The story behind Sage Executor Solutions
People often ask me why I started Sage Executor Solutions.
The honest answer is that I didn’t set out to build a business.
I set out to survive.
Losing my dad during COVID
In May 2020, during the COVID border closures, I lost my dad.
Because of hospital restrictions, most of my final goodbyes happened over FaceTime rather than by his side.
I was 35.
There is something profoundly difficult about losing a parent. There is something even harder about losing them when circumstances prevent you from being there in the way you desperately want to be.
At the same time, my mum was living with a rare neurological condition, and I was her carer.
Not long after we lost Dad, we lost Mum too.
Within months, I had lost both of my parents.
And then I became the executor of both of their estates.
Grieving while trying to work out what came next
I had never been an executor before.
Suddenly, I was responsible for navigating two deceased estates while trying to process the loss of the two people who had raised me.
I quickly discovered just how much there is to do after someone dies.
There are more than 40 separate administrative tasks that can follow a death in Australia.
Banks.
Superannuation.
Insurance.
Government agencies.
Property.
Accounts and subscriptions.
Documents and certificates.
Forms.
Phone calls.
Deadlines.
Decisions.
And countless organisations that need to be contacted and notified.
I learned almost every part of the process myself.
I remember sitting in Centrelink offices with death certificates in my bag.
I remember repeatedly giving my parents’ names and dates of death to banks, super funds and other organisations.
I remember being asked for documents I didn’t know existed.
And I remember thinking that there had to be an easier way.
Because while all of this was happening, I was grieving.
Nobody prepares you for being an executor
Before becoming an executor, I had never really thought about what the role involved.
I suspect that is true for most people.
We talk about wills. We talk about funeral arrangements. We talk about losing someone.
But we don’t always talk about what happens afterwards.
Being an executor can feel like taking on a part-time job you never applied for, at exactly the moment when you are least equipped to take it on.
You may suddenly be responsible for making important decisions, finding documents, contacting organisations, managing paperwork and keeping track of deadlines.
And there is no pause button for grief.
The administration doesn’t stop because you are having a difficult day.
The forms still need to be completed.
The calls still need to be made.
The estate still needs to be administered.
For me, that combination was incredibly overwhelming.
I was learning as I went, trying to do the right thing while my heart was still in pieces.
The question that stayed with me
There were many moments during that time when I wished someone could simply sit beside me and say:
“Here is what you need to do. Here is what can wait. Here is what matters now. And here is what you don’t need to worry about yet.”
But there was no one person who could do that for me.
So I worked it out myself.
I learned the processes.
I asked questions.
I made phone calls.
I found documents.
I completed forms.
I kept going.
And eventually, I administered both estates.
But the experience stayed with me.
I couldn’t stop thinking about how difficult this must be for someone who has no idea where to start.
Why I created Sage Executor Solutions
That experience became the foundation for Sage Executor Solutions.
I built the service I wish someone had handed me the week after my dad died.
Sage Executor Solutions exists to help executors and families navigate the practical administration that follows a death.
Because when someone you love dies, your energy should be focused on grieving, your family and yourself.
You shouldn't have to become an expert in estate administration overnight.
You shouldn't have to know which organisations to contact, which documents you need or what needs to happen next without any support.
And you shouldn't feel like asking for help means you aren't capable of doing the job.
It doesn't.
It means you're human.
If you are an executor right now
If you have recently been appointed an executor, there is one thing I want you to know.
You are not behind.
There is no perfect way to navigate an estate.
You are dealing with a process that most people have never experienced before, often while dealing with one of the biggest losses of their lives.
Take it one step at a time.
Ask questions.
Get support where you need it.
And remember that you don't have to carry every part of it alone.
Sage Executor Solutions was born from my own experience of losing both of my parents and becoming an executor twice.
It exists because I know what it feels like to be grieving while staring at a mountain of practical things that still need to be done.
And because I believe there should be a better way.
Have you ever been an executor?
What surprised you most about the role?
If you're currently navigating an estate, or simply want to understand more about what happens after someone dies, subscribe to the Sage Executor Solutions newsletter.
I'll be sharing practical guidance, lessons from my own experience and information designed to make the executor journey feel a little less overwhelming.
You don't have to navigate it alone.
