*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.

Read the Second Act Blog

Download the free Career to Business Roadmap

Watch the How To Start a Business Training

Read Shannon's Book - Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life

Book a free Strategy Call with Shannon

➡️ Let's Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok

More resources & discounts:

Home Chef Meal Delivery - (free shipping & $4.99/serving)

Flodesk Email Marketing - (25% off 1st year)

Stitch Fix Personal Stylist - ($25 off 1st order)

Buzzsprout Podcast Hosting - ($20 off)

Podmatch Guesting

(*Some affiliate links included.)

*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.

Read the Second Act Blog

Download the free Career to Business Roadmap

Watch the How To Start a Business Training

Read Shannon's Book - Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life

Book a free Strategy Call with Shannon

➡️ Let's Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok

More resources & discounts:

Home Chef Meal Delivery - (free shipping & $4.99/serving)

Flodesk Email Marketing - (25% off 1st year)

Stitch Fix Personal Stylist - ($25 off 1st order)

Buzzsprout Podcast Hosting - ($20 off)

Podmatch Guesting

(*Some affiliate links included.)

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.

Read the Second Act Blog

Download the free Career to Business Roadmap

Watch the How To Start a Business Training

Read Shannon's Book - Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life

Book a free Strategy Call with Shannon

➡️ Let's Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok

More resources & discounts:

Home Chef Meal Delivery - (free shipping & $4.99/serving)

Flodesk Email Marketing - (25% off 1st year)

Stitch Fix Personal Stylist - ($25 off 1st order)

Buzzsprout Podcast Hosting - ($20 off)

Podmatch Guesting

(*Some affiliate links included.)