Publication Day! My Book Start Your Second Act Is Out Now! | #192

It’s publication day for my new book! In this special episode of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, host Shannon Russell celebrates the release of her new book, Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life. Shannon reads pages from Chapter 2 of her book, diving into what a “second act” truly means and how women can embrace the powerful pivot from feeling stuck in a job to starting something that lights them up. This heartfelt reading is a sneak peak into what this book explores- how life stages influence career shifts, why nine out of ten women dream of changing careers, and how to turn fear into fuel for transformation.

🎯 Key Takeaways:

• Discover the true meaning of a "second act" and how it relates to your life and career.
• Learn why career change is often necessary for fulfillment and health.
• Understand the myth of career stability and how to take control of your work and life.
• Get inspired by real-world statistics and stories of reinvention.
• Find clarity around whether it’s time for you to make a career shift or start your own business.

🔗 Grab your copy of the book at startyoursecondact.com or wherever you buy books!

SHOW NOTES:

https://secondactsuccess.co/192

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Transcript

Second Act Success Career Podcast

Season 1 - Publication Day! My Book Start Your Second Act Is Out Now! | #192

Episode - #192

Host: Shannon Russell

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

[00:00:00] 

Are you ready to quit your nine to five job and start a business of your own? Well, you're in the right place, my friend. Welcome to the second Act Success Career podcast. I am your host Shannon Russell. I am a former television producer, turned business owner, career transition coach, and boy mom. My mission is to help you produce your best life.

This podcast will teach you how to get from where you are now to where you want to be, and how to build a business that fits your life and lights you up. Let's get started.

Hey there, friend. It is publication day. Start your second act. How to change careers, launch a Business, and create your Best life. My new book is out today.

It's actually really surreal to say that my book is out there. It's available. You can go into Barnes and Noble and find my book. You can go on Amazon and get the book. It's even in some local bookstores. 

To celebrate, I'm going to read a [00:01:00] chapter from my book. We're gonna talk a little bit and really celebrate the fact that this is another second act for me, maybe a third or fourth at this point.

 I've always wanted to be a writer I have thought about writing fiction, I then decided that I wanted to share my coaching strategies with.

Other people. I wanted to reach more people and really inspire others to start a second act. And what better way than in book form? This way, if someone can't necessarily work with me one-on-one, they can grab the book, they can get the ideas, the inspiration, the tools in action steps that they need to.

Make that move forward and to really start changing their life and their work for the better. So I'm really excited. I'm very proud. It's been about a year and a half, if not more, that I've been working on this book, and it's actually out today. I'm, I'm super excited for my book launch party this [00:02:00] evening, and I'm having a virtual book party.

And I'm having a virtual book launch party next week, so I'm just really excited to celebrate this book with you. If you wanna grab a copy, you can head over to https://startyoursecondact.com or just search start your second act on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, wherever you get your books. And I will put a link in the show notes as well.

But let's get to it. 

 Let's read a few pages from chapter two, which is entitled, what is a Second Act?

Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourself in a way that others might not see you simply because they've never seen it before. And we will applaud you every step of the way. Kamala Harris.

This book is called Start Your Second Act, but what is a second act? According to dictionary.com act is a noun throw second in front of it and you have second act. Thus, a second act is something done for the [00:03:00] second time definition, anything done being done or to be done deed performance, a heroic act.

The In the entertainment industry, there are many acts depending on what you are writing or watching. 

In film, you most often have a three act format where the characters experience a beginning, middle, and end. In television, there are five acts in a one hour show, taking the viewers through an episodic story, the character set up the conflict, the rising action or drama, the lesson and the resolution.

 In musicals and plays, there are often two acts, exposition and conflict in act one and resolution. In act two, our careers and even our lives can follow these patterns. 

You may start off in one career field after school your first act, and then decide 15 years later that you no longer enjoy what you do and want to change fields your second act. You may choose to change [00:04:00] careers again, open a business, stay at home with your kids, or do something else. These choices are new acts for your life's overall performance.

 Isn't it exciting to think of our lives this way? Some people choose their careers and stick with them until retirement. Those people have a one act career. Others like myself have chosen to switch things up mid-career to begin second act careers 

truthfully. I may even be on my third or fourth act and counting at this point, and that actually really excites me. 

As a career transition and business coach, my goal is to help women in unfulfilled careers pivot to find their purpose and create second acts in life that are full of abundance. A second act can mean finding a new job, changing careers, completely, starting a business, going back to school, or pursuing a creative passion full-time.

If you feel stuck, it may mean that life has changed and your career [00:05:00] no longer fits your current lifestyle. This is a very common theme, especially for women. When this feeling creeps in, it may be a sign that it is time to start thinking about a second act career. 

The brilliant author Paulo Coello wrote, it's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. In my mind, this is 1000% true. The idea of a second act is to start something new, a new chapter, if you will, that adds to your life. Maybe you want to take your experience and build a business using your unique skills or turn your side hustle into a full-time job.

Maybe you have always dreamed of writing a book or starting a creative venture like podcasting. You may love the world of nonprofit and want to create one of your own to give back to your community. Maybe you have a hobby that you enjoy, like playing a musical instrument or [00:06:00] painting, and you create a career teaching lessons to children.

You may be a lifelong learner and you want to go back to school to earn a new degree. That will eventually bring you more income in the workplace. Whatever you want to do that is outside of what you're doing right now, that can be your second act option.

 Why do nine out of 10 women dream of changing careers?

 A study of more than 3,500 women in the InHerSight network found that nine out of 10 women dream of changing careers. According to the survey, 57% of these women reported that they are seriously considering a career change. This number may not surprise you, especially if you or someone you know has contemplated a career shift.

There is an enormous difference between a person's first and second act careers. Think about it. We choose our career paths when we are basically teenagers cut to 20 plus years later, [00:07:00] and chances are you are a different person. Women start their careers from many different stages, college, trade schools, or straight out of high school.

We have options yet as years pass and we go through different seasons of life. Our careers may not fit the way they did when we started.

we have options yet as the years pass and we go through different seasons of life, our careers may not fit the way they did when we started. The bottom line is that if you aren't happy with what you do each and every day for work, your days simply suck. You dread each morning and count the minutes until you get to go home. What do you do at home? You take care of everyone else and then dread the next day. Once again, if you find yourself in this type of situation, then you know how this cycle goes When you stay complacent in a job you hate, it can have drastic effects on your health, sleep, relationships, and your overall wellbeing.

 Let me ask you [00:08:00] this. If you had a partner who made you physically and emotionally ill, you most likely would get rid of them. So why do you stay at a job that makes you feel the same way? According to a landmark inquiry into disease prevention by the Women's Health Study and Harvard researchers, was discovered that women in high stress jobs have a 40% increased risk of heart disease compared with their less stressed colleagues. This is because when your body goes into fight or flight mode due to stress, it thinks that something life-threatening is happening.

The brain then sends chemicals throughout your body to increase your heart rate, blood pressure, and your breathing constant overwhelm will continue to confuse your brain and that will cause ongoing stress to your body even when you are merely in your typical work routine. This bottom line is that you do not want to treat your body this way, nor do you want to live this way.

Am I right?

The fears that hold you back from [00:09:00] leaving that dreadful daily routine you're in are legitimate fear of the unknown. Fear of failure, fear of change, even fear of success are all real, but they, they're also manageable. If you want to feel better each morning and improve your overall health and happiness, then you have to be willing to work for it.

 Start by asking yourself how you want your days to look next. Start learning how you can make small tweaks to your work and home life to ease into making a bigger change down the road.

Remember, if your work is causing you harm, only you can make the changes necessary to protect yourself. Jennifer Lopez starred in the 2018 film Second Act, and her character recites a brilliant line that I must share with you. She said, every day you wake up and have a second chance to do whatever you want to be, whoever you want.

The only thing stopping you is you. What a great way to [00:10:00] look at life. We are lucky to wake up daily with a blank slate in front of us, and we are in control of what we live out each and every day. Do we want to live the same day as yesterday? Do we want to switch things up and try something new?

What if we all wake up each morning excited about the 24 hours ahead of us, and we ask ourselves, what will I do with the second chance I am given today? Trust me, I understand how it may sound easier to stay where you are rather than to try a career change.

Trust me. I understand how it may sound easier to stay where you are rather than try to change careers. It's hard work to change careers, especially if you are choosing to go into business for yourself. Yet, I personally think it's harder to wake up one day years from now and face the fact that you suffered through your days than it is to follow that feeling deep down in your belly.

 The question is, would you rather do the hard work now or face those hard feelings [00:11:00] in the future?

 Career stability is a myth.

 Hate to break it to you, but gone are the years when a good job meant security. There is no such thing. You can be superior in your position, but when budget cuts become necessary, a company gets acquired or a new supervisor takes over, everyone is suddenly out for themselves. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publish a report that baby boomers have an average of 12.3 jobs between the ages of 18 and 52 and 5.8 jobs in their twenties. Millennials have an average of six jobs by the time they are 26 years old, and they are expected to have an average of 15 to 20 jobs in their lifetime.

These stats prove that both generations like to move around in search of that perfect career, whether or not stability is present. The question becomes, will you be content changing jobs several more times in life without experience, stability, [00:12:00] or finding a role that truly fits you? Remember when Steve Jobs got fired as the CEO of Apple when he was 30 years old?

 You may not recall that actress Amy Adams was fired from the TV show, Dr. Vegas before going on to win two Golden Globes and being nominated for six Academy Awards. Financial expert Jean Chatzky got the acts after 15 years writing for huge publications like Fortune and Money.

She took control of the situation by leveraging her role at NBC's Today Show and building her own business. Her money, 

anna Wintour was fired from Harper's Bazaar in London before going on to become the editor in chief of Vogue in 2010, Anna went on to say. I recommend that you all get fired. It's a great learning experience.

The point is that you can continue in your current role, but always know that you are not guaranteed a gold watch at the end of your career. Ask yourself, would you rather trade in your job to [00:13:00] become your own boss? The small business association has seen an uptick in people making the shift from employee to entrepreneur.

With 600,000 new businesses opening every year in the United States, these businesses employ roughly 60 million people, which is half of all employment. These numbers help paint the picture that people are seeing what's going on in the work world today, and many are opting to explore their options outside of the office.

Take control of your work and life. There are many factors that make the second act different, but ultimately, your second career should be about you. What you want, what drives you, and what makes you wake up eager for the day. Regardless of how they started their careers, almost all first time job applicants have something in common.

They are at the bottom of the food chain and they learn as they go

With this book in your hand, you have a past career, [00:14:00] current career, or both to reflect upon right now. Do you like the work you set out to do as an adult? Does it fulfill you or bring you joy? Would you be content doing the same work 20 years from now? You are the captain of your own ship, as they say.

Taking time to ask yourself these questions and answer them truthfully will allow you to take control of your future. If you're not happy now, then when will you be? Employees spend the majority of their mid to late twenties pursuing the next job, pushing for the promotion, and climbing that ladder all while trying to pay off debt 

or merely survive adulthood. Raise your hand if you have been there. When I was in my twenties, I moved to a small apartment just outside of New York City, making less than $100 a day, but working 10 to 12 hours a day at my first job. I have no idea how 22-year-old me did it, but miraculously I did.

 With thicker skin [00:15:00] and a killer work ethic. We sometimes get so caught up in trying to play the corporate game to finally make it that one day we wake up to realize either we have changed or the industry around us has.

Maybe it's getting older or getting married, or having kids. That changes how we view work. Or maybe it's the work itself that just no longer fits where we are in this particular phase of life. No matter the impetus, when a woman decides to look for something new, she's setting out to discover her second act. Do you know what's magical about this stage of life?

At this stage, we finally know ourselves, and more importantly, we know our worth. We have studied, put in the work, paid our dues, and truly come into our own. Now the world waits with open arms to see what we will do next. women looking for their second act understand what they like about their work and what they dislike.

They have an understanding of what they're willing to give up in [00:16:00] their careers and what they are not. A second act of any kind is about finding a role that truly fits you. You are the one calling the shots. 

 One thing to consider though is that the grass is not always greener. It may sound cliche, but it's true beginning. A second act may have its obstacles.

When you feel frustrated, overwhelmed, exhausted, angry, anxious, or any of these emotions, you will trick yourself into thinking that any situation is better than where you are at that moment. The wise thing to do is to step back and get some perspective on where you are. There are 8 billion people on the planet and we all suffer from stress from time to time. So be patient with yourself and be positive. You are ready for a leap into this change before you take your feet off the ground, starting over in a new role or opening a business may require getting more education.

Taking a step back in title, accepting a pay [00:17:00] cut, or taking some big risks on yourself. 

You may have to consider trade-offs, like exchanging job security for doing something with growth potential, or swapping the comforts of benefits and a weekly salary for the independence of working for yourself. Weighing the pros and cons for a major career shift is a vital part of making a transition into something new. It's all about learning what your options are before you make that leap towards your next act. More on learning. Before you leap in chapter nine,

alright, my friends, I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into my new book. Start Your Second Act again. You can go check out the book at https://startyoursecondact.com or grab the link in the show notes below. Thank you so much for celebrating my book launch. 

I will be back next week with a new episode of the Second Act Success Career Podcast. Take care, talk soon, and continue to produce your best life.

Thank you for joining us. [00:18:00] 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, visit second act success.co. Before you go, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode. Reviews only take a few moments and they really do mean so much.

Thank you again for listening. I'm Shannon Russell. And this is second act success.