An Adelaide woman who lost both parents at 35 turns personal grief into practical support for Australian executors.

Press Release

For Immediate Release

ADELAIDE, Australia, 30th August 2026: When Danielle Phillips said goodbye to her father over FaceTime in May 2020, she never imagined that becoming his executor would eventually lead her to build a business helping Australian families navigate one of life's most difficult practical responsibilities.

COVID border restrictions meant Phillips could not be by her father's side when he died. Fifteen months later, after caring full-time for her mother through a rare neurological condition, she lost her too and became executor of her mother's estate.

Alongside the grief, Phillips found herself responsible for a long list of practical tasks with little guidance. Notifying banks, superannuation funds, insurers and government agencies, gathering documents, locating assets and closing accounts meant managing more than 40 separate tasks while trying to process the loss of both parents.

"I didn't have the capacity to properly grieve because everything I had went into forms, phone calls and follow-ups," said Phillips, Founder of Sage Executor Solutions.

"Being an executor is a responsibility most people are simply not prepared for. You are grieving, but the administration doesn't stop. I kept thinking, surely there should be someone who can help families actually get through all of this."

That experience led Phillips to establish Sage Executor Solutions, an Australian service providing practical, non-legal support to executors and families administering a deceased estate. Danielle also created a course to teach others how to be an executor.

The business works alongside lawyers, financial planners and other professional advisers, helping families manage the practical workload that follows a death without providing legal or financial advice.

Since launching, Sage Executor Solutions has supported more than 150 families across Australia, saving an estimated 11,600 hours of estate administration and building a referral network of more than 100 legal, financial, funeral and aged care professionals.

Phillips has also seen growing demand for education around the executor role. Earlier this year, she presented a webinar for the SMSF Association that attracted more than 600 registrations, highlighting what she believes is a significant gap in Australians' understanding of what happens after someone dies.

Turning personal experience into education

Phillips has now taken that mission a step further with the Online Executor Digital Masterclass, designed to help people understand the executor role and the practical work involved in administering an estate.

The self-paced Masterclass provides practical guidance across the executor journey, including what to do immediately after a death, dealing with banks and superannuation, insurance, property, government notifications, digital assets and estate records. It also includes a workbook, practical toolkit resources and a one-to-one support session with Phillips.

The premise is simple: being named an executor doesn't come with instructions.

"Most people prepare a Will, but very few prepare the person who will acually have to carry it out," Phillips said.

"I built Sage because I wished someone had handed me this kind of support the week my father died. The Masterclass is about making that knowledge available to more people, so they don't have to learn everything while they are in the middle of grief."

The Masterclass is part of Phillips' broader goal of changing the conversation around estate preparation, encouraging families to think not only about having a Will, but also about whether the person appointed executor understands what they may be taking on.

Recognition for filling an overlooked gap

Phillips' work is now receiving recognition beyond the families and professional networks she supports.

She has been named a 2026 Business Elite's TOP 40 honouree, recognising Australian business leaders for their achievements, leadership and contribution.

She is also a finalist in four categories at the 2026 AusMumpreneur Awards: Professional Services, Personal Services, Emerging AusMumpreneur and Top 100.

For Phillips, the recognition is meaningful because it reflects a problem she experienced personally and has since seen repeatedly in the families she supports.

"I never set out to build a business from losing my parents. I was simply trying to find a better way through something that was incredibly difficult," Phillips said.

"What has become clear is that I wasn't the only person who needed this support. There are thousands of Australians who become executors without knowing what is expected of them or where to start."

Phillips hopes the recognition will help bring greater awareness to the practical realities of estate administration and encourage more Australians to prepare for the executor role before they need to take it on.

The winners of the 2026 AusMumpreneur Awards will be announced at a ceremony later this year.

Online Executor Digital Masterclass

For people who want to better understand and prepare for the executor role:
https://www.sageexecutorsolutions.com.au/executormasterclassenroll

-ENDS-

About Sage Executor Solutions

Sage Executor Solutions is an Australian, non-legal deceased estate administration service founded by Danielle Phillips. The business supports executors and families with the practical workload that follows a death, including locating assets, gathering documents, making notifications and liaising with institutions. Sage Executor Solutions works alongside lawyers and financial planners and does not provide legal or financial advice.