A person's expertise doesn't have to be money-making.
A useful example is found in the compliments many Asians give to friends / relatives who are good cooks.
"Oh, your dish is so good. You should open a restaurant. I'm sure you'll get a lot of business. I'll definitely come and support."
Yes, it isn't meant to be taken literally. Even so, the way that being good at something is so quickly associated with money shows what is valued - and it certainly isn't the expertise itself.
Which is a great pity, isn't it?
We Often Forget that Our Experiences are Valuable to Others
Your experience and expertise seem trivial to you because you've been living with and accumulating them steadily over a long time.
To someone who wants but doesn't have them, however, they seem impressive.
Think of a young child wondering how adults get so tall.
They may silently wish to grow taller, dismay (erroneously) at how they'll never get that tall, or loudly demand a shortcut (no pun intended) to attaining their desired height.
Short of a miracle, genetic mutation, or painful surgery, they, like you, have to accumulate growth a little at a time.
The good thing is, unlike height, your wisdom can be imparted easily and readily.
You just have to want to enough.
That Spark When Someone "Gets It"
There's something fulfilling about showing someone how to do something, and watching that individual "get it".
Perhaps it's in their eyes, their smile, their general uplifted demeanour when that happens, I'm not sure.
But when you witness it, you know.
And it makes a difference in you, too.
Experts Don't Know Everything. They Just Know A Bit More Than Others.
Being an expert doesn't mean that you know EVERYTHING about a topic. That's impossible.
Rather, you simply have more knowledge and insight on that topic than the average person, because you've spent more resources (time, energy, attention, money, etc.) on it than they have.
That makes you worth learning from if I want to shorten my learning curve.
You spent the resources, so I don't have to.