The Collab Agency is a digital sales and marketing firm. It translates small to medium sized business’ marketing efforts into revenue. The Collab Agency joins the dots between marketing and sales, so their clients achieve great results.
Co-founded by David Gaff, the Collab Agency wanted to work out how they could enhance their operations to scale effectively. After reading the book ‘Traction’, David engaged an EOS implementer. As a result, The Collab Agency have greater clarity around their business and addressing issues far more effectively and efficiently.
Transcript
Murray Smith: David Gaff, welcome to Gripping Business Tales.
David Gaff: Thanks, Murray.
Murray: Thanks for coming on. And of course, you’ve got your EOS Implementer there, Dave Webster. How are you going, Dave?
Dave Webster: I’m well, Murray, thanks.
Murray: David, we usually start with a couple of familiar questions. Could you share one personal success and one professional success you’ve had recently?
David: Personally, I’d say taming my dog. She was very unruly, so we sought professional help and got a special lead from a trainer. Now she’s a joy to walk — a major achievement considering how she used to be.
Murray: Good to hear you seek professional help outside of business too!
David: That’s right. I’m skilled in nothing.
Murray: And what about a recent professional success?
David: We’ve been recommending market research to several clients before kicking off projects. I used to work in market research, so I’ve handled some of this myself. It’s been rewarding, and more importantly, it’s helped projects start on a solid foundation — grounded in customer insights rather than assumptions.
Murray: Sounds great. You’re in the digital marketing space, right?
David: Yes, though we now refer to it more as the marketing and sales space. Digital is everywhere, so it’s more about how we help businesses make strategic decisions and generate results.
Murray: Tell us a bit more about your business. You’re a co-founder?
David: That’s right. Gordon, my business partner, and I both came from blue-chip marketing and sales roles — companies like Coca-Cola and Campbell Soup — and agency backgrounds. We saw that smaller businesses lacked access to the kind of strategic marketing and sales thinking those big companies used. Our purpose is to champion better marketing and sales in SMEs by bringing that structured thinking to the table.
Murray: And if someone wants to get in touch?
David: The best way is through our website: collabagency.com.au, or call us on 03 9510 820.
Murray: Excellent. So, you’ve been through a bit of a journey with EOS. Can you take us back to the challenges you were facing before starting?
David: We were pretty good at setting visions and plans, but we struggled to follow through. Getting traction was hard. We’ve been in business almost ten years, so we’re not new — but the Traction book and then meeting Dave really resonated. We realised that if we could get traction on the everyday things, the big stuff would take care of itself.
Murray: What was stopping you from following through?
David: Like many, we were too immersed in the day-to-day. We’re like the carpenter who never finishes his own house — client work always came first, and working on the business took a back seat.
Murray: You came across EOS through the Traction book?
David: Yes. It’s a straightforward, common-sense read. But more than that, it came with a system and an implementer — that made it compelling.
Murray: And how did you connect with Dave?
David: I’ve known Dave for a long time — he’s actually my brother-in-law. We’ve had many chats about business over the years, and when he started working with EOS, I was intrigued. When he came in to chat, the timing and message were perfect for us.
Murray: You’re now in your second quarter. What has changed so far?
David: We’re addressing issues weekly through our Level 10 meetings. That regular rhythm has increased awareness and accountability. We’re also making progress on our rocks. Our biggest medium-term challenge is transitioning to our ideal accountability chart and de-hatting roles — handing off responsibilities as we grow.
Murray: Is that more of an emotional or resourcing issue?
David: A bit of both. There’s definitely some emotional reluctance to let go. But mainly, it’s about capacity. Our team is already stretched, so unless we restructure or grow, we can’t just offload tasks.
Murray: And how has the accountability chart experience been?
David: It’s challenging because it forces you to revisit and clarify each person’s core role. We haven’t fully embraced it yet, but it’s our next big focus.
Murray: You mentioned a shift from always being customer-focused to looking inward as well. That must be a big mindset change?
David: Definitely. As a service business, we’re hardwired to be customer-centric. But we realised we need to serve ourselves too. If we don’t, we can’t sustain or scale.
Murray: What would you say to other small business owners who may not be ready for EOS but are facing similar challenges?
David: Break things down into small, manageable parts. That’s what EOS does well. Most businesses don’t have a clear plan or daily alignment across the team. If you can get everyone on the same page, even without EOS, that alone is powerful.
Murray: That’s a great takeaway — alignment creates momentum. Dave, what changes have you seen since starting with Collab?
Dave: The biggest change has been accountability. Their Level 10 meetings are now structured and purposeful. They’re identifying issues, solving them, and getting real traction. The team has more clarity around what they need to do every day to reach their long-term goals.
Murray: For those unfamiliar, can you quickly explain a Level 10 meeting?
Dave: Sure. It’s a 90-minute weekly meeting. We start with a segue — sharing a personal and professional best — to get in the right mindset. Then we move into reviewing measurables, rocks, and headlines before diving into the bulk of the meeting: identifying, discussing, and solving issues. The goal is to solve them so they don’t come back.
Murray: That’s excellent. David, just remind us again — how can people reach The Collab Agency?
David: collabagency.com.au is the best place.
Murray: Brilliant. Thanks for joining us on Gripping Business Tales, both of you.
David: Thanks, Murray.
Dave: Thanks.
“Most businesses…. don’t have any plans and they don’t walk into the office or their workplace all aligned about what they are trying to achieve and you think about the power of alignment, that’s amazing.”