Meet Ann Bennett of Costa Mesa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ann Bennett.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Once upon a time, a sun-kissed surfer girl from the South Bay traded her board for brushes and headed to UCSB in the ‘70s, chasing her dream with a BA in painting. But her spirit, restless and bold, pulled her to New York City in 1980—when the art scene was exploding in a frenzy of creativity. Picture Gidget Goes to Hell, but with a paintbrush and a heart full of fire—she swapped waves for the concrete jungle and built a life that was anything but ordinary.

From Popular Mechanics to the glitzy offices of Vogue Magazine, Ann was the rockstar behind the scenes, where the Devil really does Wear Prada. Glamour and grit collided—scratchy East Village artist loft living to Sex and the City to Vogue, the magic of the ‘90s pulsing all around her.

After the towers fell on that fateful day, 9/11 shattered more than just buildings and lives it changed her forever—it shattered her attachment to the glitz, glam and power of Vogue. The allure of fashion faded, but from those ashes, her rebel heart blazed brighter than ever. With her bff, Bari Zahn, Ann co-created “Living Beyond Belief”, a non-profit with a mission bigger than herself—one that empowered NYC teenagers to take a stand, educate themselves, and protect themselves and their communities from HIV/AIDS.

That was her turning point—when the rebel artist became a visionary, deciding that her talents would no longer serve glamour and art, but would fuel a revolution for women entrepreneurs. And that’s how the surfer-turned-rebel became the queen of helping women own their quirks, stand out, and profit like the rockstars they are.

So for the past 15 years, she’s been traveling the world, standing on stages, and showing women how to embrace their quirks, their edges, their perfectly imperfect stories—and profit like the badasses they are. Now, in this AI-powered era, she’s leading the charge, helping women stand out not by hiding their so-called flaws, but by enhancing them and turning them into gold.

Ann Bennett is the fearless heart of Renegade Branding—where rebel souls, rockstar brands, and bold profits come to play. And as she says, love yourself, love your clients, love the money—Live a life that matters and Be Unapologetically You in your business and brand.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life is more about failure than success. It’s about the courage and grit to get back up and keep going. My first hurdle was “Ignorance on Fire”, thinking this was going to be so easy to build a 6-figure business. John Lennon said it best, “life is what happens when you are making other plans…

There I was standing on the edge of what was supposed to be the rest of my life — about to marry the woman of my dreams, moving into a home we’d picked out together, building a future that felt finally settled and safe. Then, just like that…she called it off. One minute I was choosing paint colors, the next I was packing boxes with shaking hands.

Life doesn’t just pull the rug out — sometimes it sets a blaze that burns the house down.

And right as I was trying to catch my breath and balance to build my business, my mom was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s. I became the one with boots on the ground — managing her care, protecting her wellness, and navigating the heartbreak of watching her slip away piece by piece.

Somewhere in the chaos, I realized I didn’t have a freakin’ clue about how to build a business — not one that worked, not one that lasted, not one that felt like me. So I started studying like the Tasmanian devil…. I studied with mentors, soaked up everything I could about entrepreneurship, marketing, mindset, and money. I started piecing together how to turn my talents, skills and my scars into something useful. Somethi ng that mattered.

And as I learned, I began mentoring others. Teaching them how to rise from their own rubble. How to build businesses that didn’t just look successful on Instagram or TikTok, but actually sustained their lives, their families, their souls.

If there’s one thing I know now, it’s this: business is the biggest personal growth program you’ll ever enroll in. It will break you open, test your patience, and demand that you bring your whole self — the messy, brilliant, bruised parts too.

You learn resilience not because you want to, but because you have to. You drop the shame, the blame, the “I should’ve known better” soundtrack in your head — and you start laughing at the madness. You learn to see problems as puzzles, failures as feedback, and breakdowns as just the scenic route to breakthroughs.

I’ve fallen on my face more times than I can count. Embarrassed and humiliated again and again…And every time, I’ve gotten up a little stronger, a little wiser, a little funnier. Because honestly, if you can’t laugh at the absurdity of it all, you are missing out on the juice and the gold.

Building a business, like building a life, is for the wild-hearted risk takers. The ones willing to face the storm, dance in it, and then teach others how to twirl, twerk and shake their booties too.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am not just a branding coach or mentor—not really…much more… more of a creative
alchemist. My goal is to transform the hidden, quirky, and raw bits of yourself, your stories, and turn them into pure gold to build a successful brand and business.

My mission and purpose is to guide and support women entrepreneurs to own, honor, and unleash their genius that they are here to live… their purpose.

While others might offer templates and formulas, we rip up the rules and create one-of-a-kind formats and frameworks, inviting you to embrace the chaos and have the courage to stand out and be your REAL, authentic self. And AI can’t do that.

It’s the rebel spirit that turns flaws into features, your big heart that nurtures authenticity, and your rockstar energy that makes building a brand feel like a revolution. It’s not just guiding—Together we liberate your voice, your vibe, and your brand, and that’s pure magic.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Start with what you have….Start with where you are….Start with who you know…. Take one step. Stay out of overwhelm and thinking you have to do it all, be it all, and know it all….Especially now with AI on the scene. It’s not about knowing how or what is the best tool to use… although very fun and will keep you busy for hours with nothing to show for it.
thes
It’s so much easier to focus on asking and pondering these dethree simple quesions.
What am I trying to do? (what problem to I solve)
Where do I want to go? (build a 6-figure business / conquer the world?)
Who do I want to impact? (help, guide, support etc.)
Then every day do ONE THING and one thing only, until completion. It’s deceivingly simple and harder than you think).
Keep it Simple, Sweetheart and write your own rules.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://annbennettmarketing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annbennettmarketing
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnBennettMarketing
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annbennett/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@renegade-tv