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Overcomers Approach
“The Overcomers Approach” podcast showcases stories of resilience, where individuals transcend challenges to achieve personal and professional success. With a focus on spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and financial growth, the podcast inspires listeners to embrace their potential and thrive in all areas of life. Join us to learn how overcoming adversity can lead to evolution, healing, and lasting success.
Overcomers Approach
One Life, No Regrets: Building Your Second Act
What happens when your successful career starts stealing life's most precious moments? Shannon Russell faced this reality when she missed her son's first birthday while working as a television producer. That wake-up call sparked a complete reinvention of her professional life and ultimately led her to help others find their own "second acts."
Shannon shares her compelling journey from 16 years in entertainment to entrepreneurship, revealing how she transformed fear into opportunity by reframing her career pivot as an exciting challenge rather than a leap into the unknown. She explains the methodical approach that allowed her to launch a successful franchise business while maintaining financial stability—a strategy she now teaches others as a career transition coach.
For anyone feeling stuck in an unfulfilling career, Shannon offers practical wisdom on how to research potential paths, identify transferable skills, and build confidence before making any drastic changes. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining professional relationships during transitions, noting that today's digital landscape creates networking opportunities even for introverts.
Perhaps most valuable is Shannon's insight on establishing non-negotiables and reconnecting with your "why" when building a second act. By prioritizing what truly matters—whether that's family time, creative fulfillment, or financial freedom—career transitions become acts of self-care rather than selfish indulgences.
The conversation serves as both inspiration and practical roadmap for anyone contemplating a professional reinvention. Shannon's message resonates clearly: we get one life, and we deserve careers that honor our talents, values, and priorities. Ready to write your own second act story? Connect with Shannon at secondactsuccessco.com for resources to help you begin your journey toward purpose-driven work.
More on Shannon Russell at https://secondactsuccess.co/
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Hello everyone, this is Nicole Ellis-McGregor, the founder of the Overcomers Approach podcast, where I talk with different people from different walks of life, different experiences and different journeys, different expertise, but the overarching theme is that we have the ability to overcome and to be resilient and to be empowered, no matter where we are in life or what chapter we're in, and I'm so grateful to have Shannon Russell here today. She is a career transition and business coach, exit strategy expert and the CEO of Second Act Success Coaching. Shannon has spent 60 years as a television producer before she decided to stop producing shows for others and start producing for her own life. She's pivoted her career from the entertainment industry to entrepreneurship and she now empowers women to leaving unfulfilling careers and to build joyful, purpose-driven lives and careers that allows them to live their best lives in their second act. Shannon is the author of Start your Second Act how to Change Careers, launch a Business and Create your Best Life, and she hosts the Second Act Success Career Podcast.
Speaker 1:Shannon, it is a pleasure to have you here today. I consider it an honor and I just love your story and how you got to the place that you are here today, and I think so many people can relate to this, based on just kind of how we're at in the career and work environment. Things are changing and shifting and if we're not being proactive on what that looks like, we're going to be reactive and kind of start behind. But it doesn't matter when you start, it's that you start. I'm so happy to have people like you are here to support people in that journey and in their transition. That journey and in their transition how did you transition out of entertainment and to become the coach that you are right now in the Epsic Strategy and your own CEO? Was there any fear or did you just do it right away? How did that transition occur?
Speaker 2:Well, thank you for having me, nicole. I'm so excited to be chatting with you. Yes, there was a lot of fear. It really was. I would say.
Speaker 2:I had my first son and then things started changing and I was missing things. I was missing his first birthday, I miss Halloween and I was traveling and working just really long hours. And when I got pregnant with my second son, I realized that something needed to change. And you know, I just had this kind of epiphany aha moment while I was pregnant, with him, trying to get home from New York City back to the suburbs, and I just said you know what? I've got to make a change, because it's now or never.
Speaker 2:And there was fear in that, because a lot of us rope our identity into our careers and what we do for a living. And I said you know what? I'm going to take all of that experience, I'm going to celebrate what I've accomplished and create something new and challenge myself. And I kind of looked at it like a challenge or a game. And, yeah, and I got into entrepreneurship. My first business was a franchise and I opened that. That became successful in the first year or so and then I decided to open up my coaching business as well, just to help other women who, like me, felt stuck and didn't know how to make that pivot.
Speaker 1:Yes, oh, wow, I love the fact that you it was a challenge, but you were open to the challenge, so I liked the fact that you it propelled you to that next step. I also liked the fact that you you know having your son and being able to how you wanted to fulfill your commitment, I'm sure as a mother, and how there was. It sounded like a little bit of tug of war, like you know how can you do this? But be here in time and you don't want to miss his first birthday, his first steps and I do know the first five years of childhood are the most critical and really wanting to be there as a parent to nurture that, to cultivate that and to allow him to be curious, but in like a safe space and learn at the same time.
Speaker 1:You know and so and what that looks like for you, and so I think that speaks to so many women who have family commitments. You know, or they want to be able to have more time for themselves, or they want to be more true to what their gifts and talents are. Why should a person switch jobs and start their second act? What are some of the reasons or what do you think that looks like?
Speaker 2:Yes, I think that I think the number one reason and that's such a great question is that we get one life and you don't want to have regrets at the end of the day. So if you've been thinking about a change of some kind or you've been thinking about, oh, maybe starting a business or writing a book or doing a podcast, why put that off when you don't know what tomorrow holds? Now is the time to do it, and you can do it in a very strategic, methodical way where you're not going to wreak havoc in your family. And you know, maybe it's not tomorrow, maybe it's in a year and you have to save up a little bit longer. But you can make that change and you just don't want to live with the regret of not even trying.
Speaker 1:That's right, yeah, and yeah, we only have one life and we have to make this life count. And I think if we live in, you know, more in the state of being, in the flow and joy and kind of peace about what we're doing and how everything kind of aligns together I'm finding out as I get older it really makes a difference. It makes a difference to our holistic health. What do you think that some women you mentioned something about our identity and that's so true kind of gets tied up with kind of what we do, maybe our title, you know all that comes into play and then you can kind of look over in the next lane and see what someone else is doing. It could be a bit distracting and I think you know sometimes women can struggle with making the change. What do you think helps them overcome that struggle? Or what do you think helped you or what could you speak to regarding that?
Speaker 2:I think it's doing the research. It's. If you have this idea, that's great, but you don't know what the day-to-day of that business or that job is going to look like.
Speaker 2:So to just start really by yourself, with your laptop, doing the research of what that role looks like, to see if it really aligns to what you think it looks like. And then, as you do more research, you'll become either more confident that this is the right move for you or you'll realize you know what. Maybe that isn't for me after all, and you can cross it off the list and move on. But either way you'll learn more and you'll know kind of what direction to go in. And I think that by learning before you leave, that confidence really helps you not only move forward in the right direction but be able to express it to others around you who might be a little fearful of you making this reinvention. So this way you can say, nope, I've done my research, I've done my work, I know this is for me.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I think that is definitely key. Like you said, as opposed to just jumping right into it, it sounds like to give yourself a transition time and also do some research on it. Do some research on this, if you're even going to like it. How is the field currently doing? How is it probably going to do in the next three years? You know, what investments do you have to put into for that business or whatever that looks like? I think that is critically key and what I see sometimes.
Speaker 1:I do see people kind of jumping into things prematurely and then when you fail, even if you fail, I do look like as fails, as a win, if you learn something from it, if you can learn like next time oh I got to do my research, oh, next time I think I might need a year or two to prepare for this and just getting that knowledge and wisdom, I think is such a good foundation for people you know, and so I think that is completely realistic and it's really doable. What do you think in terms of I know you came from the entertainment industry and production and producing? Do you feel like there were some transferable skills that you brought into the space of entrepreneurship, that you learned in that space?
Speaker 2:I did, nicole, and at first it took a while for me to figure that out because I really sat in a place of like what else? Communication skills. I'm used to hiring and managing teams and running budgets and all of these things in the creative side of things. It all kind of led me into entrepreneurship. And once I started really looking and saying I can do that. It does transfer. It was a really valuable lesson, not only for me, but for me to now work with my clients to see that within themselves.
Speaker 2:Because, so often we'll be in that field and we're doing the work and we don't see that it's special or what we actually are doing, because everyone around us is doing the same thing. But when you write it down and you look at it, yeah, so I think all of us can take something from our first act and move it into our second if we really look at it with that creative eye.
Speaker 1:I like that.
Speaker 1:I definitely like that, because I think some people kind of especially if you're doing a bunch of other things and you have different other roles in your life whether that's a mother or a caregiver, or you could be the breadwinner, or you're managing a marriage, you got children I think we can multitask and I think sometimes you can get lost in, like your identity because you have so many roles and you kind of forget, like, what did I do special, you know?
Speaker 1:Did I really make a difference? And I feel like we definitely all have, and it just, like you said, write it down and pull that outside of yourself because there was special things, there were critical things, there were things that you did that maybe no one else could do, but you, you know, and so, and I think sometimes we forget that you know we get the valuable, unique asset that was divinely imprinted on us to do and we kind of get lost, our voice gets lost in it. And I like the fact that you really, you know, like you said, write it down for people to pull that out out of themselves and to know that it still exists there. It's there, um, and so I love the fact that you, that you stated that in terms of uh, like I know I just want to touch on this briefly I know you tapped into doing a franchise and I know some people have done that and are doing that um, how did you do?
Speaker 1:Did you? Do you feel that this supported you in your transition or what did that look like? Because I know there's a lot of responsibility that goes with that, depending upon what type of franchise you want to get into and I know there's some research that goes into that. Do you feel that that helped you in some sense to build on your expertise or your experience as well?
Speaker 2:I do. Actually, I often say it's like a business in a box, right, you're coming in there saying I want to do this and they're giving you the tools that, as a first time business owner, you need. And for me, I felt like I was given everything. I had that support, especially of the other franchise owners in my organization, so it was wonderful. It was a really great experience and I saw that success quickly, which made me say, wow, I really could, I really have transferred my skills and I'm able to build this business and I felt confident and it made me want to open my second business.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I find it to be a really great business model. It's not for everyone and, of course, every franchise is different, but for me and the one that I owned was wonderful and I ended up running it for about over eight years and I sold it last year successfully.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. I love the fact because you're the second person that I've interviewed that talked about they. They built their own business and had a I don't know if it was really a franchise, but to be able to sell it like I didn't, yeah, and to be able to help create legacy and to pour into something else that you want to do. So she's constantly like evolving in her roles. So she had 10 businesses and now she's at four still very sustainable. But it's so great to hear women tell these stories that are very impactful and you guys are kind of showing us they're not even kind of like it can be done and it doesn't have to be. Like you said, not every franchise is, you know, meant for everybody. There's, they have different tools, different things, different approaches, different mission statements, all that that goes into it, um, but I love the fact that you're the second person that I talked to that did something very, very similar and now has moved on into her second act as well. So I definitely, I definitely love that. Um, what have you in terms of, like people's career experiences? How do you think their careers, what did you use, or what could people use, to help launch their business or like what does that look like? Because they're like okay, they kind of got an idea that they, hey, I got some things I can do. Now it's launching the business.
Speaker 1:This is where I think the coaching definitely comes into, especially if you don't have anybody around you that has that insider expertise or can walk that journey with you. And so I definitely want to say for the win I mean, we all have. I think it takes a team. So if you have a therapist, you want one, that's good. You definitely can have someone who's mentor or coaching you. It's just so worth the investment because what you get out of it is just it's like tenfold if you take it and apply it. So I just want to say thank you to that and I just want to that's part of the reason why I have the podcast to really highlight that. But how do you think people now that they have like an awareness or knowledge, like, hey, I think I'm moving towards the launch, what do you think helps women kind of gather that Now, they got the information, but it kind of got to be kind of like project management, it kind of got to be organized. What does that look?
Speaker 2:like. That's the hard part, and I think for me in starting this business I look back to myself. When I made the transition, before I opened my franchise, I was floundering, I was alone trying to figure it out, and it was so overwhelming, especially with two little ones at home. So I want to kind of bring all the information together and hold someone else's hand as they go into that. And yes, you're right, there's so many pieces, and I think it's how I work with my clients. It's very personalized.
Speaker 2:So, yes, you can take your idea. Well, let's see how the website looks, how your social media looks, let's build all of that out and get your branding together and then really focus on who your ideal customer or client is and go from there. So it's so many little pieces to kind of say well, where do you want to be in six months? Okay let's work backwards and let's get you there.
Speaker 2:But, it's checking it all and I think it's really every business owner has to worry now about social media and getting out there and just really finding your true audience. I think that is the hardest part of any business really. It's finding the people that want what you're offering. So we really focus on that upfront, so you're focusing on the right person at the end of the day, that's right.
Speaker 1:I love that and I love the fact that you're talking about branding and marketing, because that is a part of the process and that is. Is there a difference between process and that is? Is there a difference between? Sometimes I hear them used interchangeably. Is there a difference between the two? Just from a layman's person, because I'm still kind of in this space, learning that as well and I know that's an important part of piece of people launching their business Is there a difference or are they the same?
Speaker 2:I think they can work together. But really the branding is like your messaging and the colors that you use in your logos and it just kind of making sure that it's all cohesive everywhere, that you show up online and in person, and then the marketing is using that branding to get that awareness out so I think the branding is the first piece, deciding.
Speaker 2:You know what is the name of your business, what are the colors that you want to use, what are your, your fonts, is there a mascot or some kind of a logo that you want, something that's characteristic of what you're offering, and then the marketing is really taking it out and seeing what people think, and you can always go back and change. I mean, there's so many businesses that have had different iterations of their branding and marketing, but it really does go together once you have it all solid, I think, don't you agree?
Speaker 1:I agree 100%, it all really comes together.
Speaker 1:And as you talk about working backwards and now my mind is like an exit strategy, because I think once a woman knows, or once a person knows okay, I've done some research, you know, I'm moving into launching Well, they might be in a space where they haven't totally exited the space that they're in.
Speaker 1:And I think that to do that in such a way where you want to maintain, maybe, relationships, I think there's good ways to exit a space and there's not so good ways. I'm all for if you can make it happen as great as possible. I'm all for that, because I think relationships are very um, they're a resource. So I I think you know, um, what does exit strategy, or what is a good way, or, and, and then it could be like a one month, a six month plan, and that's where you come into play. What is exit strategy? What does that look like? And it may, like you said, be individualized for the person, but what are some some of the basic things you kind of go through when people are considering exiting the space that they're in for their second act?
Speaker 2:Well, we definitely look at not burning a bridge like you were alluding to yeah, and just making sure that you keep those connections, because the people you work with your partners, your colleagues they can be potential customers or clients down the road or know someone to help you, and you want to be able to reciprocate that and just have that relationship.
Speaker 2:And really what we do is look at the most important thing that no one wants to, but your finances. That's right. You still have that paycheck coming in. You're very lucky. So why not either build the business on the side or really look at how much longer you need to work until you can go full time? But, nicole, there's so much that we can do while you're working, because you can build that website, you can do your market research, you can build out your product suite of what you're going to offer, and all of that will just again boost your confidence and get you ready for that time that you're ready to give your two weeks notice. So it's not like a now or never. You need to walk in and give your two weeks notice and quit and run out.
Speaker 2:You want to do it really methodically because that will set you up for success on the other side.
Speaker 1:That's right. I love that and, like you said, having a method to it, having a strategy to it, maintaining those relationships. Those could be potential customers or they could know someone that you could be connected to in some way that can help you leverage your business and just continue to build on those trusting and quality relationships, Because I know they can definitely take you much farther. Another thing I think of and this is more so so I know we have people who are introvert and extrovert. Some people are just extroverted and they're like all about the people, the energy, the experiences, the networking. And then we have those people. I feel like I fall in the middle. So I'm an introvert, but I can be extroverted when I need it, but then I have to decompress and like pull myself out of it and just go into my space.
Speaker 1:What do you say for those women who you know they may not be just totally out there? You know, I know I have some colleagues and my friends and they are this extrovert, they're planning things or on different parts of the country. I'm exhausted by their experience. But I do know that people who may be personalities like that I know we have several leaders in the country and nationally and locally who are naturally introverted. But sometimes I think you can get in your head a bit. If you're an introverted person, if you're not just as busy or just so connected in such a big way, how do you speak to those women who want to go into their second act but then maybe they're just not out there on a level that they feel that they should be?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we live in such a great time with just online businesses right now and online networking. So I think most of my clients 99% of my clients are online all over the country, and so that's amazing. I wouldn't have been that way 10 plus years ago. But the fact that you can go online and talk to people, you can join different groups on Facebook or LinkedIn, you can meet people who can be your biz besties, that you can talk to every day and really support each other and that's where I found in even building my franchise business.
Speaker 2:I have other franchise owners from that organization that I talk to every single day still, and I'm out of the business now, but we support each other and help each other and then you know if we decide to get together, that's great, but there's so much support online so you don't have to necessarily network in person or go to your chamber of commerce. That's great if you want to, but there's so many other options. And one other thing is that I have several clients and friends of mine who were very much introverted and they opened VA businesses like online businesses where they can be a virtual assistant, where they can do things online and not have to leave the house and running their own business still. So you know where they can do things online and not have to leave the house and running their own business still.
Speaker 1:So you know, I love it. I love the fact because it gives us options, I get the solutions. It gives us challenges that we could definitely work through to get to whatever that next level is, that next chapter or that second act. Another question I want to touch on is how do you incorporate self-care into what you do, or how important do you think it is for other women who are going into this space and knowing that we have to sustain ourselves in other ways? What do you think? How do you integrate that into your coaching, or what do you think is important?
Speaker 2:Well, when you're making a second act or any kind of change, I always come back to your why and your non-negotiables.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what I mean by that is really like if you want to leave your job and have more flexibility for the kids or you are a caregiver and you need weekends free, whatever that is, that gets written down and you look at that and you know that any opportunity that comes up, you are looking at that non-negotiable and your priorities and you're sticking to it. And that's how we can really kind of be choosy at this stage of the game and decide really truly what's best for us.
Speaker 2:And to me that's self-care, because we're being choosy, we're leaping into something new that hopefully is going to fulfill us but also be comfortable and give us that flexibility and freedom that we need. And then really it goes down to just that time management piece and knowing when to close the laptop. Soon I have to pick up my kids and my laptop will close and I'm going to be 100% their mom for the rest of the day. So just giving yourself those priorities too, I think, helps you take care of your wellbeing and those that depend on you.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love the fact that you said know what your why is that's so important Know what your non-negotiables are because I think that's really, really important and write it down. You know and, and you're putting yourself first and you're and you're putting your, your business and yourself and your family really at the center of that, creating those boundaries that I think that are so important to, so that we're able to sustain you know whatever that looks like, whether we're exiting, whether we're starting, whether we're launching, you know wherever we're at in that journey and chapter. I think that's going to help carry us and sustain us. So I love the fact that you said that, because I think that is really important, because if you forget your why or if you don't have non-negotiables, it could just kind of get, I think, a little messy or a little confusing, or you could just burn up or, you know, have burnout because you don't. You know you haven't prioritized and that's something that you said to prioritize. You know what that looks like and how important that is, so I definitely love that.
Speaker 1:In terms of in terms of like people that you worked with, I think people are doing second acts in different stages and places of their lives. I met some 30-year-olds that have done a whole lot, and then I've met some housewives that are just like oh, this is my first time working, I have empty nesters. Now I'm trying to figure out what that looks like and what to do. And I'm starting to meet people that are retiring. But they're like I'm retired from my corporate or I'm retired from my public service job with the government, but now it's my time to live my you know visions and dreams or whatever that looks like. And I'm also meeting kids right out of high school or even college. They're like oh no, nine to five is not for us, you know, yeah, and so I'm meeting so many people on the spectrum and I feel like it's a really fun time. It's a time for great opportunities and solutions and people are now kind of knowing, like, what they want. And that's not to knock the nine to five, because we still need those jobs, we still need people there to serve us and we need to help support them people in the space that they're in.
Speaker 1:But, like I said, I feel like the work trajectory is changing in such a way. You know, both my parents had one job their whole life and they're retired and they're living off their pensions mine, too, not like that anymore. They're living off their pensions and that's, and that was good for the time, but I think it's the infrastructure so different now and it's going to evolve and change, and so that's why I think it's so important to have people such as yourself in this space, um to to um, willing to, you know, offer their services, and I and I want to. I'm gonna ask one last question and then I'm gonna give you an opportunity to give your web link and if someone wants to purchase your service as exit strategist or in the process of launching or all those people that I just described right now high school, college, retiree caregivers so many people are falling in different spaces and it kind of needs someone to help them be accountable and help them plan it out and to really, you know, go dig deep and figure out what their gifts and talents are and what their expertise is and whatever their lived experience they can pour into that.
Speaker 1:Besides peer experience, we have lived experience. That I think is really important. As you're in this journey, what gives you hope? Yes, as you're in this journey, what gives you hope?
Speaker 2:Yes, I think that more and more women especially will get unstuck and realize that they deserve, that they're worthy of trying something new in this one life that we get, rather than putting everyone else first you know, and you can still be a great caregiver and parent and friend and partner, but you can take care of yourself too. I love that.
Speaker 1:I love that, the fact that we are worthy and that we can put ourselves first, and there's nothing wrong with that and as we continue to balance life out and have this, we only have one life to live and we have to make it count and we don't want to go with so many misdreams or passions or things that we could have should have did. Just dive out and do it, and we have people here to help us, support us in that journey. So I love that. Shannon, For your services, what? And if they want to purchase any items as well, what web link can they go to and where can people connect with you at?
Speaker 2:The best link is really secondactsuccessco. Everything's there between my book and my podcast and my coaching services, and I have free resources as well. So secondactsuccessco.
Speaker 1:Awesome. Thank you. I will make sure I put that in my descriptor when I complete and edit the podcast. I greatly appreciate connecting with you. This has been so refreshing to me. I got so many nuggets from this and I'm sure my listeners will too. I think it's just so empowering for someone to be there to say hey, that it's second acts are amazing. Second acts can be great. Second acts can be such a great part of, like our journey and it is possible. It can be done. So thank you, shannon, for showing us that, and it has been a pleasure meeting with you today. I just want to thank you, thank you so much, nicole, thank you.