Claim OwnershipBusiness Tips & Career Change Advice for Women: Second Act Success
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Description
Welcome to the Second Act Success Podcast, a top 2% globally ranked show designed for ambitious women ready to change careers, start a business, and create a life they love.
Hosted by Shannon Russell, business coach, author, and entrepreneur, this podcast helps you transition from employee to entrepreneur with clarity and confidence.
Listen and Learn:
- How to quit your job and start a business that lights you up
- Strategies for career change after 40 and designing your second act
- Business planning, marketing, and personal branding tips for women
- How to validate your business idea and find your ideal clients
- How to use your career experience in your role as a female entrepreneur
- Success stories from women who’ve turned their side hustles into thriving businesses
Whether you’re planning an exit strategy, exploring midlife career pivots, or ready to become your own boss, you’ll find actionable steps, real-life inspiration, and expert guidance here.
Is this podcast for you?
- Are you dreaming of quitting your corporate job to start your own business?
- Do you want advice on marketing a business, designing your personal brand, and build entrepreneurial strategies?
- Are you ready to overcome fear and turn your skills and experience from the corporate world into your second act business?
- Do you crave a flexible lifestyle that allows you to focus on your passions and your family?
- Ready to become your own boss and build a business you love?
- Is it time to turn your side hustle into a full-time business?
If so, you’re in the right place!
🎧 New episodes every week to help you start building your second act business and designing a life you love!
🔗 For more inspiration and resources, visit https://secondactsuccess.co.
Subscribe now and embark on a transformative journey towards your second act!
236 Episodes
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*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 husb...
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 b...
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 m...
*Book a free strategy call to discuss your business or second act idea with Shannon here. Whose advice have you been listening to lately? If you’re planning a career change, starting a second act, or trying to quit your 9 to 5 to start a business, the wrong advice can quietly derail you before you even get momentum. In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, business coach and bestselling author Shannon Russell shares a simple rule to help you filter advice with confidence: only tak...
*Book a free strategy call to discuss your business or second act idea with Shannon here. What do you do when your life shatters on a park bench in Central Park? In this powerful episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, host Shannon Russell sits down with Vanessa Cardenas, a C-suite healthcare executive, relationship reset expert, and founder of Understanding Ear, to talk about how one devastating betrayal became the catalyst for her second act. After her husband of over two decades said ...
*Book a free strategy call with Shannon here. https://secondactsuccess.co/230 Ready to finally start a business in 2026 instead of just talking about it? In this first episode of the year, business coach and host Shannon Russell walks you through a simple, realistic 90-day Q1 plan to launch your business by March 31, 2026. If you’ve been sitting on a business idea, dreaming about quitting your 9–5, or wanting to add a new offer to your existing business, this pep-talk-meets-strategy s...
*Book a free strategy call with Shannon here. Ready to start (or scale) your business, but want to do it without running on caffeine and chaos? In this episode 229 of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with registered dietitian Lindsay Martens to talk about how to fuel your CEO brain, create sustainable healthy habits, and protect your energy while you build your second act. Lindsay shares why your brain needs consistent fuel (hello, focus and creativity), how to stop...
It’s holiday season and we are talking Hallmark Christmas movies on the Second Act Success Podcast. We are officially fan-girling because film critic and host of the Hallmarkies Podcast Rachel Wagner joins us to talk about hosting this popular podcast with Hallmark and movies at its core. Rachel shares how a love of movie criticism led her to start creating online reviews, launch a podcast, and eventually build a thriving platform that’s now deep into its 9th holiday season (with thousa...
*Book a free strategy call with Shannon here. What if you could start a profitable podcast and personal brand before you ever quit your 9–5? In this inspiring episode of the Second Act Success podcast, Shannon Russell talks with Francesca (Fran) Stone, founder of 9 to 5 Mom with a Pod—a podcast and consulting platform that helps mom content creators launch personal brands and grow with purpose. Fran shares how her winding career path—from talent agent to paralegal—gave her the business, sal...
In this special episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, business coach, author, and host Shannon Russell celebrates an incredible wave of second act authors who published books in 2025—right alongside her own book, Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life. Shannon spotlights powerful new releases from friends and former guests including Lisa Morton (Aligned at Home), Heike Yates (Pursue Your Spark), Gregory Andrus (A Walk Along the Jersey S...
If you’re a mom who feels like you’ve lost yourself in motherhood, this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast is for you. Host Shannon Russell, business coach for women and author of Start Your Second Act, sits down with former teacher turned stay-at-home mom and community builder Michelle DeKeyser, founder of Mama Genius and the Mama Genius Hub. Michelle shares her honest journey from teaching to being a stay-at-home mom to searching for community with other women, and creating her own M...
In this special Thanksgiving episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, host Shannon Russell, business coach, author, and mom of two, reflects on the incredible milestones, personal growth, and business breakthroughs that made 2025 a transformational year. From publishing her book Start Your Second Act, to speaking on stages across the country, to running global LEGO® Serious Play® workshops, to celebrating precious family moments…Shannon shares the moments she’s most grateful for and the les...
Ready to trade burnout for a life that actually fits? In this empowering episode, Shannon Russell talks with Dani Cee, a former Chief Marketing Officer who walked away from a 20-year corporate career to launch the Happy Life Agenda and work as an empowerment consultant. Dani shares the moment she knew the 9–5 was costing her everything, how journaling, faith, and clarity guided her exit, and the simple pillars she now uses to help women design a happier second-act career. If you’re a working ...
Feeling out of alignment in your life or career? In this episode, host and business coach for women Shannon Russell sits down with Dina Berrin, former fitness pro and staffing leader turned intuitive life coach, to share how she transformed a long corporate chapter into a purpose-driven second act. Dina reveals how tarot, numerology, astrology, and her original charm reading method help clients dissolve limiting beliefs, reconnect with their authentic selves, and step into their full po...
What if a layoff is the nudge you needed to quit corporate, start a business, and design a second-act career you actually love? In this inspiring conversation on episode #221 of the Second Act Success Podcast, Aransas Savas—innovation leader turned coach, community builder, and host of The Uplifters—shares how losing her role at Weight Watchers became the catalyst to redefine success, create flexible income, and prioritize a life that fits. We dive into career change after layoffs, how to lev...
Turning Creativity into Cash Flow: How LEGO Serious Play Became a Powerful Tool for Team Building—And an Extra Revenue Stream in My Business. Looking for a fresh way to boost team communication, collaboration, and problem-solving? In this short, power-packed episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, host Shannon Russell, business coach and certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator, shares how this additional business arm to her business turns meetings into momentum. She talks about how you c...
Want to write a book but don’t know where to start, or whether to self-publish vs. traditional? In this episode of Second Act Success, host Shannon Russell talks with Amy Vogel, who went from tech sales and then spent years as a pastor before publishing 5 books and now working as a women’s book coach. If you are thinking about turning your story into a brand-building book that clarifies your message, motivation, and mindset, this episode is a must listen. Amy shares her journey to publi...
Have you ever wondered if your business idea is really worth pursuing? In this episode of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, host Shannon Russell, business coach and author of Start Your Second Act, breaks down exactly why validating your business idea is one of the most important steps you can take before launching. Key takeaways: Why market research is essential for saving time, money, and stress.How to identify your target audience and build a clear customer avatar.Tips for analyzing y...
Imagine waking up in a hospital bed, being told you have three days to live and that you’ll never work, live independently, or finish school again. For Jess West, that devastating moment became the turning point that changed everything. In this inspiring episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, host Shannon Russell sits down with Jess to discuss her incredible journey from surviving a life-threatening car accident to creating a thriving business focused on mindset, mindfulness, and helping ...
One of the biggest questions every aspiring entrepreneur faces is: “What kind of business should I start?” In this episode of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, host Shannon Russell, business coach for women and author of Start Your Second Act, helps you answer that question with clarity and confidence. Key Takeaways: How to identify your passions and turn them into profitable business ideas.Why your skills, strengths, and transferable experience are key to building a business that ...
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