Story & Lesson Highlights with Tara Dunn of Gilbert, East Valley

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

Tara, 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: When have you felt most loved—and did you believe you deserved it?
When I’ve felt most loved, it hasn’t been in the big, public moments, it’s been in the small, quiet ones. Like being at any event, surrounded by people, smiling and making conversation… but feeling that ache of not quite belonging. I’ve been to so many of those, beautiful spaces, well-intentioned gatherings but I’d leave feeling like no one really saw me.

The times I’ve felt truly loved were when I didn’t have to try. When I could just be. When someone noticed without me having to explain, when they made space for me without expectation. It wasn’t about being impressive or having it all together it was about being human and still being welcomed.

And for a long time, I didn’t think I deserved that. I thought I had to earn love by showing up strong, helpful, put-together. But building Connect.Belong changed something in me. I created the space I was always searching for, one where women can show up exactly as they are and be fully received. And in holding that space for others, I began to believe maybe I deserved it too. Maybe I always did.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Absolutely. Here’s the revised version without em dashes:

Hi, I’m Tara, founder of Connect.Belong, community builder, business coach, and branding photographer. I’m also a wife and mama to two amazing boys who keep my world grounded in love and perspective.

For years, I was building what looked like a beautiful life and business, but inside, I carried this quiet ache of not feeling truly seen. I’d go to daytime events, full of lovely people and good intentions, but still leave feeling hollow. Like I was showing up everywhere and still wondering if I really belonged.

That’s what inspired me to create Connect.Belong, a monthly gathering here in Arizona for women like me, like us, who are craving something real. This isn’t about networking or pitching. It’s about being fully human and connecting authentically. We spend time together, sip coffee, share stories, and remind each other that we don’t have to do any of this alone.

Through my work as a coach and photographer, I help women step into their purpose and show up with confidence and clarity in life, in business, and in their brand. But Connect Belong is the heart of it all. It’s not just a brand. It’s my story. And it’s become a home for so many women who are brave, brilliant, and tired of carrying it all alone.

Right now, I’m focused on expanding these gatherings and creating more spaces, both online and in person, that foster belonging, courage, and connection. Because we all deserve a place where we can show up exactly as we are and know, deep down, that we belong.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that believed I had to do everything alone. That version of me served a purpose, it kept me moving, kept me strong, helped me build and survive when I didn’t feel fully supported. But she was always carrying more than she needed to. She believed that asking for help was weakness, that resting meant falling behind, and that love had to be earned through doing.

I honor her for getting me this far, but I don’t need her to lead anymore. I’m learning to let her go so I can fully receive the support, connection, and softness I’ve created space for in my life. There’s strength in being held, in trusting community, in allowing others to see the real me. And that’s who I want to be now, rooted, open, and no longer carrying it all alone.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would look her in the eyes and say, “You don’t have to try so hard to be enough. You already are. You are worthy of love, rest, and joy, just as you are. You don’t have to prove anything to be seen. Just breathe. You are doing better than you think, and one day, all this tenderness in your heart will become your greatest strength.”

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
A cultural value I protect at all costs is loving people. Truly loving them, not just when it’s easy or convenient, but in the real, messy, beautiful ways that matter most. For me, that means creating spaces where people feel safe to be fully themselves. Where they’re not judged or measured, but seen and valued. I believe love looks like listening well, showing up consistently, and reminding others they don’t have to do life alone. Belonging flows from that kind of love, and I’ll always fight to protect it. Because loving people isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
What I understand deeply, that I think many people don’t, is how much strength it takes to be soft. To keep your heart open in a world that constantly tells you to harden. To love people without conditions. To show up gently, consistently, even when you’re tired or carrying your own heaviness.

I understand how many women are building beautiful things while quietly wondering if they’re too much or not enough. And I know the kind of courage it takes to keep going when you feel unseen. That’s why I create spaces where women don’t have to perform. Where they can exhale, be real, and still be deeply loved.

I’ve learned that the most transformative thing you can offer isn’t strategy or solutions, it’s presence. It’s holding space. And I will never stop doing that, because I know what it feels like to need it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://connectbelong.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taradunnconnects/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-dunn-0a7046246/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tdunnphotography/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaraDunnConnects
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/taradunnconnects/

Image Credits
Individual Photos of Tara Dunn by Meg Marie Photo
Group Photos by Tara Dunn Photography