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

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If you don’t want your boss’s job… why are you still climbing the ladder?

This episode of the Second Act Success Podcast with business coach Shannon Russell is your wake-up call.

So many high-achieving women are working long hours, chasing promotions, and saying yes to more responsibility. Yet when they look at the next level, they realize something uncomfortable.

They don’t actually want it.

This episode challenges the traditional corporate ladder mindset and invites you to rethink what success really means in this season of your life.  Especially if you are a woman in a corporate leadership role, an ambitious professional feeling burned out, or someone considering a career pivot into entrepreneurship.

If you’re navigating a midlife career transition, questioning your next promotion, or wondering whether entrepreneurship could be your second act, this conversation will hit home.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why so many women climb the corporate ladder on autopilot
• How to recognize when you’re chasing a promotion you don’t truly want
• The hidden trade-offs that come with every rung of the ladder
• What it means to step off the hamster wheel without “quitting”
• How to redirect your skills into a second act career or business

The truth is, success isn’t about climbing higher. It’s about aligning your work with the life you actually want. If the thought of having your boss’s job drains you instead of excites you, that’s information. And you’re allowed to use it.

Ready to explore what your second act could look like? Book a free strategy call and let’s map it out together.

🔗 Get the full show notes here!

Subscribe now for actionable insights on how to shift your mindset, take control of your career, and build a thriving business.

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

👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.

If you have ever read Two Weeks Notice by Amy Porterfield, you know she encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to pick a quit date and put it on the calendar. For many women, that bold move is exactly what helps them finally take action.

In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell shares a different approach. One rooted in preparation, confidence, and financial stability.

Shannon explains why she does not believe in circling a random date on the calendar and quitting your job before you are truly ready. Instead, she teaches her proven philosophy of learning before you leap.

This episode is perfect for women who want to start a business but do not want to rush, panic, or put unnecessary pressure on themselves or their finances.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why picking a quit date can create stress and fear
• How financial readiness builds confidence in entrepreneurship
• Why validating your business idea matters before you quit
• What it really looks like to transition from a job into business ownership
• How to build a second act business that lasts

If you are craving freedom and fulfillment but want a thoughtful and strategic path forward, this episode will help you feel grounded, prepared, and confident about your next move.

*Get the full show notes here!

Subscribe now for actionable insights on how to shift your mindset, take control of your career, and build a thriving business.

🔗 For more inspiration and resources, visit https://secondactsuccess.co.

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

👉 Start Your Second Act Strategy Call with Shannon here.

Do you feel guilty about wanting to change your career when your partner is unhappy in their job, but refuses to make a move? You’re not alone, and this episode is your permission slip to move forward anyway.

In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, business coach and author Shannon Russell tackles one of the most common emotional roadblocks women face when considering a career pivot or starting a business: guilt tied to a partner’s unhappiness. If you’ve been asking yourself, “How can I pursue my dream when my partner won’t change?”, this conversation is for you.

Shannon breaks down why this guilt shows up, why it’s not yours to carry, and how choosing yourself is not selfish, it’s self-leadership. You’ll learn how to separate your career journey from your partner’s, communicate with compassion, reframe guilt, and confidently take steps toward a more fulfilling life and career.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why you are not responsible for fixing your partner’s career
• How to overcome guilt when you want more, but your partner feels stuck
• The mindset shift from selfish to self-leadership
• How pursuing your own growth can positively impact your family and kids
• Practical steps to move forward with confidence, even without full support

If you’re craving change but feel weighed down by guilt, this episode will help you release it, refocus on what you can control, and take aligned action toward your second act.

*Get the full show notes here!

Subscribe now for actionable insights on how to shift your mindset, take control of your career, and build a thriving business.

🔗 For more inspiration and resources, visit https://secondactsuccess.co.

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

*Book a free strategy call to discuss your business or second act idea with Shannon here.

Don’t let anyone tell you that your side gig isn’t legitimate.

In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, career transition coach and business coach for women Shannon Russell sits down with Cheryl Fischer, a former corporate professional turned math and economics teacher who reinvented herself again as a mindset coach and podcast host.

Cheryl shares her powerful second act career story. From working in corporate consulting and airline pricing to teaching high school for over a decade, she opens up about burnout, empathy overload, and the moment she realized she didn’t want to spend the rest of her career exhausted and resentful.

What started as a “small” direct sales business on the side became the confidence bridge she needed to explore entrepreneurship, mindset work, and ultimately create a business that fits her life. Today, Cheryl is a mindset coach and the host of the Mind Your Midlife podcast, helping women navigate midlife transitions with clarity and confidence.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why side gigs are powerful tools during a career transition
• How starting a business on the side can prevent burnout and financial panic
• The mindset shifts that make second act careers possible
• How confidence is built before you ever quit your job
• Why you don’t have to leap before you’re ready

If you’re navigating a midlife or mid-career transition, questioning whether your side business is “real,” or exploring second act career ideas, this episode will remind you that small steps can lead to life-changing transformations.

Your side gig isn’t silly. It might just be the beginning of your next chapter.

*Get the full show notes here!

Subscribe now for actionable insights on how to shift your mindset, take control of your career, and build a thriving business.

🔗 For more inspiration and resources, visit https://secondactsuccess.co. 

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

*Book a free strategy call to discuss your business or second act idea with Shannon here.

If your business feels quiet, slow, or stuck right now, this episode is for you.

In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, business coach for women Shannon Russell shares 3 simple, practical ways to create momentum in your business. Especially during seasons when motivation is low, sales feel inconsistent, or you’re craving proof that what you’re building is working.

Whether you’re starting a business, growing a second act career, or navigating a career transition into entrepreneurship, momentum matters. It fuels confidence, income, and the belief that you’re on the right path.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What to offer right now to create quick momentum and income
• Why visibility and relationships matter more than algorithms
• How batching your work helps you stay consistent and avoid burnout
• Why small, intentional actions compound into real business growth

This episode is especially helpful if you’re a woman entrepreneur, building a business alongside a job, or feeling discouraged by slow seasons. Momentum isn’t created by big launches or perfection. It’s built through steady action, connection, and follow-through.

If you’ve been thinking, I just need one thing to start working, press play. This episode will help you get unstuck and moving again.

*Get the full show notes here!

Subscribe now for actionable insights on how to shift your mindset, take control of your career, and build a thriving business.

🔗 For more inspiration and resources, visit https://secondactsuccess.co.

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

*Book a free strategy call to discuss your business or second act idea with Shannon here.

What do you do when you’re ready to launch your business and suddenly a job offer lands in your lap?

You’ve done the work. You’ve given notice. You’re building a business. And then… an opportunity shows up that makes you question everything.

In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, career transition coach and business coach for women Shannon Russell breaks down a situation many women face during a career transition, but rarely talk about. 

What happens when a full-time job, contract role, or request to stay longer at your current job appears just as you’re stepping into entrepreneurship?

Drawing from real conversations with her business coaching clients navigating mid-career and midlife career transitions, Shannon walks you through how to think strategically instead of emotionally when these opportunities arise.

You’ll learn:

• Why job offers often appear right before a big second act career shift
• When accepting a job can actually support your new business
• How to decide if you can realistically do both without losing momentum
• The difference between strategy and fear when saying yes
• How steady income can help you build a business with confidence
• Why patience is not the same as quitting on your dream

If you’re navigating a career transition, starting a business, or questioning your next move, this episode will help you pause, evaluate, and choose intentionally. Your second act doesn’t have to follow anyone else’s timeline. It just needs forward momentum.

This episode is for women exploring second act career ideas, building a business during a career change, and learning how to balance stability with growth.

*Get the full show notes here!

Subscribe now for actionable insights on how to shift your mindset, take control of your career, and build a thriving business.

🔗 For more inspiration and resources, visit https://secondactsuccess.co.

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

*Book a free strategy call to discuss your business or second act idea with Shannon here.

What happens when you build a successful business, then realize it’s time to close that chapter?

In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with Sharon Calle, founder of Luminosa Creative, to talk about the emotional side of business pivots, career change, and giving yourself permission to move on without guilt.

Sharon shares her “squiggly” creative journey. From studying illustration and graphic design, to becoming an art teacher, to launching a thriving art studio and brick-and-mortar space, to pivoting during the pandemic, and finally stepping into her next chapter as a website designer and SEO strategist for women business owners. She also opens up about burnout, sustainability, and why closing a profitable business can be an act of self trust, not failure.

If you’re navigating a career transition, considering entrepreneurship, or you’ve outgrown a business that no longer fits your life, this conversation will help you stop grieving the ending and start celebrating what you built.

What you'll learn:

• How to know when it's time to leave a job and build a business
• The real truth about brick-and-mortar overhead, burnout, and sustainability
• Why closing a successful business can be the healthiest decision
• How to pivot into a new offer using your transferable skills and experience
• What SEO (search engine optimization) is and why it matters for small business growth
• How to design a business that supports your lifestyle, energy, and mental health

*Get the full show notes here!

Leave a review for the Second Act Success Podcast 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

*Book a free strategy call to discuss your business or second act idea with Shannon here.

What happens when you’re sitting at a “safe” job with benefits, but your soul is screaming, this isn’t it?

In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, host Shannon Russell sits down with Sabine Kvenberg, who went from working in the insurance industry in Germany to becoming a professional actress, and then making a bold move to the United States to co-found a performing arts school with her husband.

Sabine’s story is a powerful reminder that starting over, making a career change, and building a second act often comes with resistance from people who want to “protect” you. But as Sabine says, she didn’t want to look back 40 years later and wonder, why didn’t you at least try?

You’ll hear how she balanced her 9–5 while training for acting, how her career pivot led to bigger opportunities (and bigger income), and how she later reinvented again through business ownership, podcasting, writing books, and becoming a keynote speaker teaching others how to own their voice on any stage.

If you’re thinking about leaving your corporate job, reinventing yourself in midlife, starting a business, or building a life that feels aligned, this episode will light you up.

Listen now for a second act success story that proves it’s never too late to pivot.

Inside the episode:

• Why people resist your career change, even when they love you
• How to follow your passion without making reckless decisions
• The “try it now so you don’t regret it later” mindset shift
• How Sabine went from corporate stability to creative career freedom
• Why intuition matters when making a big life change
• How to build confidence, communication skills, and “own your stage” in business

*Get the full show notes here!

Leave a review for the Second Act Success Podcast 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

Too many women leave corporate jobs or start businesses for freedom, only to recreate the same burnout in a different form.

In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, business coach and former TV producer Shannon Russell shares how to design a business that truly fits your life. Not one you have to squeeze your life into.

If you’re starting a business, scaling an existing one, or feeling overwhelmed by hustle culture, this episode will help you flip the script and build a life-first business that supports your priorities, energy, and values.

You’ll learn how to stop building a business based on what should work and instead create a business model aligned with your schedule, family life, and long-term goals. From choosing the right business model to setting boundaries, systems, and workflows, this episode walks you through how to create freedom without burnout.

This episode is especially helpful for women in midlife who are:

• Leaving a 9–5 job
• Starting a second act career
• Launching or scaling a business
• Seeking flexibility, freedom, and fulfillment

Your business should support your life. Not consume it.

*Get the full show notes here!

Leave a review for the Second Act Success Podcast here.

Subscribe now for actionable insights on how to shift your mindset, take control of your career, and build a thriving business.

Read the Second Act Blog for more advice and inspiration on creating your business. 

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

What if the reason you feel unfulfilled isn’t your job, your relationship, or your circumstances?

In this powerful re-released episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with happiness mentor Karyn Seitz, founder of the Happy Wife School, for a deep conversation about why so many women feel empty and dissatisfied even after “doing everything right.”

Karyn works with women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who have successful lives on paper but still feel like something is missing. In this episode, she breaks down the truth about the pursuit of happiness, why external success never lasts, and how true fulfillment comes from within.

If you’re considering a second act, a career change, or questioning what’s next in midlife, this episode will help you slow down, look inward, and make decisions from clarity rather than desperation.

This is a must-listen conversation about self-worth, happiness, identity, and creating a life that actually feels good to live.

Key Takeaways:

• Why checking all the boxes still leaves so many women feeling unfulfilled
• The difference between pursuing happiness and actually being happy
• Why careers, relationships, money, and achievements can’t create lasting fulfillment
• How happiness comes from who you are, not what you do or have
• Why slowing down before a career or life change leads to better decisions
• How to navigate toxic work environments without giving your power away
• A new way to define work as a place for growth and self-actualization

*Get the full show notes here!

Leave a review for the Second Act Success Podcast 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