Career Change & Business Advice for Women | Second Act Success Podcast

Hosted by Shannon Russell | Career Change & Business Coach for Women

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Episodes

276

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Welcome to the Second Act Success Podcast , a top 2% globally ranked podcast for women ready to make a career change, quit their job, start a business, and become their own boss. Hosted by Shannon Russell , business coach for women, author, and entrepreneur, Second Act Success helps women transition from employee to entrepreneur and build a business using the skills, experience, and ideas they already have. If you're wondering how to start a business, considering a career change after 40, growing a side hustle, or planning your exit from corporate, you'll find practical business advice, inspiring stories, and actionable strategies to help you build your next chapter. Listen and learn how to: • Quit your job and start a business • Navigate a career change or midlife career transition • Find and validate the right business idea • Turn your skills and experience into a profitable business • Create a business plan and find your ideal clients • Build your personal brand and market your business • Turn a side hustle into a full-time business • Transition from employee to entrepreneur • Become your own boss without starting over from scratch You'll also hear real-life success stories from female entrepreneurs and women who have changed careers, left corporate jobs, started businesses, and created more flexibility, freedom, and fulfillment in their lives. Is this podcast for you? Are you dreaming about quitting your job to start your own business? Do you have a business idea but aren't sure where to begin? Are you wondering how to use your corporate experience to become an entrepreneur? Do you want more flexibility for your family and the things that matter most to you? Are you ready to turn your side hustle into a business or finally become your own boss? If you're ready to stop wondering "what if?" and start building your second act, you're in the right place. 🎧 Listen to new episodes every week for career change strategies, entrepreneurship advice, business tips for women, and inspiration to help you build your second act. 🔗 Book a free Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon Russell and find free resources at secondactsuccess.co. Subscribe to Second Act Success and start building the career, business, and life you want next.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 19, 2026Episode 27825 min

Start a Consulting Business and Build a Career You Love | #278

Thinking about leaving your corporate career to start a business? Book a free Second Act Strategy Call: https://secondactsuccess.co/strategy In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast with business coach and author Shannon Russell, you'll meet Risa Seelenfreund, leadership coach and founder of LightSpark Leadership. Shannon and Risa discuss how she transitioned from a corporate marketing career into leadership development and eventually built her own successful consulting business. After years of working in corporate roles and balancing the demands of motherhood, Risa discovered consulting as a way to continue doing meaningful work while creating more flexibility for her family. More than a decade later, she's sharing what she's learned about career transitions, transferable skills, entrepreneurship, networking, resilience, and building a business that fits your life. In this episode, you'll learn: How to identify transferable skills that can help you make a career change or start a business Why being good at something doesn't necessarily mean it's the right career path for you How Risa transitioned from corporate marketing to leadership development and entrepreneurship Why networking, relationships, and referrals are essential for growing a coaching or consulting business How self-awareness, continuous learning, and resilience can help you navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship If you're considering leaving corporate America, starting a consulting business, becoming a coach, or simply exploring what's next in your career, this conversation will remind you that your experience is valuable and your next chapter can build on everything you've already learned. 🔗 Read the Full Show Notes & Resources for This Episode Ready to Start Your Second Act? Thinking about changing careers or starting a business? Let's map out your next steps. → Book Your Free Second Act Strategy Call More From Shannon: 📖 Grab Shannon's Book, Start Your Second Act 🎤 Watch Shannon's TEDx Talk 📥 Download Free Resources ➡️ Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn

October 16, 2026Episode 27711 min

Stop Overthinking and Start Your Business (90-Day Business Sprint Day 5) | #277

Download your free 90-Day Sprint Planner: https://secondactsuccess.co/90days Welcome to Day 5 of the 90-Day Business Sprint, a special five-part audio series on the Second Act Success Podcast with business coach and author Shannon Russell. Over five episodes, Shannon has helped you create a focused 90-day business plan, set realistic goals, explore business ideas, and take meaningful steps toward starting a business, growing your side hustle, or making progress on your next career move. In this final episode, we're tackling one of the biggest obstacles aspiring entrepreneurs face: How do you stop waiting until you feel ready and finally start taking action? Shannon explains why confidence doesn't come before action. It develops as you take small steps, learn from your experiences, and build momentum toward your goals. Whether you're afraid of failure, questioning your qualifications, or struggling to find time to work on your business, this episode will help you move past overthinking and take that important first step. In this episode, you'll learn: Why waiting until you feel completely ready can keep you from starting a business How taking small actions helps you build confidence and overcome self-doubt Why you don't need to quit your job or make a dramatic change to begin your second act How to find small pockets of time to work toward your business goals How to choose one meaningful action you can complete in the next 24 hours Download your FREE 90-Day Sprint Planner: https://secondactsuccess.co/90days You don't need a perfect plan, perfect timing, or complete confidence to begin. You just need to take the next step. Your second act can start today. Let's make these next 90 days count! Listen to the Second Act Success Podcast at https://secondactsuccess.co/podcast . Ready to Start Your Second Act? Thinking about changing careers or starting a business? Let's map out your next steps. → Book Your Free Second Act Strategy Call More From Shannon: 📖 Grab Shannon's Book, Start Your Second Act 🎤 Watch Shannon's TEDx Talk 📥 Download Free Resources ➡️ Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn

October 15, 2026Episode 2767 min

How to Break Down Your Business Goals Into Action Steps (90-Day Business Sprint Day 4) | #276

Download your free 90-Day Sprint Planner: https://secondactsuccess.co/90days Welcome to Day 4 of the 90-Day Business Sprint, a special five-part audio series on the Second Act Success Podcast with business coach and author Shannon Russell. Over five episodes, Shannon will help you create a focused 90-day business plan, set realistic goals, and take meaningful steps toward starting a business, growing your side hustle, or making progress on your next career move. In this fourth episode, we're focusing on an important step in turning your business idea into reality: How do you create a 90-day business plan that actually fits your life? Whether you're starting a business while working full-time, growing a side hustle, or balancing family responsibilities, you'll learn how to create a realistic plan that works with your schedule instead of adding more overwhelm. In this episode, you'll learn: How to break one big business goal into three monthly milestones Why scheduling your goals around your real-life commitments is essential How to create weekly action steps that move your business forward Why consistency matters more than creating an unrealistic schedule How to make time for your business while balancing work, family, and other responsibilities Download your FREE 90-Day Sprint Planner: https://secondactsuccess.co/90days You don't need 20 extra hours a week to make progress toward your business goals. You need a realistic plan and a commitment to keep moving forward. Build your business around your life, not the other way around. Listen to the Second Act Success Podcast at https://secondactsuccess.co/podcast . Ready to Start Your Second Act? Thinking about changing careers or starting a business? Let's map out your next steps. → Book Your Free Second Act Strategy Call More From Shannon: 📖 Grab Shannon's Book, Start Your Second Act 🎤 Watch Shannon's TEDx Talk 📥 Download Free Resources ➡️ Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn

October 14, 2026Episode 2759 min

Will Your Business Idea Make Money? How to Test It (90-Day Business Sprint Day 3) | #275

Download your free 90-Day Sprint Planner: https://secondactsuccess.co/90days Welcome to Day 3 of the 90-Day Business Sprint, a special five-part audio series on the Second Act Success Podcast with business coach and author Shannon Russell. Over five episodes, Shannon will help you create a focused 90-day business plan, set realistic goals, and take meaningful steps toward starting a business, growing your side hustle, or making progress on your next career move. In this third episode, we're focusing on an essential step before launching a business: How do you validate your business idea before investing your time and money? Shannon shares her Learn Before You Leap approach to entrepreneurship and explains why you don't need to quit your job, build a website, or spend money on branding before you know whether people actually want what you're planning to offer. Whether you're considering a consulting business, coaching services, or selling a physical product, you'll learn how to research your market, talk to potential customers, and gather feedback that can help you make smarter business decisions. In this episode, you'll learn: What it means to validate a business idea and why it matters before launching How to research your market and identify whether customers have a real need Why talking to potential customers is more valuable than perfecting your logo or website How to ask questions that uncover problems people may be willing to pay to solve A simple action step to start testing your business idea without quitting your job Download your FREE 90-Day Sprint Planner: https://secondactsuccess.co/90days Learn before you leap, and let's make these next 90 days count! Listen to the Second Act Success Podcast at https://secondactsuccess.co/podcast . Ready to Start Your Second Act? Thinking about changing careers or starting a business? Let's map out your next steps. → Book Your Free Second Act Strategy Call More From Shannon: 📖 Grab Shannon's Book, Start Your Second Act 🎤 Watch Shannon's TEDx Talk 📥 Download Free Resources ➡️ Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn

October 13, 2026Episode 2748 min

What Business Should I Start? Find Your Best Business Idea (90-Day Business Sprint Day 2) | #274

Download your free 90-Day Sprint Planner: https://secondactsuccess.co/90days Welcome to Day 2 of the 90-Day Business Sprint, a special five-part audio series on the Second Act Success Podcast with business coach and author Shannon Russell. Over five episodes, Shannon will help you create a focused 90-day business plan, set realistic goals, and take meaningful steps toward starting a business, growing your side hustle, or making progress on your next career move. In this second episode, we're answering one of the biggest questions aspiring entrepreneurs ask: What business should I start? Shannon explains why your best business idea doesn't need to be completely original or based on a lifelong passion. Instead, it may come from the skills, experience, and knowledge you've already gained throughout your career and life. You'll learn how to identify business ideas by looking at what you're good at, what you enjoy doing, and what problems you can solve for others. Shannon also shares why you don't need to commit to a business idea forever. You simply need to find one that's worth exploring. In this episode, you'll learn: How to find business ideas using your existing skills and experience Why you don't need a completely original idea to start a successful business The three questions that can help you choose the right business to start How to stop overthinking and move forward without waiting for the perfect idea A simple exercise to identify three potential business ideas and decide which one to explore Download your FREE 90-Day Sprint Planner: https://secondactsuccess.co/90days Your next business idea might be closer than you think. You don't have to start from scratch. You can build on everything you've already learned. Let's make these next 90 days count! Listen to the Second Act Success Podcast at https://secondactsuccess.co/podcast . Ready to Start Your Second Act? Thinking about changing careers or starting a business? Let's map out your next steps. → Book Your Free Second Act Strategy Call More From Shannon: 📖 Grab Shannon's Book, Start Your Second Act 🎤 Watch Shannon's TEDx Talk 📥 Download Free Resources ➡️ Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn

October 12, 2026Episode 2739 min

How to Create a Business Plan & Set Goals (90-Day Business Sprint Day 1) | #273

Download your free 90-Day Sprint Planner: https://secondactsuccess.co/90days Welcome to Day 1 of the 90-Day Business Sprint, a special five-part audio series on the Second Act Success Podcast with business coach and author Shannon Russell. Over five episodes, Shannon will help you create a focused 90-day business plan, set realistic goals, and take meaningful steps toward starting a business, growing your side hustle, or making progress on your next career move. In this first episode, we're starting with one important question: Where do you want to be 90 days from now? Shannon explains why choosing ONE meaningful goal is more effective than trying to accomplish everything at once. Whether you want to validate a business idea, find your first paying clients, grow an existing business, or simply gain clarity about your next chapter, this episode will help you identify your destination and understand why it matters. In this episode, you'll learn: Why a 90-day business plan can help you make progress without becoming overwhelmed How to choose one realistic goal for your business or career Why you don't need to wait until January to start something new How to identify your personal "why" and use it to stay motivated How to begin using the free 90-Day Sprint Planner Download your FREE 90-Day Sprint Planner: https://secondactsuccess.co/90days You don't have to figure out your entire second act today. You just have to choose where you want to go next. Let's make these next 90 days count! Listen to the Second Act Success Podcast at https://secondactsuccess.co/podcast . Ready to Start Your Second Act? Thinking about changing careers or starting a business? Let's map out your next steps. → Book Your Free Second Act Strategy Call More From Shannon: 📖 Grab Shannon's Book, Start Your Second Act 🎤 Watch Shannon's TEDx Talk 📥 Download Free Resources ➡️ Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn

October 5, 2026Episode 27216 min

How to Get Clients for Your Business: 4 Ways I Find Clients Without Being Salesy | #272

🔗 Read the Full Show Notes & Resources for This Episode → https://secondactsuccess.co/272 Wondering how to get clients for your business without constantly selling, posting on social media every day, or pretending you have everything figured out? In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast , business coach Shannon Russell is answering one of the biggest questions new entrepreneurs ask: How do you actually find clients and customers when you're starting a business? Shannon shares the four biggest ways she gets clients in her own businesses: speaking at events, podcasting, her book, and referrals. She explains why each strategy works and what they all have in common: they allow potential clients to get to know her and build trust before they ever inquire about working together. You'll also learn why referrals and warm leads can be so valuable for a service-based business, how consistently sharing your expertise keeps you top of mind, and why your personal brand doesn't need to look perfectly polished to attract paying clients. In fact, Shannon argues that trying to look perfect can make it harder for potential clients to connect with you. Instead, sharing your real experiences, your story, why you started your business, and what you're learning along the way can help you build a brand people actually trust. Whether you're trying to land your first client, grow a coaching or consulting business, attract customers to a new small business, or simply figure out how to market yourself without feeling salesy, this episode will give you practical ideas you can start using now. Because people aren't looking for perfect. They're looking for someone they can trust. 🔗 Read the Full Show Notes & Resources for This Episode → https://secondactsuccess.co/272 Ready to Start Your Second Act? Thinking about changing careers or starting a business? Let's map out your next steps. → Book Your Free Second Act Strategy Call More From Shannon: 📖 Grab Shannon's Book, Start Your Second Act 🎤 Watch Shannon's TEDx Talk 📥 Download Free Resources ➡️ Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn

September 29, 2026Episode 27134 min

Career Burnout? How to Make a Midlife Career Change Without Starting Over | #271

Do you need to completely change careers to create a second act? Not necessarily. In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast , Shannon Russell talks with Marianne DeMello-Smith , creator and host of the Message in the Middle podcast, about career burnout, midlife career change, setting boundaries at work, and finding a career that fits the life you want now. Marianne spent 26 years with the same financial services organization, working her way from client service representative to director and vice president. But after multiple acquisitions changed the company culture and direction, Marianne realized she was burned out, unhappy, and no longer aligned with the work environment she had once loved. After leaving, Marianne gave herself six months to pause instead of immediately jumping into another job. She used that time to reconnect with herself, reevaluate her priorities, and decide what she wanted the next chapter of her career and life to look like. Ultimately, Marianne discovered that her second act didn't require leaving corporate America. She found a new position as a chief of staff, but this time she entered the role with clear boundaries and honest conversations about what she was and wasn't willing to sacrifice for her career. Shannon and Marianne discuss how to recognize career burnout, identify your transferable skills, use your professional network during a career transition, establish workplace boundaries, and stop believing that every career decision has to be forever. They also talk about Marianne's decision to reconnect with her creative side by launching the Message in the Middle podcast and why sometimes the best way to begin something new is simply to "do it messy." If you're experiencing career burnout, considering a midlife career change, or wondering whether you can create a more fulfilling second act without becoming an entrepreneur, this episode will help you think differently about what's possible. Your second act doesn't have to mean starting over. Sometimes it means taking everything you've learned and using it to create a career that works better for who you are today. 🔗 Read the Full Show Notes & Resources for This Episode → Ready to Start Your Second Act? Thinking about changing careers or starting a business? Let's map out your next steps. → Book Your Free Second Act Strategy Call More From Shannon: 📖 Grab Shannon's Book, Start Your Second Act 🎤 Watch Shannon's TEDx Talk 📥 Download Free Resources ➡️ Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn

September 21, 2026Episode 27036 min

Leaving Corporate to Start a Business: How to Navigate a Messy Career Change | #270

What happens when the career and life you've carefully built suddenly fall apart? In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast , business coach and host Shannon Russell sits down with author, coach, and former corporate strategist Becca Eve Young for an honest conversation about career reinvention, leaving corporate, starting a business, and creating a life that actually feels like your own. Becca began her career in interior design before moving into marketing and branding, eventually working with major brands and companies including Calvin Klein. But after experiencing multiple layoffs, the collapse of the housing market, a divorce, personal loss, and ultimately losing her corporate job during the pandemic while living in Mexico, Becca began questioning everything about the life she had been building. Instead of returning to the corporate world, she sold her belongings, moved back to Mexico, began consulting as a fractional CMO, and started creating a slower life on her own terms. That transition eventually led her to entrepreneurship, coaching, and writing her memoir, It's Gonna Get Messy . Shannon and Becca talk about what it really takes to make a major career change, why consulting can be a smart bridge from employee to entrepreneur, the importance of slowing down long enough to figure out what you actually want, and why the "messy middle" can sometimes lead you exactly where you're supposed to go. You'll also hear Becca's perspective on accountability in entrepreneurship, finding work that truly lights you up, writing a deeply personal memoir, and learning to see life's difficult chapters as opportunities for growth. If you're experiencing career burnout, considering leaving corporate, starting a business, or wondering how to reinvent yourself after an unexpected life change, this conversation is a powerful reminder that your next chapter doesn't need to look anything like the one you planned. Listen now and start thinking about what you want your second act to look like. 🔗 Get the full show notes here! Ready to Start Your Second Act? Thinking about changing careers or starting a business? Let's map out your next steps. → Book Your Free Second Act Strategy Call More From Shannon: 📖 Grab Shannon's Book, Start Your Second Act 🎤 Watch Shannon's TEDx Talk 📥 Download Free Resources ➡️ Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn

September 14, 2026Episode 26921 min

How to Overcome Self-Doubt and Go After Big Goals: 3 Lessons From My TEDx Talk | #269

What happens when you finally do the thing that scares you? After dreaming about giving a TEDx Talk, applying to numerous events, getting accepted, and spending six months preparing for the TEDx stage, I finally stepped onto that red circle and shared my message about the Imagination Recession and why play and creativity matter more than ever. But the experience taught me much more than how to give a TEDx Talk. In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast , I’m sharing three powerful lessons I learned about fear, self-doubt, confidence, and going after big goals. I’m also sharing what surprised me about meeting the other TEDx speakers and realizing that even incredibly accomplished people experience imposter syndrome and wonder whether their story is worthy of being heard. If you’re considering a career change, starting a business, pursuing a dream, or simply trying to find the courage to take your next big step, this episode is your reminder that confidence doesn’t have to come before action. Sometimes you have to do the scary thing first. 🔗 Get the full show notes here! Ready to Start Your Second Act? Thinking about changing careers or starting a business? Let's map out your next steps. → Book Your Free Second Act Strategy Call More From Shannon: 📖 Grab Shannon's Book, Start Your Second Act 🎤 Watch Shannon's TEDx Talk 📥 Download Free Resources ➡️ Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn