Sara M. McDaniel

Sara McDaniel is an author, home renovator, real estate investor, and the creator of Simply Southern Cottage, where she inspires a community of more than two million followers to see the beauty and possibility in places—and lives—that others might overlook.

After walking through heartbreak, loss, and an unexpected season of starting over, Sara moved back to Louisiana and began rebuilding her life one courageous decision at a time. What started with restoring a neglected cottage grew into a calling to preserve historic properties, create welcoming spaces, and help breathe new life into her beloved small town of Minden.

Her debut book, The Bright Side of the Other Side, is a hope-filled invitation for readers navigating grief, disappointment, change, or an uncertain future. Through honest storytelling and hard-won wisdom, Sara shares how God can use even our most painful chapters to lead us toward restoration, purpose, and a life more beautiful than we imagined.

Sara’s renovation work and small-town revitalization efforts have been featured by national media, including Magnolia Network and HGTV. She is also the founder of Minden Stays alongside The Villas at Spanish Court, owner of Purvéy Minden, a vintage clothing emporium in historic downtown Minden, and the visionary behind Phillip’s Cottage, a transitional home created to serve women and children beginning again.

At the heart of everything Sara does is one deeply held belief: no story, person, or place is ever too broken to be worth saving.