Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Shannon Russell of New York City

Shannon Russell shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Shannon, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
As soon as I wake up, I jump in the shower and get my kids ready for school. After dropping them off, I go for a walk, eat breakfast, and sit down at the laptop for the day.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a Business Coach empowering women to leave unfulfilling careers and build joyful, purpose-driven businesses. I am also the Author of Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life, a Keynote Speaker, Host of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, and a LEGO® Serious Play® Facilitator.

Through my company, Second Act Success®, I share my journey as a television executive turned business owner, coach, author, and mom with others to help them start and scale businesses. I work with women who are unhappy in their 9-5, as they pivot towards a “second act” by providing exit strategy guidance and support as they transition from employee to entrepreneur.

I also work with teams and organizations as they focus on strategic planning and team building through the LEGO® Serious Play® method. Together we plan for the future of business through building with LEGO bricks in hands-on, creative, and fun workshops and events.

I began my career spending over 16 years as a Television Producer in New York City and Los Angeles working for MTV, E!, Yahoo!, Pop Sugar, A&E, TLC, and more. I then made the leap to open my own business running a STEM education franchise teaching children, so that I could be more present for my children. Now, as a certified Business Coach, my motto is “produce your best life” and my mission is to motivate more women to make big moves in life.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I think it would have to be the moment I decided to leave my career as a TV Producer. After working my whole life to achieve this job, I wanted to be a present mom to my little kids, so I made the hard decision to walk away. In that moment I chose to celebrate what I had accomplished, and look at the next chapter of my life as an adventure. Once I allowed myself to do that and take the leap betting on myself, I saw the world and my place in it very differently. I knew then that I wasn’t defined by my career title, and I that I wasn’t supposed to stay on one set path for my entire life. The world was a big place with many opportunities for learning and growth, and I wanted to explore all of the possibilities I could in this one life I was given.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Your uniqueness is everything. Continue following your heart and your dreams, and don’t ever worry about following the pack. You have your own journey with many twists and turns, but it’s going to be incredibly amazing. Just keep going no matter what. Oh, and also that being imaginative will serve you well in the future especially as you build part of your business around playing with LEGO.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, what you see is what you get! I’ve always been told I’m the ‘friendliest girl next door,’ and I’ll take it. I’m a girl with big dreams who has worked hard to achieve my goals in every different chapter of my life. Now as a mom, I have no time to be fake or try to be someone other than myself. I show up to help my clients because they are women striving for similar goals to mine. I show up to help teams grow and build because I see the value in teamwork and making work fun and exciting. In all aspects of my life, I strive to be relatable, encouraging, and optimistic, while also being just a girl with goals trying to live my best life. Always encouraging those around me to do the same.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
Ooh that’s a good one. I hope people say that I talked the talk and walked the walk. Ever since I was a little girl, I set huge goals for myself, and I always work hard to achieve them, rather than just “talk” about them. If I say I am going to do something, I do it.

In working with my business coaching clients, I am able to show them how I built my businesses and continue to grow them, so they can see a path forward for themselves. By demonstrating that a second act in my career was possible, I hope my clients can see that they can start and scale a business at any age as well.

With my corporate clients, I show them how building with LEGO bricks is a way to plan their business goals and grow as a team through imaginative play. My first business was teaching children STEM education through building with LEGO bricks, and I took what I saw was possible with kids to create my business helping organizations of adults do the same.

Showing up, creating a goal, and going for it is what I hope others will remember from my life and work. My hope is others will be inspired to do the same in theirs too.

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