Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Sara Dunn of Southwest

We recently had the chance to connect with Sara Dunn and have shared our conversation below.

Sara, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time in my yard, and it’s bringing me so much joy. I absolutely love gardening. It’s peaceful, it gets me outside, and it gives me a chance to be creative in a totally different way.

There’s also a lot about gardening that reminds me of building a business. You start with a vision and some tiny seeds—or maybe a few small plants—and you just believe they’ll grow into something beautiful. You nurture them, care for them, and trust the process. And over time, you get to watch that vision take shape, sometimes even more fully than you imagined.

Of course, there are always surprises. For me lately, it’s the rabbits eating my hostas. But even the setbacks remind me that growth takes patience, flexibility, and tenacity. Gardening has been such a good reminder to keep working on things, even when they don’t go exactly as planned.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure! I’m an SEO expert who works with creative wedding professionals: photographers, planners, venues, florists, and others in the wedding industry. I help them get found in search, whether that’s on Google or in newer tools like ChatGPT and AI search.

Weddings are a unique industry where you don’t get repeat clients, so every opportunity to get in front of the right couple really matters. I love being able to take something technical like SEO and make it feel approachable and actually helpful to creative business owners who usually want nothing to do with the tech side of marketing.

What makes my work special is that it’s about so much more than keywords or rankings. I get to help small business owners keep doing what they love, by helping the right people find them at the right time. I also see SEO as a long-term freedom tool. When your business can be found without you constantly having to hustle or post all day on social media, that’s a game-changer.

Right now, a big focus for me is helping my clients get found in AI tools like ChatGPT. It’s a new frontier in search, and I want creative business owners to be part of that conversation—not left behind by it.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My parents definitely taught me the most about work. They encouraged me to get a job as a teenager, not because they were pushing me, but because they wanted me to learn how to make my own decisions about money and how I spent it. That early experience gave me such a sense of independence.

It made me feel useful and capable in a way that stuck with me. Having that responsibility at a younger age really shaped how I see work today—not just as something you do just to earn a paycheck, but as something that gives you freedom, purpose, and confidence.

When did you last change your mind about something important?
In the last few years, I’ve completely changed my mind about building a team. For a long time, I believed I’d always run a one-person business. I thought that managing people meant being a taskmaster, handing out assignments, and constantly worrying if the work would get done. To me, team members just sounded like added complexity, and I really wanted to keep things simple.

But then I got some coaching and encouragement from business owners who had built strong teams. They helped me see that good team members aren’t just extra hands — they bring their own problem-solving skills, enthusiasm, and expertise. Instead of making things harder, they actually make the business owner’s job easier.

Now I have a team of 11 people, including full-time, part-time, and contractors, and they all do such a great job. I never imagined this would be possible for me, but learning to lean on other people has opened up so much more space for growth.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
I think a lot of smart people are so focused on the “next big thing” that they skip over the basics. It happens all the time in marketing. They’ll put all their energy into the newest platform, or now into AI tools, without having a strong foundation that actually makes their business findable and sustainable.

Don’t get me wrong, I love experimenting with new tools, and I think AI is creating some really exciting opportunities. But the truth is, AI (or any platform) can’t do the heavy lifting for you if you don’t already know who you are, who you serve, and how to communicate that clearly.

To me, where smart people go wrong is assuming that shiny new trends can replace the fundamentals. When you have a solid foundation — good messaging, strong SEO, a clear presence — then the new tools and platforms actually work for you instead of becoming a distraction.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
For me, peace looks like sitting outside with a good book and not having to watch the clock. There’s something about being outdoors, getting lost in a story, and not feeling rushed that just slows everything down. Those quiet moments remind me to breathe, enjoy where I am, and not worry about what’s next.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://saradoesseo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saradoesseo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaraDoesSEO/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradoesseo
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@saradoesseo
  https://saradoesseo.com/seo-for-wedding-venues/

Image Credits
Starling Studio
Carhart Photography