Episodes

Leaving Your Career to Start a Business? Why You Should Keep the Door Open

November 2, 2026

When you decide to leave your job to start a business, it’s easy to think you’re closing the door on your previous career. You might be excited about entrepreneurship, ready for a career change, or looking for more flexibility and fulfillment in your life. But does starting a new chapter mean you have to completely […]

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The Second Act Success Blog features articles to help inspire you as you navigate your second act career and business journey. My hope is that these quick reads will offer advice and comfort knowing you are not alone on your path towards second act success.

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When you decide to leave your job to start a business, it’s easy to think you’re closing the door on your previous career.

You might be excited about entrepreneurship, ready for a career change, or looking for more flexibility and fulfillment in your life. But does starting a new chapter mean you have to completely walk away from everything you built before?

I don’t think so. In fact, I recently had an experience that reminded me just how valuable our first careers can be, even years after we’ve moved on.

Listen to episode #279 of the Second Act Success Podcast about this topic below…

Listen on Apple | Spotify | Amazon | YouTube

Going Back to My First Career After Becoming an Entrepreneur

Before becoming a business coach and entrepreneur, I spent more than 16 years working as a television producer in New York City and Los Angeles. I loved producing television. I worked with incredible people, traveled, and built a career that I had dreamed about since college. But after becoming a mom, my priorities changed.

The long hours and unpredictable schedules no longer aligned with the life I wanted for my family. So I made a career change, left television, and started my own business. That decision eventually led me to business coaching, writing my book Start Your Second Act, and helping other women leave their jobs to pursue entrepreneurship.

But here’s what I realized recently. I never stopped being a television producer. I simply started using those skills in different ways.

Leaving Your Career to Start a Business? Why You Should Keep the Door Open | Second Act Success Podcast #279

A Phone Call From My Past Career

Not long ago, a former colleague called and asked if I could help with a television production in New York City. We had worked together more than 20 years ago, back when I was beginning my career. He was bringing together several people from our old production days, and it sounded like a wonderful opportunity to reconnect.

I could have said no. After all, I’m a business coach now. I run my own businesses, work with coaching clients, and have an entirely different professional life. Instead, I rearranged my schedule and said yes. And I’m so glad I did.

The moment I stepped onto that television set, everything felt familiar. The teamwork, the problem-solving, the fast-paced environment, and the people I had known for decades. It was like riding a bike. I hadn’t lost those skills. They had been with me all along.

That experience reminded me of several important lessons about career changes and entrepreneurship.

1. Your Transferable Skills Never Disappear

One of the biggest misconceptions about making a career change is that you’re starting from scratch. You’re not.

If you’ve spent 10, 15, or 20 years building a career, you have valuable knowledge and experience that can support your next chapter. Think about it.

A corporate executive who starts a consulting business still knows how to lead teams, manage projects, and solve problems.

A teacher who launches an education business still understands how people learn.

A television producer who becomes a business coach still knows how to organize projects, manage people, communicate, and adapt when things don’t go as planned.

Your experience doesn’t disappear when your job title changes. Those transferable skills are often what make your second act possible.

2. Never Burn Bridges When Leaving Your Job

One of the smartest things you can do when transitioning from employee to entrepreneur is maintain your professional relationships. The opportunity to return to television came from someone I had worked with more than 20 years ago. We stayed connected over the years, and when an opportunity came along, he thought of me.

This is why I encourage women who are planning to leave corporate careers to do so thoughtfully and professionally whenever possible.

Your former colleagues, managers, and professional contacts may become future clients, referral partners, collaborators, or even friends who introduce you to unexpected opportunities. You never know when those relationships might become valuable again.

Stay connected. Celebrate other people’s successes. Reach out occasionally. And don’t underestimate the value of simply maintaining friendships.

3. Keeping One Foot in Your Former Career Can Create Opportunities

Starting a business doesn’t always mean you have to stop doing everything associated with your previous career. In fact, keeping one foot in the door can be a smart business strategy.

Maybe you occasionally accept freelance projects.

Maybe you consult in your former industry.

Maybe you attend professional networking events or mentor someone who’s just beginning their career.

These activities can keep your skills sharp, maintain relationships, and potentially create additional income streams. This can be especially valuable when you’re building a new business and want flexibility while you grow.

You don’t have to return to your old career full-time to benefit from everything it gave you.

How to Keep Your Professional Doors Open

If you’re considering leaving your job to start a business, ask yourself:

Which professional relationships do I want to maintain?
What transferable skills can I use in my new business?
Could consulting or freelance work provide additional income?
Are there industry groups or professional networks I want to stay connected with?
Who from my previous career could I reconnect with this week?

You don’t need a complicated networking strategy. Sometimes it starts with a simple text message to someone you haven’t spoken with in a while.

Your Second Act Includes Everything That Came Before

Spending a day back on a television set reminded me that we don’t have to abandon our past to create an exciting future. I may not work on another television production for quite some time. But I know I can. And that feels pretty wonderful.

My hope is that you recognize the same possibility in your own life. You have more skills, more experience, and more opportunities than you might realize.

Your first act helped make you who you are.

Your second act is where you get to decide what comes next.

And sometimes, those two chapters can overlap in the most unexpected and fulfilling ways.

👉 Book your free strategy call with me at https://secondactsuccess.co/strategy

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READ SHANNON’S NEW BOOK:

https://startyoursecondact.com

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