Makers & Movers Series: Dominique Brown
1. Introductory Insight
What is your name, and what is your side hustle or business?
Dominique Brown, though, depending on the day, mindset, or caffeine level, I might answer to “Sir Dom.”
Briefly describe your business or side hustle.
I co-own Dispute Beast, a financial improvement software as a service that helps people go from “credit denied” to “credit approved” without needing to become credit experts. It’s like having a credit repair ninja in your pocket, minus the black mask and nunchucks.
But we don’t just serve individuals. We also assist real estate agents, loan officers, car salespeople—anyone who depends on creditworthy clients. We take their “dead deals” and revive them into closings. You could say we turn “not workable” into “let’s get this paperwork signed.”
How long have you been operating your business?
This journey started back in 2009 when I thought I wanted to become a financial planner. However, I quickly realized that the people I truly wanted to help didn’t have access to investment capital. They had overdrafts, late payments, and dreams they hadn’t given up on. So I pivoted.
I started with budgeting and credit. I wrote a book on fixing your credit. That helped some, but I realized not everyone learns the same way. Some people want to read, some want to watch, others want it done for them. So, I built a one-on-one service that helped people budget, improve credit, and eventually step into homeownership and investing.
But I hit a ceiling. I couldn’t help as many people as I wanted to by doing everything manually. That forced me to go upstream. I shifted from one-to-one to one-to-many. Built a DIY platform. Then, pushed even further, developing tech that could automate the entire process with just a few clicks. And that’s how we got here.
2. Business Journey
What inspired you to start your business?
I saw a gap, and I couldn’t ignore it. People weren’t failing because they were lazy. They were failing because the system wasn’t designed with them in mind. I wanted to help people build wealth, but wealth starts with stability. So I had to backtrack and meet people where they actually were—in credit card debt, dealing with collections, and locked out of opportunities. That was the spark. And everything since has been about removing those roadblocks.
How did you transition from idea to execution?
You start with the problem. Is it big enough to solve? If yes, what’s one step you can take today to begin solving it?
I’m a huge fan of hyperfocus. I don’t like having a dozen things spinning in different directions. I take my existing skill set or passion and build vertically and horizontally so everything feeds the same mission.
That’s how I moved from idea to action. One focused, intentional step at a time, all within the same lane.
What were the initial challenges you faced?
There were internal and external challenges.
Internally, it was sticking with the vision even when the money wasn’t coming in yet. Pushing through when I didn’t have all the skills I needed and had to learn them on my own.
Externally, I was trying to convince people to trust a new solution in an industry that has burned them. Whether it’s real estate professionals or direct-to-consumer clients, they’re walking in with credit trauma. You have to break down those walls while proving you’re not just another quick-fix scam.
3. Strategic Moves
What does a typical day look like for you?
I break my day into thirds, and family is baked into all of it.
- Morning: Self-work. Reading, working out, meditating, hydrating, or doing something for me. If my daughters need something or the house needs my attention, that goes here, too.
- Midday: Work. I operate in four-hour focused blocks. No mile-long task lists. Just the few things that actually matter.
- Evening: Recovery. Family time, planning the next day, and doing whatever helps me recharge.
How do you manage and prioritize tasks?
I ask three questions:
- Does it move the needle?
- What happens if this doesn’t get done?
- What does Dominique need today?
If I’m mentally, emotionally, and physically sharp, the business gets my best. So, I take care of myself first.
What tools or systems do you use to run your business?
We’ve got a full in-house development team, so we build most of our systems ourselves. We use tools like Zapier, Google Workspace, and several merchant processors.
Personally, my blood pressure monitor and my WHOOP band are my daily accountability partners. They help me stay in peak condition because if I’m off, the whole operation feels it. And I don’t like making sloppy decisions.
4. Financial Insights
What was your initial investment?
Around $250,000 to go live. But the real investment was time. Probably 20 times that in learning, testing, and building the right team. You can’t discount the cost of figuring it out over the years. Education, even when it’s free, costs time. And time is expensive.
How has your revenue grown over time?
Let’s just say we’ve gone from ramen to ribeye. The business is strong. It provides for my family, my team, and our goals. I don’t want for anything financially. We reinvest heavily and build with intention, not hype.
How do you manage cash flow and profitability?
We forecast like we’re prepping for winter. We don’t just look at what’s coming in. We plan for what could go wrong. It’s about staying lean, disciplined, and profitable. Revenue is loud, but profit is quiet. And I like quiet power.
5. Growth & Outreach
What marketing strategies have been most effective for you?
Real people sharing real results. When someone posts, “I just got approved after being denied for years,” that hits differently. We don’t need smoke and mirrors—we just show the receipts. Word-of-mouth, affiliate partnerships, and client success stories are our cheat codes.
We also have the most Google reviews in our space from actual customers. That doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from delivering real, measurable results. And because we’re so confident in what we do, we back it all with a 110% money-back guarantee. No gimmicks. Just real outcomes. It’s easy to use, it actually works, and we’re willing to stake more than just our reputation on it.
What marketing channels have been most effective for your business?
Email is the unsung hero. It’s where the conversions live. Social media helps us build trust, especially with behind-the-scenes stories and walkthroughs. But affiliate marketing is the engine. When you give the right people the right tools, they’ll spread your message better than any ad campaign.
And here’s the twist. We don’t just help our customers—we empower them. Every user gets a free affiliate account. So imagine this. You finally get the help you need, and then you turn around and send your link to a friend or family member who’s been struggling, too. Now, you’re not just improving your credit. You’re helping someone you love to do the same, and earning in the process.
6. Challenges & Lessons Learned
What significant challenges have you encountered?
Plenty. Hiring the wrong people. Scaling too early. Underestimating how much trauma people bring into this process. You’re not just solving a credit issue. You’re undoing years of fear, shame, and mistrust.
How did you overcome them?
I kept showing up. I adjusted. I learned to communicate better. I got therapy. I listened to feedback and built a thicker skin without losing my heart. There’s no one solution. You just keep growing through what you’re going through.
What lessons have you learned that you’d share with aspiring entrepreneurs?
Stay focused. Don’t chase every shiny object.
Know your customers better than they know themselves.
Build trust like a brick wall—slowly and with intention.
And remember, done is better than perfect. People can’t benefit from what you almost launched.
7. Future Plans
What are your short-term and long-term goals?
Short-term: continue scaling Dispute Beast and support 100,000 users this year.
Long-term: expand our white-label platform to help lenders, brokers, and businesses turn more of their “no” clients into “yes” clients. I want Dispute Beast to be the silent engine behind the scenes, making approvals happen.
Are there any new projects or expansions on the horizon?
Yes. We’re building next-gen credit monitoring, expanding our analytics dashboard, and making it easier for professionals to plug into our system. The goal is to become the go-to infrastructure for anyone who depends on creditworthy customers.
How do you plan to scale your business?
By staying rooted in our mission and letting tech do the heavy lifting. We automate what can be automated, empower our partners with tools that scale their operations, and obsess over our user experience. Scaling isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing less, better.
8. Personal Insights
How do you balance work and personal life?
I protect my peace as if it were a business asset. I don’t take calls all day. I don’t let work bleed into family time. I block off personal development, family connections, and downtime like I would a CEO meeting. Balance isn’t a goal. It’s a boundary.
What motivates you to keep going?
Legacy. Knowing that what I’m building matters for my daughters, my wife, and the people who rely on this platform to get another shot. When someone messages me saying, “Because of you, I got approved,” that’s fuel. Money’s cool, but its impact is addictive.
If you could have dinner with any entrepreneur, who would it be and why?
Tope Awotona, founder and CEO of Calendly. The man turned a simple scheduling idea into a platform used by over 10 million people a month. His strategic focus and ability to scale without hype are rare. I’d be all ears.
Also, Stacy Brown-Philpot, former CEO of TaskRabbit. She started with a paper route in Detroit and went on to lead a global gig-economy platform that empowered over 140,000 Taskers. She has been at Google, Stanford, and Wharton and now sits on the boards of Nordstrom and HP. She’s proof that grit, grace, and brilliance can coexist. I’d ask for a double order of wisdom at that dinner table.
9. Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Build something that solves a real problem. Ignore trends. Start small and keep it simple. Don’t outsource your thinking. And get comfortable being misunderstood for a while.
What do you wish you knew before starting your business?
That momentum is more important than motivation. That no one’s coming to save you. And that it’s okay to outgrow people, services, and even your own original vision.
How can one stay resilient during tough times?
You need anchors. Whether it’s your family, your faith, your why – you have to stay rooted. Document your wins, big or small. When it gets dark, read them. Remind yourself you’ve already survived worse.
10. Fun Rapid-Fire Round
What’s your favorite productivity hack?
Put your phone in another room, set a 90-minute timer, and go beast mode on one task. Works every time.
If your business had a theme song, what would it be?
“Started From the Bottom” by Drake. Or maybe “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” by Kanye. Or maybe “U Don’t Know” by Jay-z or “Ghost of Soulja Slim” by Jay Electronica. Depends on the mood and the milestone.
What’s a fun fact about you that most people don’t know?
I’m low-key obsessed with villains in movies. Thanos? Loved him. Every quote was a masterclass in conviction. Bane? Iconic. I don’t know what that says about me, but if the villain has a philosophy and a plan, I’m locked in. My favorite movie of all time is Infinity War. I’ve probably watched it more than any motivational speech on YouTube.
How can people follow your business?
Check us out at www.disputebeast.com. If you’ve ever felt stuck with your credit, we’re the team that helps you fight back and win.
