Ep 119: Develop a Winning Pitch: Lessons from a $100 Million Exit w/ Sarah Dusek

In this episode of Prospecting On Purpose®, Sara Murray sits down with Sarah Dusek, an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, author, hotelier, and co-founder of Under Canvas, the upscale outdoor hospitality company she sold in 2018 for over $100 million.Sarah shares how she went from the nonprofit world to building, scaling, selling, investing, and now launching her next hospitality venture, Few & Far Luvhondo. Through her journey, she has learned that business can be a powerful vehicle for good — and that the best pitches are built on clarity, confidence, connection, and deep understanding of the person on the other side of the table.If you’ve ever struggled to communicate your value, pitch an idea, sell with confidence, or ask for the opportunity you want, this conversation will help you rethink what it means to sell authentically and show up prepared.Click here to watch a video of this episode. What You’ll Gain:🔹 How to Sell Authentically – Why the best version of selling starts with caring deeply about what you do and communicating that passion naturally.🔹 Pitch What Buyers Actually Want – Learn why successful pitching requires understanding your audience’s business model, motivations, metrics, and decision-making process.🔹 Confidence Through Skin in the Game – Discover why betting on yourself is essential before you can ask someone else to bet on you.🔹 Prepare for Your One Shot – Sarah explains why first impressions matter, why “good enough” can cost you opportunities, and why real human feedback still matters in the age of AI.🔹 Relationships Open Doors – Learn why warm introductions, value-added relationships, and authentic connection can change the outcome of a pitch, meeting, sale, or career opportunity.Key Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:🎯 A winning pitch is not about what you want to sell, it’s about what the other person needs to buy.💡 Confidence is built when your actions, values, and message are aligned.🚀 Relationships are not transactional, but they can become the bridge to rooms, opportunities, and decisions you could never reach alone.Sarah also shares insights from her book, Thinking Bigger: A Pitch Deck Formula for Women Who Want to Change the World, and introduces listeners to Few & Far Luvhondo, her conservation-focused luxury safari lodge in South Africa.Your pitch is more than a presentation. It is your opportunity to connect, communicate value, and invite someone to believe in what you are building.Tune in now and start prospecting on purpose!For more insights, revisit:🎙 Episode 4 – Why Icebreakers Work for Prospecting🎙 Episode 20 – Four Pillars for a Confident Mindset🎙 The Core Values episode on using your values as a guide for stronger decisions, deeper alignment, and more authentic business relationships.Connect with Sarah Dusek:🌐 Sarah’s Website: https://sarahhdusek.com/🌐 Few & Far Luvhondo: https://www.fewandfarluvhondo.com/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhdusek/📘 Book: Thinking Bigger: A Pitch Deck Formula for Women Who Want to Change the WorldConnect with Sara:Website: https://www.saramurray.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysalesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saramurraysales/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saramurraysales/#ProspectingOnPurpose #SarahDusek #SaraMurray #WinningPitch #PitchDeck #SalesPitch #AuthenticSelling #RelationshipSelling #WomenEntrepreneurs #VentureCapital #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #SalesMindset #ThinkingBiggerChapters00:00 Intro00:31 Meet Sarah Dusek01:31 Accidental Entrepreneur04:40 Authentic Selling07:22 Connection Creates Sales10:03 Pitching What Buyers Want14:43 Confidence And Skin In18:23 One Shot Pitch Prep22:15 Relationships Open Doors29:34 Being True To Yourself35:24 Few And Far Safari Lodge37:05 Wrap Up And Where To