Announcement text
Hi, I am Ann.
Marketing and events strategist for solopreneurs, micro business owners, and boutique small teams.
I help business owners plan profitable events, get more visible in their communities, and build marketing systems that turn relationships into real revenue.
My Story
Twenty years of business taught me something most marketing advice misses.
I have been an entrepreneur since before I could drive.
Around age 8 I started making friendship bracelets and small crafts and selling them to friends and family. By 14 I had my first legal business. And starting around age 10, I worked vendor events at craft fairs and art shows alongside my mom. That is where my events background actually began. Table by table, show by show.
As an adult, I built and ran my own complementary health practice as a massage therapist and holistic health practitioner for 17 and a half years. Alongside it, I worked marketing and events roles inside companies, from the marketing events team at Worldmark by Wyndham to Vision Tours in Las Vegas, where I worked my way up to Marketing Account Executive. Most recently, I spent nine years, off and on, inside a multi-seven-figure coaching company, where I worked my way up to marketing department manager.
Across all of it, I noticed the same pattern. The business owners who grew steadily were not the ones doing the most. They were the ones with clear strategy, simple systems, and a real plan for visibility.
The ones who burned out were trying to do everything. Every platform. Every tactic. Every shiny strategy someone told them they had to use.
I officially launched Ann Rau ~ Marketing & Events Consulting in July 2025 to do something about that. I work with solopreneurs and small business owners who are ready to stop winging it, simplify their marketing, and use events the way events are supposed to work. As a tool for visibility, connection, and revenue.
What I Believe
A few things I will say out loud.
You can build your business your way. Frameworks are starting points, not rules.
Strategy beats random activity. Always.
Visibility is service, not ego. If people don't know you exist or how you can help, they cannot work with you.
Events should generate revenue, not just exposure.
Follow up is one of the top places revenue is created.
You do not need more tactics. You need better structure.
This is the lens I bring to every client conversation.
How I Work
What it is like to work with me.
I am direct. I am warm. I do not sugarcoat, but I will not throw you in the deep end either. I respect your time, your goals, and the business you have built.
I focus on what actually moves the needle, not what sounds good on a podcast. I will tell you when something is not working, suggest a better path, and help you build the structure to make it happen.
One of my superpowers is taking what feels overwhelming and breaking it down into a simple, doable plan. Clients regularly come into our sessions feeling like what they want to build is too big, too complicated, or too far out of reach. They leave with a clear, step-by-step plan that fits their business, their capacity, and their real life. The overwhelm goes away. The next step becomes obvious.
No fluff. No pressure. Just a clear plan that fits.
Background and Credentials
A bit of the backstory.
20+ years in marketing, events, sales, customer service, and team management
Events Team Supervisor for the marketing events team at Worldmark by Wyndham, Southern California division
Marketing Account Executive for Vision Tours, Las Vegas
Event Coordinator on the leadership team at eWomenNetwork Northern Colorado
Five-year mentee of Kelly Roach, business growth strategist with a portfolio of six multi-six and multi-seven-figure businesses (combined multi-eight-figure)
Trained in the Conviction Marketing Method and the Live Launch Method
Art of Feminine Presence Level 3 Teacher (certified and licensed)
Formerly licensed Holistic Health Practitioner and Massage Therapist
Coordinator and producer for hybrid, in-person, and virtual events
Hands-on experience with hundreds of vendor markets, pop ups, workshops, retreats, intensives, networking events, and community events
A Few Things Outside of Work
When I am not consulting...
CURRENT HOBBIES:
Crafting and crocheting
HAPPY PLACES:
Hiking trails outdoors, the beach, sitting in the hot tub, or just relaxing on the couch
YOU WILL ALSO FIND ME:
Tending my outdoor goldfish pond and working in the yard
PERFECT EVENING:
Good food and wine with people I love
MY SECOND BUSINESS:
Playful Purpose Studio
I also run a creative second business called Playful Purpose Studio, where I make handmade items, design digital products, and create custom branded items for businesses, the kind of swag and gifts that help business owners promote what they do or thank the people who support them.
It keeps me close to the maker community and the realities of running a small product business, which makes me a better consultant for the creative entrepreneurs I work with.
Where to next?
Ways to Work Together.
From foundational strategy packages to ongoing support, there is a path that fits where your business is right now.
Get strategies in your inbox.
Practical, no-fluff strategies on profitable events, visibility that converts, and the follow up systems most business owners skip.
Let's see if we are a fit.
Book a free 30-minute Vision and Possibilities Session. It is a real conversation about your business, your goals, and what could come next. No sales pressure. No pre-built pitch.
