Finding the Expert in You: How Ann Carden Transforms Expertise into Businesses

What if your greatest business opportunity isn’t something new, but something you already possess? In this eye-opening conversation with business growth expert Ann Carden, we explore how entrepreneurs can transform their expertise into thriving, profitable businesses.

Carden’s journey from teaching neighborhood craft classes at age eight to building and selling five successful companies offers a masterclass in business evolution. Rather than chasing the next shiny opportunity, she reveals how staying three steps ahead of market trends allowed her to pivot seamlessly from a global doll business to health clubs to high-ticket coaching—all while maintaining profitability.

For creative professionals who struggle with the business side of their operations, Carden offers refreshingly practical advice. “The creative side is where you can really expand and grow the business,” she explains, “but you have to treat it like a business. Otherwise, what you love is not going to be fun.” Her approach balances creative fulfillment with sound business strategy, ensuring entrepreneurs don’t burn out on their passions.

Perhaps most valuable is Carden’s concept of “growing money trees”—developing multiple revenue streams rather than relying on a single business model. This orchard approach provides stability even during market disruptions, as evidenced by how she weathered changes in both the craft and fitness industries.

Carden’s “Expert in You” methodology helps entrepreneurs package their brilliance for premium pricing, often uncovering blind spots where they can’t recognize their most valuable skills. “What they’re really incredible at doing, they don’t even see it, because they’re too good,” she observes, explaining how she’s helped consultants increase their client value from $1,500 to $50,000 through strategic repositioning.