Second Act Success Blog:
Business Tips, Career Advice, and Inspiration on Starting Over

After 19 years in education and an ADHD diagnosis, Cindy Baker made a bold pivot. Cindy Baker made a bold pivot—she left the classroom to launch her own business as a productivity coach for entrepreneurs. In this inspiring episode of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, host Shannon Russell sits down with Cindy to discuss her career […]

What is your breaking point? What if it involved Taylor Swift? Have you ever faced a life-changing crossroads where you had to choose between your career and your heart? In this episode of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, host Shannon Russell shares a deeply personal story about the day she said no to interviewing Taylor Swift — and why […]

Have you ever stood in front of your closet naked and wondered, “How did I get here?” In this inspiring episode of Second Act Success, host Shannon Russell sits down with Monika Nielsen, founder of Style Closet Coach and the beloved “closet therapist” for women reinventing themselves in midlife. After homeschooling her three children for 22 years, Monika […]

Are you waking up every day feeling stuck, unfulfilled, or just “going through the motions” in your job? In this empowering episode of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, career transition and business coach Shannon Russell shares a powerful message about what it really means to live by default—and how to break free from it. If you’ve […]

Surviving a traumatic brain injury, gave Michal Morrison a second chance at life.  In this inspiring episode of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, Shannon sits down with Michal Morrison—an archeologist-turned-entrepreneur—who transformed personal adversity into a groundbreaking second act. After surviving a traumatic brain injury, Michal left behind her world-traveling career in archaeology to launch her […]

5 Profitable Business Ideas for Teachers: Side Hustles & Full-Time Careers After Leaving the Classroom Teaching is one of the oldest professions, and many would argue an equally admirable one. However, teachers continue to make less than other similarly educated professionals year after year according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute. These statistics […]

Crafting an Effective Career Vision: Setting Goals for Success Having a clear career vision and setting goals for success is crucial in today’s society. Without a defined direction of where you want your career or business to go, it’s easy to feel lost and unmotivated. By crafting an effective vision for your future and setting […]

There comes a point in many women’s lives when the corporate ladder feels more like a hamster wheel than a path towards success. The promotions don’t quite fill the void, the office politics drain energy, and the thought of working for someone else for another 10, 15, or 20 years feels… unbearable. When these feelings […]

How to Shift from Employee to Entrepreneur: Mindset Strategies for Success Transitioning from being an employee to being an entrepreneur isn’t just about changing what you do. It’s about changing how you think. Yes. You’ve been working in the workforce for many years. Yes. You have skills. Yes. You have management experience. Yes. You know […]