Second Act Success: Business Tips & Career Change Advice for Women
Welcome to the Second Act Success Podcast, a top 2% globally ranked show designed to help ambitious women like you who are ready to change careers, start a business, and create a fulfilled life you deserve. Hosted by Shannon Russell, business coach for women, author, and entrepreneur, this podcast helps you transition from employee to entrepreneur with clarity, confidence, and a strategic action plan. Listen and Learn: - How to quit your job and start a business that lights you up - Strategies for career change after 40 and designing your second act - Business planning, marketing, and personal branding tips for women - How to validate your business idea and find your ideal clients - How to use your career experience in your role as a female entrepreneur - Success stories from women who’ve turned their side hustles into thriving businesses Whether you’re planning an exit strategy, exploring midlife career pivots, or ready to become your own boss, you’ll find actionable steps, real-life inspiration, and expert guidance here on the show, so you can start your second act. Is this podcast for you? - Are you dreaming of quitting your corporate job to start your own business? - Do you want advice on launching a business, marketing your offers, designing your personal brand, and putting your business strategies in place? - Are you ready to overcome fear and turn your skills and experience from the corporate world into your second act business where you are the boss? - Do you crave a flexible lifestyle that allows you to focus on your family and your creative passions while still bringing income into your household? - Are you ready to become your own boss and build a business that is all yours? - Is it time to turn your side hustle into a full-time business? If you answered YES, then you’re in the right place and this podcast will teach you everything you need to know. 🎧 Listen to new episodes every week to help you build your second act. 🔗 Book a free Second Act Strategy Call with host Shannon Russell and download free resources at https://secondactsuccess.co. Subscribe now and embark on a journey towards your second act!
Episodes
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
Are you trying to do everything in your business yourself?
One of the biggest mistakes new entrepreneurs make is waiting too long to hire help. While wearing every hat might seem like the most affordable option, it can actually slow your business growth and lead to burnout.
In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, business coach Shannon Russell shares how to know when...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
How do you know which business is the right one to start?
If you've been thinking about starting a business but feel overwhelmed by all the online advice, you're not alone. Every day there seems to be a new business trend, side hustle, or entrepreneur claiming they made six figures overnight. But copying someone else's business isn't the path to building one you'll actually lo...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
What does it take to become a confident leader, build a successful career, and create a business you're passionate about?
In this inspiring episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with engineering leadership strategist, executive coach, speaker, and mentor Sairan Aqrawi to discuss how women can build confidence, find their voice, and create meaning...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
Have you ever wondered if it's too late to change careers, start a business, or even write a book? Think again.
In this inspiring episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with entrepreneur and author Kay Paschal, whose career journey proves that your best chapter may still be ahead.
After spending 18 years in the corporate world, Kay made an unexpect...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
What if the key to a successful career transition isn't starting over, but connecting the dots of everything you've already done?
In this inspiring episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with purpose-driven leader, career strategist, and Senior Alumni Engagement Manager at Management Leadership for Tomorrow, Siena Dean, to talk about finding purpo...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
What if the real reason you want to start a business isn't about money?
What if it's about freedom?
In this heartfelt solo episode #259 of the Second Act Success Podcast, host and business coach Shannon Russell shares the deeper reason so many women pursue entrepreneurship. Not just for financial independence, but for the freedom to be present for their children, aging parents,...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
What if the career skills you've spent decades building could become the foundation for a completely different and more meaningful second act?
In this inspiring episode #258 of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with Rebecca Bloom, former workplace and benefits attorney, women's health advocate, author, and storytelling coach, to discuss how personal cha...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
What happens when life forces you to slow down?
In this powerful episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with Patricia Sasser, independent school leader and incoming Head of School, to talk about taking a mid-career sabbatical, also known as a “mini retirement,” after experiencing profound personal loss.
After years of serving stud...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
What are your children learning from the way you approach work, stress, ambition, and dreams?
In this heartfelt episode #256 of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell shares a deeply personal story about attending her son’s school presentation and realizing just how much our children are watching us as we navigate our careers, businesses, and second acts.
F...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
What does a successful career transition really look like?
In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with Betty Galvan, a former teacher turned female entrepreneur, digital marketing expert, and coworking space owner, to talk about her inspiring journey from education to entrepreneurship.
Betty shares how she went from teaching middle school t...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
Building a business is exciting, but it’s not always easy.
In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell dives into one of the most important topics for entrepreneurs and women starting a business. How to handle roadblocks, setbacks, and challenges without losing momentum.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in your business, frustrated by a failed launch...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a published author but told yourself you don’t have the time?
In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with Liz Mugavero, traditionally published author of 20 books and counting, to talk about how she built a successful writing career while working a demanding corporate job.
Liz shares how she went from...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
Have you ever stopped yourself from starting a business or changing careers because you were worried about what people would think? You are not alone.
In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell dives into one of the biggest blockers for women navigating a career transition, self-doubt and the fear of judgment.
Listen in if you’ve ever thought:
- &...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
Are you a stay-at-home mom thinking about going back to work, starting a business, or navigating a career transition?
In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with Lorie Jones, a financial advisor, entrepreneur, and mom of five, who shares her inspiring journey from stay-at-home parent to successful business owner.
Lorie started with no backg...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
What if retirement didn’t have to wait until you were 65?
In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell dives into the growing trend of mini retirements and why more women are choosing to take intentional career breaks to reset, recharge, and rethink their next chapter.
A recent study shows that more professionals are planning career breaks of 3 to 12...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
What would you do if you were laid off tomorrow?
In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with Kelly Schuknecht to talk about turning an unexpected layoff into a powerful second act career.
After years climbing the corporate ladder in publishing and marketing, Kelly found herself at a crossroads when her company was acquired and her role was ...
In this special episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell participates in Podcastathon 2026, a global initiative where podcasters dedicate an episode to highlight a charity that matters deeply to them.
The organization Shannon chose to spotlight is Big Brothers Big Sisters, specifically Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal and Northern New Jersey.
Before becoming a business coach for women, Shannon spent years running...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
If you have a business idea you're excited about, it can be tempting to jump straight into building it. But before you invest your time, energy, and money, there's one critical step you shouldn't skip.
In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell walks you through how to research and validate your business idea so you can confidently move from employee to...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
Have you ever worried that changing careers means everything you’ve done up to this point was a waste?
In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with Kayla Sweet, a transformational life coach and founder of Internally Guided Leadership Consulting, to talk about transformation, alignment, burnout, and career transitions.
Kayla shares how...
👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.
I missed my son’s first birthday. And that moment changed everything in my career.
In this deeply personal episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell shares the story of the day she was producing a major MTV shoot at South by Southwest while her baby celebrated his first birthday without her.
On paper, it looked like success. Behind the scenes, it fe...
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