Shannon Russell Of Second Act Success: Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life
An Interview With Jake Frankel
I wish someone told me before I started that family is more important than success. If I had known this in my twenties, I would have visited my grandparents more rather than making work the priority.
Many successful people reinvented themselves in a later period in their lives. Jeff Bezos worked on Wall Street before he reinvented himself and started Amazon. Sara Blakely sold office supplies before she started Spanx. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a WWE wrestler before he became a successful actor and filmmaker. Arnold Schwarzenegger went from a bodybuilder, to an actor to a Governor. McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was a milkshake-device salesman before starting the McDonalds franchise in his 50s.
How does one reinvent themselves? What hurdles have to be overcome to take life in a new direction? How do you overcome those challenges? How do you ignore the naysayers? How do you push through the paralyzing fear?
In this series called “Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life “ we are interviewing successful people who reinvented themselves in a second chapter in life, to share their story and help empower others.
As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shannon Russell.
Shannon Russell is a Career Transition Coach, YouMap® Coach, and Host of the Second Act Success Career Podcast. After spending 16 years as a Television Producer, Shannon pivoted once she began a family and she opened her own franchise business, and later a career coaching practice as well. Shannon helps professional women in unresolved careers pivot towards a second act career that produces a balanced life of abundance.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I knew I wanted to work in Hollywood since I was a little girl learning to speak. Being an 80s kid growing up in New Jersey, meant I grew up on television and it served me well. People often told me I looked like Punky Brewster and I ate that up. I wanted to either be on TV like her or be on set soaking up the entertainment industry vibes. I created a “California bank” when I was five years old, and I saved for years until my parents finally took me to Los Angeles for my high school graduation gift. I went on to study Communications and Film, and my dream finally came true when I landed my first job at MTV in New York City after college.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I have this Maya Angelou quote hanging in my office and refer to it often. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive, and to do so with some passion, compassion, some humor, and some style.” I’ve never been a person to follow the crowd and do the safe things in life. I’ve always gone above and beyond in everything in my life, and I think this is what keeps life exciting. This quote speaks to me in many ways. Why survive when you can thrive?!
You have been blessed with much success. In your opinion, what are the top three qualities that you possess that have helped you accomplish so much? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
Ambition has always been a word I have resonated with, and I think possessing this quality has served me well throughout my life and career. I always have goals set for myself and once I achieve a goal, I set another one. I am determined and an extremely positive person, so I think those play well with being ambitious. I was the first person in my family to go to college, and instead of going locally, I chose a school eight hours away. I had friends who giggled at the idea that I wanted to work in Television, but I knew I would someday. It was that ambition, determination, and positive attitude that drove me from a young age and it has kept me going even now as an adult. My parents instilled these values in me, and I’ll be forever grateful.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about ‘Second Chapters’. Can you tell our readers about your career experience before your Second Chapter?
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to work in the entertainment industry. I went to college for Communications, interned at huge studios, and landed a job at MTV in New York City right out of college. This was when the channel was in its prime and all about music videos. I worked with just about every musician you can think of. It truly was a dream job. I ended up moving to Los Angeles where I worked for various production companies and studios producing everything from reality TV to entertainment news programs, digital shows, and even live events. It was a 16 year career full of excitement, travel, creativity, and long long hours. It was exhausting and exhilarating all at once. It’s where I met my husband, some of my best friends, and a plethora of celebrities I’ll never forget. I loved every second of it, until life threw me a curveball, and I set out to discover my second chapter.
And how did you “reinvent yourself” in your Second Chapter?
After the birth of my second son, I started to think about my career and that idea of going back to the hectic production hours, traveling schedules, and pressure just didn’t sit well with me. Somehow my career and everything I had worked so hard for suddenly felt different. It finally hit me that I had accomplished my dream. I did it! I had checked the box on my life’s bucket list if you will. So, now what? Well, that’s when I considered setting off on a path towards something new that will represent me in this next chapter of my life. Why not, right?
I embarked on a journey to discover my second act. Months of soul searching, and a few missteps along the way, led me to the decision that I would “produce” my own life. I gathered my production skills and years of experience, and I launched my first business. Years later, I launched a second business. Now I am a career transition coach helping other women “produce” their best life, so they can find a career that truly fulfills them.
Can you tell us about the specific trigger that made you decide that you were going to “take the plunge” and make your huge transition?
Yes, I know the exact moment when it all hit me. I was running through the Times Square subway station in high heels, 8 months pregnant, trying to catch a bus to pick up my two year old son from daycare. When I finally sat on that smelly bus with tears in my eyes, the guilt of leaving work early once again took over and my a ha moment appeared. It hit me when my phone pinged and I received photos from my team on set with a very popular country turned pop star. This was someone I idolized and I should have been on that set interviewing her! Yet, I wasn’t jealous at all. It was then that I realized my career in entertainment simply wasn’t my dream any longer. My kids were my priority, they were my dream at this stage in my life.
What did you do to discover that you had a new skillset inside of you that you haven’t been maximizing? How did you find that and how did you ultimately overcome the barriers to help manifest those powers?
Honestly, I wasn’t confident that my television production skills would transfer to any other job. I was lost and lonely for quite some time during this period. I ended up enrolling in a masters program and even taking an office job I hated, all because I was scrambling to figure out what I should do next. I knew what I was doing wasn’t the thing, but I had no idea what was. One day, I was listening to an episode of the Marie Forleo Podcast and something Marie said made a lightbulb go off. I began thinking about all the skills I had acquired over my career — I produced events with million-dollar budgets. I managed large crews of people and dealt with talent. I wrote scripts, shot footage, and edited shows. I created promos and worked on marketing initiatives. I coordinated schedules in foreign countries for hundreds of people. If I could do that, then I could run my own business, and so that’s what I set out to do.
I grew that first business to be successful, all while being the present mom I wanted to be. A few years in, I stepped back from that business a bit and opened my career coaching business called Second Act Success®. Through my work as a Career Transition Coach, I now help other women pivot to find their purpose by changing careers or launching a business. It is incredible to see how my experience from my first career has led so well into this second act career. Plus, I get to help other women who are in similar situations to the one I was in when I switched careers. I feel honored to be able to guide them as they figure out a new career path.
How are things going with this new initiative? We would love to hear some specific examples or stories.
This second act, or second chapter, has turned out to be another dream career for me. I am able to serve people with both of my businesses, employ my incredible staff, and also be my own boss. As a television producer, I loved the creative side of coming up with an idea and making it happen. Now, I get to be creative with both of my businesses, which I love. I have also been able to brush off my producing skills by producing my Second Act Success Career Podcast, and interviewing people on my show. Most importantly, I make my own schedule, so I am able to be with my family which has always been my main goal.
Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My mom and dad are the force behind absolutely everything successful in my life. They sacrificed everything to support my crazy childhood dreams. They sent me to college to learn, moved me across the country many times for work, visited me on location at too many sets to remember, and they helped me launch my first business as well. They are my biggest fans and I am theirs. It’s because of them that I was able to achieve my dreams, and now I get to show my own children that anything in life is possible with a little ambition and love.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started in this new direction?
Since launching my podcast and beginning my work as a career coach, I have been lucky to connect with so many friends and former co-workers from my past. I interviewed people on my podcast who I haven’t seen in over twenty years, and yet it seemed like no time had passed. The connection that my coaching and podcast has created in my life has been my favorite part of this new chapter. It goes to show that you can change careers, but you are still the same person. You always have these connections and you always have a reason to stay connected with people from all parts of your life. You never know when there may be a time to get in touch and reminisce. I have had people from my past reach out to me to ask my advice about a career change they are considering, or to just tell me how proud they are of the pivot I made. It’s been really lovely, and I hope others will be inspired to think about a second act as well.
Did you ever struggle with believing in yourself? If so, how did you overcome that limiting belief about yourself? Can you share a story or example?
Yes, it is definitely not easy to reinvent yourself and feel confident about it. As a society, we are told that what we do is who we are. I had to overcome the idea that I am not my career title. My friends were all in the entertainment industry, so when I chose to leave it, I received a lot of concern from others. I kept going back to the idea of being fortunate to achieve my first career goal, and I reminded myself that now I was embarking on a new adventure to fulfill a new goal. It worked!
In my own work I usually encourage my clients to ask for support before they embark on something new. How did you create your support system before you moved to your new chapter?
Actually, I found support in educating myself through books and podcasts. I listened and read about women-owned businesses and entrepreneurship, I learned as much as I could to give me the confidence I needed. When I decided to take a leap into starting my first business, I had the support of my husband and parents, which mean the world to me. I also leaned a great deal on the other owners in my franchise system. Their guidance helped me grow my business, and years later we continue to support each other every day.
Starting a new chapter usually means getting out of your comfort zone, how did you do that? Can you share a story or example of that?
Oh yes, this was a big hurdle for me! Everything about launching my two businesses took me out of my comfort zone. As a professional in Television, I dressed up every day, had a set schedule, and a large team to report to. When I launched my first business, I was working from home, making my own schedule, and it was all me. It’s easy to feel unproductive when you are the boss and you are wearing yoga pants every day. I quickly learned that productivity didn’t mean a commute, a 10-hour day, or high heels. I shifted my focus to what I wanted to accomplish for the day, and that was enough. Now with two businesses thriving and two young boys to chase after, I wear sneakers more than heels, and I’ve discovered my new comfort zone for this stage of life.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started” and why?
1 I wish someone told me before I started that family is more important than success. If I had known this in my twenties, I would have visited my grandparents more rather than making work the priority.
2 I wish someone told me before I started that time is precious and to never waste a moment. This would have encouraged me to go after opportunities sooner, rather than putting things off until I was “ready.”
3 I wish someone told me before I started that I shouldn’t worry about what other people think. Sometimes allowing the fear of other people’s opinions can cloud our judgement, when it should never even be a thought in our minds.
4 I wish someone told me before I started that I can accomplish big things even if I don’t know all the steps to get there.
5 I wish someone told me before I started that having backup plans in life is not a cop-out, it’s just a smart move because you never know where life may take you. If only I started saving for retirement after college like my Dad told me!
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Oh what a question! If I could inspire a movement to bring about the most good to the most amount of people, it would have to be a movement of mentorship where nonprofits from all over the world partner with families and children to teach children how to give back to their communities at a young age. As a mom, I truly believe it is a parents’ responsibility to teach children to be respectful and to care for others no matter their background. So by offering more ways to teach kids how to get involved while they are young, this will hopefully allow them to grow up bringing about positive change for the world when they are adults as well.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. 🙂
Oprah is my everything, and what I wouldn’t give for a meal with her or even just a few minutes in her presence. I grew up watching Oprah every day with my mom and grandma. I tried many times to get tickets to her show, and I tried even more times to get a job at her company OWN. I’m still holding out hope that one day I will! Oprah is the epitome of overcoming obstacles and staying on your course to success. She exemplifies what it means to stand up for yourself and your truth. Oprah brings good to this world through her storytelling and the lessons she has taught us are endless. Sitting down with Oprah over a cup of tea would be a true dream come true a-ha moment. Love her!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Please feel free to find all of my work at https://secondactsuccess.co. You can also listen to my podcast Second Act Success Career Podcast anywhere you enjoy podcasts and follow me on Instagram at @secondactsuccess.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Shannon Russell Of Second Act Success: Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.