You're Not Starting Over. How to Use Your Skills to Build Something New After 40 | Shannon Russell

Thinking about making a career change in midlife, starting a business, or finally exploring an idea that keeps coming back to you? In this episode, I'm talking with Shannon Russell about what it really looks like to create a second act without feeling like you have to start from scratch. Shannon is a Business Coach, Corporate Team Building Facilitator, TEDx Speaker, and the author of *Start Your Second Act*. She's also the host of the *Second Act Success Podcast*, where she shares inspiring stories and actionable strategies to help professionals make career changes and start businesses. After spending more than 16 years as a television producer, Shannon took her experience in the entertainment industry and began "producing" her own life by starting several businesses, including Second Act Success®, where she supports women as they embrace change, discover new opportunities, and design careers that bring them joy and purpose. In our conversation, Shannon shares how she left a successful career as a television producer and started building a new path that gave her more flexibility and fit the life she wanted. We also talk about why the skills and experience you already have can become some of your biggest advantages when you're making a career pivot or starting something new. We get into how to recognize your skills, narrow down multiple business ideas, research before you leap, and build a bridge between the job you have now and the life or business you want next. Shannon also shares why taking the time to reflect on what you actually want can help you make clearer decisions about your next chapter. We also talk about the discomfort of becoming a beginner again, why your non-negotiables matter when you're building something new, and how to create a business around the life you want instead of allowing the business to take over your life. If you're a woman in your 40s, 50s, or beyond who keeps wondering, "What could I do next?" this conversation will help you think about that question in a practical way without feeling like you have to blow up your entire life to figure it out. In this episode, we talk about: • Making a career change in midlife without starting over • Recognizing the skills and experience you already have • Choosing between multiple career or business ideas • Why research matters before making a big move • Starting a business while keeping your current job • Creating non-negotiables around the life you want • Working through the discomfort of feeling like a beginner again • Taking small, practical steps toward your second act **Connect with Shannon:** Website: https://secondactsuccess.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondactsuccess/ Book: https://secondactsuccess.co/book Podcast: https://secondactsuccess.co/podcast **Connect with Susie:** Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susiemclean.xo  Website: www.susiemclean.com