Today, host Lorie Jones sits down with the multi-talented Shannon Russell—a woman who has reinvented herself not once, not twice, but three times. Shannon, owner of Second Act Success, started her journey behind the scenes as a television producer in Hollywood and New York, transitioned into entrepreneurship as a successful STEM education franchise owner, and has now carved out a thriving career as a certified business coach, guiding women through their own “second acts.”
In this episode, we’ll dig into Shannon’s transformative moments, the challenges she faced, and how she keeps moving forward. From lessons learned in the high-stakes world of TV, to building a business around her family’s needs, her story will inspire anyone wondering if it’s ever too late to reinvent themselves.
Ready for motivation, real talk, and actionable strategies for forging your own fearless path? Join this uplifting conversation with Shannon Russell and Lorie Jones.
Show Highlights:
- Would you help Fearless Females reach more women? [00:34]
- Making no-regrets career pivots with motherhood. [04:15]
- How finding your “why” can lead to a new successful business. [08:14]
- Why solopreneurs must hire support and lean on peers. [11:49]
- The value of investing in a business coach at any career level. [14:59]
- The truth about “You can have it all, just go for it” advice. [16:49]
- Tips for creating financial stability as stable jobs end. [21:26]
- Strategies to confidently advocate for your value at work. [25:25]
- Are “second acts” advisable at any age? [36:41]
- Action steps to pause, reflect, pivot, and pursue happiness. [37:54]
To talk to Shannon Russell, go to Second Act Success at https://secondactsuccess.co/.
Connect with Shannon on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonrussellcoach/.
If you enjoyed this episode, please go to Apple Podcasts and leave a review!
For more information about Lorie Jones, go to https://fearlessfinancialadvisors.com/fearless-females.
00:01.95
Lorie Jones
Good morning, Fearless Females. I’m so excited to have Shannon Russell on with us today. She is a business coach for Second Act Success, and I’m really excited about our conversation. Thank you so much for doing this for us, Shannon.
00:15.17
Shannon Russell
Oh, thanks for having me, Lori. I’m looking forward to it.
00:18.98
Lorie Jones
So my first question is always, it’s honestly my favorite. I love books, love everything about them. Tell me about your favorite book.
00:26.96
Shannon Russell
Oh, my favorite book is definitely Wicked. um I’ve read it several times. I’m starting to read the rest of the series now. um And so, yeah, I just like love that world and just diving into it. I love a fiction book that you can just escape into. yeah.
00:42.53
Lorie Jones
Yeah, I know. Our lives seem to be so, like, lots of pressure, lots of deadlines, lots of life and death decisions. So it feels like maybe ah a little bit of brain candy or a rest, right?
00:55.99
Shannon Russell
Yes, exactly.
00:56.73
Lorie Jones
so But Wicked isn’t, like, it isn’t the the show Wicked that came out. It’s different, right?
01:02.43
Shannon Russell
It is. It’s a story that the play and the movie were based on. And then there’s several others.
01:06.73
Lorie Jones
Really?
01:07.75
Shannon Russell
So I finished recently reading the second one and now I’m going to forget the name of it. It’s a second in the series. um Son of a Witch, I think is it’s is the name of that one. So it’s kind of what happens afterwards.
01:19.87
Shannon Russell
And there’s a couple more in the series. So yeah, it’s just a feel good escape, I think, to…
01:22.66
Lorie Jones
Oh, that’s so cool. Oh, I didn’t even know. I didn’t even know there was a book behind that. Now I have to read it.
01:28.72
Shannon Russell
Yes. Yep. Gregory Maguire is the author.
01:32.21
Lorie Jones
All right. So tell me a little bit about your journey, Shannon. and How did you get started? Did you always know what you wanted to be? How did you grow into where you’re at? And what do you do now?
01:42.59
Lorie Jones
little bit about you.
01:43.65
Shannon Russell
Sure. Yeah. So I wanted, since I was a little girl to be in television, I wanted to work behind the scenes in Hollywood. And so I worked towards that. ended up becoming a television producer. And I did that for 16 years. i was on the West Coast in l la and then moved back to New York City.
02:01.04
Shannon Russell
And then around the time I was about to have my second son, so I had a three-year-old and then a newborn on the way, is when everything shifted.
02:05.29
Lorie Jones
Thank you.
02:10.34
Shannon Russell
And I realized, you know what? I’m missing so much. I’m traveling. I’m working really long hours. My husband is a producer as well. And so something kind of had to give. And that’s when I started thinking about a second act and what I could do with my skills and experience from producing television to basically produce my own life, produce something else.
02:31.41
Shannon Russell
And so I started um dipping my toe into entrepreneurship. I bought a franchise business. And so once I had my two little ones at home, I opened a franchise in my community. So I didn’t have the commute into the city anymore. And I ran that franchise for over eight years. I just sold it last year.
02:49.77
Shannon Russell
and I saw tremendous success. And I saw that I was able to kind of take my skills and experience and bring those into something else. And then in the interim of doing that, other women in my area, my community started asking me, hey, can you help me? I want to start a business.
03:06.76
Shannon Russell
So then that led me into um getting certified and being a business coach. And now I really focus on women and helping women kind of take their skills and leave their their nine to fives to open a business um that gives them that flexibility that sometimes we need, especially if you’re a mother, you know, and you’ve got a lot of other people depending on you.
03:26.38
Lorie Jones
Oh, I know. i mean, how did you how did you maintain like television was huge? I mean, that but that’s like a lot of hours and not regular hours either.
03:34.93
Shannon Russell
yeah
03:36.31
Lorie Jones
And you had a three year old before you’re like, oh, I can’t do it. And was there like a come to Jesus moment? You’re like, oh, my gosh, I can’t do this anymore.
03:44.07
Shannon Russell
Oh yeah, there were several. well we had my first son when we were still living in Los Angeles and we were, you know, across the country from my family. So when he was about six months, we moved closer to my parents and my sister and That was just nice to have that support.
03:59.48
Shannon Russell
And so the nights when my husband and I were working really late, we had my parents to be with him. But honestly, Lori, I miss his first birthday. i miss Halloween.
04:08.13
Lorie Jones
Thank you.
04:09.10
Shannon Russell
I was missing dinner, bath, and more nights than I care to remember. And it was just weighing on me. So those those first three years were a lot. And then i think there was something with the birth of my second son or the soon-to-be where everything was culminating in my head and I was trying to reason with,
04:26.99
Shannon Russell
well, this is my dream job. Like I worked so hard to get here. How can I just step away? And there was a moment, um I write about this in my book because it was so impactful and basically…
04:39.73
Shannon Russell
I was about to go interview Taylor Swift and this was, gosh, now maybe 10 years ago. yeah my son is 10. So yeah, just about 10 years ago. And um so it was before she’s like the Taylor that we know now, but still my team and I, were working on an entertainment news show in New York City.
04:52.33
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
04:56.08
Shannon Russell
We were about to go interview her, but that would mean that I would miss Bath and picking up at daycare and all of that. So I just decided at the last minute that, nope, you guys go without me. I’m going to catch the bus and go back to the suburbs and pick up my son.
05:10.24
Shannon Russell
And in that moment, I realized I didn’t feel any twang of jealousy or like, oh, I’m missing out on this. I really had this moment, high heels, eight months pregnant, running through the Times Square subway station to catch my bus, where I said, you know what?
05:24.80
Shannon Russell
I’ve done that. I can check the box. I have to figure out what’s next because these kids are my next dream job, if you will, you know, just being a really present mom.
05:32.84
Lorie Jones
him
05:34.65
Shannon Russell
So I guess that was kind of my aha moment.
05:37.36
Lorie Jones
Yeah. Yeah. And, and, and then you took a step back and went into owning your own business. Was it like a, ah food franchise or.
05:47.22
Shannon Russell
It was actually a STEM education franchise. So we taught kids Lego, robotics, coding, all that fun stuff.
05:53.71
Lorie Jones
Oh my gosh. STEM is my love language. So that’s so cool.
05:56.35
Shannon Russell
Really? Yes. Oh my gosh. Yeah.
05:59.34
Lorie Jones
How did you, um but but did that just grow and like naturally sell or did you, did it did it start to overtake your life too?
06:09.35
Shannon Russell
No, it fit. real I was very, um very self-aware of what I wanted. And I work with my clients on this too, of kind of following your why knowing your why, and then following it. So i was i spent about a year from when I left television, had my son, to to entering into the business, kind of figuring out what works, what doesn’t.
06:29.57
Shannon Russell
And when I finally started thinking, it was actually my three-year-old who was building and he was quiet and he was in the zone of imagination. And I said, there’s something to this. And so I started researching you know STEM and how to open maybe a play center for kids.
06:44.17
Shannon Russell
And then it was in that time that I found this franchise that was doing what I was thinking of. And so it was a perfect fit for someone who had never run a business before to buy into this franchise and kind of get all that support and the curriculum and the you know marketing materials handed to me.
07:00.90
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
07:01.24
Shannon Russell
And so I said, you know what? I can do this. with my kids. So not only can i produce this business, but I have my two boys with me at my side. So it felt really right after trying a bunch of things that kind of didn’t work in that first year.
07:15.93
Shannon Russell
and so when I started the business, I ran it from my house for the first 18 months, and then I opened my brick and mortar location.
07:16.03
Lorie Jones
and
07:23.24
Shannon Russell
and then I was still able to bring the kids if they got sick, you know, they would come, they had a little couch in my office. So it was a nice entry into business, And then it took off and I became in the top, I guess, three maybe of the whole organization within the first couple of years.
07:38.96
Shannon Russell
And so I said, oh, there’s something to this. You really can take your skills and try something new and find success. And so um it kind of went on from there.
07:48.28
Lorie Jones
That’s really neat. How did you decide? I mean, I’ve talked to other women who have that like kind of transition period when they’re like this, this is not sustaining. This is just, I’m doing too much and I can’t be present where I want to be present.
08:03.23
Lorie Jones
um And they’ve had that conversation with themselves. Like, do I, do I quit? Do I just stay home? Like, did that moment come into this decision too? Did you?
08:14.01
Shannon Russell
Yeah, it definitely did, especially in the beginning. and There was one moment I had gotten back from training and i was ready to go. And I said, oh my God, i’m I’m not ready to tell the community that I opened this business because I don’t feel ready.
08:28.39
Shannon Russell
And the CEO of the company said, Shannon, we’ve just met. We spent a week together. You’re ready. Send an email. And I’m like, I don’t know. I don’t know. And I got a phone call to go produce Fashion Week in New York City.
08:39.10
Shannon Russell
And i jumped on that and I was like, what am I doing? I’m going, I’m reverting, going back to what I know. and it was that night where I missed everything with the kids again.
08:46.16
Lorie Jones
you
08:49.18
Shannon Russell
And I said, you know what? I’ve got to make this work. And so there were definitely moments where I was like, I think I’m working more and making less than I was. But there was something about it being mine and everything. i don’t know. It’s like I could be as successful or not as successful as i wanted to be.
09:08.91
Shannon Russell
And I think there was just that fear of having to revert and go back, which is always something that people can do. It’s totally fine. But for me, I i like a challenge and I wanted to make it work. And it was just saying, you know what?
09:20.93
Shannon Russell
It’s going to be a while until I start bringing money in but let’s see how we can do this. And so I slowly started hiring people to help other teachers to teach the classes so I could work on the business.
09:32.96
Shannon Russell
And that’s when everything really started to fall into place where I realized I didn’t have to do it all. I could figure out where my strengths led lied and then you know bring in other people.
09:43.04
Shannon Russell
And that’s where the growth is. I think that’s a hard part to realize at first when you’re starting out as a solopreneur, though. Yeah.
09:49.51
Lorie Jones
Yeah, it is. And then I’ve heard that story as well, you know, just like, like, how do you, how do you go from doing everything yourself to kind of working on the business? And, and that’s a, it’s a hard transition for some people too. And um I, I talked to bookkeepers or the biggest for this. And they always say, well, you shouldn’t be doing things you have no business doing.
10:12.80
Shannon Russell
That is true.
10:15.13
Lorie Jones
I’m like, yeah, that’s true. I really shouldn’t be doing the things that like I’m marketing. I’m bad at that. I am horrible at marketing. should not have anything to say about it or I should do what they tell me to do there.
10:25.01
Shannon Russell
No.
10:28.11
Shannon Russell
But it’s often that like push pull where you’re like, well, I’m not really making a lot of money. How can I afford it? So it’s just realizing, well, if you can figure it out, you’ll just get that much further along and it will be worth it.
10:40.03
Shannon Russell
um But it’s all those lessons you have to learn in the beginning, I think, that just and help us grow.
10:44.24
Lorie Jones
Yeah. and doesn’t it feel kind of a little bit lonely too? Like you’re learning all these these lessons and you start looking around and thinking, well, do other people really have this all figured out? And I’m the only one, like, am I the only one going through this?
10:59.41
Shannon Russell
Oh, I 1000% felt that way. and And honestly, for me, I had other franchisees in my organization to lean on, and that was huge. So I honestly think if I opened a business from scratch, I would have had to have cultivated those relationships online or through networking.
11:16.73
Shannon Russell
Because I didn’t know other business owners. I knew television people. And so that was my circle, my friends. And so um at least knowing that there were other owners of this business across the country and across the world that I could talk helped me so much. And even though I’m no longer in that particular business, some of those people have become my best friends and we’ve all moved on to open other businesses and we’re still there to support each other. But because, yeah, you’re right. Otherwise you are alone with Google, just trying to figure it out. And it’s a really rough road when you just feel, it’s easy to turn away on those days, right? Like to just shut it all down.
11:55.13
Shannon Russell
But when you know you’ve got a lifeline that you can call or someone you can just message real quick, it kind of gets you back in the right frame of mind of why you’re doing this in the first place.
12:04.04
Lorie Jones
Yeah, yeah, I love that. Finding your tribe. but
12:06.76
Shannon Russell
Yeah.
12:06.88
Lorie Jones
And I thought it’s really interesting that you suggested, like, if you didn’t have that built in infrastructure, it might have been ah good idea to build that infrastructure before you take on this challenge.
12:07.06
Shannon Russell
Yeah.
12:18.86
Lorie Jones
because Because there are days when you want to give up and go hide in your bed underneath your comforter, maybe. Yeah.
12:25.15
Shannon Russell
Yes, yes.
12:27.66
Lorie Jones
So tell me a little bit, Shannon, um about an investment that you made in yourself along your professional journey that just turned out to be the best thing. um Like, is there something that you were like, oh, my gosh, I’m so glad I did that.
12:42.32
Shannon Russell
I think it was hiring a coach before I really could afford it in a way Because I think because i i I figured this whole second act plan of mine out on my own. I was really in a silo of you know figuring out what would work and what was following my why. And I jumped into this franchise that once I was in it, and actually it might have been…
13:05.15
Shannon Russell
a year or so in when I was thinking about starting, um my coaching business. And I said, you know what, let me get someone to help me because I don’t want to end up, you know, I’m in a good rhythm. I don’t want to end up, you know, kind of reverting or just not, you know, being able to accomplish both of these businesses.
13:24.35
Shannon Russell
So hiring a coach, I think was great just as that accountability partner, even if we just met on our zoom calls and she just heard me talk for 60 minutes. Um, kind of venting, like that was helpful in what I needed at the time. And so I, and still to this day, I have a coach. I feel like I always want to have someone that um is there who knows me, who knows the business and knows my why to keep me going.
13:49.53
Shannon Russell
um So that’s probably the first thing is really just investing kind of, I guess, in myself and that furthering of education to make sure that, you know, you know what you’re doing.
14:00.17
Lorie Jones
Yeah, yeah. And they can sometimes point out some mistakes too along the way, like, hey, and let’s rethink this. They do it very gently, but they do point out where you’re being dumb and making decisions, doing things you shouldn’t really be doing, right?
14:10.42
Shannon Russell
Yes, yes.
14:17.68
Shannon Russell
Yes. And just being able to talk out loud with someone else, right? And you say, oh yeah, you’re right. I didn’t think that through. we need that honesty.
14:27.09
Lorie Jones
um What about through your journey? Is there some, have you ever gotten some really bad advice and and what was the advice and did you take it?
14:35.94
Shannon Russell
o Yeah, I think the advice is that I often say it’s it’s that we can have it all. you know Oh, just go for it. Go for it. You’ll figure it out. And I’m super optimistic. I’m 100% optimistic, glass half full.
14:49.95
Shannon Russell
But it’s also, okay, well, let’s just pause before we make that huge jump. Let’s do our research. Let’s really look into what this next step is going to be and any area of life and think about it before we take that leap and go for it.
15:05.30
Shannon Russell
Because sometimes you can say, all right, um i see this even with my clients sometimes now who want to quit their job tomorrow and create this business. So it’s up and running and making them so much money next month.
15:17.15
Shannon Russell
And it’s like, okay, I see where you’re going, but let’s just stop and make sure it’s going to work before we leave. So it can still be being optimistic and ambitious, but I think seeing if it works for you right now, because sometimes we can’t have it all right now at this moment. You know, you have to see You’ve got family. You’ve got, you know, maybe you’re caring for elderly parents. You’ve got different people depending on you. So I just think that advice of just go for it. It’ll figure it out. Like I want that to be true. But I also think there needs to be a little thought into it.
15:49.35
Shannon Russell
And then you are that much more confident to move forward. Would you agree?
15:53.76
Lorie Jones
Yeah. How do you put the thought into it? Like, is it is there a spreadsheet you can fill out? I love spreadsheets.
15:59.60
Shannon Russell
Spreadsheets are great. Yes.
16:01.26
Lorie Jones
but
16:01.42
Shannon Russell
Well, for me, I just like just a pen and paper and just going, okay, like I want to um write this book, for example. Okay, well, how much time is that going to take me away from what I’m doing?
16:14.51
Shannon Russell
um Yes, I can do it, but I don’t want to neglect these other areas of my life. Can I break it down? Okay, it might take me six months. Maybe I work on it one hour once a week when the kids are watching TV at night and snuggling on the couch.
16:27.34
Shannon Russell
And just looking at what that does for you and your lifestyle because you are balancing.
16:31.96
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
16:32.68
Shannon Russell
We’re all but balancing so much. So I think just taking that pause before you leap is really beneficial. And sometimes it can be, you know, if you are, um and I wish I had thought of this when I left television because I kind of left on my maternity leave and didn’t go back.
16:48.01
Shannon Russell
But what I tell my clients now is to look at, you know, how much money do you need to get there? You know, do you have that savings? Have you researched what that role looks like or what that business looks like? Because sometimes you think, oh, that looks so great and it’s shiny object and you get there and you’re like, oh, I didn’t realize that that’s what the day-to-day of that role is So just to put a little thought into it, whether it’s a sheet of paper to kind of write down your skills, write down your finances, write down your dates, um and then just kind of do your your mind mapping from there. But ah yeah, spreadsheet would work too.
17:22.28
Shannon Russell
Absolutely. Yeah.
17:23.61
Lorie Jones
Well, good. i thought We found a reason to use a spreadsheet.
17:25.94
Shannon Russell
yeah
17:25.97
Lorie Jones
I love that. i think um I think that’s really valuable to look and see, like to make some plans and and maybe look and see if your values are aligning with what you’re doing. I have so many times when I’m working with clients, they’re telling me that this is their highest value. This is what they think is really important, but the life they’re living isn’t showing me that that’s, you know, that that is their highest value, like, you know, spending time with family and raising kids, but they’re spending, you know, 20 hours a day at work and four hours a day commuting.
17:52.26
Shannon Russell
Yeah.
17:59.57
Lorie Jones
So yeah.
18:00.44
Shannon Russell
Yes.
18:00.79
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
18:02.25
Shannon Russell
It’s like a puzzle piece, wouldn’t you think? Wouldn’t you say? Like, you’re just kind of saying, okay, if this is your value and this is a current situation, how can I move some things around to get a little bit more value and a little bit less of this? And then it really can have a happy ending.
18:16.69
Shannon Russell
You can get to that end result, but it’s just looking at all those pieces, I think. That’s a really great example.
18:21.32
Lorie Jones
Yeah. Yeah. And yeah. And I like the idea too of planning it out, kind of looking at them beforehand rather than flying by the seat of her pants, because I don’t fly by the seat of my pants very well.
18:31.37
Shannon Russell
yeah No. I know.
18:34.75
Lorie Jones
So I’m a financial planner.
18:34.98
Shannon Russell
It’s a great idea in theory.
18:37.16
Lorie Jones
I’ve got like a 20 year plan, right? You know, I don’t, I don’t do fly by.
18:39.12
Shannon Russell
Right. You are so organized.
18:42.92
Lorie Jones
So what about a situation that you kind of look back on through your journey and you’re like, oh, I really wish i knew back then what I know now, because I would have done that all differently.
18:56.93
Shannon Russell
Mm-hmm.
18:57.15
Lorie Jones
And i I understand that, you know, we don’t we don’t necessarily live in this world of regret, that but really the idea of a do-over is very appealing to me. I’m like, oh my goodness, if I could go back and do a do-over, I totally would.
19:11.13
Shannon Russell
Yeah. Oh, I would too. And I love to live with like no regrets, but there’s definitely situations. Well, with you’ll love this, but my big thing is working in TV, it’s very freelance and project-to-project based.
19:23.48
Shannon Russell
And it was there was never a 401k. There was never this. You had to do it all on your own. But when you’re like in your 20s and you’re partying in LA, like it’s not on the top of your priority.
19:34.24
Shannon Russell
So looking back now, knowing what I know now, I would have been saving like my parents told me right out of college for retirement. So I think whether you’re a business owner or freelance consultant, whatever, you have to make that a super priority. And and as you would probably advise, Lori, is like, take that out first, put that away first. And I didn’t do that as early as I wish I did.
19:57.57
Shannon Russell
um
19:57.75
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
19:58.31
Shannon Russell
And the other thing um i would say too is knowing that to start a business. Like I’m noticing now more than ever, and we all are with the way the workforce is, that there’s no – There’s no longer stable jobs that are going to be around forever. And once you’re in that job, you’re just going to have it forever and everything’s going to be great.
20:18.98
Shannon Russell
So I advise my kids now is like, even if you become a doctor or a lawyer whatever you end up doing, have a little something that’s just yours on the side. And so looking back, I wish I started businesses even when I was producing TV, just to have that something
20:31.72
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
20:33.76
Shannon Russell
And that truly was mine that nobody could take away, that I could build along on the side, like a like an active side hustle from a long time ago. yeah. Yes.
20:43.39
Lorie Jones
I love that idea. That is a really great, and I’ve really never put it into that like context before, but, but yeah, ah having something that you’re passionate about that you love doing, who’s to say you can’t do that while you’re, um, you know, doing ah a normal career and they might intersect, you know, like I love finance.
20:59.03
Shannon Russell
yes
21:00.25
Lorie Jones
So there’s probably something I can do as a side gig that, that feeds that love, um, that passion that I already have.
21:06.58
Shannon Russell
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. My son wants to be in medicine. He’s very science-based. He’s 13. But he also loves theater. And I’m like, you know what? You don’t have to choose between the two.
21:18.46
Shannon Russell
you know, you can do theater on the side. You can start a business where maybe you’re teaching kids on the side. Like, the sky’s the limit when you’re thinking of it like that as you get into adulthood, I guess.
21:29.15
Lorie Jones
Yeah. ah and And that’s a ah way of kind of expanding and opening up but a bigger world. Yeah, I love that.
21:35.37
Shannon Russell
Yeah.
21:37.39
Lorie Jones
i i I don’t know why I never put that together before, but but that’s a really great idea. So what about um if you told me the decision that you didn’t love financially, but if you could go back and give yourself a high five for a really great financial decision in the past, what would it be?
21:57.51
Shannon Russell
Ooh, I did go for it. I mean, I hustled when I, I guess I’m still hustling, but back in the day it was always, um and it might, it’s probably different in the entertainment industry now, but it was like, okay, you go from one job and then you ask for that raise. And I was always demanding more money as I got to the next job or the next level.
22:18.71
Shannon Russell
And i guess I did save, it just wasn’t necessarily in my retirement fund, but knowing that like,
22:22.88
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
22:24.71
Shannon Russell
at the time, getting paid really well saved that money to be able to have the big wedding and do the things that you’d want to do. and then even as a business owner now, it’s you’re still hustling to kind of, okay, what is my worth? And it’s sometimes uncomfortable for a lot of people to charge what they’re truly worth, but to be able to say, no, I’m worth it.
22:45.26
Shannon Russell
And I think that’s something that I’ve always, um I learned at a young age in the other industry that Yeah, you’re worth it. And you’re not going to get that unless you ask for it. So continue to ask what you deserve, what you want, and figure out a way to entice and make your packages seem worthy of that to your customers or clients.
23:05.30
Lorie Jones
Yeah. So how do you how do you do that? Like, so what are the specific things that you used to do to um kind of show your worth to those companies that you were asking for? Because I have I have women, young women ask me that all the time. Like, how do I how do I know what I’m worth? But how do I convey that? Like, how do I get the raise?
23:27.39
Shannon Russell
Yeah. Well, I’ve always, ah at least me and my friends were always very transparent, which I know sometimes in some circles is kind of taboo to talk about it. But if we were all producing on reality shows, like let’s talk about what these different companies are charging or um are paying.
23:42.14
Shannon Russell
And then to kind of say, okay, well… How do I work compared to the other people on my team? I’m always a yes girl. So yep, I’ll stay late. Yes, I’ll do this. I’ve always been that way. And I think that shows extra value as well.
23:54.85
Shannon Russell
So for anyone who’s thinking about that, look at what you do. And are you going above and beyond to learn at additional trainings or stay after work for you know whatever get togethers there are?
24:06.17
Shannon Russell
And use that you know kind of Keep a list of that. Keep a spreadsheet. And just document all of those things that you do that are above and beyond and how you contribute to your team so that when you do have that meeting six months, once a year, whatever it is, that you can say, hey, I’ve really done this.
24:24.32
Shannon Russell
I feel that other people on the team are getting paid this. I think I deserve it. It doesn’t hurt if you don’t ask. And one other thing ah from being someone who’s hired many times in all my different industries is that it’s often when you have someone at a position and they’re doing such a great job, selfishly as the boss, you don’t necessarily want to promote them because then they’re not going to be in that position where they’re really serving you well.
24:50.71
Shannon Russell
And so there can be a lot of that in different industries too, where it’s not until you voice that you want it, that that boss will consider you for that. So you really do have to speak up and let them know what your long-term plans are. And and I think then they’ll say, woo, she really wants this. Okay.
25:08.01
Shannon Russell
And it’s on it’s top of mind. Have you seen that?
25:10.35
Lorie Jones
and
25:10.79
Shannon Russell
like Would you agree?
25:11.54
Lorie Jones
is he
25:12.23
Shannon Russell
Okay.
25:12.23
Lorie Jones
Yeah. Yeah. And that’s some of the things that i I would advise my team members to do. I’m like, make a list of the things, like keep track weekly, you know, of the things that you’re doing because it comes to that year long, really in and a lot of industries, it comes to that yearly performance review.
25:21.12
Shannon Russell
Yeah.
25:33.57
Shannon Russell
Yeah.
25:33.78
Lorie Jones
And you don’t remember the good things you’ve done longer than two weeks ago. And you’re boss doesn’t remember the good things you’ve done longer than two weeks ago. So like, yeah, like, like it turns into what have you done for me lately?
25:42.23
Shannon Russell
Right. Yeah.
25:46.76
Lorie Jones
Rather than, um you know, you’ve been building your value this entire time, this whole time, show that show up with those resources, asking for what you’re worth.
25:53.60
Shannon Russell
yeah
25:59.29
Lorie Jones
And I love the idea of, of being more transparent about what you’re getting. i i I really love like the Glassdoor and the other options that you have online. Like go look up your job description. See what someone else is offering for that, right?
26:15.17
Shannon Russell
Yeah, exactly. And look at your experience too, because if you’ve worked in that role or that industry for x number of years, you might be able to get a bump right from the start. Yeah.
26:26.80
Lorie Jones
Yeah, ah good, good ideas. What about, um Shannon, what scared you the most when you started out on your career journey, if anything? Maybe you weren’t scared.
26:37.90
Lorie Jones
I was a scaredy cat. So hat and it and how did you, are you still scared of that today?
26:40.20
Shannon Russell
Yeah.
26:43.61
Lorie Jones
Did you get over it? How, like that sort of thing?
26:46.93
Shannon Russell
Yes, very scared. um And I’m just saying, can I do this? Like you don’t know if you can do something in any role, any industry until you get in there to do it. And you can think you’ve got all the education and background, but um yeah, I was terrified.
27:01.41
Shannon Russell
i starting off in TV, i just, you know, found a great group of friends and mentors and really leaned into that. And again, going back to being that yes person, teach me, teach me. I wanted to learn everything and finding that mentor that’s a few steps ahead and really saying like, can I just sit in your office? Can we talk? Can you tell me about this? And then they like that. And so they’re happy to have you and teach what they know.
27:27.94
Shannon Russell
Um, so that helped me ease in and kind of get my sea legs when I first started in TV and, and really business is the same. You just start and you say, i have no idea what I’m doing here. Let’s figure it out.
27:39.40
Shannon Russell
And, um, Yeah, and I feel like I’m still figuring it out, like, you know, so my second business in But you just say, okay, I know I can do this. Let me learn. I’m all about learning. I’m all about taking a new course or joining a workshop or being coached because I think that just helps me be better at how I can serve the people I work with.
27:59.03
Shannon Russell
And so, yeah, just I guess it kind of the thread there is all mentorship, right? Having someone and and learning as you go gives you that confidence to say, all right, I’m not doing so bad after all
28:11.54
Lorie Jones
did you Did you find different mentors? Did you stick with the same mentor? And how, like, this is a question I ask a lot too, like, how do you get that mentor? Like, what what words do you you use?
28:23.33
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
28:24.16
Shannon Russell
Honestly, that’s so funny that you say that because as I’m thinking of this person, he was just one of my bosses when I first started at MTV, you know, right out of college. And we worked on a lot of shows together and became like great, great friends. So I don’t think we ever had the conversation of, can you be my mentor? But just, I was always around him and I just wanted to learn from him and he kind of took me under his wing.
28:45.64
Shannon Russell
And then when I moved to Los Angeles, that was in New York City, when I moved to Los Angeles, I was on a bunch of different shows and it was just finding that producer, that person who was like a few steps ahead again and just kind of being that sponge around them.
28:57.11
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
28:59.80
Shannon Russell
um So I think it’s just, it doesn’t have to necessarily be a formal thing. Like we’re going to talk once a month, but just, you know what, if I have an issue or question, can I call you? and I always made sure to have really good relationships with bosses or managers um and peers just to be able to reach out and have those conversations I’m really big on open communication, so I always wanted to be transparent in that way.
29:23.82
Shannon Russell
And I’ve noticed what’s funny is even in the past couple of years, now I’ve been out of TV for over 10 now, And I’ve had people come up to me um via LinkedIn. Usually i had this one girl who’s now become a really close friend of mine who wrote me, I’ll never forget. It was on St. Patrick’s day this year. She wrote a message and tagged me saying this, talking about me, but saying this woman has no idea the impact she has had on my life.
29:49.86
Shannon Russell
And she wrote this whole story about how I hired her as an intern.
29:49.94
Lorie Jones
Oh.
29:53.90
Shannon Russell
And then when she moved to Los Angeles, I got our first job. And I didn’t even realize that I was that person to her. And then we started talking more and now we talk all the time and she’s building a business of her own. And you don’t realize the impact that you have on other people too. So I think get your mentors and be a mentor.
30:12.95
Shannon Russell
i think that that story, even hearing that from her really impacted me to say, wow, like we all touch each other’s lives in different ways and have such an impact.
30:13.02
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
30:22.12
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm. That’s and that it is so important. I think that I do pay it forward. um Because when you, you know, when you first start out on your career journey, you really don’t have a whole lot of capital, like e you you are just grateful for anything that anyone else can give you and teach you and, and, you know,
30:35.29
Shannon Russell
No.
30:43.18
Lorie Jones
learn, help you learn. But as you progress down that road, i think it’s really important to remember to give back, to like deliberately look for opportunities where you can help somebody grow or develop or move into that higher role.
30:59.59
Shannon Russell
Mm-hmm.
31:00.44
Lorie Jones
And especially, yeah I’m going to put my plug in here, especially women, but especially for those roles they that they aren’t traditionally in.
31:05.54
Shannon Russell
yeah
31:09.05
Lorie Jones
I love that you mentioned that, that that makes a huge difference.
31:13.65
Shannon Russell
Yeah. It’s like, it’s like you said, it just makes you feel good and it it just makes, we’re all on the same team, right? We just are here to lift each other up.
31:23.22
Lorie Jones
What about, did you face any unique challenges because you were a woman?
31:28.81
Shannon Russell
oh Yes. Especially, I mean, talk going back to TV again, I mean, that industry um When the Me Too movement came out, it was like, whoa, okay, people are talking about this because for so long, it was just another day at the office.
31:45.19
Shannon Russell
um So definitely being passed over for certain things or um i was always told, which I’m sure a lot of your listeners will understand and probably you as well, was always told that I am too friendly or smile too much.
32:01.36
Shannon Russell
And I would find, um even when I was the exec or the boss on set, that people would go, mostly men, would go to the other men who were under me and ask their questions because I was just a cute girl on set or whatever they would think. And it was always infuriating.
32:19.96
Shannon Russell
And so that happened quite a few times. And so when I became a business owner, i was like, okay, I’ve got to you know toughen up and make sure that everybody knows I’m the boss here and I’m the one to come to for answers.
32:30.94
Shannon Russell
But it would be when I was… um One other thing is when i tried to get my brick and mortar location. I did it all on my own. And I had contractors asking if they could speak to my husband, who was not even involved.
32:41.46
Lorie Jones
Oh my good heavens. and
32:43.80
Shannon Russell
He didn’t he wasn’t even a one he didn’t even own 1% of my business. It was all mine. So it was like, why would you even expect that there’s a husband in the picture? I’ve never mentioned him.
32:53.64
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
32:54.91
Shannon Russell
Yeah.
32:55.22
Lorie Jones
Yeah. yeah
32:57.00
Shannon Russell
So…
32:57.13
Lorie Jones
Yeah. i I find that fascinating that still in this day and age,
33:04.75
Lorie Jones
yeah
33:04.79
Shannon Russell
It’s horrible, right? I know. I’m sure everyone’s got their stories, but yeah, I mean,
33:10.09
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
33:10.67
Shannon Russell
Yeah.
33:10.66
Lorie Jones
Yeah. um And with finance, it was, it’s actually so interesting that you, you mentioned that because there are a lot of, um you know, there are a lot of problems with financing women-owned businesses where they’re not getting a lot of the funding that male-owned businesses are getting. And a whole movement kind of built up behind that to, to help women grow business because You know, you it’s one thing for someone to pass by you and go ask one of your juniors a question. It’s another thing and entirely to be passed up for funding for an idea that could could change the world.
33:50.33
Shannon Russell
Mm-hmm. Isn’t that that statistic staggering? I forget what it is exactly, but it’s like the amount of of men who get their funding compared to women. It’s, ugh. yeah
33:59.68
Lorie Jones
Yeah. Yeah. So what about. Shannon, as you look kind of back over your journey and and where you are now and where you’ve gotten to what is the thing that you are most proud of?
34:14.30
Shannon Russell
oh Showing my kids that you don’t have to pick one path and stick to it. You know, that you can pick a path, check the box, say, okay, i accomplished it. And then what’s my next adventure?
34:25.93
Shannon Russell
Because I think that’s, I know that’s how I live my life. And I’m hoping that they get to see, wow, she’s doing this and now she’s doing that. And my mom’s pretty cool. So I hope that they’re getting to see that they too don’t have to choose one path in their life. So I think that’s what I would be the most proud of.
34:43.67
Lorie Jones
I think that’s really interesting. Even the idea of your business, second act success, where the idea of growing, um it’s ah that you’re not quite done, that there’s no limit on when you when you have to say, okay, well, I’ve had my success. Now I’m just coasting.
35:01.36
Lorie Jones
you know
35:01.48
Shannon Russell
now
35:01.94
Lorie Jones
if If you don’t want to, you don’t have to be in that situation.
35:05.98
Shannon Russell
No, I have two clients now who are building businesses so that they can have businesses when they retire. They’re in their 60s and they’re getting ready to retire and they just want to have, they don’t want to just sit around and do nothing.
35:18.83
Shannon Russell
So they’re building businesses so that they can be active in retirement. And I think that is the coolest because like you said, you’re, you don’t have to stop. No one’s telling you to just go lie on a beach somewhere and do nothing.
35:30.53
Shannon Russell
You know, you can keep going.
35:31.49
Lorie Jones
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And you get quite bored. I work with a lot of retirees and I’ll tell you that first year is golden. They love it. It’s wonderful.
35:42.36
Lorie Jones
And then after that, they’re like, well, what am I going to do for the next 25? yeah.
35:46.34
Shannon Russell
Right?
35:46.36
Lorie Jones
so
35:47.24
Shannon Russell
Yeah. Right. And you’re telling them, hey, you have the finances. You can go do it. What do you want to do The world’s your oyster.
35:53.96
Lorie Jones
Yeah. Yeah. Dream big. There are so many things, so many different ideas out there for you.
35:56.44
Shannon Russell
Yeah.
35:59.13
Lorie Jones
So I love that your kids are getting that message early that they don’t. And even if they do make a decision on what they want to be or what they want to do when they grow up, they can change. It can change too.
36:10.79
Shannon Russell
Yep. Anytime.
36:13.14
Lorie Jones
Any advice for a young lady who’s just starting down this path that you’re already so successful at?
36:18.93
Shannon Russell
Oh, thank you. i just think it’s important, um and I never did this, but just to pause and talk to yourself along the way. And so if you are starting out, you know, check in with yourself every six months or so and just say, am I happy?
36:33.80
Shannon Russell
Am I happy with the way my career is progressing? Am I happy in this business? Whatever it is, because no one’s going to stop you and and let you move into a second act. You have to just make sure that you’re living the life that you want to and that you’re happy on your path.
36:48.94
Shannon Russell
But sometimes when we take that pause and we turn inward and ask ourselves, we get the answers. And it might be just making a small little pivot. And I know a lot of younger people right out of college, you know, spent all this money and time on a degree and they get into an industry and they realize, oh, this isn’t exactly what I thought it would be.
37:07.33
Shannon Russell
and instead of panicking, I just want to say, you can take that break. You can take that pause and say, how can my education and my skills so far pivot into something else that will fulfill me a little bit more?
37:20.46
Lorie Jones
Yeah, i ah my daughter is 21. She’s barely turned 21.
37:25.37
Shannon Russell
Yay.
37:25.52
Lorie Jones
And she came in and she’s like, she’s heading down the path of marketing. um But she’s like, mom, I kind of i i kind of feel better about like,
37:37.19
Lorie Jones
with this would made my heart just swell, but she’s like finance. I like finance. I like, you know, I like those analytical fields like computer programming or engineering or something like that.
37:48.24
Lorie Jones
She’s like, I’m not, I’m not really, I’m headed down this path, but I don’t think this is the path I should be on. And so like taking a second step back, even at that early age and being like,
38:00.76
Shannon Russell
No.
38:02.25
Lorie Jones
yeah I still have time to pivot. i can I can go into things that feel like they fit me better. And just because two years ago, i made a decision that marketing was where it’s at. that That’s not, that doesn’t, I don’t have to be a marketer.
38:15.32
Lorie Jones
No one’s holding it. You know, I i can do what I want.
38:16.60
Shannon Russell
no
38:19.96
Shannon Russell
And those skills can move with her into what she does want to. I think that’s important to note that like your education, whatever it is, those are all things that you’re learning and can take with you. So you don’t have to throw them away.
38:32.01
Shannon Russell
Those are still really valuable, you know, aspects to yourself that you’re bringing to a new role.
38:37.59
Lorie Jones
Yeah. Yeah.
38:38.39
Shannon Russell
um I’m happy for her.
38:41.19
Lorie Jones
Well, we’ll see. We’ll see what she ends up doing. But I think she is that I think she’s looking more towards engineering than finance. And, you know, finance is my love language. So i was i but I guess I’m happy to share an engineer with that field as well. So.
38:56.35
Shannon Russell
Yes.
38:56.75
Lorie Jones
Well, thank you so much, Shannon, for spending the time and just chatting and talking about your journey and just giving us some some ideas. If I have a young lady who wants to reach out to you, how does she get in touch?
39:08.84
Shannon Russell
She can go to secondactsuccess.co. That’s my website. There’s a green button at the top where you can book a call with me and I have free resources and podcast and all of that as well. So would love to chat with her.
39:21.80
Lorie Jones
Well, thank you so much. I really have appreciated it.
39:24.89
Shannon Russell
Well, it’s been so much fun, Lori. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.