Hidden Gems: Meet Sarah Arvizu of The Sunshine Era

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Arvizu.

Hi Sarah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Sure, my name is Sarah and I am a single mom to two amazing girls. I am the host of The Creating Sunshine Podcast, the founder of The Sunshine Era, a speaker, and a cancer survivor. My personal development journey was born out of necessity because I was losing control of my own life. In 2020 I was a newly single mom and I was very burnt out, overwhelmed, and stressed out. All the while, I looked like I had it all together from the outside. I knew that something had to change and I found podcasts. I was obsessed and listened all the time. I eventually started believing what I was hearing and wanted more ways to connect. I started attending events and meeting like minded women who wanted more for their lives.
In 2023 I began working with a mentor who suggested I start my own podcast and from there Creating Sunshine was born. Over these last two years I have had the opportunity to interview so many amazing guests and hear their stories. The podcast has also been so healing for me, to be able to speak openly and use my voice. We discuss all things mindset, motherhood, business, and just life in general. I love a good transformation story!
Community has definitely had the biggest impact in my life. Once I started asking for help, meeting other women, and allowing others to support me everything changed. Especially this year when I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Triple Negative breast cancer. I knew I needed help and support because this was going to be the hardest year of my life. I have now had six rounds of chemo, three surgeries- including a double mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction- but I am happy to say that I am cancer free! Having cancer completely changed my outlook on life and what was important. I have continued my podcast and now I have created The Sunshine Era. This is the community I wish I would have found back in 2020 where women are supporting each other and learning the tools that they need to make it through not only the good times in life but also the hard times. I teach women to look for the sunshine moments in their lives and to celebrate them so big!
I have had the opportunity this year to share my story on stage and impact so many women and am looking forward to more speaking opportunities in 2026. Showing others what is possible through sharing my own story has been the best part about this year!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Becoming a single mom was something I never planned on and when that happened my whole life changed. I began to develop a hyper independence that put up a huge wall in my life and I did not want to let anyone in. Things got very lonely when I was living life that way.
Once I started to open up and realized that there were so many other people that had their own struggles to share I started to develop some really beautiful friendships. This is where I learned that there was a better way. Now I have a community of amazing women that I can lean on and we all support each other, in life and in business.
The thing about building a business is that it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes an incredible amount of belief in yourself and your dreams to keep going. Sometimes I think it would be easier to just quit and stay with my 9 to 5 job, but I know at the end of the day that this dream on my heart and the impact that I know I’m meant to make is not going away. So, even on the days when it’s tough and I’m questioning everything I’m doing, I keep going.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Sunshine Era?
The Sunshine Era is a community that I created based upon what I wish existed. I saw a need for a personal development community, something that comes before the business. I wanted to teach women the tools that they would need to build belief in themselves so they can go after their dreams and not feel burnt out and overwhelmed by everyday life.
I am known for creating sunshine and making it through the challenging times with not only a positive outlook but the mindset that I can conquer anything. I knew when I was diagnosed with cancer this year that I needed to completely embody that mindset in order to not only survive cancer but also thrive through it. What sets me apart is I truly practice what I preach but I also show the real and that life is not always butterflies and rainbows. I share my story at both virtual and in person events. I have been able to touch people with my story and make an impact in so many lives sharing the real, raw, and messy.
I am most proud of the women that I have impacted, for every message about the podcast, my events, or my community and when someone tells me that I have helped them. That is what it is all about, one person sending a message thanking me for showing up because it gave them hope or inspiration.
I want readers to know that they don’t have to do it alone, that life it so much better together. If they are looking for a community of supportive women who cheer each other on while holding each other accountable then there is a place in The Sunshine Era for them. The community is virtual, so you can join from anywhere around the world. We are also going to be hosting in person events in 2026 in the South Bay for those that are really craving that in person connection.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Authenticity is most important to my success. Who you see on social media, who you hear on my podcast, and who you hear on stage, is who you are going to get in person. I do not sugarcoat it, I truly believe that people have so much more power than they often give themselves credit for and we can absolutely create the lives we dream of. We have the power to choose who we are going to be and I am creating my life by design.

Pricing:

• The Sunshine Era $44 per month

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/saraharvizu
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah_arvizu
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-arvizu-484798324
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/53hAR7FnlCNuqkxrLAIJxc?si=b89150ba232b46ed

Image Credits
Ronda Cordova
Shayna Yurko