (01:28)

Susie.

Susie Batista (01:30)

Thank you, first of all, for coming on one of my very first podcasts. I would just like everybody to know how we initially met. That was through a mutual friend who gave me a call and said, A good friend of mine, Dawn, have you heard of her? I was like, Yes. Already followed her. She wants somebody to come on her podcast. She wants somebody that's maybe into property. I recommended you. We had a chat, came to your retreat, came onto the podcast. From that very retreat, everything changed for me. Everything became very clear on you, the people that you work with. A couple of days after that retreat, I said to Romeo, I feel like I really want to work with this woman. He said, Well, message her. We had a couple of glasses of wine. Message you. We had a lunch, and this was only What? About eight weeks ago, something like that.

Dawn McGruer (02:32)

Yeah, literally. Yeah, two months.

Susie Batista (02:33)

And within those two months, I have started my personal Instagram brand. I have been on a panel I have my first big speaking gig, and I have now started a podcast. So for anybody who's ever on the fence about a mentor or a coach, that's just proving that That with the right coach and the right mentor, big things can happen, right?

Dawn McGruer (03:07)

Yeah, and I think it's about trust on both parts. I think one of the things that people forget is the working relationship and the mentoring is about the energy that you get, because if it doesn't feel right, then it's not going to flow. I think this is one of the things I always say, that never go into something unless you have that gut feel, that absolute feeling like this is going to be the thing. Every time I've done that myself, it's been the best investment I've done. So I totally agree.

Susie Batista (03:43)

Tell us in a Nutshell, what you actually do now as a mentor.

Dawn McGruer (03:50)

I think this is the thing because obviously on LinkedIn and Instagram, and I'm fairly new to Instagram, only been on it for a few years, everything is very much around your key content pillars and what you want to be seen and heard for. I think the difficulty is, is trying to explain without confusing exactly what I do because everybody sees me forward front as a mentor. I would say my key specialist area is as a scaling strategist. So I knew from a very young age that I could look at a business, I could look at the model, and I would know whether it worked or not. And And that only came from having so many epic fails myself when I started my business. And it was almost like a formula that I had to go through to test, to test, to test, to see these critical areas. These five critical areas that I always look for in a business. And if someone said to me, what do I do? I'm a speaker, I'm an author, I'm a podcaster, I'm a strategist, I'm an investor, I have multiple other businesses. But I I think, really, if you were to put it under one term, it's an entrepreneur because there's always something new every single day.

Dawn McGruer (05:07)

I don't know if I'll ever be done. I'm on my third book now, I'm on my fourth business. Do I see anything stopping? No, I'm 46. I still feel like I'm at the beginning. Everything is fresh, everything is exciting. And I just know that there is still more magic to come, more excitement. And every single day, I'm tested. I think what people think is Being in business, you know what you're doing. Like 25 years on, I must know exactly what's happening. No, I don't. I still have the same challenges, but it's all relative. It's different challenges. So in the beginning of a business, you have challenges maybe around cash flow. So you only switch those up for maybe having more team challenges. I think the thing is that people say, Oh, I'm having a really tough time in business. We all do, and it will never change. But half of that is the fun of being able to create and direct. Because when I think about my most epic fails, I'm like, honestly, the tears, the sleepless nights and everything, the resilience that's given me is huge. I am fearless, I am unshakable, I'm unapologetic, I know what I'm going to do, and I do it.

Dawn McGruer (06:18)

So it just goes in cycles. And I think sometimes we go full circle. And some days I remember that same feeling of starting my business because I'm tapping into that again, because I'm starting something something new. I think the thing here is that whatever you see online, it's just a small snapshot of what we're doing. But behind the scenes, I didn't create what I've got now overnight. It's taken 25 years. And when we When we think about the issues and the challenges, I would urge someone to actually go and embrace them because as much as you feel the feel, and it feels that you're never going to get past it, everything will be okay. It is. This is what I always tell people, there is nothing outside of your health that can't be changed. I'd always say that if you are feeling in business that it is tough, just speak to someone because it just changes it. It's almost like your epiphany moment is sharing that problem and just getting someone's perspective. Also, you're running it through in your own head all the time. We can't outthink ourselves in a problem. We have to get it outside of our body.

Dawn McGruer (07:31)

So what do I do? I just think serial entrepreneur, and I think fundamentally, I just want to do unto others, have done to myself. And I think that is my ethos in life and business.

Susie Batista (07:47)

I briefly know your background only because I'm very inquisitive and we had a lovely lunch and I was asking you, how did it all start? Where did it all begin? And I think there'll be so many people who will want to know the same thing. So take me back. Take me way back. Talk to me about your base, your childhood, where you grew up, and then how you transitioned into what you're doing these days.

Dawn McGruer (08:15)

I think even as a child, I always felt really different. And different, I never just fitted in. I never wanted to do the same things as other kids did, but I was really contented. And I would just go off and do my own thing. And My mum and dad always say the best and worst gift they ever gave me was my first computer because I'd be up at five o'clock in the morning doing all the games, and then it'd be like,. They were like, My God, Dawn, get off the computer. But I was just always really hungry to learn, and I just always wanted to go and try things. Anything that I just wanted to go and explore, I just always felt like, Well, if someone else can do it, why can't I? That was the basis of how my parents brought me up because my dad's an entrepreneur. He has worked in finance. He was travelled all the time. I only saw him at weekends and not necessarily all the weekends because he was travelling in Europe and globally. They always said to me, everything's possible. I just always had this inner sense that, well, if they're doing it, I can do it.

Dawn McGruer (09:19)

I remember doing ice skating. My dad was like, Are you sure you want to do this? Then I started semi-pro ice skating, and then I joined a swim team. I just always felt fairly invincible. I didn't do the traditional route with school. I got expelled, which is ironic because I'm actually a qualified teacher now. What did you get expelled for, Dawn? I don't know. I think it was just... There was no one thing. It was just a general not being able to adhere to authority. I think that is something that has definitely played out in my later life. Because even when I got my first job, I just seemed to Excel in the corporate world. I never really fitted, I don't think, into anything until I found the business tribe. Everyone else went off to university. I did a year in college, fast-tracked my qualifications, and then I was like, I just want to work. My dad literally did not know I'd left college. I had to break the news to him once I'd got a job because my mum was like, Whatever you do, find a job, then break it to your dad. And got a job.

Dawn McGruer (10:23)

I just landed on my feet. My first job was like 30 grand. And back then, I remember just getting an unlimited Amex and travelling. It was just crazy because I was still 18, 19. And then I started my business at 21 after I did my Chartered Institute of Marketing Qualifications. I knew I liked business. I knew I liked psychology. I knew that I was just hungry in the marketing world. I got a scholarship with New Castle University, and I was just doing diplomas, diplomas, diplomas, qualifications, ended up with 12 of them. And then when I started my business, I had all of the absolute arrogance, I think, that I was like, everything's just going to be fine. It's just going to be the same as working in a corporate brand. So it wasn't. Got my first offices in Wilmslow, above the Rex cinema, where I used to go as a kid, which I loved, painted them bright yellow, metallic bright yellow from Bennington. It was this really funky agency building. I just went through this feast and famine, and it was tough. I remember ringing my dad going, I I just don't even know if I can do this.

Dawn McGruer (11:31)

This is hard because I moved out at 19 and bought a house. So I had offices, a house, all my bills, everything. And I was just like, This is crazy. So I remember just feeling that money worry. Everyone's had it, right? But it can make you sick. And I just kept saying to my dad, Oh, my God. And he's like, Dawn, just keep moving. You've got your health. And he used to say it was character building. So because I didn't have enough to do, obviously, at the same time, I decided I decided to then do my first book, invited 37 authors onto it, raised money for cancer research. Then it was endorsed by Sir Nigel Hawthorn. Then it had, well, it is the only publication in history that I know of that was allowed to publish and feature Woodrow Kipling's poem, If. So did that. I was like, 21.

Susie Batista (12:21)

So did that book come from a point of pain then? A point of- Yeah, totally.

Dawn McGruer (12:25)

My risk-taking was all to do with the fact that around about 19, 20. I lost six people in quick succession. So I just literally had an attitude of like, well, whatever. Like, what's the worst thing that can happen? You're going to die, and you're going to die at some point. So I may as well just do it anyway. So every Everything that came with that, it was literally, I was living it in my life and business. I mean, probably quite destructive to a degree, but it just changed my whole landscape. So I was like, I have no fear. I'll go and do this. I'll write a book. Why not? I'm 21. And everyone was like, What are you doing, Dawn? This is crazy. You'll never get it published. And I was like, Well, it's in every bookstore now. And I just rang the bookstores. And everyone was like, Well, how did you do it? Well, I had no script. No one had told me what to do. And it was just gumption. It was like, Do you know what? If I don't ask, I don't get. So I rang Waterstones. They started taking it. Blackwells.

Dawn McGruer (13:21)

And I just started ringing all of the wholesalers and stocking it. And then it was on Amazon. And then I had a book that people were walking into bookstores and buying. My agency, I think, was the biggest education because as I kept going through this feast and famine, I eventually broke the cycle because I realised the model and the messaging wouldn't work. But it didn't take a short period of time. And honestly, I think 18 months of going through that and push, push, pushing, my message wasn't clear. People didn't really get it. And then when I was like, Right, I am like a virtual business partner to people, people were like, Oh, I get this. Okay. So I was like, Well, this is the beginning of the Internet. I can get you online. I can get you more visibility. And then I started getting clearer and clearer on what I did. And people were like, Okay, I need a dawn in my life. So I started a community, and basically all of these business started coming to networking events.

Susie Batista (14:26)

You started the networking events? Yeah.

Dawn McGruer (14:28)

And that's where a business consult, one of my first embraces of my second business came from because I was like, I need to bring businesses together because they need to understand that actually online and face-to-face go hand-to-hand. I did them in car showrooms, Aston Martin. I did them in Park Lane, London, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Bentley. I just went to all the showrooms and said, Can I invite 150 people for a cocktail party with driving simulators, chocolate fountas, all of these things? I got sponsors, Cooots, HSBC, and I had this panel of experts as well that anyone who came to me, I was like, Look, I know the best person who can get you a mortgage or get you this. So business consorts It was like an online directory. And one of the business exhibitions in the Northwest said, Dawn, can you build us a networking platform? Because there was no social network there. Built the platform, 50,000 people later, I was like, Christ, what I'm doing with this? And then that's just how these global events started. So I started in the UK, and then I started doing some in Europe. The crazy thing was, is I was doing maybe two or three events a week.

Dawn McGruer (15:42)

I mean, I don't even know how I got through that with 150 people coming to these events. Is this you and a team? Yeah, I did hire a team, so I'd moved officers, but there was still only me and three. Me and three. So we were running a marketing agency. We were running... So that was Aurora Marketing. Then we were running the networking. And then everyone was like, Oh, my goodness, Dawn, this is amazing. You should be able to teach us. I was like, Yeah, I can do training courses. So everything I did was organically fueled by the customers. Built these courses, and they were like, Do you know what would be really magical, Dawn? If we could get some marketing training. Because I was doing all the strategy for BT, Microsoft, tech data, all of their marketing. And then they were like, But how do our team implement this? How do they actually utilise it? So at that time, there was so much that was unaccredited, uncertified. So because I didn't have enough to do, again, started a private university, business Consult Academy, so that I was now training the teams But it took me two years to get accredited.

Dawn McGruer (16:49)

I had to train as a teacher whilst working full-time. And yeah, I got my accreditation. And it is crazy because I was one of the youngest. I I don't think they embraced me particularly well because I think I was an unknown, and I definitely wasn't someone who conformed to authority. Anyway, I launched the qualifications, still doing them now, 30,000 students trained, and they graduate in Westminster. So two businesses down. Then in 2017, I decided that my passion was to go full circle and do what I had done myself for other people. Because it's like I saw people online, and as much as I was working in corporate, I was like, my passion is the people that lived my life, that walked my walk, that I'm seeing have the pain and the challenges, the money and the mindset. I can I want these people and I can get them to scale faster because literally I have done everything wrong in business at...