July 31, 2025 • 25 mins
Are you struggling to grow your business or unsure how to effectively market your services? Ann Carden shares her proven techniques for utilizing social media as a powerful tool for growth. Gain clarity on how to craft compelling messages that resonate with your audience and harness the potential of digital platforms to elevate your brand.
Listen on Podbean:
https://brainworkframework.podbean.com/
Connect with Ann Carden:
Company Website: https://annlcarden.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anncarden-business-consultant-coach/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/anncarden
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/663939057669313 https://twitter.com/ann_carden
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anncardenconsulting/
Connect with Chris Troka:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-troka-3a093058/
Website: https://focused-biz.com/
#brainwork #framework #business #techniques #clarity #socialmedia #digitalplatforms
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
AI is great, and I used AI everysingle day in my business, and there
are ways to leverage it and use it.
That can maximize your time.
But I think one of the mistakes peopleare making is they think it's the
end and people still need humans.
Here's an example.
How frustrating has it been for youover the years as we have seen AI take
(00:22):
over phone calls when you're trying tocall someplace and get something done?
AI takes over and you never get to talkto a person and you get the runaround.
I think people are already tired of that.
I think mistakes that companiesare going to be making and maybe
already are, is they're putting toomuch stock in ai, and I think that's
ultimately gonna hurt their brand.
(00:42):
It's gonna hurt their business.
People still want humans.
They still want that humantouch and that human connection.
You are listening to Brainwork Framework,a Business and Marketing podcast,
brought to you by Focused-biz.com.
Welcome back to another episode.
With us today is Ann Carden.
She's a CEO and Consultant at AnnCarden Coaching and Consulting,
(01:03):
helping with mostly the growth andthe scaling aspect of business.
We're so excited to have her on.
Ann, how you doing today?
Hey Chris, it's so greatto be here with you.
Thanks.
I'm wonderful.
Absolutely.
We always like to ask our entrepreneurs,tell us about your journey.
What were you doing before that kindaled you into what you're doing today?
Well, I went the corporate routeafter I graduated from high
(01:24):
school and went to college.
Found out after a year, collegewas not for me, so I switched it
up and went to a business retailschool and got into retail.
Was in that for 13 years incorporate, working for a billion
dollar company and I was managingmultimillion dollar departments.
13 years later I had kids and I said,this is not the life I want for my kids.
(01:48):
I do not want them raised in daycare.
I don't wanna be working doing inventoryuntil one o'clock in the morning and
all the fun things that go with retail.
My husband and I made a moveback to the Midwest and I
decided to be a stay at home mom.
However, the math didn't work withhis paycheck and we found ourselves
really struggling financially.
We had spent everything, we had to buy ahome and we were outside of a small town.
(02:12):
There wasn't much opportunity.
Now let's just time this, this was about35 years ago and it went the internet.
I was my own designs.
After about seven years, I sold that.
I got into the fitness industry.
I built two health clubs, two weightloss centers, and then sold all of
(02:33):
those and decided, I have acquiredsome business skills here that
could definitely help other people.
And I have been consulting nowfor about coaching and consulting.
I'm really more of a consultantthan I am a coach, but it helping
people really grow and scale theirbusinesses for about 15 years.
So here we are.
That's fantastic.
(02:53):
What an incredible journey.
It sounds similar tomany other entrepreneurs.
What they had just wasn'tcutting it anymore.
They wanted a future, alegacy beyond just themselves.
They had to get creativeand do something different.
And I just love hearing about thesteps that it took to get there.
And here you are today, helpingbusinesses grow and scale.
Are there certain industries or typesof clients that you like to work with?
(03:15):
Or is it kind of a mixture of industries?
I'm working over 80 differentindustries as a consultant.
And I've worked with everything fromplumbing companies to CPAs and Attorneys.
And it's mainly work withprofessional service providers.
(03:37):
They're entrepreneurs,they're business owners.
They might be running a marketing agency.
They might be running a CPA firm, anarchitect and interior design firm.
Kind of the gamut still, but they'reall in professional services.
Nice.
That's awesome because I know it's a lotof those same foundational principles that
(03:57):
can apply to many different industries.
But there are some of those industryspecific nuances that you get to
learn, but those are just morefun, creative problems to solve.
Yes, the fundamentals are the same, right?
You have to make money, youhave to leverage your time, you
have to build a team, all of thethings that it takes to scale.
But I had to learn all the online stuff.
(04:18):
About 15 years ago.
I decided I was doing a lot of networkingand speaking on stages, and I was
running around in people's businessesand I said, this is not the life I want.
I came online and really probablyabout the last eight years,
maybe my entire business hasbeen online except for speaking.
I do still like to go out andspeak to organizations and groups.
(04:39):
But it's been a ride and therewas a lot to learn online.
Absolutely.
It's a never ending journey, I feellike of learning and knowledge.
What do you find is themost common mistake?
Made across these businesses,why are they stuck?
Why are they shrinking or not growing?
What's that one piece that's missing?
I wouldn't say there's one piece, it'sdifferent in every business, but it
(05:03):
almost always comes down to three things.
Either they have a difficultbusiness model, they have too
much complexity in their business.
One of the things that I helppeople do is play at a really
premium level in their business.
They're getting topdollar for their services.
And we can talk more about that butI learned the premium model 35 years
ago and I actually had my firstmillion dollar offer 30 years ago.
(05:26):
And I learned the premium model and I havecarried that through all of my businesses.
And even when I was working witha plumbing company, we would move
them to the top of their industry.
They were getting thebest customers, the best
clients, and I've done that inevery business I've worked in.
The first thing I would say is a lot ofpeople try to play at the bottom, which
is a fast race right to the bottom.
(05:47):
I teach people how to play ina premium level and they really
have to rise to that level.
But it is anyone can do if they arewilling to do the work and give good
service and really do a good job.
That's the first thing.
The other thing.
I see is a lot of times they're notas profitable as they need to be and
(06:08):
they end up in cashflow problems.
They end up in profitability problems.
And again, sometimes this comesdown to their business model and the
way they've structured everything.
They may have too many employees.
They have too much money going out.
We see this a lot with people doingpaid ads and things like that.
Too much money going out,not enough coming in.
All of that has to be fixed.
I've done tons of businessturnarounds in every industry.
(06:32):
It almost always comes down to money.
But then the other side of that isbusiness owners get stuck in their
business, working in the business andthey're not working on the business.
And I know everybody hears this andit's so cliche, but it's so true.
If you don't take the time to spend,to innovate, to be creative, to
grow your business, to be able tosee what's really going on your
(06:55):
business is only going to get so far.
And those are also thethings that I discovered for
myself, building businesses.
Those are the three main things.
I love that.
Thank you.
Because you're right.
It's not just one thing in a business,but there are topics that need to be
covered that the cash flow is important.
If the product or offer isjust too complex, all these
things need to be considered
(07:16):
'cause this is what the consumers see.
This is the buyer's journey.
What do they experience as theygo through trying to purchase
a product or service from you?
The fact that you bring thatexperience is fantastic.
When it comes to today, AI, SEO,digital marketing, it's changing
by the year and by the month now.
What changes are you seeingnow or are a lot of the same
(07:38):
founding principles that you have.
Are they still effective?
They are still effective becausethere's still foundational things.
AI is great and I use AI everysingle day in my business and there
are ways to leverage it and useit that can maximize your time.
But I think one of the mistakes peopleare making is they think it's the
end and people still need humans.
(08:00):
Here's an example.
How frustrating has it been for youover the years as we have seen AI take
over phone calls when you're trying tocall someplace and get something done?
AI takes over and you never get to talkto a person and you get the runaround.
I think people are already tired of that.
I think mistakes that companiesare going to be making and maybe
(08:23):
already are, is they're putting toomuch stock in AI and I think that's
ultimately gonna hurt their brand.
It's gonna hurt their business.
People still want humans.
They still want that humantouch and that human connection.
The other thing is.
Unless you take Chat GPT for example.
Unless you are really an expert atyour subject matter, you may not
(08:45):
even be asking the right questionsto get the output that you need.
So are you really getting what you needto be able to look like the expert or put
out great content or whatever that is?
I think people are putting a lot ofenergy and stock into it, but I think
at the end of the day, we're gonnasee a shift that the companies and the
(09:06):
business owners and the coaches and theconsultants, the people that really are
still in it for their clients, they wannado a great job, they run a good business,
they're still gonna rise to the top.
I really believe that.
Absolutely.
And now more than ever the authorityhaving insight and knowledge
being helpful and more human isnow more important than ever.
And I think your offering ties inperfectly to that, and it's been shown
(09:29):
to be successful in many other places.
Can you tell me more about the books andthe podcast, the resources that you've
put out for other business owners?
Absolutely.
Actually, let me pull it.
I actually just published my fourthbook called Be the One they choose
and it is all around the new rules forstanding out and winning more business.
And it's more about your visibility andyour positioning and everything online.
(09:53):
A lot of businesses are still notplaying the online game and they're
leaking money, they're missing business.
Authority comes intothat being the expert.
And even people that are online, manyof them are still playing very small.
They're really not stepping up to thelevel that they could be and that's
really what the book is all around.
But I have three others, and then Ialso have my expert in new magazine.
(10:16):
I have a marketing and mediacompany that is all around
influence and authority marketing.
We'll write people's books,we'll get 'em featured in the
media, we'll launch a podcast.
There's all kinds of things that wewill do with done for youth services.
I actually have two businesses,I have that one as well.
Nice.
That's awesome.
I feel for many business owners, there'salways another business that's in the
(10:37):
works or comes along the way or just evenour own business, our product or offer
changes as we find our product market fit.
Sometimes we're not sellingthe right thing or maybe it's
not presented in the right way.
So many different things inbusiness that could be wrong.
What were some of the things thatdidn't work out well for you and you
had to pivot, you had to change inorder to survive and then thrive.
(11:03):
I wouldn't say there's reallyanything that didn't work out.
I'm always evolving and even in all ofmy businesses, I was always looking to
stay ahead of the curve and cutting edge.
So even when I was running my fitnessclubs, I was always doing research.
What's coming down the pipeline?
What are other people not doing?
I was always comparing my businessto everyone else so that I could
(11:28):
always find ways to stand above thecompetition, and I still do that.
And my business today, I only really knowa couple of other coaches that even have
the kind of business doing what I do.
And we all do it sort of in differentways and in different industries.
And I rose above because I didn'twanna play in the mainstream.
(11:51):
I would say the real shifts that I madenot that they didn't work out, just
that I wanted to evolve a different way.
I mentioned when I came into thecoaching and consulting space, I was
running around to business owners.
I was networking, all of that.
And I made the decision.
I didn't wanna do that anymore.
I wanted a mobile business witheverything that we have available, I
(12:11):
was like, I don't need to be doing this.
I don't need to be inthese people's businesses.
I can do everything with them online.
And I just made that decision and Ipivoted and went completely online.
For example, at that time I wasworking with a lot of contractors,
roofing companies, plumbingcompanies, small businesses.
And if they thought that I neededto be in their business, they didn't
(12:33):
become a client because that'snot going to be my business model.
I've had to set boundaries along the way.
I wouldn't say that's pivoting.
But have I passed up clients as a resultI have because I know what I wanted to do.
And as far as I've addedthings that have evolved me.
(12:54):
I can't really say something didn'twork out because I always made
it work out, if that makes sense.
Right.
You just pivoted, you triedsomething a little bit different.
And this is just a part of the journeyin business and entrepreneurship.
But we take that experience from othersthings that we've learned, we compile
and create these resources for others.
I wanted to ask more about what isin store for the future for you?
(13:16):
We're about halfway through2025, you have your now fourth
book that's being released.
What else is down the pipeline?
Are you creatingsomething new or exciting?
Or are you kind of juststicking with everything that's
been working for you so far?
Actually I'm doing a couple of reallynew exciting things that I'll share.
One of the things that I've beendoing on a consistent basis is
(13:40):
helping people get really high-endclients over and over again.
I started seeing that 50K was a sweet spotto help clients get those types of clients
even though I help a lot of my clientsget six figure, multi six figure clients,
I found that 50K was a nice enoughnumber that it attracted people that
(14:05):
were going for those bigger engagements.
And I'm putting together a programwhere I'm teaching people how to do
that as a rinse and repeat offer.
I call it an expert gateway.
It can be a gateway to thatsix or multi six figure offer.
It can be a brand new offer to createanother seven figure revenue stream.
It can be upleveling what they're doingto start getting those 50K clients.
(14:29):
I'm going all in on that.
In fact, I'm partnering with somebodyand we're adding that to what she does.
And we have this reallycool, big program coming up.
We're only taking 10 clients for it.
It's gonna be a 100K offer.
And we're adding everything fromthe systems to helping them create
their rinse and repeat 50K to a 100K.
(14:50):
And then we're also doing an event wherewe're gonna do a photo shoot and really do
some speaker reels and things like that.
So it is a full business offer, andwe're gonna do it with them in 90 days.
So it's going to be crazy.
And it won't be for everyone, butit will be for people that want
the fast track because we're gonnaimplement the systems for them.
(15:12):
It's a component of doing itwith them but also there's
gonna be a lot of done for you.
We're also gonna rebrand them intoluxury rebranding, they're literally
in 90 days gonna have everything theyneed and they'll be selling before that.
They'll be able to sell these offersbefore that, but in 90 days they're
gonna have a seven figure plus system.
We're doing that.
Then I also am do going all inon the expert gateway, the 50K
(15:35):
rinse and repeat offer for peoplethat just wanna work with me.
Wow.
That is very exciting.
Both from your standpoint, butthese other business owners
who can get this fast track.
Just get the entire business, the luxurybrand, the systems all laid out for you.
It's created, but donewith you, done for you.
Yeah.
Blending all the hybrid together thatbuilds the perfect offer that you've
(15:56):
been cultivating over the years.
It's putting it all together.
That is very exciting.
I'm really excited.
I've helped people go from zero toseven figures in a year, and I have
helped them do it with a 25K offer.
I know a 50K offer'sgonna crush it for people.
And and my partner is brilliant atsystems and doing all the marketing
(16:16):
pieces and the funnels that they'llneed and the branding she does.
Beautiful branding.
We are the perfect team.
And she's also in Dallas, whichis where my son and my grandkids.
I wanna work in Dallas.
I'm in the Midwest.
And I think it's gonna bethe perfect partnership.
We don't know if it's going to besomething we're going to continue.
We're launching this and we'relaunching this for July and August
(16:37):
and then we'll see after that.
This is the first time we're teamingup, but I just cannot imagine
that this just won't explode.
And I get that a 100K is a lot of money,but we have funding available and also
we're looking for high level clientsthat we can get 'em really fast results.
Those people are out there.
We don't need very many, right?
We're only taking 10.
(16:58):
And I think it's gonna just explode.
And I just know what it will do forpeople and they'll have their a 100K back.
I mean, legally, I can't say that.
I'm putting a disclaimer here, buti've helped people close 50K clients
in a week from just helping themrestructure their offers and go
out and reach out to somebody onLinkedIn that was in their network.
I'm not worried about peoplegetting their money back at all.
(17:20):
That is wonderful because thisis so enticing, I wanna know
where can our audience find youand connect with you online?
Absolutely.
You can reach out to me atLinkedIn, Facebook, I'm all over.
But you can reach outto me@Annlcardin.com.
I have some free resourcesif you wanna book a call.
If you wanna check out my booksI've got some training there.
(17:43):
That is the best place.
And if you want my magazine, ifyou wanna grab a free copy of my
digital magazine expert in you,go to expertinyoumagazine.com.
Wonderful, and we'll have thoselinks available down in the show
notes and the description foreveryone to get connected with.
Ann, I have a couple more questions here.
I asked about 2025, everythingyou're putting together.
If you could go back in timeand give yourself one piece of
(18:05):
advice, what would that advice be?
I would say really start my business.
It's never been easier.
I just wanna throw this outthere for everyone listening.
It has never easy in business thanit is in the marketplace today.
When I went global 35 years ago, I hadto run ads in international magazines.
They were expensive andthat's how that business went
(18:27):
global, the old fashioned way.
Now it's so easy for people to buildbusinesses and get into business,
but there's also a lot more tolearn, which is why you need experts
to help you fast track because youdon't have time to learn at all.
And it's happening so fast.
Absolutely.
A lot of great opportunity out there.
Now, anyone can get started fairlyeasily, but it's that lack of
(18:47):
direction and clarity and theknowledge to get there faster.
They're gonna hit a lot of speed bumpsalong the way and partnering with you.
That's their ticket to fast trackand get the right results faster.
100%. When I think about thebusinesses I've turned around that
have been in business for years andthey just were never doing much and
then turning them around in 30 or 40days, it's so rewarding to see that.
(19:12):
But they don't know what they don't know.
And they can't see what they can't see.
And to have someone come in and look ateverything, it is a shortcut for people.
It's speed.
It's just speed.
Absolutely.
Do you ever get any pushback fromeither the board or the owners where
you're making your recommendations andsuggestions and they're just fighting you
or a little bit stubborn in the process?
(19:34):
Or do they know where they're at?
I used to when I wasn't working with theright people, but now I'm very selective
about the people that I work with.
And not only do they have to.
I don't even take on a client if I don'treally truly believe I can blow them up.
That's just the reality.
And I don't get pushback because they'realready convinced that they wanna
(19:56):
work with me when they come to me.
And if I don't think I canhelp 'em, I don't take 'em on.
I don't really get that anymore.
They're buying my expertise andthey're paying for my expertise.
It would almost be silly.
To not take that advice, butjust that being said, Chris, I do
work to try to align what they'redoing with what they want to do.
It's not all about me and what I want themto do, but my expertise does definitely
(20:20):
comes into play to show them why thismay or may not work and I really guide
them, but ultimately it's their business.
And I always say this, it'syour business, it's your money.
This is my suggestion.
This is my advice.
This is the best guidance I can give you.
And what you do with it is up to you.
But I really don't havethat anymore, to be honest.
(20:40):
Yeah.
I think over time you find the rightfit and you learn when to say no.
And when you're not as desperate tojust get any client just to get the
sale, you can pick and choose whoyou work with and then you find these
pre-qualifying questions that youcan weed them out and just know who's
gonna be the right fit right away.
Absolutely.
That's definitely saves you a lotof time and frustration when you're
(21:01):
just doing your outreach and you'reconnecting and all the one-on-ones
you have with your clients.
I don't have a volume business, soI don't work with a hundred clients.
I'm not a put 'em all a hundred peoplein a group and I don't do any of that.
That is not my model.
It's not what I teach.
And I stay aligned with what I teach.
I teach people simplesimplicity, not complexity.
(21:21):
It's like, play at the top of your game,get the most money you can from clients,
and work with a handful of clients.
Make a lot of money andthat's my whole model.
That's what I teach.
Well, that's music to my ears, Ann.
That all sounds wonderful to me.
For those who are interested,make sure you check out the show
notes and the descriptions soyou get connected with Ann here.
Ann, is there anything we haven'tchatted about that maybe you
(21:43):
wanna share with our audience?
I wanted to just give you theopportunity to have a less word here.
I just wanna kind ofleave them with a thought.
You don't have time to learn everything.
Business is moving faster than it'sever been, and if you work with
someone that has years of experienceand they figured it out, you can't
even imagine what can happen.
(22:05):
So to sit there and still think youcan do it all yourself or you'll figure
it out we we're just kidding ourselvesin the marketplace today because
it's never been as easy as it's been.
It's never been more difficult.
There's more to learn, more toknow now than there has ever been.
And I wanna just leave peoplewith that thought because those
are the people going away.
(22:26):
In fact, it's really interesting.
I was looking at some people on LinkedInnot to get into another conversation here.
But I was shocked today when I got intosome of my LinkedIn contact or actually
they had applied to be on my podcasta couple of years ago, and I was going
back through the applications and Ireached out to several people and they're
not even doing their business anymore.
I was blown away.
(22:46):
And these are people that you would'vethought we're doing really great, but
they're not even doing their business.
That's what happens andyou get left behind.
It's just too easy to get left behind.
Those would be my final thoughts.
I love that.
And it's important because we all havethese great goals and ambition here
but we lack the clarity and directionand as positive as we wanna remain
(23:06):
these businesses can't last very longwithout the cash flow without the
right products, making the connections.
It's all about getting the right yesesright away as soon as you can, so
that way you can just build somethingthat's worth scaling and growing.
Absolutely, and it takes money foreither way, whether you are losing it
because you're not making it becausethere's a cost to not making money.
(23:29):
There is a cost.
As you're sitting there trying to figureit out, it's costing your business.
But there's also an investmentif you wanna have real success.
I've never built a business and notinvested money, and so for people to think
that they can do that is, I would sayprobably don't even start business because
I don't think you can even do it today.
Absolutely.
You can make a little bit of money.
You can't make a business.
(23:50):
Absolutely.
And I wish 'em all the best.
But unfortunately it's a competitivelandscape that we're in, so if it's
not them, it's gonna be someone else.
And be on the winning side if you caninvest the money the right way first
'cause otherwise it justbecomes an opportunity cost.
Not only are you out money now you're outtime and you're not gonna get that back.
Never.
And I have a short runway at this point.
(24:11):
I think we all do.
I think it's getting shorter each day
we never know either, do we?
And that is the thing, I'm older and Irealize, and we see things happen every
day that are unex that we can't explainand people do think they have all the
time in the world, but we really don't.
And I know it's hard whenyou're young to think that way,
(24:34):
but that's really the truth.
And if you just kind of put thatin perspective with business.
Again, you're gonna get leftbehind anyway, you might as well
just say, I'm gonna go all in.
I'm gonna give it everything I've got.
And in today's market, youdon't even necessarily have to
open a brick and mortar, right?
I had to sign six and sevenyear leases and do build out and
(24:55):
all of those kinds of things.
And I don't have to do that anymore,but I'm consistently investing
back in and a lot of times it iswith mentors and it is with people
that are further ahead than me.
That's important sopeople need to know that.
Absolutely.
The changing landscape inbusiness, like you said, brick
and mortar isn't so much a thing.
Things are digital and eventhen things are still changing.
(25:16):
it's important to stay on top, watchyour competitors, see what they're doing
and just kind of take that experience,share it, and learn from others as well.
Absolutely.
Well, Ann, thank you so muchfor sharing your tips and
tricks and your wisdom with us.
So excited for your future endeavorsand the next step offers you have.
Very exciting.
Make sure you check out the linksin show notes below so you can
get connected with Ann as well.
(25:36):
Thank you so much.
Thanks Chris.
It was fun.
AI is great, and I used AI everysingle day in my business, and there
are ways to leverage it and use it.
That can maximize your time.
But I think one of the mistakes peopleare making is they think it's the
end and people still need humans.
Here's an example.
How frustrating has it been for youover the years as we have seen AI take
(00:22):
over phone calls when you're trying tocall someplace and get something done?
AI takes over and you never get to talkto a person and you get the runaround.
I think people are already tired of that.
I think mistakes that companiesare going to be making and maybe
already are, is they're putting toomuch stock in ai, and I think that's
ultimately gonna hurt their brand.
(00:42):
It's gonna hurt their business.
People still want humans.
They still want that humantouch and that human connection.
You are listening to Brainwork Framework,a Business and Marketing podcast,
brought to you by Focused-biz.com.
Welcome back to another episode.
With us today is Ann Carden.
She's a CEO and Consultant at AnnCarden Coaching and Consulting,
(01:03):
helping with mostly the growth andthe scaling aspect of business.
We're so excited to have her on.
Ann, how you doing today?
Hey Chris, it's so greatto be here with you.
Thanks.
I'm wonderful.
Absolutely.
We always like to ask our entrepreneurs,tell us about your journey.
What were you doing before that kindaled you into what you're doing today?
Well, I went the corporate routeafter I graduated from high
(01:24):
school and went to college.
Found out after a year, collegewas not for me, so I switched it
up and went to a business retailschool and got into retail.
Was in that for 13 years incorporate, working for a billion
dollar company and I was managingmultimillion dollar departments.
13 years later I had kids and I said,this is not the life I want for my kids.
(01:48):
I do not want them raised in daycare.
I don't wanna be working doing inventoryuntil one o'clock in the morning and
all the fun things that go with retail.
My husband and I made a moveback to the Midwest and I
decided to be a stay at home mom.
However, the math didn't work withhis paycheck and we found ourselves
really struggling financially.
We had spent everything, we had to buy ahome and we were outside of a small town.
(02:12):
There wasn't much opportunity.
Now let's just time this, this was about35 years ago and it went the internet.
I was my own designs.
After about seven years, I sold that.
I got into the fitness industry.
I built two health clubs, two weightloss centers, and then sold all of
(02:33):
those and decided, I have acquiredsome business skills here that
could definitely help other people.
And I have been consulting nowfor about coaching and consulting.
I'm really more of a consultantthan I am a coach, but it helping
people really grow and scale theirbusinesses for about 15 years.
So here we are.
That's fantastic.
(02:53):
What an incredible journey.
It sounds similar tomany other entrepreneurs.
What they had just wasn'tcutting it anymore.
They wanted a future, alegacy beyond just themselves.
They had to get creativeand do something different.
And I just love hearing about thesteps that it took to get there.
And here you are today, helpingbusinesses grow and scale.
Are there certain industries or typesof clients that you like to work with?
(03:15):
Or is it kind of a mixture of industries?
I'm working over 80 differentindustries as a consultant.
And I've worked with everything fromplumbing companies to CPAs and Attorneys.
And it's mainly work withprofessional service providers.
(03:37):
They're entrepreneurs,they're business owners.
They might be running a marketing agency.
They might be running a CPA firm, anarchitect and interior design firm.
Kind of the gamut still, but they'reall in professional services.
Nice.
That's awesome because I know it's a lotof those same foundational principles that
(03:57):
can apply to many different industries.
But there are some of those industryspecific nuances that you get to
learn, but those are just morefun, creative problems to solve.
Yes, the fundamentals are the same, right?
You have to make money, youhave to leverage your time, you
have to build a team, all of thethings that it takes to scale.
But I had to learn all the online stuff.
(04:18):
About 15 years ago.
I decided I was doing a lot of networkingand speaking on stages, and I was
running around in people's businessesand I said, this is not the life I want.
I came online and really probablyabout the last eight years,
maybe my entire business hasbeen online except for speaking.
I do still like to go out andspeak to organizations and groups.
(04:39):
But it's been a ride and therewas a lot to learn online.
Absolutely.
It's a never ending journey, I feellike of learning and knowledge.
What do you find is themost common mistake?
Made across these businesses,why are they stuck?
Why are they shrinking or not growing?
What's that one piece that's missing?
I wouldn't say there's one piece, it'sdifferent in every business, but it
(05:03):
almost always comes down to three things.
Either they have a difficultbusiness model, they have too
much complexity in their business.
One of the things that I helppeople do is play at a really
premium level in their business.
They're getting topdollar for their services.
And we can talk more about that butI learned the premium model 35 years
ago and I actually had my firstmillion dollar offer 30 years ago.
(05:26):
And I learned the premium model and I havecarried that through all of my businesses.
And even when I was working witha plumbing company, we would move
them to the top of their industry.
They were getting thebest customers, the best
clients, and I've done that inevery business I've worked in.
The first thing I would say is a lot ofpeople try to play at the bottom, which
is a fast race right to the bottom.
(05:47):
I teach people how to play ina premium level and they really
have to rise to that level.
But it is anyone can do if they arewilling to do the work and give good
service and really do a good job.
That's the first thing.
The other thing.
I see is a lot of times they're notas profitable as they need to be and
(06:08):
they end up in cashflow problems.
They end up in profitability problems.
And again, sometimes this comesdown to their business model and the
way they've structured everything.
They may have too many employees.
They have too much money going out.
We see this a lot with people doingpaid ads and things like that.
Too much money going out,not enough coming in.
All of that has to be fixed.
I've done tons of businessturnarounds in every industry.
(06:32):
It almost always comes down to money.
But then the other side of that isbusiness owners get stuck in their
business, working in the business andthey're not working on the business.
And I know everybody hears this andit's so cliche, but it's so true.
If you don't take the time to spend,to innovate, to be creative, to
grow your business, to be able tosee what's really going on your
(06:55):
business is only going to get so far.
And those are also thethings that I discovered for
myself, building businesses.
Those are the three main things.
I love that.
Thank you.
Because you're right.
It's not just one thing in a business,but there are topics that need to be
covered that the cash flow is important.
If the product or offer isjust too complex, all these
things need to be considered
(07:16):
'cause this is what the consumers see.
This is the buyer's journey.
What do they experience as theygo through trying to purchase
a product or service from you?
The fact that you bring thatexperience is fantastic.
When it comes to today, AI, SEO,digital marketing, it's changing
by the year and by the month now.
What changes are you seeingnow or are a lot of the same
(07:38):
founding principles that you have.
Are they still effective?
They are still effective becausethere's still foundational things.
AI is great and I use AI everysingle day in my business and there
are ways to leverage it and useit that can maximize your time.
But I think one of the mistakes peopleare making is they think it's the
end and people still need humans.
(08:00):
Here's an example.
How frustrating has it been for youover the years as we have seen AI take
over phone calls when you're trying tocall someplace and get something done?
AI takes over and you never get to talkto a person and you get the runaround.
I think people are already tired of that.
I think mistakes that companiesare going to be making and maybe
(08:23):
already are, is they're putting toomuch stock in AI and I think that's
ultimately gonna hurt their brand.
It's gonna hurt their business.
People still want humans.
They still want that humantouch and that human connection.
The other thing is.
Unless you take Chat GPT for example.
Unless you are really an expert atyour subject matter, you may not
(08:45):
even be asking the right questionsto get the output that you need.
So are you really getting what you needto be able to look like the expert or put
out great content or whatever that is?
I think people are putting a lot ofenergy and stock into it, but I think
at the end of the day, we're gonnasee a shift that the companies and the
(09:06):
business owners and the coaches and theconsultants, the people that really are
still in it for their clients, they wannado a great job, they run a good business,
they're still gonna rise to the top.
I really believe that.
Absolutely.
And now more than ever the authorityhaving insight and knowledge
being helpful and more human isnow more important than ever.
And I think your offering ties inperfectly to that, and it's been shown
(09:29):
to be successful in many other places.
Can you tell me more about the books andthe podcast, the resources that you've
put out for other business owners?
Absolutely.
Actually, let me pull it.
I actually just published my fourthbook called Be the One they choose
and it is all around the new rules forstanding out and winning more business.
And it's more about your visibility andyour positioning and everything online.
(09:53):
A lot of businesses are still notplaying the online game and they're
leaking money, they're missing business.
Authority comes intothat being the expert.
And even people that are online, manyof them are still playing very small.
They're really not stepping up to thelevel that they could be and that's
really what the book is all around.
But I have three others, and then Ialso have my expert in new magazine.
(10:16):
I have a marketing and mediacompany that is all around
influence and authority marketing.
We'll write people's books,we'll get 'em featured in the
media, we'll launch a podcast.
There's all kinds of things that wewill do with done for youth services.
I actually have two businesses,I have that one as well.
Nice.
That's awesome.
I feel for many business owners, there'salways another business that's in the
(10:37):
works or comes along the way or just evenour own business, our product or offer
changes as we find our product market fit.
Sometimes we're not sellingthe right thing or maybe it's
not presented in the right way.
So many different things inbusiness that could be wrong.
What were some of the things thatdidn't work out well for you and you
had to pivot, you had to change inorder to survive and then thrive.
(11:03):
I wouldn't say there's reallyanything that didn't work out.
I'm always evolving and even in all ofmy businesses, I was always looking to
stay ahead of the curve and cutting edge.
So even when I was running my fitnessclubs, I was always doing research.
What's coming down the pipeline?
What are other people not doing?
I was always comparing my businessto everyone else so that I could
(11:28):
always find ways to stand above thecompetition, and I still do that.
And my business today, I only really knowa couple of other coaches that even have
the kind of business doing what I do.
And we all do it sort of in differentways and in different industries.
And I rose above because I didn'twanna play in the mainstream.
(11:51):
I would say the real shifts that I madenot that they didn't work out, just
that I wanted to evolve a different way.
I mentioned when I came into thecoaching and consulting space, I was
running around to business owners.
I was networking, all of that.
And I made the decision.
I didn't wanna do that anymore.
I wanted a mobile business witheverything that we have available, I
(12:11):
was like, I don't need to be doing this.
I don't need to be inthese people's businesses.
I can do everything with them online.
And I just made that decision and Ipivoted and went completely online.
For example, at that time I wasworking with a lot of contractors,
roofing companies, plumbingcompanies, small businesses.
And if they thought that I neededto be in their business, they didn't
(12:33):
become a client because that'snot going to be my business model.
I've had to set boundaries along the way.
I wouldn't say that's pivoting.
But have I passed up clients as a resultI have because I know what I wanted to do.
And as far as I've addedthings that have evolved me.
(12:54):
I can't really say something didn'twork out because I always made
it work out, if that makes sense.
Right.
You just pivoted, you triedsomething a little bit different.
And this is just a part of the journeyin business and entrepreneurship.
But we take that experience from othersthings that we've learned, we compile
and create these resources for others.
I wanted to ask more about what isin store for the future for you?
(13:16):
We're about halfway through2025, you have your now fourth
book that's being released.
What else is down the pipeline?
Are you creatingsomething new or exciting?
Or are you kind of juststicking with everything that's
been working for you so far?
Actually I'm doing a couple of reallynew exciting things that I'll share.
One of the things that I've beendoing on a consistent basis is
(13:40):
helping people get really high-endclients over and over again.
I started seeing that 50K was a sweet spotto help clients get those types of clients
even though I help a lot of my clientsget six figure, multi six figure clients,
I found that 50K was a nice enoughnumber that it attracted people that
(14:05):
were going for those bigger engagements.
And I'm putting together a programwhere I'm teaching people how to do
that as a rinse and repeat offer.
I call it an expert gateway.
It can be a gateway to thatsix or multi six figure offer.
It can be a brand new offer to createanother seven figure revenue stream.
It can be upleveling what they're doingto start getting those 50K clients.
(14:29):
I'm going all in on that.
In fact, I'm partnering with somebodyand we're adding that to what she does.
And we have this reallycool, big program coming up.
We're only taking 10 clients for it.
It's gonna be a 100K offer.
And we're adding everything fromthe systems to helping them create
their rinse and repeat 50K to a 100K.
(14:50):
And then we're also doing an event wherewe're gonna do a photo shoot and really do
some speaker reels and things like that.
So it is a full business offer, andwe're gonna do it with them in 90 days.
So it's going to be crazy.
And it won't be for everyone, butit will be for people that want
the fast track because we're gonnaimplement the systems for them.
(15:12):
It's a component of doing itwith them but also there's
gonna be a lot of done for you.
We're also gonna rebrand them intoluxury rebranding, they're literally
in 90 days gonna have everything theyneed and they'll be selling before that.
They'll be able to sell these offersbefore that, but in 90 days they're
gonna have a seven figure plus system.
We're doing that.
Then I also am do going all inon the expert gateway, the 50K
(15:35):
rinse and repeat offer for peoplethat just wanna work with me.
Wow.
That is very exciting.
Both from your standpoint, butthese other business owners
who can get this fast track.
Just get the entire business, the luxurybrand, the systems all laid out for you.
It's created, but donewith you, done for you.
Yeah.
Blending all the hybrid together thatbuilds the perfect offer that you've
(15:56):
been cultivating over the years.
It's putting it all together.
That is very exciting.
I'm really excited.
I've helped people go from zero toseven figures in a year, and I have
helped them do it with a 25K offer.
I know a 50K offer'sgonna crush it for people.
And and my partner is brilliant atsystems and doing all the marketing
(16:16):
pieces and the funnels that they'llneed and the branding she does.
Beautiful branding.
We are the perfect team.
And she's also in Dallas, whichis where my son and my grandkids.
I wanna work in Dallas.
I'm in the Midwest.
And I think it's gonna bethe perfect partnership.
We don't know if it's going to besomething we're going to continue.
We're launching this and we'relaunching this for July and August
(16:37):
and then we'll see after that.
This is the first time we're teamingup, but I just cannot imagine
that this just won't explode.
And I get that a 100K is a lot of money,but we have funding available and also
we're looking for high level clientsthat we can get 'em really fast results.
Those people are out there.
We don't need very many, right?
We're only taking 10.
(16:58):
And I think it's gonna just explode.
And I just know what it will do forpeople and they'll have their a 100K back.
I mean, legally, I can't say that.
I'm putting a disclaimer here, buti've helped people close 50K clients
in a week from just helping themrestructure their offers and go
out and reach out to somebody onLinkedIn that was in their network.
I'm not worried about peoplegetting their money back at all.
(17:20):
That is wonderful because thisis so enticing, I wanna know
where can our audience find youand connect with you online?
Absolutely.
You can reach out to me atLinkedIn, Facebook, I'm all over.
But you can reach outto me@Annlcardin.com.
I have some free resourcesif you wanna book a call.
If you wanna check out my booksI've got some training there.
(17:43):
That is the best place.
And if you want my magazine, ifyou wanna grab a free copy of my
digital magazine expert in you,go to expertinyoumagazine.com.
Wonderful, and we'll have thoselinks available down in the show
notes and the description foreveryone to get connected with.
Ann, I have a couple more questions here.
I asked about 2025, everythingyou're putting together.
If you could go back in timeand give yourself one piece of
(18:05):
advice, what would that advice be?
I would say really start my business.
It's never been easier.
I just wanna throw this outthere for everyone listening.
It has never easy in business thanit is in the marketplace today.
When I went global 35 years ago, I hadto run ads in international magazines.
They were expensive andthat's how that business went
(18:27):
global, the old fashioned way.
Now it's so easy for people to buildbusinesses and get into business,
but there's also a lot more tolearn, which is why you need experts
to help you fast track because youdon't have time to learn at all.
And it's happening so fast.
Absolutely.
A lot of great opportunity out there.
Now, anyone can get started fairlyeasily, but it's that lack of
(18:47):
direction and clarity and theknowledge to get there faster.
They're gonna hit a lot of speed bumpsalong the way and partnering with you.
That's their ticket to fast trackand get the right results faster.
100%. When I think about thebusinesses I've turned around that
have been in business for years andthey just were never doing much and
then turning them around in 30 or 40days, it's so rewarding to see that.
(19:12):
But they don't know what they don't know.
And they can't see what they can't see.
And to have someone come in and look ateverything, it is a shortcut for people.
It's speed.
It's just speed.
Absolutely.
Do you ever get any pushback fromeither the board or the owners where
you're making your recommendations andsuggestions and they're just fighting you
or a little bit stubborn in the process?
(19:34):
Or do they know where they're at?
I used to when I wasn't working with theright people, but now I'm very selective
about the people that I work with.
And not only do they have to.
I don't even take on a client if I don'treally truly believe I can blow them up.
That's just the reality.
And I don't get pushback because they'realready convinced that they wanna
(19:56):
work with me when they come to me.
And if I don't think I canhelp 'em, I don't take 'em on.
I don't really get that anymore.
They're buying my expertise andthey're paying for my expertise.
It would almost be silly.
To not take that advice, butjust that being said, Chris, I do
work to try to align what they'redoing with what they want to do.
It's not all about me and what I want themto do, but my expertise does definitely
(20:20):
comes into play to show them why thismay or may not work and I really guide
them, but ultimately it's their business.
And I always say this, it'syour business, it's your money.
This is my suggestion.
This is my advice.
This is the best guidance I can give you.
And what you do with it is up to you.
But I really don't havethat anymore, to be honest.
(20:40):
Yeah.
I think over time you find the rightfit and you learn when to say no.
And when you're not as desperate tojust get any client just to get the
sale, you can pick and choose whoyou work with and then you find these
pre-qualifying questions that youcan weed them out and just know who's
gonna be the right fit right away.
Absolutely.
That's definitely saves you a lotof time and frustration when you're
(21:01):
just doing your outreach and you'reconnecting and all the one-on-ones
you have with your clients.
I don't have a volume business, soI don't work with a hundred clients.
I'm not a put 'em all a hundred peoplein a group and I don't do any of that.
That is not my model.
It's not what I teach.
And I stay aligned with what I teach.
I teach people simplesimplicity, not complexity.
(21:21):
It's like, play at the top of your game,get the most money you can from clients,
and work with a handful of clients.
Make a lot of money andthat's my whole model.
That's what I teach.
Well, that's music to my ears, Ann.
That all sounds wonderful to me.
For those who are interested,make sure you check out the show
notes and the descriptions soyou get connected with Ann here.
Ann, is there anything we haven'tchatted about that maybe you
(21:43):
wanna share with our audience?
I wanted to just give you theopportunity to have a less word here.
I just wanna kind ofleave them with a thought.
You don't have time to learn everything.
Business is moving faster than it'sever been, and if you work with
someone that has years of experienceand they figured it out, you can't
even imagine what can happen.
(22:05):
So to sit there and still think youcan do it all yourself or you'll figure
it out we we're just kidding ourselvesin the marketplace today because
it's never been as easy as it's been.
It's never been more difficult.
There's more to learn, more toknow now than there has ever been.
And I wanna just leave peoplewith that thought because those
are the people going away.
(22:26):
In fact, it's really interesting.
I was looking at some people on LinkedInnot to get into another conversation here.
But I was shocked today when I got intosome of my LinkedIn contact or actually
they had applied to be on my podcasta couple of years ago, and I was going
back through the applications and Ireached out to several people and they're
not even doing their business anymore.
I was blown away.
(22:46):
And these are people that you would'vethought we're doing really great, but
they're not even doing their business.
That's what happens andyou get left behind.
It's just too easy to get left behind.
Those would be my final thoughts.
I love that.
And it's important because we all havethese great goals and ambition here
but we lack the clarity and directionand as positive as we wanna remain
(23:06):
these businesses can't last very longwithout the cash flow without the
right products, making the connections.
It's all about getting the right yesesright away as soon as you can, so
that way you can just build somethingthat's worth scaling and growing.
Absolutely, and it takes money foreither way, whether you are losing it
because you're not making it becausethere's a cost to not making money.
(23:29):
There is a cost.
As you're sitting there trying to figureit out, it's costing your business.
But there's also an investmentif you wanna have real success.
I've never built a business and notinvested money, and so for people to think
that they can do that is, I would sayprobably don't even start business because
I don't think you can even do it today.
Absolutely.
You can make a little bit of money.
You can't make a business.
(23:50):
Absolutely.
And I wish 'em all the best.
But unfortunately it's a competitivelandscape that we're in, so if it's
not them, it's gonna be someone else.
And be on the winning side if you caninvest the money the right way first
'cause otherwise it justbecomes an opportunity cost.
Not only are you out money now you're outtime and you're not gonna get that back.
Never.
And I have a short runway at this point.
(24:11):
I think we all do.
I think it's getting shorter each day
we never know either, do we?
And that is the thing, I'm older and Irealize, and we see things happen every
day that are unex that we can't explainand people do think they have all the
time in the world, but we really don't.
And I know it's hard whenyou're young to think that way,
(24:34):
but that's really the truth.
And if you just kind of put thatin perspective with business.
Again, you're gonna get leftbehind anyway, you might as well
just say, I'm gonna go all in.
I'm gonna give it everything I've got.
And in today's market, youdon't even necessarily have to
open a brick and mortar, right?
I had to sign six and sevenyear leases and do build out and
(24:55):
all of those kinds of things.
And I don't have to do that anymore,but I'm consistently investing
back in and a lot of times it iswith mentors and it is with people
that are further ahead than me.
That's important sopeople need to know that.
Absolutely.
The changing landscape inbusiness, like you said, brick
and mortar isn't so much a thing.
Things are digital and eventhen things are still changing.
(25:16):
it's important to stay on top, watchyour competitors, see what they're doing
and just kind of take that experience,share it, and learn from others as well.
Absolutely.
Well, Ann, thank you so muchfor sharing your tips and
tricks and your wisdom with us.
So excited for your future endeavorsand the next step offers you have.
Very exciting.
Make sure you check out the linksin show notes below so you can
get connected with Ann as well.
(25:36):
Thank you so much.
Thanks Chris.
It was fun.
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