To put it quite simply, yes! And let me tell you that is oversimplifying who this woman really is. Putting aside the fact that Dominique Grubisa has been a lawyer for over 27 years, 22 of those as a barrister, this is someone who has worked incredibly hard to achieve her success. From graduating with honours and a masters degree in law from the prestigious Sydney University, battling to reach the heights of her profession in a predominantly male jurisdiction, becoming a property investor with a multi-million dollar portfolio to where we find her today, an acclaimed business woman and entrepreneur, CEO and founder of the DG Institute. This woman most definitely deserves all the accolades and recognition that come with this celebrated honour roll. But again, putting all of that to one side, it’s what Dominique Grubisa has done for many thousands of Australians suffering under the burden of debt, which really sets her apart. Having endured the pain of almost going bankrupt and losing everything she owned, it is the resilience shown by this woman to not only get back on her feet, but to thrive and prosper from this adversity. And in doing so, using her specialised legal knowledge and experience gained from this hardship, to help others going through the same difficulties.

Having reached the top of her profession as a barrister and becoming a successful property investor, Dominique was riding high. The last thing she expected was to be hit from left field with a blow that had the potential to destroy everything she had built. The knock-out punch came in the form of a business deal that went wrong, followed by a costly court case that ensued and the subsequent global financial crisis which brought her to her knees. A perfect storm! Like many investors who were affected by the GCF, Dominique was left with multi-millions in loans to repay with no way of meeting her financial obligations and a huge legal bill to boot. Eventually she was able to claw her way back from near bankruptcy through sheer drive and determination, to the point where she experienced an awakening or a “lightbulb” moment. This flash of clarity came to her when she realised she could use her legal knowledge and personal experience to help others in financial distress as the fallout from the biggest financial crash to hit a generation took its toll. With renewed vigour and purpose, Dominique took to the media to help leverage her message so that her voice could reach everyday Australians who were struggling with debt. The message was a simple one: Do not give up as there is a way through this debt crisis we are all facing. She managed to secure a story on A Current Affair, where she showed people how to work through their debt situation with creditors and reduce their crippling debts. This single story drew 3,000 enquiries from those with their backs to the wall seeking Dominique’s assistance.

Dominique realised that she had hit a nerve and that there was a need for people to have a way to control their wealth and protect it from being attacked should they ever go through similar circumstances in the future. This would serve not only as a way of protecting people’s assets and wealth but would also, allow for breathing space so that negotiations with creditors could take place which would otherwise generally not be possible. There’s an old saying in law, financially dead men don’t tell tales. Lawyers aren’t interested in assisting people in debt who have no money, there’s nothing in it for them. So those who have no money cannot access the legal system and have their day in court to tell their story. And therein lay the problem. The system had no way to support these people and for most, there was no alternative than to go down fighting, drowning under the weight of their debt or surrender and fall on their own sword, voluntarily declaring bankruptcy. Realising she had to challenge the status quo, Dominique developed her own simple proprietary asset protection strategy, the Master Wealth Control ‘Vestey Trust’ system, which was not only an answer to this widespread problem being faced by every-day Australians, it was also able to be delivered at a more cost-effective price-point than what lawyers would usually charge. To date, Dominique Grubisa has helped over 12,000 people protect and grow their wealth, to not only survive but to thrive.

It was from this initial focus on helping people in debt that Dominique then developed her ‘Real Estate Rescue’ and ‘Business Turnaround’ programs to give both property and business owners alike, an opportunity to find an alternative to going bankrupt by striking Win-Win deals with investors. An approach used widely in the U.S, but sadly, largely unheard of in Australia which meant that in most cases, the end result was not of benefit to anyone. Banks call in business loans, liquidators are appointed, mortgagees repossess properties and the individual is left facing bankruptcy. Arguably, lawyers and insolvency experts are the only ones likely to see any upside in such a system. Again, using her legal expertise, personal experience with debt and understanding of how the legal system works, Dominique has afforded many Australians who would otherwise have been deemed ‘collateral damage’, an opportunity to get on with their lives without the damaging effect and stigma of bankruptcy and the burden of lingering debt.

In 2009, Dominique Grubisa founded what is now known as the DG Institute, which carries on her mission to empower everyday Australians to take control of their lives through education programs in the areas of property and business investment and development, debt management and asset protection. Her goal is to help provide direction, motivation and inspiration to her clients and help them perform at their very best. In addition, Dominique also saw the need to provide all the necessary collateral professional services required to take her clients on their wealth journey. So, with that in mind she created a business advisory which includes legal services through DGI Lawyers, to ensure her clients have their commercial and contractual interests prioritized, protect their assets effectively and undertake succession planning for future generations, DGI Finance, DGI Accounting and DGI Debt Management resulting in a bespoke one-stop-shop experience whereby the company is united in delivering excellence for their clients’ entire wealth journey. Dominique has achieved this by building strong relationships and fostering a sense of abundance and co-operation within the DGI wider community. Her promise to clients - to deliver reliable, accurate and timely services and programs that enable them and their families to thrive.