Episode 037
Ana Chaud
Success is about making history and opening doors for the next generation. Alice Tang and guest Ana Chaud discuss their shared common ground as immigrants who have blazed their own trails in the United States. Ana shares the emotional reality of her “lowest points” and how looking back at her accomplishments gives her the fuel to move forward. Learn why Ana believes in enjoying the plateaus and how she plans to celebrate her 90th birthday dancing salsa.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
"I feel like as we progress in life, money allows us to actually now apply everything that we learned in the younger years, bring a lot more value to your community and do it in a timing that works for us."
[00:00:00]
Welcome to Women’s Million Dollar Conversations with Alice Tang, where we share stories from successful business women who have saved, earned, or sold over a million dollars and discuss how they built their success and insights to help you achieve your goals. Now let’s join the conversation.
Alice Tang: Good morning, Anna Chaud. This is Alice Tang with Women’s Million Dollar Conversations. Here we’re sitting in front of a super powerful woman.
Alice Tang: So today is Anna’s story. Anna, welcome.
Ana Chaud: Thank you. Thank you so much.
[00:00:35]
Alice Tang: Would you just tell us a little bit about yourself?
Ana Chaud: Yes. My name is Ana Chaud and I’m known in our community for being a founder entrepreneur. I started a few businesses and exited, but my true industry has always been as an executive coach, a financial advisor, and a business advisor, which is what I was doing before I started my business and after I got acquired. So when you ask me what industry I’m in currently, I’m a business advisor, but I am also launching a whole new business. So I’m back to being a CEO founder. I guess I am a serial entrepreneur after all.
[00:01:20]
Alice Tang: What industry were you in when you say you were bought out or acquired?
Ana Chaud: Yeah, so my business was in food services. I started a chain of fast-casual restaurants in the Pacific Northwest. So that’s the industry I was in when I got acquired.
Alice Tang: Awesome. Since we are a million-dollar conversation, we’re here to talk about money, which is somewhat a taboo subject for many women — but not for Anna, not for Alice.
[00:01:55]
Alice Tang: What is your value of money, Anna?
Ana Chaud: Growing up in a different country brings a different perspective than being in the United States. But I’ve been here long enough, and for me personally, money is the ability it gives me to pursue my purpose, pursue my passion, and do things on my timing. When you’re younger, you work a lot harder and longer hours to build knowledge. As we progress in life, money allows us to apply everything we’ve learned and bring more value to the community on a timeline that works for us.
Alice Tang: To chase your dreams and serve the community the way you want.
Ana Chaud: Exactly. On my timing.
Alice Tang: Very good. Now, you’re one of our guests who has either saved a million, made a million, or earned a million.
[00:03:10]
Alice Tang: Which one would you like to focus on?
Ana Chaud: For me, because of the acquisition, I would say I made it through valuation and building value in my company. I’ve always been a saver, but my intention was always to build value.
Alice Tang: Great. Let’s talk about the company.
[00:03:45]
Alice Tang: How many years did it take you to get to your first million dollars in revenue?
Ana Chaud: My story isn’t typical. I was a fast founder. I started, scaled, and exited in five years. That’s not the norm — it depends on the founder, the industry, and whether you plan to exit. Some do it in a few years, some take ten, some never exit.
Alice Tang: Very good answer.
[00:05:05]
Alice Tang: On your way to that exit or million dollars, what is the biggest bias you’ve faced?
Ana Chaud: Honestly, the bias didn’t really happen as a founder. It happens more as a business advisor. Most founders are male, and men tend to hire other men, especially for vulnerable advisory roles. That said, 80% of my clients are male. Bias exists on both sides, including women hiring women less than they should.
[00:06:00]
Alice Tang: What is one bias you constantly face as a business advisor, and how do you overcome it?
Ana Chaud: It’s the comfort level. My work requires deep vulnerability, and some male CEOs struggle opening up to a woman advisor. It’s not good or bad — it’s just real.
Alice Tang: I completely understand that.
[00:09:35]
Alice Tang: When you’re making a very big decision and the stakes are high, what process do you use?
Ana Chaud: Everything has to align with my intention. The name of my company, Sankalpa, means intention in Sanskrit. I believe intentions last longer than goals. If a decision brings me closer to my intention, I’ll take the risk. If it doesn’t, I won’t.
[00:10:55]
Alice Tang: Would you share with our audience what your intention is today?
Ana Chaud: My biggest intention is financial independence and doing work I love so much that I can do it until I’m 90. I also want to celebrate my 90th birthday dancing salsa. That means I prioritize health, mobility, and longevity now.
Alice Tang: Thank you for sharing that.
[00:12:40]
Alice Tang: When business or life gets really tough and you think about giving up, what keeps you going?
Ana Chaud: We all hit that point. What keeps me going is looking back and seeing how far I’ve come — immigrating at 21 without English, building businesses as a single mom, overcoming hard seasons. Remembering that propels me forward.
Alice Tang: Beautiful.
[00:14:45]
Alice Tang: What’s the one thing you’d like to tell our audience, especially women?
Ana Chaud: Learn the intention behind your goals. Don’t just say “I want to make a million” — ask why. And enjoy the plateaus. Growth isn’t a straight line up. Rest, reflect, then move forward.
00:17:45]
Alice Tang: What’s one piece of good or bad advice that made the biggest impact on you?
Ana Chaud: The worst advice was trying to model myself after male CEOs. You have to know who you are as a leader. When you do, you attract the right team and build a company aligned with you.
Alice Tang: Know who you are — that’s powerful.
[00:19:05]
Alice Tang: What are you grateful for today?
Ana Chaud: My two boys. They inspire me every day and have supported me throughout this entire journey.
Alice Tang: On behalf of Women’s Million Dollar Conversations, we’re so grateful for you. Thank you for sharing your time, wisdom, and story.
Ana Chaud: Thank you for creating this platform and putting these conversations into the world.
[00:20:33]
Alice Tang: Until next time.
Ana Chaud is the Co-Founder and COO of FiftyPages, an organization dedicated to helping leaders apply the same strategy and discipline they use in business to intentionally design their personal lives and next chapters. She also leads Sankalpa Life, a community focused on connection, wellbeing, and growth for women navigating midlife transitions.
With nearly three decades of experience, Ana is a seasoned entrepreneur and advisor, having guided over 200 founders and executives through scaling businesses, strategic planning, and complex decisions. She has personally founded and helped scale several companies, with experience across the full entrepreneurial cycle, from concept to exit.
Born and raised in Brazil, Ana immigrated to the U.S. at 21 and built a life defined by professional achievement and personal reinvention. Her academic background, which includes a BA in Communications and an MBA in Finance, is complemented by a career of constant evolution.
Ana’s zone of genius is helping high-achieving individuals transform abstract visions into tangible results. She is known for guiding clients to reconnect with what matters most, helping them chart their next steps, and pursue lives of deeper satisfaction and significance with no regrets.
Outside of her professional life, Ana is an empty nester with two college-aged sons, an avid reader, a devoted cook, and a passionate enthusiast of movement, including classical ballet and salsa. She embodies the commitment to vitality and intentional living that she champions in her work.
