Second Act Success Coaching with Shannon Russell

Do you ever feel like you’re waiting until you’re “ready” before making your next move?

Here’s the truth... confidence doesn’t come first. Action does.

In this week’s episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, I sit down with engineer, leadership strategist, and executive coach, Sairan Aqrawi to talk about what it really takes to step into leadership, navigate career transitions, and build a business that aligns with your life.

We dive into:
✨ Why preparation creates confidence
✨ How to stop waiting for permission
✨ The difference between work-life balance and work-life integration
✨ Why your “side hustle” should become your “side haven”
✨ How to build your next chapter without burning yourself out

Whether you’re thinking about a career change, starting a business, or simply wondering what’s next, this conversation will remind you that your experience has prepared you for more than you realize.

Your second act isn’t about starting over.

It’s about building on everything you’ve already accomplished.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. Link in bio!

There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a client step into the confidence they already had inside them.

When women first come to me, they're often feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of what their next step should be. Together, we create a clear plan, build momentum, and turn "someday" into action.

Reading messages like this reminds me why I do what I do. 💛

Thank you to every client who trusts me to be part of your journey. Watching you build a business, change careers, and create a life with more freedom and flexibility is the greatest privilege.

If you've been dreaming about leaving your 9 to 5, starting a business, or finally pursuing your own second act, know that you don't have to figure it out alone.

Send me a DM or book a discovery call through the link in my bio. I'd love to hear your story.

Is it ever too late to reinvent yourself?

This week on the Second Act Success Podcast episode 261, I sit down with Kay Paschal , who left her corporoate career to opened a preschool with her husband, despite having no background in education or business ownership. They built a thriving business, sold it after 25 years.

Today, Kay is a published author with the book Insert Giggle Giggle and she is a podcast host. Her story is proof that your career doesn’t have to follow one straight path.

If you’ve been wondering whether you’re “too late” to make a career change or start a business, this conversation is the encouragement you need.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, or visit the link in my bio.

💬 Tell me in the comments: If you could start a second act tomorrow, what would you do?

Loved my convo with Siena Dean about limiting in your career and life.

Siena is a career strategist and senior alumni engagement manager at Management Leadership for Tomorrow.

She shares her experience working with clients on episode 260 of the Second Act Success Podcast available everywhere now. 🎙️

You don’t have to have it all figured out to start a business, you just have to be willing to try.

On episode 259 of the podcast, we talk about the freedom and flexibility that starting your own business allows.

If you’re craving this in your life, take a listen on the Second act Success Podcast.

You are allowed to pivot in life and in work. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

We get one life to live, let’s do all the things!

Meet Rebecca Bloom, author of . She joins me on episode 258 of the Second Act Success podcast to discuss how she was able to take what happened in her family and turn it into education.

She became a women’s health advocate for family members and hundreds of others, finding a passion and turning that into her second act.

Rebecca left her role as a corporate attorney and began helping other women deal with health issues so they don’t feel alone. This led her to write her book When Women Get Sick, a must-read tool on how to advocate for yourself and your health.

Listen to my conversation with Rebecca on the show anywhere you enjoy podcasts or grab the 🔗 in our bio.

Have you ever considered taking a mini retirement?

Think career pause, sabbatical, a break from work to regroup and focus on your health or the wellbeing of those around you?

Patricia Sasser joins me on episode 257 of the Second act Success Podcast to discuss her journey taking a pause from her work as an administrator for a school.

Patricia is open and honest about using this time to heal from grief and focus on her health so she can return to her career focused on doing her best.

Take listen to this honest, interesting conversation now on the podcast.