*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.)

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.

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.

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 take advice from people who have your goals, or who have already done what you’re trying to do. Because when you ask people who haven’t made bold moves, their guidance often comes from fear, not experience.

You’ll learn how to spot fear-based advice, protect your dream in the early stages, and find the right support through mentors, coaches, communities, and other women who have truly reinvented themselves.

*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 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 the words, “I’ve met someone,” Vanessa’s world collapsed. In this raw and inspiring conversation, she shares how she navigated betrayal trauma, confronted the “nasty chick” inner critic in her head, rebuilt her marriage, and turned her pain into purpose by launching a business helping others heal.

If you’ve ever felt lost in your relationship, stuck in fear, or unsure how to reclaim your power after a life-altering event, this episode will remind you that your story isn’t over — you get to write the next chapter.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Vanessa went from devastated wife to betrayal recovery specialist and business owner
• Why betrayal can impact generations—and how she chose to break the cycle
• How she manages being a C-suite executive and running a purpose-driven business on the side
• The turning point that helped her decide to rebuild her marriage instead of walking away

Whether you’re healing from betrayal, navigating a relationship reset, or standing at the crossroads of your own second act, Vanessa’s story is a masterclass in resilience, self-trust, and choosing your destiny instead of letting fear choose it for you.

*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 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 session is your green light.

You’ll learn how to turn your idea into a clear business concept, validate it with real people, and set up the core foundations of your business in the first quarter of the year, without burning out or trying to do everything at once. Shannon breaks Q1 into three focused months so you can move from “someday” to “it’s happening” with a step-by-step roadmap.

This episode of the Second Act Success Podcast is a must-listen!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to use Q1 2026 as your launch season (and why the first 90 days matter so much)
• The three questions that define your business idea and ideal client
• A simple validation strategy so you know people will pay for your offer
• How to break your giant to-do list into micro action steps you can actually finish
• A 90-day goal-setting framework to keep you on track through January, February, and March

If you’re a woman in a 9–5 job, a busy mom, or an early-stage entrepreneur who wants to start an online business in 2026, this episode will give you the clarity, confidence, and practical steps to get moving in Q1—so by the end of the year, you’re running the business you’ve been dreaming about.

Download my free 90-Day Sprint Planner

*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 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 the mid-afternoon crash that turns into “why am I like this?” spirals, and how to ditch all-or-nothing wellness rules. If you’re a busy woman juggling work, kids, and a business dream, this conversation will help you build a health routine that’s actually realistic and “good enough” to stick.

Key Takeaways:

• Your brain is your #1 business asset—fueling it supports focus, creativity, decision-making, and emotional regulation.
• Sustainable health starts with basic needs first (food, sleep, hydration)
• “Done is better than perfect” applies to wellness too: desk lunch counts if it helps you stay consistent.
• A quick self-check that helps you reconnect with hunger, thirst, and stress signals.
• You don’t need to change your body to start your second act—care for your body for the life you want now.
• Simple, repeatable meals that can prevent energy crashes and keep you steady through busy days.

*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.)