Season 1 -Episode #1

Host: Shannon Russell

Transcription (*created by Descript and may not be perfectly accurate)

[00:00:00] Shannon: Welcome to the Second Act Success Podcast. This is our premiere episode and I am so happy to have you here to hang out with, trust me, I know your time is precious, so let's dive in and enjoy these momentous minutes that we have together. are you at a crossroads in your career or in life? Well, don't worry because life's next chapter is waiting. This is the Second Act Success Podcast. I am your host Shannon Russell. I'm a television producer turned boy mom turned business owner podcaster and career coach. If you are looking to start a new career, or begin a fresh chapter in life, then get ready to be inspired with stories of women who have done just that. We will share advice and offer steps. You can take to help figure out what your true calling in life really is. It is time to shine. So let's turn the page and get started. Welcome to Second Act Success.[00:01:00]

Welcome my friend. I am so excited to be spending some time with you today. Thank you for tuning in to the Second Act Success Podcast. I am your host Shannon Russell. This is our premiere episode. And I just want to take some time to tell you about me and my goals for this podcast.

I truly believe it will be a valuable resource to those of you who are stuck in a place where you're trying to figure out what your next step is.

Maybe you are thinking about changing careers to try something completely new. Maybe you are questioning your role outside of the house after starting a family. Maybe you are so over the nine to five, and you're wondering if you can really turn that creative passion of yours into a paycheck. Or maybe you are ready to step into the real world for the first time with a new degree in your hands and you just do not know where to start.

The bottom line. Is that you are at a crossroads my friend. If you are not sure what to do with this one precious life [00:02:00] that you're given. Then I'm here to tell you that you deserve a second act. This podcast is a tool to help you turn the page to a new chapter. You can figure out what your calling is and what you are really, truly meant to do.

Who said we have to choose just one job after college and stick with it until retirement. Why can't we have multiple careers? Why can't we test out new things and see what feels right. And have some adventures along the way. Wouldn't you rather say. I don't have to choose, but rather. I want to do it all. Let's check all of those boxes and experiences that life has to offer. I believe that each person has many levels of brilliance, but it is up to us to peel back the layers to answer the question of what's next for me. Every week on second X success. I will interview unique individuals who have changed careers and conquered their fears all while [00:03:00] discovering who they are meant to be. These fascinating stories will truly inspire you.

You will meet women and even some men who have pivoted into such interesting second acts. Like a woman who worked in high fashion in New York city and is now a lactation consultant, helping families feed their children and a woman who moved from marketing and the makeup industry to being a mental health therapist. Or an actress who transitioned into running her own wedding planning business.

I will also be bringing you valuable insights from authors college counselors, career coaches, psychologists, and experts in everything having to do with today's workplace.

My goal is to bring you as much info on job trends and all of the ideas of possibilities that are out there for you.

We all love going to friends for advice. So this podcast will serve as a friend who will bring the inspiration each week to you. For now. Let me start by filling you in on how I turned the page to make [00:04:00] myself a fuller and happier human. I started my career as a television producer, and I spent years living in New York City and Los Angeles producing shows and live events with every celebrity you can think of. I was able to travel the world and work with people who are still my very best friends to this day. It truly was a dream job that I will forever be grateful for.

However something hit me one day as I walked through the crowded subway station in times, square followed by what seemed like miles of New York city blocks. In my high heels while eight months pregnant. It dawned on me that my dream job no longer thrilled me. I had been up all night with my two year old and had Braxton Hicks contractions. So the idea of interviewing Carrie Underwood just didn't track high on my list of priorities. Like it would have in the past.

It wasn't that I didn't love my job, but my priorities were changing. My kids had become my priority and missing out on milestones with them just to [00:05:00] jaunt around the country, making TV didn't excite me anymore. While I was on maternity leave with my second son. The show I was producing at the time was canceled. I took this as a sign that it was time to move on. But what would I do next? I didn't know anything else. My husband is a producer. My friends are all in the entertainment industry. So who was I to think that I could do something new in my thirties with two children and a mortgage. I struggled and stressed and agonize over the thought of a change. There were so many changes in my life. That one more just seemed too overwhelming. It was an extremely lonely time for me. I had no one to talk to new mom, friends would say to me, how can you not want to be on sets with celebrities just to be home with your kids? To me, it was a no brainer. I'm type a, and I'm a person who always has to have goals to work towards. I love projects and figuring out how to get the end result. It's kind of like a fascinating puzzle to me. I had [00:06:00] accomplished my goal of working in my career that I wanted. Now it was onto the next, but what was it?

I started taking graduate school classes online at night. But quickly, I realized that I did not want to work for someone else and be on someone else's schedule. I had been producing projects for other people for years, and it was time for me to produce my own life for a change. With no one in my circle to lean on for advice. I became besties with my podcast, host heroes, Marie Forleo, Jenna Kutcher, Cathy Heller, Natalie ECT. All. John Lee Dumas. And of course, Amy Porterfield.

I dove into listening to podcasts about entrepreneurs who had changed their lives on their own terms. And it was a life-changer literally driving in the car. One day I listened to a Marie Forleo discussion on how to get anything you want. Because everything is figureoutable. One of my favorite quotes ever, by the way.

Something that [00:07:00] Maria said just clicked in me. And I knew that I had to start my own business. I had never thought that before. But all of a sudden the idea became crystal clear and truly seemed figure outable.

After a lot of soul searching, I decided to just do it. I took the leap of faith and open my own business. I now run a Snapology franchise that teaches children's stem education through Lego building robotics and technology.

What a change. Let me just tell you. I went from working with celebrities to working with kids. It has been an amazing opportunity all around. I now get to be present for every minute of my children's lives. I have an amazing team of employees and I have forged wonderful relationships with families and partners in my community. And all of this while providing for my family, it truly is a dream come true. It may not be as exciting as working in Hollywood. But for me right now as a mom and a wife, this is perfect.[00:08:00]

I often get asked, how did you make this drastic transition? Trust me, it was challenging, but in my experience, the benefits far outweigh the stepping stones along the way.

Now the business is successful and it runs itself. I started by Offering friends advice on how to change jobs or start a new business of their own. And now I can still others on how they can take strides on the road to a second act. It has been incredibly rewarding.

So as a true type, a entrepreneur. I needed yet another challenge to add to the mix. And this is how Second Act Success was born. So now through this podcast, I will help you uncover your true calling step by step.

I am honored to go on this journey with you to help you discover ways that you can turn the page in your life. I hope you will find inspiration in the stories and advice that my guests will share with you each week. You never know when you'll have your Marie Forleo moment of [00:09:00] clarity or when an idea will pop in your head, but together we will find it.

This podcast will provide you with stories to make you say, if she can do it, I can do it. I can not wait to get started with our first guests on the next episode of Second Act Success. Let's turn the page together.

Thank you for joining us. I hope you found some gems of inspiration and some takeaways to help you on your path to Second Act Success. To view, show notes from this episode, recommend to guests with a great story and learn more about us. Visit secondactsuccess.co. Before you go, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast. So you don't miss a single episode. And if you are enjoying our time together, please leave a review in apple podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews only take a few moments and they really do mean so much. Thank you again for listening. I am Shannon Russell, and this is Second Act Success.