It's Never Too Late for a Second Act | Shannon Russell | 207

What if the dream you've spent your entire life chasing is no longer the dream you're meant to live?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, Amanda Russo sits down with Shannon Russell, business coach, speaker, author, and host of the Second Act Success podcast, for a conversation about career transitions, entrepreneurship, identity, and having the courage to reinvent yourself.

Shannon shares her journey from landing her dream job at MTV and spending 16 years in the television industry to walking away from a successful career to create a life that aligned more closely with her values and priorities. Together, Amanda and Shannon explore what happens when your definition of success changes, how to navigate the fear that comes with starting over, and why your career is only one small part of who you are.

The conversation dives into motherhood, entrepreneurship, transferable skills, following intuition, and learning how to trust yourself through life's transitions. Shannon also shares how a simple idea sparked her first business, how that led to coaching women through their own career pivots, and why it's never too late to create a second act.

Whether you're feeling stuck in your current career, considering starting a business, or simply wondering what else may be possible for your life, this episode offers both practical advice and encouragement to take the next step.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

💜 Why your career is not your identity
🎬 How Shannon went from MTV producer to entrepreneur and business coach
🌱 The importance of allowing your dreams to evolve over time
✨ Why it's never too late to start a second act
🧠 How to identify transferable skills you may be overlooking
🚀 The value of learning before you leap into a new opportunity
🤍 Why giving yourself grace is essential during times of transition
📚 How accountability helped Shannon launch a podcast and write a book

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[2:00] Shannon shares her childhood dream of working in television and her journey to MTV
[7:00] Moving between New York and Los Angeles while building a successful career in TV
[12:00] Motherhood, changing priorities, and realizing her dream career no longer aligned with the life she wanted
[18:00] Leaving television and navigating the uncertainty of starting over
[24:00] Starting her first business and overcoming the fear of entrepreneurship
[31:00] How Second Act Success was born and why Shannon became passionate about helping women reinvent themselves
[38:00] Why your career is not your identity and how to embrace change without losing yourself
[44:00] Learning before you leap, transferable skills, and practical advice for career pivots
[48:00] Writing her book, giving yourself grace, and Shannon's final words of encouragement

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

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To Connect with Shannon:

Website: secondactsuccess.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonrussellcoach

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondactsuccess/

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Manders Mindset Podcast. Here you'll find both monologue and interviews of entrepreneurs, coaches, healers, and a variety of other people, where your host, Amanda Rousseau, will discuss her own mindset and perspective, and her guest mindset and perspective on the world around us. Manders and her guests will help explain to you how shifting your mindset will shift your life.

SPEAKER_01 0:31

Welcome to The Anders Mindset, where we explore the power of shifting your mindset to shift your life. I'm your host, Amanda Russo, and I am so excited to be joined today with Shannon Russell. She is a business coach, a speaker, and author of the Stout You with Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life. She's also the host of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, where she shares inspiring stories and actionable strategies to help professionals navigate career changes with confidence. Thank you so much for joining me, Shannon.

SPEAKER_02 1:11

I'm excited to be here, Amanda. I'm really looking forward to this conversation.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

Me as well.

Childhood Dreams And TV Ambition

SPEAKER_01 1:17

So who would you say Shannon is at the core?

SPEAKER_02 1:21

I think just a girl who wants to experience all life has to offer. I'm like big on adventures and experiences and you know just getting to test out everything. Oh, I love that. Have you always had that mindset? I've been like kind of that, yeah, really optimistic, ambitious from when I was a little little girl.

SPEAKER_01 1:44

That's awesome. Can you take us down memory lane a little bit? Tell us about your upwinging childhood dynamic, family dynamic, however deep you want to take it.

SPEAKER_02 1:55

Yeah, I grew up in New Jersey and I have a sister. My parents are still together, they were high school sweethearts, and my entire family is from our town. And so I grew up having such a close relationship with cousins and my grandparents, and everything was great, but I wanted to get out and I wanted to go to Hollywood and work in TV. I was a big TV kid growing up in the 80s and early 90s, and I just wanted to be working in the entertainment industry. So from a really young age, I was like plotting my not escape because I loved my family and where I lived, but I wanted to go see more. I wanted to get out. And so every decision I kind of made in childhood and high school led me to end up being the first in my family to go to college. And I went to college to study communications and film. So ultimately I could get to the television industry and work in entertainment. So yeah, I think I just always wanted to be on TV. I watched so much of it, and I just wanted to be either on or behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_01 3:01

Now, do you have siblings? I do. Nice. So you went to college for communications and film. Where'd you go to school?

SPEAKER_02 3:08

I went to Elon College in North Carolina. It's now Elon

MTV Years And The LA Leap

SPEAKER_02 3:12

University. And then post graduating? I moved to Manhattan. I got my dream job at MTV when it was cool back in the day with TRL and all of that good stuff. So I moved, got that job, and was there. I worked there for several years and then I moved to Los Angeles after that and continued to work in TV. And then I came back to New York 10 years later. So I worked in TV for about 16 years on both coasts.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Wow. Now, was MTV the first job you got right out of college?

SPEAKER_02 3:45

I interned there twice while I was in college and just knew that was where I wanted to be. I was a huge and still am a huge music fan. So between music and TV, it was like the perfect place for me to go.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

Wow, that's amazing. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_02 4:01

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 4:02

It was really about how long were you at MTV?

SPEAKER_02 4:05

I was there for about three or four years in New York City. And then I moved to the West Coast and worked at different companies, but all the while still like going on location for MTV because in television you're very freelance and you go from one job to the other. So I would continue to go back to New York and do like the MTV New Year's Eve in Times Square. And I would go to do MTV spring breaks in Cancun. And then when I decided to move back to the East Coast many years later, I went back to MTV again and kind of almost wrapped up my career there before I left television altogether.

SPEAKER_01 4:41

What made you decide to move to LA to find New York?

SPEAKER_02 4:45

Yeah, that was just my dream again, like since I was like five years old. So I love New York. I had the best group of friends, but I always had it in the back of my mind. And then one summer I was actually producing the MTV Beach House that used to be a really big deal. And I was away for the summer and I made this friend who also worked there. And she was like, I think I'm moving to LA in the fall. And then I was like, ooh, I want to move to LA. And so it was just one of those signs of let's go together. Like, let's take this huge leap and move cross country together. And we ended up doing that and being roommates for, you know, majority of the time that I was in California. And then you moved back to New Jersey. I ended up getting married and having my first son out in Los Angeles. And then kind of realizing I needed a support system that wasn't just my kind of party lifestyle friends. I needed my family and my parents. So I ended up moving back to the East Coast to be closer to family.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

With your hubby and the kiddo?

SPEAKER_02 5:48

Yeah, we moved and my little one was six months old. Yeah. So it was an abrupt decision, but I was like, I just need my mom. Sometimes you just need your parents when you're a new mom.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

I get it. And so then you moved back, and what was life like for

Motherhood Changes The Cost Of Work

SPEAKER_01 6:06

you once you came back here?

SPEAKER_02 6:07

We moved in with my parents while we were looking for a house. And we were about 90 minutes or so from Manhattan. But my husband and I, my husband's a television producer as well. So we both ended up getting jobs in New York City and doing that commute. But we had my family to help with the baby, but it was just an adjustment. And then the whole time trying to find a house. And about a year or so later, we got our dream house. And yeah, just that was our new life on the East Coast.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

Now, when did you make your way out of television?

SPEAKER_02 6:41

About three years later, I had my second son. And while I was pregnant with him, I was commuting into Manhattan and had kind of an epiphany one day of like, this is too much. Like, because I was missing, I had missed my first son's first birthday because I was traveling for a show. I missed Halloween. I was missing dinner and bath and bed. And my parents were having to help with that. And he was in daycare. And there was just, we were missing so much. And being pregnant with my second, I was like, I don't want to continue doing this. And I just had this kind of epiphany aha moment of, you know what, Shannon? You achieved that dream you had as a little girl. Maybe there's something else you can do now. Because now being a present mom is kind of taking over and trapping what you know television was for me. So I just had that thought. And when I was on maternity leave, my television show got canceled. And so I took that as a sign from the universe of, you know what? Instead of picking up that phone and getting my next job, I'm going to figure out what my second act is. I'm going to figure out what else I can do. And that led me into my whole second act.

SPEAKER_01 7:50

Wow. I kind of believe that with the universe speaking to you as well. Maybe I'm woo-woo in that, but then maybe I am too.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

But it's sometimes it's just having your eyes and ears open for what you never would have expected, right? And it just hits you and you say, okay, this feels like it could work.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

And I like how you mentioned you still got to live out that dream that you had as a little girl, you know, even though you were passing it and moving on to something else, you still achieved it, you know, even if it wasn't achieved for your whole life.

SPEAKER_02 8:24

Yeah, it took some time and I had to do a lot of soul searching and I started thinking about it like instead of putting that pressure on myself to have to find something else to do and kind of grieve what I was leaving, I chose to kind of celebrate it and say, okay, I'm gonna check that box and I'm gonna see what else I can do because I'm still young and I've got so much more I can do. So let me take those skills and figure out how I can transfer them into something else and have a new adventure. And so I looked at it like that and got glass half bull attitude. And, you know, it wasn't easy by any means, like figuring out what I was going to do next, but I just tried to look at it like, okay, I checked the box. Let's see what this next pivot is going to be.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

That's a great mindset to have because you did check the box. It's not like you didn't achieve it, you know, even if it didn't last, maybe you wanted it to last longer, but you still did check the box. That's important to recognize.

SPEAKER_02 9:21

Yeah, I think so too. And I started thinking after that, and you might have had experiences like this too, where you think, you know what? I didn't necessarily want my boss's job. And I didn't necessarily want what would have come if I stayed longer. And that felt good to know that when I started letting myself think about it of saying, okay, I think I I achieved what I wanted, and I was just ready for something new.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

That makes so much sense. So from there, what was your next step?

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Figuring it out. I had a three-year-old and a newborn, and I was at home here trying to figure out what else I could do, and I was grasping at straw. So this part of my story is very much

Epiphany And Leaving Television Behind

SPEAKER_02 10:04

what I think a lot of women go through when they are thinking about transitioning into a new career or starting a business because I was like, okay, well, I have to bring money into my family. So let me just go get this nine to five job down the street that a friend recommended and I'll work there. And it was horrible and it was super toxic. But I was like, okay, I just need to save the money to figure out what it is I do want to do, but I know this isn't it. So again, like I can check the box and know that this is not my forever job. And then I decided, oh, well, let me become a teacher. I will go to graduate school online at night and work towards a degree to become a teacher because that's stable. And then, you know, about six months or so, even longer, I think, into that, I was like, this is not what I want either. And so it was kind of trying things out, letting myself test what was going to work. And then eventually I was having a breakdown in my car over lunch one day, just like, what am I going to do? And I had another aha moment listening to a podcast where I was like, you know what? I'm gonna produce my own life. I'm gonna start a business because that will be the way that I can use my skills in a way that feels good. And I can, if I can produce television shows, I can produce this business and market it and get it out into the world. And so I just felt like that was the first thing that felt good to me since I had left television out of all the other things I tried.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Wow. Now I'm curious, what made you decide to try entrepreneurship? Was it because you didn't like the nine to five and you didn't like teaching? What made you like, let's give this a shot? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

You know what? I think it might have been, now that you're asking and I'm thinking about this now, maybe it was just another thing I was throwing at the wall at the time. But there was one moment, I can see it so clearly in my mind, that I was sitting on the floor in my playroom with my three-year-old, and he was building with Legos or Duplo, you know, bricks. And I was like, wow, he is sitting quietly and he's concentrating and he's making these creative projects, models, whatever. And I'm able to step away and do the dishes or make dinner. And I felt like that was the only time where I saw him be really engaged with something. And it got me thinking, oh, there's something to kids and STEM education. And I started researching like, what if I start a STEM education business for kids where they can come and build Legos and learn and you know, think like engineers? And so as I researched what could that look like, I found a franchise business that already was doing exactly what I wanted. So I think that as I started researching that, I was like, this feels right because it's a business, but it's something to do with kids. I can bring my kids with me, I can figure this out. And that's where everything kind of came together. And I pursued that path, and it ended up being the one that I chose as my first business to give it a stab and see if I could make it work.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

Wow. And how did that go?

SPEAKER_02 13:07

It was super scary and it was a leap of faith. My husband and I were just like, okay, let's let's do this, let's try it. And it was hard. I like have a story I write about in my book where, you know, it was I came back from training and I was ready to start this business, and I got a call, hey, Shannon, can you come to New York and work New York Fashion Week? And I was like, yes, I'll go. And it was just a couple days of work, but I realized I was so scared to really officially start this new business that I reverted back to what I knew and what I was comfortable with. But one of those days on the commute home, it was like after midnight, and I realized I had missed seeing the kids again. And I was like, it was like that reminder I needed of saying, no, this is not fit anymore. I've got to make this business work. And from then on, I was like just headstrong, ready to go. And yeah, I ended up running that business for about eight years. I sold it successfully in 2024. So it's still alive and running, but someone else is running it. I

Testing Jobs And Finding Entrepreneurship

SPEAKER_02 14:11

ended up making it into the top three of all of the franchisees in the organization. And it really proved to me that wow, you really can transfer your skills and use them in different ways. For me, it was business that really worked.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

I think that's interesting, though, that you had that New York Fashion Week opportunity. I think sometimes as we are stepping into this next level, the past sometimes tries to creep back in, even if it's not a bad thing, like even if it was a good thing from the past.

SPEAKER_02 14:40

It was another test from the universe, I think, another sign, right? It really was. It was me saying, Okay, well, this is not going to work much longer because now I didn't miss one child going to bed. I missed two. And yeah, so it just kind of was another sign of like, let's make this work. Just push that fear down and just go for it. What's the worst that can happen? And I remember I came back and I talked to the CE of the franchise, the major the big company, the parent company, and she said, just send the email. And I did it. And then the rest went on from there. And you know, it wasn't easy, it was a challenge every day, but it was my mistake to make, I guess, right? Like it was in my hands, and that was very cool, I think, for the first time to be like solely my own boss.

SPEAKER_01 15:24

Now, who would you send the email to telling them about the business?

SPEAKER_02 15:28

Well, with the franchise, what this franchise at least did is that you buy a territory. So I bought an area in my, you know, community and they gave me a list of partners. So with my business, I would go into schools and recreation centers and libraries and teach these STEM education classes. So they already had this database of all of the schools and rec centers in my area. So it was like already listed. It was easy. All I had to do is introduce myself. So they made it very easy. I think it's very different than starting a business on your own where you're doing all of that kind of grassroots stuff yourself. With the franchise, I always say it's like a business in a box. They kind of give you everything you need to start. So there was really no reason I didn't send, you know, I wouldn't send that email, but it took me some time to do so. I just had to get that nerve up. That makes complete sense.

SPEAKER_01 16:21

And now, how soon after you sold this business did you start your second act?

SPEAKER_02 16:30

Well, I actually started second act success my coaching while I had that business. So it was probably maybe five years, four or five years into that business when some customers of mine would say to me, Oh, you must have been such a great teacher. What grade did you teach? Because I would teach the classes along with my staff. And I remember just joking with one or two of my, you know, customers of like, no, I was a television producer. And it would just spark this funny conversation. And they would say, Well, can you help me figure out how to change careers? Because where I am, we're about 60 minutes or so from Manhattan, and a lot of people do the commute, which is long and hard. And so they started asking me, Well, how did you do that so that you didn't have to commute anymore? And so I started helping a few customers, and then I got certified, and then I just kind of went down that route. And I'm like, you know what? There's a need, especially for women, because I think, at least in my experience and those of my clients, it's like you feel like you're on one path and you just need to stay on that path because maybe you're taking care of kids or your parents, or you've got, you know, all of the life's responsibilities on your shoulders. But it's just the idea of like, well, you can still do all of that and make a shift that, you know, feels better in your life at midlife, whenever it is. So yeah, I just started the business alongside of my franchise. That is amazing.

SPEAKER_01 17:53

You must have been doing a lot of work doing both of them.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

I had a really big team at my franchise at that point. So I started trying to step back and kind of, you know, like, because this is where my heart was. I feel like my heart was in serving the kids when I began that franchise business. And then I started really seeing a lot of women who needed that support

Building A STEM Franchise Business

SPEAKER_02 18:12

and that accountability. And that's where my heart was leading me at that point. So that's when I really just started coaching and I started my podcast at the same time. And it was like a little side project or passion project at first until it, you know, slowly picked up. And yeah, that's where I am now.

SPEAKER_01 18:30

Wow. And it it almost seemed like this ripple effect because it it didn't seem like you were looking for a different business. Like you were doing your thing, and yeah, you just had women that were like, How'd you do this? What did you use to teach? How'd you make this transition? And you were like, Oh my gosh. It seems like it was faded for you.

SPEAKER_02 18:50

I mean, because I think back to when I was scrambling and throwing everything at the wall and trying to figure it out by myself, it was very lonely and I was really in a silo figuring it out. And so I try to now save my clients that time and that stress by saying, Okay, here's how you can do it. Let's strategically put a plan in place and get you there a little bit faster. So yeah, it was just kind of like something I really felt like I wanted to help other women like me.

SPEAKER_01 19:18

That's just so fascinating to me that they started coming to you before you were even fully doing it.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

And then when I started my podcast, I wanted to have stories of women who had made a second act, you know, changing careers or starting a business. And I started looking around, even in my circle, in my community, or in my, you know, high school and college friends. And I was like, there's a lot of people I know that have done this when it just started organically having these conversations because I felt like if someone's listening, kind of like our conversation right now, your listeners are like hopefully getting like a gem of something out of our conversation that they can take with them in their day. And that's what I wanted for my listeners to say, wow, if that person can make that change and make themselves happier, have more flexibility in their schedule, then why can't I try? And you know, because you've made a career transition as well. It's scary to do it all alone. Sometimes you just need a little helper to know, like, hey, it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 20:17

So I'm curious if you know, when women started mentioning this to you, how soon after did you start taking on clients?

SPEAKER_02 20:25

I'd have to go back and see like when my very first client was. I know the first few were just friends. I would say it was probably within six months or a year. It wasn't immediate because I was like having those conversations, just like, oh, here's some advice on how I did it and how you can do it, and here's what not to do, or here's how to save X amount of money to make yourself feel a little bit more secure in making that change. And then even it was a couple of friends at that point were ready to leave television as well. And so I was helping them. So it was a lot of like helping people at first before I finally was like, well, I better get an like a product suite together and know what I'm charging and like really make this a business. So I would say probably six months or so of really making it into a business and going from there. But again, it was just a it was just a you know, passion project for me in the beginning of just like, hey, this is kind of fun to have these conversations and be able to help other people.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

And then look at it, it developed into a podcast, a book, and a full-on career for you. Yeah, I'm very fortunate. It's been a wild ride. Now, I want to transition a tad, but in the forum you mentioned career is not your identity. And I love that comment because it's interesting. I actually started asking who guests consider themselves at the core because one of the first things is like the bio. You'll have people tell you what they do, what they put in. So, like, I I really related to that comment, but I'm curious. What that means to you.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

I think it means that, well, for me personally, when I left television, that was my identity. That was what I wanted to be since I was a little, little, little girl. And in television, on the flip side, you get your job based on who you are, what your name is, you know, your credits, who you know, all of that. And so that was a lot of who I thought I was. But making that choice to leave it behind and start something new, there was a sense of wow, like, who am I then if I'm not that person? And I just started thinking, well, you know what? I'm the same person I was before that. I'm now a mom with two kids. I like to write and starting to look at it of like more of, like you said, person at the core or just the whole person. And I started realizing, you know what? Yeah, because you have so many titles, all of us have so many titles, that when we realized that career title that we worked hard to climb the ladder and achieve is just one of the many titles that we hold. And when you really think about that, it all goes away, all that importance, you know, or lack thereof.

SPEAKER_01 23:08

Did you realize that when you left television? Is that when you realized that?

SPEAKER_02 23:14

And I think I realize it more so than I have some clients that it's really hard for them. And it's hard, it's a hard

Turning Career Change Into Coaching

SPEAKER_02 23:20

transition because they feel like, especially if you're in, say, your 30s or 40s and or 50s, even in your changing careers, like people know you as that. And like on social media, on LinkedIn, everyone knows you as the lawyer, the doctor, the teacher. And so there's a lot of stigma there that you have to get over and not carrying, I guess, what other people think because you know who you are and what you're going on to do. And when I decided to leave, now remember, my husband is a producer, and all of my friends, you know, from New York and LA were all in the industry. So there was kind of, I always joke, like a an intervention of, are you sure? Are you sure you want to do this? Like, because I was one of the first to leave TV in my group of friends. And I think they were more worried than I was. And when I started thinking about it, I realized, you know what? I'm okay with this title change. Like I said, I checked the box. And I also think it's important to say, I'm still a television producer. I can go back tomorrow if I want to. I always joke that if Oprah called, I would go back, you know? So it's like I think all of us are still whoever we were in these different junctures of our life. We still have those skills and that experience, and that just moves with us into that next act.

SPEAKER_01 24:37

I really like that comment. We still are that. And you could be that again tomorrow if you felt like it. Or if you got a call from hell, even if it wasn't open, if it was some somebody and you were like, I just feel like you could, you know. It makes you feel a little better about change when you frame that, right? A hundred percent. Because granted it wasn't 16 years that I did this, but I was a paralegal for so long, you know, and like I called myself paralegal loose out even when I wasn't in the office. So even when I was ready to leave, it did take some. I'm not a paralegal anymore. It was a little bit of a difficulty, even mentally, even though I didn't want that. I wanted the change, but the identity change. But I like that comment, you know, I could wake up tomorrow and be one again if I felt like it. Yeah, you still know how to do it. So it's still part of you. That's so true. If you left whatever it is, any transition you've made, it is still a part of you. It didn't leave you just because part of it did.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

And Amanda, too, I always think of it as not having regrets. That's a big thing for me is living life with no regrets. And I think even if you try whatever it is you're thinking about venturing into and you try it and it doesn't work out, or you change your mind, or it's not what you thought, you can go back, but you'll never regret

Career Is Not Your Identity

SPEAKER_02 25:54

not trying. And I had this client a couple of years ago who left her teaching job and she started a business. And I was working with her on her business, but I could tell that there was something holding her back because every time we would meet, she wouldn't have done what she was going to be doing. And I was just in the back of my head, I was like, this is really interesting. What's going on? And a few months later, I think we had stopped working together at this point. Our contract was up. And a few months after that, she called me and she said, I'm going back to teaching. And it all made sense. Like she wasn't a thousand percent ready for the business. And she went back to teaching. And I just said, that is the best decision you could make. Congratulations. Because for her and her family, that's what she needed to do. And she'll never regret not trying that business. Or she still built that business. And even if she's not actively running it, she can go back to pick it up and make it active again anytime. So I think that's just a good example to say, like, hey, it's okay to try something. And you can go back and, you know, you will never wonder why or if or how it would have been.

SPEAKER_01 27:01

I completely agree. You don't want to have the what if, you know, even if it's not regret, what if I would have done this? I don't want to live with the what ifs of trying something. I'm curious. Did you start your podcast right when you started coaching and taking on clients? I did.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

It was right around the same time. Well, I should say that I took an accelerator course to kind of help me figure out how to start a podcast. And I want to say that that was about three months. So I was building up to what I wanted the podcast to be because I had no idea. I knew how to produce TV, but not a podcast. But I was a huge podcast fan. So I kind of knew the idea what I wanted. So it took a little bit of time. But yeah, it was very early on. So my early episodes, it's really just me interviewing other people about their, you know, second act success stories.

SPEAKER_01 27:49

That's amazing. So what does coaching with you look like for the second act?

SPEAKER_02 27:56

I help women who are in their nine to fives and want to start a business. So we kind of walk through like, okay, do you need to validate your business idea? Some women come with like several ideas of what they want to do, and we have to research and kind of whittle them down. And then I also work with women whose businesses are fairly new and they just need help growing and scaling. And then I work one-on-one. And then I

Learn Before You Leap Into Business

SPEAKER_02 28:17

also have for those women who are about to launch their business, I have a second act accelerator that's a three-month program that helps them get all of those things in place to be able to launch their business. So those are the two options one-on-one in the program. And now the program is group? It is group. Yep. There's a course and then there's group, and then you get access, you have a one-on-one call with me, and then we have two group calls a month. So there's a lot of one-on-one accent access, but then it's also condense into three months so that you can really make sure your idea is good, that you're getting all of the systems in place to start, and then a plan to really get it out there into the world.

SPEAKER_01 28:56

I think that's cool that you're working with people as well who are still in the nine to five or who haven't even made that leap. I think that's really helpful because some people, I feel like, need that extra almost encouragement to take that leap, even if they have all the ducks are in a row, and even if it seems like the time is right, the time is never right. But like sometimes they need that little extra oomph almost. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 29:22

Oh, yeah. And I think I encourage it. If you're still working and you're earning that paycheck, I think you're in a great position to put all those little pieces in place, like getting the LLD and starting the website, getting the socials and figuring out your figuring out your service or product suite, because all of those little things can be done while you're in your day job. And then this way you're earning that money. And as you're putting those steps down, you're feeling more confident. So it's not just like saying I quit or getting laid off and then having that anxiety of having to do it really quickly and kind of following that shiny object rather than what really is feeling right to you. So there's a lot more like strategy and planning when you know that you have something to fall back on.

SPEAKER_01 30:05

That makes a lot of sense. And now for the people that have left it and they've got several ideas, do you help them narrow that down? We do the research.

SPEAKER_02 30:15

And it's funny, there's been several clients where they think, okay, well, here's my I always go back to your why. Like, why are you making this transition? Like for me, it was wanting to be present with the kids. And so every decision I made was, okay, am I still going to be able to be present? I chose that one franchise business because I was able to be around my kids while I ran it. So we always go back to the why. We go back to like, okay, what are the hours? What's your flexibility? And sometimes we'll research what the day-to-day of a certain business looks like, and they'll say, Oh, that is not what I thought. You know, like think about opening, say, a gym or a salon. You think it's about service itself, but it's about managing people and the staff and the payroll and the admin and all of these different things, licenses, all of that. And sometimes people are like, oh, that's not what I wanted. So let's cross that off the list and go to the next idea. So it's kind of fun. That's probably my favorite part is really whittling it down to what they want to do and then how their skills align and what do they not want to do moving forward that you want to hire out to. And I'm certified in an assessment called UMAP, which really helps you look at your. Have you heard of it? Yes. And it's just nice because it helps you stay with that guide of like your personality, your values, your skills. So I liked that's really good for those clients that are kind of still in limbo, trying to figure out like what they want to do for their second.

SPEAKER_01 31:41

It's kind of fascinating to me that you talked about the day today, and some of them were like, they don't want to do that.

unknown 31:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:48

Like there's a client of mine a couple of years ago who was a homeschool, uh homeschooled mom. So she had very limited hours, yet she wanted to be a Pilates instructor. And when we started looking at it, we're like, you're not gonna have enough hours in your week to be able to go teach Pilates because you have the kids with you all the time. So it was really like looking at this transition realistically with what you have available. And for her, she started an Etsy shop and she was creating things in her home that she could sell on Etsy, and that fit in those little pockets because she didn't have a lot of available time, but she wanted to bring some income in and still be present for the kids. So yeah, that was a really um eye-opening one, I think, because she really thought she could do it all. And when we looked at it realistically, it was not as easy as we had thought.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

That's cool that you explore it from so many different angles, even the day today, I think is really fascinating. And I think not everybody takes time to necessarily think about that before they go into this is the business I'm gonna start, and then maybe they don't like the day to day. Right.

SPEAKER_02 32:54

And that's a big part of it because it's not there's a lot of admin and not fun stuff behind any business. So I just think the more you can learn, or even I encourage clients to have conversations, like reach out to strangers on the internet if you don't know anyone, and just say, Hey, you're running a bakery. Can I just chat with you and find out what the day-to-day is? Like tell me what it's really like, really learn before you leap is something I say a lot because I think that just again gives you that confidence. You know what you're getting yourself into, and then you can be just confident, I think, when you're telling other people too. Because there's always that piece of when you tell your partner, hey, this is what I'm doing, or you let your friends know, or you go online and tell people and they say, What are you doing now, Amanda? You can say, No, I've done my research, I know what I'm getting into, and I'm excited for you to see what it is.

SPEAKER_01 33:44

Lear before you leave. That makes a lot of sense. And I like that basic suggestion of even messaging somebody that owns the business that you're interested in, asking them how the day-to-day is. That's something super simple. No matter what the business is, you even if it's a complete stranger, I've never heard a suggestion like that ever. So thank you for that. You're I like that.

SPEAKER_02 34:08

We're so lucky nowadays, right? Like it's so easy to do that, do it in the online space. And people want to chat, right? If someone wrote you and said, Hey Amanda, can we talk about the podcast? How do you start a podcast? You'd be like, Okay, let me talk to you. Let me tell you what I know. Like it's fun to help other people out.

SPEAKER_01 34:25

I agree. Asking somebody who does it currently, what's the day-to-day like makes so much sense. Now, I love to transition over. I know you wrote a book, which is so exciting. Now, I'm curious, and I ask all the authors that I speak to on the podcast this did you always think you were gonna write a book?

SPEAKER_02 34:47

I think I always wanted to in the back of my head, but never really thought I would do it. But when I started taking a little online course,

Writing The Book With Accountability

SPEAKER_02 34:56

like a workshop on how to write, just because I've written for TV, I write my blogs and that kind of stuff, I've always enjoyed it. And I wanted to take a fiction class. So I took an online how to write fiction class and I was getting really into it. And then I said, Well, that's not gonna help me with my business. Let me write about what I teach and what I know and my experience changing careers and launching businesses. And so I made my book, Start Your Second Act, all about how you can start a second act, whether it's changing careers or starting a business. And it just came together and it's yeah, it was a dream come true to actually get it out into the world this year.

SPEAKER_01 35:34

That's amazing. So you've you always wanted to, but you didn't think you actually would.

SPEAKER_02 35:38

Yeah, I didn't think I just felt like, how am I gonna have the time to do it? But it ended up being just, you know, that discipline of like, okay, like I took another online course where it was like, okay, we're writing for 90 minutes once a week, and we met in a group and we wrote, and it was that accountability that helped me get it out there because I think otherwise I'd be like, I'm running two businesses and I have two kids. Like, I'm not gonna be able to do it. But it's just, I think it's important find that little bit of time, even if it's an hour once a week, just for you. Because I see now that little bit of time led to the book and that, you know, you really can achieve a goal or complete a big project if you just give yourself just that little bit of time to say, okay, I'm dedicating this time to this goal or to this project.

SPEAKER_01 36:26

Now you said you joined a course for that. Kind of similar to when you were launching the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 36:33

But yeah, I think I guess maybe that's how I learn best is just having that. I think that's why I like being a coach. And even as a coach, I have a coach myself because I like that accountability accountability partner. Because I think if I it's kind of like going to the gym. If you don't go to the gym, you're probably not gonna work out, or at least for me, that's the way it is. And so for me, I was like, I'm never getting this book out, or I'm never getting this podcast out if I don't have someone to talk to about it and hold me accountable and check in with me. And so, yeah, it helped me with both so much.

SPEAKER_01 37:05

That makes a lot of sense, especially with everything else going on, the kids, the two businesses.

SPEAKER_02 37:11

And these weren't expensive courses or anything like that. It wasn't like a huge investment. It was just like, oh, there's a little pop-up workshop here or there's a class here. But yeah, I would suggest that to anybody, no matter what they're thinking about, like just see what online, even some free workshops or summits or things that you can join just to educate yourself a little bit more. And then it gets you just motivated to want to keep going because you get excited about what it is you're working on.

SPEAKER_01 37:34

That makes sense. Cause even like you mentioned, like you're writing for 90 minutes a week, and you're probably with other people that were writing in this same block of time. So it's gonna be easier to do what the collective is doing.

SPEAKER_02 37:46

And you're just like you look forward to it. It's something that you penciled into your calendar. And for me, my kids are 10 and 13 now. But I, you know, I started writing the book a year and a half or two years ago now. And so it was just like, okay, mommy's gonna go in my office and write for this time. And they were excited that I was going to write the book. So they were like, Well, this is cool. And it was kind of like guilt-free time because it was just like while they were watching TV or taking their baths or you know, working on homework. So it was like, okay, I've done dinner, I've hung out with them. It's just a little bit of time for an hour, 90 minutes. It was just such a short amount of time that I was able to work into the schedule.

SPEAKER_01 38:24

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 38:26

It took me from when I started to when it was published, like a year and maybe three months or so to a little over a year.

SPEAKER_01 38:34

That's not too long.

SPEAKER_02 38:35

No, I think it would take me longer for fiction, but because it was non-fiction and it was my story, I feel like it was a little bit easier to get the words out on the page. And then I pulled from like my client's stories and stories from the podcast and blogs I had written. So it was like taking everything and figuring out how to cohesively like really make it into like a real, you know, useful resource of a book. But yeah, it wasn't too bad. Do you think you'll write another book? Yes, I want to, but I want to write fiction next for sure. Like just kind of get into like a different world with different characters and kind of out of the business realm just for fun.

SPEAKER_01 39:16

No, I'm curious if you have a suggestion for anybody in they're sick of their nine to five, they're ready to start their second act, something that they can do right away, right today, to move that needle forward.

SPEAKER_02 39:34

Make a

One Step Today To Start

SPEAKER_02 39:35

list of your skills and your experience. Just take a pen and paper and write down everything that you let to do, everything that you've done in not only your current job, but in roles that you've had beforehand. Circle the things that you really enjoy and cross off the things that you don't and start thinking about those circled items. What else could you do with those skills? Because you don't want to start a second act and start doing the things that you don't like to do, you know? So you really want to be a little bit picky. And so look at the things that you like to do and that you have the skills and experience for, and then allow yourself to think about what kind of business would I start? What kind of career would I want if it's not the current one, whatever that second act might be, and then see how your skills will correlate. And it's always fun to kind of, you know, draw that line. Oh, yeah, because I worked with a team here, I can run a team over here, or because I gave presentations here, I can be a speaker over here or a leader over here. So I think it's a really fun way of really saying, wow, I've done a lot more than I thought I did. Because so often we think that our skills and experience are things that other people know how to do, and it's not the case. It's just because we're so close to it that when we take that wider view, we're it's impressive. Wow, I really have done a lot. So yeah, that's what I would suggest.

SPEAKER_01 41:00

Wow, that makes a lot of sense. I like how you mention circling the things they enjoy and crossing off the things you don't, so that you're not unintentionally getting more of what you don't enjoy.

SPEAKER_02 41:15

Yes, I always say, like, you don't want to, unless things are really bad and you know, you're in a toxic work environment. Yes, you might need to leave sooner than later, but you don't want to leave a bad situation to just end up in a new bad situation doing the same thing. So just to, you know, be a little smart and strategic about that move.

SPEAKER_01 41:34

You don't want to leave a bad situation to end up in another bad situation.

SPEAKER_02 41:40

It's easy to do that when you're not happy. It's that shiny object, right? You're just like, well, it's gotta be better over there. But if you don't look into what it really is like over there or do that research, like we talked about, then you could easily end up in a situation that's just not going to fulfill you.

SPEAKER_01 41:58

Makes sense. And even like why you mention learning before you leave.

SPEAKER_02 42:02

Yeah, it just helps you build up that confidence to say, like, okay, I'm on the right path.

SPEAKER_01 42:09

Makes so much sense. Now, I'm curious, I know you mentioned this at one point, and I'm sure you've had a bunch, but what would you consider the biggest aha moment you've had?

SPEAKER_02 42:23

Oh, it's a big moment where I was eight months pregnant and I was producing an entertainment news show in New York City, and it was going to be another late night. And I read about this in my book because it was just such a big moment for me where I was thinking about, okay, I'm gonna miss dinner, bath, and bed again. And at the last moment,

Biggest Aha And The Kids

SPEAKER_02 42:44

we were about to go interview Taylor Swift for the show. And I loved her. This was back, you know, she was still in country music, but I was like, okay, we're going. And then all of a sudden I was like, you know what? I don't want to do it. I want to get home to my son. And so at the last minute, I made my team go and I ran my heels to the bus so that I could get home and pick up from daycare. And it was in that moment where I realized, you know what? I like was sitting on the bus and I was eight months pregnant and all emotional. And I was like, I'm just done. I've done enough of that, and I'm not really missing what I'm missing. And I think that for me was one of the moments of where I was like, okay, something's gotta give. Back then it was just, it was just not a priority for whatever reason, hormones or not. But yeah, that was a big epiphany.

SPEAKER_01 43:31

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 43:32

And did you make it home? So better home. Yep, I did. And and I wasn't regretting it. So yeah, I think it was probably the right decision. I bet that was a big epiphany for you. Yeah. And there were lots of other mini moments like that too. Like I was lucky enough to be the boss on that show, but I had to leave early many days that I wanted to make sure I got home because I was, you know, I had to take the subway to the bus to the cars. The car to daycare, it was just such a process for where I live that commute that I was leaving early a lot and missing things. And I was just like, this is not if I wasn't the boss, I wouldn't be able to do this. And I just kept thinking about like, oh, now two kids and the next show, it's probably not going to be as easy. So let's start thinking, you know, have the wheels turning of what else can I do? So that got the ball rolling for sure.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

That makes a lot of sense. And they'll always remember that you were with them, you know. I truly believe that my mom was not a TV producer, but I still remember what she missed. And you know, it's I get why she had to do what she had to do, and it is what it is, but they'll remember. Like, I'm gonna be 30 years old and I still, you know, like they'll remember that you were there. It makes a difference.

SPEAKER_02 44:52

I think so. And now they don't remember that part as much of like what it was that I did, but because they just know me as being home with them and having these businesses and being able to be there. But I'm like, no, there was a whole life before you guys.

SPEAKER_01 45:07

Do they think it's cool that you used to work for?

SPEAKER_02 45:10

I don't think MTV is cool anymore.

SPEAKER_01 45:11

So I don't I saw that in your thing, and I was like, this is like the coolest thing ever. She was on MTV, I still think I'm young.

SPEAKER_02 45:20

No, I I know, and so I don't know if they get that, but every once in a while I'll be like, we'll watch something, and I'd be like, I met that person or I interviewed that person or something, and they think that's cool, but you know, as cool as a mom can be, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 45:32

Who would you say was like the fake the most famous potion you met that you thought was like the coolest that you met?

SPEAKER_02 45:39

I got to meet Beyonce when she was in Destiny's Child, and like that's pretty cool. Britney Spears, like big people like that. I was at MTV at that time. I was a big fan of Beverly Hills 902 and oh, and I got to work with several of those actors for me as like being such a big fan of that show back in the day. Like that was cool. So yeah, I mean, I wish I could say Madonna or somebody huge like that, but no, it's like just the people that you meet that are like really nice people and go around and shake hands with the you know, the crew and the camera guys, and you say, Wow, that's that's pretty awesome because not everybody does that. That's so true.

SPEAKER_01 46:15

Well, thank you so much, Shannon. I really, really enjoyed this. Me too, man. Thank you for having me. I need to have you on my show next. Yeah, absolutely. Have you heard of a man named Jay Shetty? Yes, yes. On his podcast on purpose, he ends it with two segments and whoa, because I incorporate them into my show. The first segment is the many sides to us, and there's five questions, and they need to be answered in one word each. What

Fast Questions Final Advice And CTA

SPEAKER_01 46:47

is one word someone who was meeting you for the first time would use to describe you as friendly? What is one word someone that knows you extremely well would use to describe you as ambitious? What is one word you'd use to describe yourself? Adventurous. What is one word that if someone didn't like you or agree with your mindset would use to describe you as introvert? An introvert? What is one word you're trying to embody right now? Simplicity. Second segment is the final five, and these can be answered in a sentence. What is the best advice you've hoarded or received?

SPEAKER_02 47:40

Go for it despite any of the bumps in the road. Why is that the best? I think because you just go, okay, there's going to be bumps, so just keep moving towards your goal despite the bumps in the Rocky Road.

SPEAKER_01 47:54

What is the worst advice you've hood or received?

SPEAKER_02 47:59

Oh, stay quiet and smile. I had some some directors tell me that, like when things got really crazy on a set back in the day, and you just go, nope. Yeah. I don't think that would happen as much anymore, but back in the day it did.

SPEAKER_01 48:17

What is something that you used to value that you no longer value?

SPEAKER_02 48:26

Having the energy to stay out late and do all the things, whereas now I just value like quality time and being home and comfy and not being out to all hours of the night.

SPEAKER_01 48:40

If you could describe what you would want your legacy to be, as if someone was reading it, what would you want it to say?

SPEAKER_02 48:48

That she taught us how to produce our best life and to really live the life that we want in our hearts, despite the rocky road around us, just to keep going. That's beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 49:02

If you could create one law in the world that everyone had to follow, what would it be? And I want to know why.

SPEAKER_02 49:11

One law. If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. I think just because it there's so much meanness and cattiness in the world. And if you weren't allowed to say those disrespectful things or mean things or hurtful things, the world would be a much happier place.

SPEAKER_01 49:31

My meme used to say that to me all the time.

SPEAKER_02 49:33

Well enough. I find myself like saying that to my kids, and just, you know, everyone should just kind of remind themselves every day of I agree.

SPEAKER_01 49:43

Why hurt somebody else's feelings? Life is hard enough. Yep. Your meme is very smart. Thank you so much, Shannon.

SPEAKER_02 49:51

I so enjoyed this. This is so lovely. Thank you for having me on. I'm really, you know, excited that you asked me.

SPEAKER_01 49:58

Absolutely. And where's the best place for listeners to connect with you?

SPEAKER_02 50:02

They can go to secondacsuccess.co and there's links to my podcast, my coaching, my book, everything is over there at secondacsuccess.co.

SPEAKER_01 50:12

Awesome. And I will link that in the show notes for them to collect directly. I do just like to give it back to the guest, no pressure, but any final words you want to leave the listeners with.

SPEAKER_02 50:26

Yeah, I always say just give yourself grace. If you're in a situation where you want to make a transition or start something new, give yourself grace and just work towards it with one small step every day. And you'll eventually get there as long as you just give yourself grace.

SPEAKER_01 50:42

I love that. Thank you, Shannon. And thank you guys for tuning in to another episode of Mando's Mindset. In case no one told you today, I'm proud of you. I'm voting for you. And you got this. As always, if you enjoyed the show, I would really appreciate it if you would leave me a five-star rating, leave a review, and share with anyone you think would benefit from that. And don't forget, you are only one nine-step shift away from shifting your life. Thanks guys, until next time.