Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shannon Russell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Shannon, thanks for joining us today. Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?

I would say the most innovative thing I did in my career was to leave it behind. In life, transitions are inevitable, but it’s how we navigate them that defines our journey. For as long as I remember, I wanted to work in the entertainment industry. Everything I did while growing up led me to my career as a Television Producer. For sixteen years I worked at different networks, interviewing celebrities, and being a creative in the industry I always dreamt about…until one day everything changed.

My a-ha moment hit me as I ran through the Times Square Subway Station in heels while 8 months pregnant. I was leaving work early so I could pick up my son from daycare. It was in this moment that I knew I no longer wanted my dream job.

A few months later, I began thinking about what I could do outside of television. How would my skills transfer? After some soul searching, I took a leap of faith and opened my own business. It was time to “produce” my own life. A few years later, I opened another business, this time it was a career coaching practice called Second Act Success®. I now help women who are unfulfilled in their careers pivot to produce a balanced life that lights them up.

I took something personal I faced in my career, saw a need in the community, and I launched a business to help others find a new career path. Whether you’re contemplating a career change or want to start a business, change at any age is possible. There is so much we are capable of if we just give ourselves a chance to see what we can do in our second act.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I spent over 16 years as a Television Producer in New York City and Los Angeles working for MTV, E!, Yahoo!, Pop Sugar, A&E, TLC, VH1, etc. It was after the birth of my second son that I realized I needed a change. The hours, travel, and stress of the entertainment industry was too demanding and I wanted to be a present mom with my young kids. I decided to pivot and I opened my first business running a Snapology franchise teaching children STEM education in my community. This allowed me to “produce” my own life, rather than someone else’s million dollar production. Plus, I was able to work from home and build something from the ground up. I realized all of the skills I acquired from taking a TV show idea and bringing it to life, actually transferred well into opening a business and growing it to be a profitable one.

Many customers would ask me how I got into this business and when I told them I was actually a TV Producer, it would spark conversations and several began asking me for advice on how they could change jobs. I knew other people could use guidance in figuring out how to make their career work with their lives, and I wanted to help others, especially women. I decided to open my career coaching business Second Act Success® and I launched a podcast with the same name as well.

Now, as a certified Career/Business Coach and a YouMap® Coach, I support women as they change careers, start a business, or follow their creative passions to the fullest. My motto is “produce your best life.” and I support others on their journey to discover what that it for them.

I am now able to share my journey and experience, as a television executive turned business owner(x2) and mom, with others. My mission is to motivate more women to make big moves in life because we only get one life, so why not check all the boxes and do all the things.

Through my coaching, podcast, speaking engagements, and my forthcoming book, I am hoping to inspire more women to go after what they truly want to be doing in this one life we are given.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience is a trait I strive for, especially as a business owner. When I look back at my career in the Television industry, I think of all the stressful situations, live events, and pressure my colleagues and I were under on any give day. The actor is running late, the teleprompter went down minutes before a live show, the studio wants the script re-written for the hundredth time. In all of these scenarios, we had to be resilient. There was no choice. The show must go on, right?

Then I think think about the stress that comes with being a business owner. Everything falls on the business owner’s shoulders because there is no cast, crew, or studio heads to collaborate with. I think business owners have far more pressure and so far more things, we do it all. We are resilient because we have to be. If we throw up our hands and go home, there is no business. So when the problems arise, payroll is due, or customers have issues, we must be resilient. We have to get the job done or else we are out of a job. We must suck it up and do it all ourselves for the sake of the business and our sanity.

I launched my first business with a “I’ll figure it out” attitude, even though I was completely clueless. I figured it out. I gave myself grace to learn, I asked for help when I needed it, and I pushed forward through the challenges, tears, and the moments when I wanted to give up and run back to a familiar TV gig. I didn’t give up, and every day that I didn’t led me one step closer to building a successful business that was all mine.

I remember one day, I had an employee call out an hour before a huge event. It was at the same time I was in line for school pickup. My team was small at the time, so I was the backup. In a split-moment decision, I cut ahead in the line, got my son, and took him with me to the event. Was it ideal? No! Did it all work out because I pivoted on the spot? Yes! In fact, the client was so touched that my son came and tried to help me with the event, that is sparked a partnership this has gone on until today. Resilience pays off, as long as you’re strong enough to believe in yourself.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Society teaches us from a young age that we follow the rules. We go to school, choose what we want to be when we get older and follow that path. We go to school, study, get the degree, get the job, and work until retirement. I was never a rule-follower, but I did know what I wanted to be when I grew up from a very young age. I knew I wanted to work in Television and everything I did in life lead up to me achieving that goal. Looking back, I am proud that I followed the path to get me my dream job. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.

However, once I left the entertainment industry, I had work to do on myself to allow me to see what I could become outside of my original career. I worked my whole life to achieve this title of Television Producer, so who was I if I wasn’t one? As I began to plan for my second act, I had to “unlean” the lesson of choosing that one path and sticking with it until retirement. Life doesn’t have to work that way. Our identity is not tied to our career. Our career titles are not tied to who we are as people. We are more than that. I learned over time, and even more now through my career coaching work with clients, that we take our experience, accolades, and our skills with us from one role to another. We can change careers and take on new ventures when it comes to our work, and we are still the same person.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://secondactsuccess.co
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/secondactsuccess
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/secondactsuccess.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonrussellcareercoach
• Other: https://secondactsuccess.co/podcast