
Lisa Dunn has mastered the art of balancing business and family.
Alongside her husband Sean, Lisa plays an integral role across three local businesses: Irrigear Whitsundays, Dunnrite Plumbing Services, and The Organised Life Whitsundays. Add two young children into the mix, and life is rarely quiet!
The Dunns’ business journey began with Dunnrite Plumbing Services, launched in 2020. Sean drove the business strategy, while Lisa’s focus naturally centred on people, relationships, and culture.
“When people feel valued, supported and cared for, everything else follows,” Lisa says.
In 2022, Lisa co-founded The Organised Life Whitsundays with her close friend Alia, inspired by her own experience of how overwhelming modern life can feel. The goal was simple — to help others regain a sense of calm and control in their homes and schedules.
Taking over Irrigear Whitsundays in 2025 marked the next bold step for the Dunns. Lisa refers to this as a career highlight, expressing her gratitude to the experienced and capable team who took the transition in their stride.
“Honestly, they make my job easier,” Lisa laughs, “some days they make me look far more organised than I actually am.”
Lisa’s resilience and adaptability was shaped long before she entered the business world. Born in Zimbabwe, she later lived in the UK before eventually settling in Australia to be close to family here. The presence of old friends drew Lisa to the Whitsundays, but the laidback lifestyle, strong community and family feel, caused her to stay.
Now, sharing her home with Sean’s sister and her children, two dogs, a cat, a guinea pig named Cinnamon, and a few fish, the house is basically organised chaos.
“It’s busy both at home and in business,” Lisa explains, “fuelled by lots and lots of coffee — but it’s also full of love and laughter.”
“At the end of the day, I’m just doing my best to juggle motherhood, business, and life, and I’m incredibly grateful to be surrounded by people who make that possible.”
1- Lisa Dunn, matriarch at the helm of three family businesses. Photo credit: R Jean Photography