From Corporate Grind to Social Marketing Success: Jessica Stephens’ Inspiring Journey | Ep #156

Ready to escape the corporate grind and start a business that offers you flexibility and fulfillment? In this episode of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, host Shannon Russell dives deep into an incredible second act success story with guest Jessica Stephens. Jessica, a former high-powered corporate marketer, shares her transformative journey from the demanding world of advertising to becoming a thriving social marketer and online entrepreneur.

Jessica reveals the pivotal moments that made her reconsider her career path, including her desire for more time with her pilot husband and the realization that her high-stress job was taking a toll on her health and happiness. Discover how Jessica turned a side hustle into a full-time business in just two years, leveraging her skills and passion to build a flexible, mobile career that aligns with her personal goals.

Tune in to hear about Jessica’s unique insights on transitioning from a corporate job to running a successful online business, the importance of having a strong "why," and practical tips for anyone looking to make a similar leap. If you're ready to be inspired and learn how to create your best life through entrepreneurship, this episode is a must-listen!

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Transcript

Second Act Success Career Podcast
Season 1 - From Corporate Grind to Social Marketing Success: Jessica Stephens’ Inspiring Journey | Ep #156
Episode - #156
Host: Shannon Russell
Guest: Jessica Stephens
Transcription (*created by Descript and may not be perfectly accurate)


[00:00:00] Shannon Russell: Are you ready to quit your nine to five job and start a business of your own? Well, you're in the right place, my friend. Welcome to the second act success career podcast. I am your host, Shannon Russell. I am a former television producer turned business owner, career transition coach, and boy mom. My mission is to help you produce your best life.

This podcast will teach you how to get from where you are now to where you want to be and how to build a business that fits your life and lights you up. Let's get started.

Welcome back my friend. Today is another second act success story episode. I am joined by Jessica Stevens. She is a corporate marketer, turned social marketer, an online entrepreneur and a podcast host. She has an incredible podcast called I just blank. Now what I was recently on her podcast talking about, I just left my job now, what. And it was an incredible conversation [00:01:00] and I really wanted to dive more into Jessica's actual story. Of where she came from working in advertising in a really high pace corporate environment. 

She wanted to Be able to be with her pilot husband travel when he travels and really just have that flexibility to grow their marriage. Through her transformation of figuring out how to leave corporate, she started a side hustle business, and I, I really think a lot of you will be inspired by it. 

I'm excited to bring Jessica story to you. So let's dive into my conversation with Jessica Stevens. 



[00:01:37] Shannon Russell: . Welcome Jessica to the podcast. I'm so excited to have you here. 

[00:01:41] Jessica Stehphens: Oh my gosh, Shannon, so grateful to be on your show now and doing this show swap , with you and your audience.

So excited to be here sharing my story now. 

[00:01:51] Shannon Russell: Exactly. I know when we spoke, when I was guesting on your show and we were talking, I said, Oh my gosh, your story is something that I absolutely want to [00:02:00] share. so I'm so excited to dive into it with you. Why don't we just start from the beginning? Where did your career begin?

[00:02:08] Jessica Stehphens: Oh, yeah, we're going to go way back, my friend. We're going to go way back. So, my first career straight out of university was in the advertising and marketing industry. so I went to university, got a degree in communications, in the end, although that's not what I started. My university career doing either.

So here's a little double whammy. When you start school, you can also change your mind midway through too, right? So I started out as an environmental science major with the intentions of becoming a marine biologist and saving the fish and the planet. And then, I was like, just because I'm good at this doesn't mean this is what I actually want to do for the rest of my life.

So let me make some changes. So, So then I switched over into the arts, got into communications and graduated with a communications degree, which led me to start, a career in advertising by accident. So, I [00:03:00] planned on like continuing school, going and getting my master's and becoming a communicational therapist and helping people communicate better and all that good stuff.

And then, I got a summer job. As an intern at an ad agency. And then when I graduated that ad agency invited me back with a full time job. So who turns that down? Right. 

[00:03:22] Shannon Russell: So I just want that income. You just want that first paycheck. 

[00:03:25] Jessica Stehphens: Yeah. I'm like, Oh my God, someone's going to pay me. Let's do it. And I didn't dislike advertising.

It was super fun. Like I, I enjoyed the work that I had done as an, and as a summer associate, through, you know, school. And so I'm like, All right, let's go and do this. And so that's how I ended up getting into the advertising agency world. And loved it. It was super fun. It was really cool. I got to do cool things.

I got to, like, fly to Chile and shoot TV commercials on top of mountains in Chile and work on big global brands and all the, like, glamorous stuff. Things that people see about the [00:04:00] advertising industry, you know, all the movies and the TV shows that feature them. and my girlfriends used to tease me all the time that I had the ideal single girl in the city life.

And that job definitely afforded me a really good life. So I was actually able to buy a condo by myself at the age of 26. 

[00:04:17] Shannon Russell: Who 

[00:04:20] Jessica Stehphens: was doing that? So it paid me well. I had condo. I had a nice car. I had a closet full of designer clothes and shoes. And I went to all the parties and had this like little glamorous life.

And I used to say to them, I'm like, yes, girlfriends, but you don't know what I had to do to have that life. And that is work like a crazy person. I was like, go, go, go all the time. I slept at the office more times than I would actually like to admit to people. I canceled plans. like, I, I just worked all the time.

I would go home. I would, you know, eat some popcorn, drink a glass of wine for dinner, turn around and go back to the office and do it all again. And it was fine. 

[00:04:57] Shannon Russell: I just want to ask you, did you feel it was [00:05:00] because you were young and you were just trying to prove yourself? 

[00:05:04] Jessica Stehphens: Yes. and it was just the nature of the industry.

That's what I was thinking too. Yeah. Right. Because I know, you know, you used to work also in a very high intense industry and it, you were always like working ahead. So I was always like seasons ahead of everybody else. Like if it was summer, I'm working on a Christmas campaign. Right. Or, or as soon as we wrap Christmas, whatever, we're starting to plan next year's holiday season.

So I was never living in the moment. I was never present. I was always living in the future. If that makes sense. 

[00:05:42] Shannon Russell: Yeah, absolutely. 

[00:05:43] Jessica Stehphens: And, and it really, you know, disconnects you from your real life and the people and your friends and you're, they're like, Oh, let's do, you know, this picnic thing. I'm like, guys, I can't even like, think about that at the moment.

Like, I'm literally like, My head is down into all of this stuff that [00:06:00] hasn't, isn't even gonna show up for any of you for another nine months. So I felt a little detached from my life, to be honest.and not overly present. I kept, you know, having to cancel things because something urgent would come up.

Because, again, advertising is like, like brain surgery. It's an emergency! I'm like, oh no, what's going on? but the trigger for me, really, of kind of starting to fall out of love with my job and my career, or at least seeing the warning signs of, hey, hey girl, like, You may need to reconsider this advertising career of yours is I was approaching the age in which I really wanted to be married to a human.

And I realized that I was married to my career. Like I didn't even have time to go on a date. Like I kept canceling on these guys. I'm like, I'm sorry, something's come up. I can't like go out with you. And I was like, Jessica, like if you can't even make time for a first date, how are you going to be married?

It hits you at a 

[00:06:59] Shannon Russell: [00:07:00] certain age, right? 

[00:07:02] Jessica Stehphens: And I was like, oh, like, this is getting a little bit less fun, especially like, my energy levels were not what they were in my early 20s when it was just like go, go, go. I was like, getting a little bit older. Clearly I was neglecting my health because I was eating popcorn and drinking wine for dinner, and I don't remember the last time I ate lunch.

So my health was definitely being impacted. I was feeling really drained and tired. And I wanted to be in a relationship that did not include my clients who would call me at the wee hours of the night or text me. And I'm like, what? The big relationship that I was in was with my work. And I was like, this is not okay.

[00:07:44] Shannon Russell: And so. Did your wheels start turning about what else can I do? Because you're so in it, how, you weren't even thinking about any other options, I'm sure. 

[00:07:53] Jessica Stehphens: Yeah, you were like deep in it. And because I'm also like a first generation Canadian, I was , born and raised here in Canada, [00:08:00] but I have immigrant parents, right?

And When you have a family who literally like picked up and sacrificed everything to come to a country to create a better life for their, for their children, you go to school, you get a degree, you start your career like that is kind of the, immigrant mandate, like go work hard. And so I didn't even think about, well, what else could I possibly do?

. It was just like stay in your lane and everybody I was working with. Was doing the same thing I was doing. So you just think this is, this is just normal. Like this isn't everyone like working like a crazy person because we all are right. and those are really only people that I also knew I, you know, my friends from university.

Yes, they were in different industries and careers, but I really wasn't seeing them a lot either. so I was like, surrounded. You're kind of in a little bit of a bubble where you're just, you know, Seeing other people doing the work that you're doing and we're all working like crazy. You're like, okay, so this is normal.

[00:08:58] Shannon Russell: I'm curious. [00:09:00] So I experienced this in entertainment. Were you looking at the higher ups and seeing what they were doing and what their lives were like? And were you saying, I don't want that because I noticed that with the higher ups of what my next level would be in entertainment. And I was like, I know I don't want that.

So 

[00:09:18] Jessica Stehphens: I'm 100%. So as I got to like, A fairly decent, like, I was no longer entry level, , I had built my career probably, like, you know, not seven, eight, nine years in, , , you got, things going, I started looking at the other women who were . In my success path and I started looking at their life and I'm like, I did not want my boss's job and that is the first red flag for anybody out there is if you are on track for a certain growth trajectory within an industry or a company and you are looking at the people ahead of you and if their life does not look appealing to you.

Stop. [00:10:00] Take a step back and been like, Oh my God, that's going to be me in two years, five years, 10 years, 15 years. Holy crap. I'm like, I don't want that life. I don't want that life. 

[00:10:12] Shannon Russell: That's great advice. So what did you do? 

[00:10:17] Jessica Stehphens: Well, the universe really helps me out. So, I was actually blessed with a relationship, with my now husband.

And he and I dated, got engaged, and got married in a hot minute, because that is what you do when you're over the age of 30. You're in a long distance relationship and you want to be together. So, the fact that it was a long distance relationship was a blessing for me in the beginning, because I didn't actually have to find time to go out on a date with him, but I can start, I can start a relationship with him by getting to know him and having these conversations and like, you know, doing that bit, but long distance relationships.[00:11:00] 

Are also harder than in person relationships in the sense that they take up more time than in person relationships, because you literally need to schedule it, right? And so that relationship was like the spotlight down on my life that made me realize that I did not own my time. Somebody else did.

Somebody else told me where I had to be, when I had to be there, how long I had to, you know, show up it for. And I was like, oh my god, like, this is even less fun than it was before, because I like what I do, and I'm happy to do it, I just want to do it over there, and you're telling me no. And this is way back in the day, before remote work was a thing, where you actually had to physically show up to an office.

Right. And so being in a long distance relationship was the next, you know, trigger for me of like, like I'm in, I'm in this building with these fluorescent lights and my person isn't here.and I want to go and do these things, and be where he is and you're telling me no. So [00:12:00] that's what kind of was my next nudge from the universe telling me that I need to reconsider this career.

And then, fast forward, it took us. two years to get my husband into the country. So that was definitely not the introduction into married life that I envisioned as a little girl. Like I want a long distance relationship, says no one ever, but it was what it was, right? Like everyone has their challenges.

This one was ours. And it wasn't until he finally arrived here and that he was physically with me that I had my next aha moments because I married a pilot. So I was like, great Jessica. He is now like here with you, but in reality he's never gonna, he's not always gonna be here. He's always gonna be taking off and going somewhere and you physically have to show up to this office every day, AKA jail.

Right? 

[00:12:52] Shannon Russell: Right. 

[00:12:53] Jessica Stehphens: And he was at that 

[00:12:54] Shannon Russell: point, 

[00:12:55] Jessica Stehphens: and he's gonna be taking off and going to all these amazing, wonderful, fabulous places. And I was like. [00:13:00] That's not fair. 

[00:13:03] Shannon Russell: You wanted to go. 

[00:13:05] Jessica Stehphens: I want to do that too.and so that's really when like, okay, like for reals now, like we really need to start thinking about what else you could possibly do.

again, but again, , you stay in your lane, go in handcuffs. The money's really good, right? I'm also supporting a spouse because as a new immigrant, he wasn't working. So it wasn't like I was in a position to like quit my job and, you know, go off and start something new or do something new.

I needed that money, I needed that job. It was a requirement of our relationship, right? Legally. and, that's. That was also a big thing was because his residency was dependent on me and that salary, you got to take care of him. You were stuck in 

[00:13:47] Shannon Russell: a different way at that time. Yeah. 

[00:13:49] Jessica Stehphens: So I wasn't really like, Oh, like, Hey, like, let's just like walk away and do something different.

I was like, what could I possibly do alongside? 

And I just kind of like had this, [00:14:00] epiphany, right? You married a pilot.

You are now a pilot's wife. This is the gig. He's always going to be leaving, so it actually doesn't matter if he gets this job or some other job. He's always going to be taking off, and you physically have to show up to this office every day. No, no, it ain't happening. No, no, no, no, no. And so that night as I was lying in bed, saying my prayers, I'm like, I need something that will allow me to pick up and be free and have more flexibility and mobile that I could follow him wherever his career may take him.

And then the next day I drove him to the airport and I went into the office. And at lunchtime, a girlfriend called me and said, what are you doing tonight? I said, nothing, I'm home alone, the hub's just left. She's like, great, meet me after work for dinner and come to an event with me. I said, what kind of event?

And she's like, shopping. I'm like, sold! I'm there, girlfriend! That's the kind of therapy that I need tonight. And I went, and that is when the universe conspired with me and put an opportunity in front of me [00:15:00] that would allow me to do something part time alongside of my full time job as an exit strategy.

So I was introduced to an amazing social marketing brand in the health and wellness industry that I had never heard of before. 

But as she was talking about the brand and the products, I instantly bought into the product story and the ingredient stories because I worked in advertising. I knew all of the things that we talked about products all the time. I'm like, oh yeah, like , this is legit.

Like , we say things all the time. And so this is really true about this brand. Like this, this is good stuff, and then she started talking about the business opportunity behind the brand. And that's literally Shannon when I like sat up and my ears perked up like a puppy dog.

And I'm like, what now? Because she said these magic words. She's like, it's a mobile business. And you can run it from anywhere. And she literally, like, waved her phone at me. I was like, I'm sorry, what now? [00:16:00] Like, you don't physically have to show up to do this thing? Oh my god, that's what I said last night as my husband was packing his suitcase and I was like looking into the future of what our life was gonna look like.

And so, you know, I bought a couple products, and I went home, and I couldn't sleep. My brain was literally on rapid fire. I don't know about if you have this experience too, but when I have an idea in my head, , it is like, insomnia. Like, oh my god, what about this? What about that? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm like, what if this is the thing that I did that got me out of this jail cell of a job, and I could pick up and travel with him?

, and so the lady followed up with me. She's like, how do you like your products? I'm like, my skin is glowing. I love it. And she's like, are you open to hearing more about the business behind this brand and what it could potentially do for you?

And I was like, lady, I will listen to anything that you have to say that could potentially save me from going back to a long distance marriage. So yeah, give it to me. And I went and I heard the compensation plan and I heard what you needed to do [00:17:00] and how you need to do it and like all the ins and outs.

And I did. And I jumped in and I started, this side hustle and I used it, as my business school bootcamp because I knew nothing about business, right? Like even though I was in advertising and marketing, there's so much more to running a business than people realize. and so I used it as a business school bootcamp.

I did it part time alongside of my crazy corporate career for two years. side hustle style until I built it up to the size where I could walk away from my nine to nine grind and use it to start doing the things that I actually wanted to do. And I was no longer a stressed out workaholic, which was the best part.

[00:17:49] Shannon Russell: It's just incredible that you were able to grow it so fast in two years. Because you hear about the part time side hustles and they can take 10 years to really get to where you're comfortable to make that change. [00:18:00] That's incredible. You were so driven. 

[00:18:02] Jessica Stehphens: Oh my God. Well, I had a really big why. 

[00:18:05] Shannon Russell: Yeah.

[00:18:05] Jessica Stehphens: Right. Like they say, you know, you need to know why you're doing something and the how will figure itself out. Like I was highly motivated. I'm like, I need to get out of this job so that I can be with my husband 

And I wanted to give him the space to build his career, right? he loved what he did and I knew that , as an immigrant, you gotta start all over.

And so I needed to give us the financial breathing room and space for him to restart, right? Like he wasn't going to be making a lot of money. In the early days and he was going to need to like, build, build and go. And so I needed to close that gap, there was a big financial why as to why I was doing the business.

There was a big, personal why as to why I was doing it. Working so hard [00:19:00] and hustling, like 

[00:19:01] Shannon Russell: it 

[00:19:01] Jessica Stehphens: was hard work. I'm not going to sugarcoat and say, Oh my God, it was so easy. I signed up and then like, Oh, like, no, like I was like working my business in the nooks and crannies of my day before my job started at the end on the weekend, like , I put in the work.

When I didn't have the time, like, at no point, everyone's like, Oh my God, I have time. Let me start a side business. Says no one ever, right? Like, no, , you're adding more to your plate now so that in the future you can take things off your plate that you don't want to eat. 

[00:19:34] Shannon Russell: , were you afraid you were going to reach burnout because you were already so stressed from what you had in your nine to nine, as you say?

. No, because I was excited about it. 

[00:19:45] Jessica Stehphens: It felt different. And it was fun. And it was feeding another part of me that my job was not. Like, the job was giving me financial security and support, but it [00:20:00] had stopped feeding my soul. It had stopped being something that I really enjoyed doing.

and it just became routine. , like work that I was doing, , none of it really excited me anymore at a certain point. but this was new. This was different. This was helping people in a different way. This was engaging with people in a different way. This was actually seeing the work that I was doing translate into helping somebody.

And on the financial side, I was actually seeing my own hard work convert into dollars and cents.

so I was seeing success, in dollars and cents from the hard work that I was doing. And so that was a real big motivator for me. It's like, yeah. Yeah, I'm tired. Yeah, it's exhausting. Yeah, some days it's really unfun and the rejection is real, but the reward was really [00:21:00] sweet. 

[00:21:00] Shannon Russell: And it got you to where you wanted to be.

It got you to hand in your resignation. So let's talk about that, when it actually came time for you to leave your corporate job. 

[00:21:11] Jessica Stehphens: so I probably. honestly would not have left when I did if it hadn't been for me getting laid off. Oh, that happened around, okay. Okay. Here's a little , side story.

I, had gotten laid off for the very, very first time in my career, two months after getting married. Okay. Not a very, good time to get laid off because even though I was a good employee for like 13 plus years at the time, I couldn't collect unemployment insurance because I was my husband's sponsor and, they would have rejected his residency into the country if I went on any social assistance.

So I couldn't do EI. So side hustle gig seed was planted then because I had to freelance contract and do whatever I had to do, pay my bills, and look for another full time job in the six figure income bracket, because that's what the government had to [00:22:00] see from me.or they were not going to let him into the country.

[00:22:03] Shannon Russell: Pressure. 

[00:22:04] Jessica Stehphens: Good motivator. The second time I got laid off was one month after he arrived. It was like, Oh my God, amazing. He's here. We're going to start our life together. We're going to do all the things. And they're like, Jessica, not the best. so I got laid off , from that job 18 months later.

. So that was the second time I got laid off and, fast forward, you know, two ish plus years, , I had taken a maternity leave contract. after that layoff. And here in Canada, we, maternity leave's one year. Wow. So if you get a mat leave contract, it's a one year gig. And so I was like, amazing.

It's one year.and it was a different job for me. Like I had jumped the fence. I was now, I was on the client side of the business instead of the agency side of the business. I'm like, okay, I'm going to take this job. It was a major pay cut, but that was okay. I'm like, it's a job. It's one year. It's long enough for me to see if this is enough of a [00:23:00] change for me.

Right. and if it's not, then I have one year to figure out what it is that I want to do with my life. And I actually started my side business just a couple of months after starting that job, because I also knew that there was a timeline. I only had it for a year. And so that was the other motivator for me to build my business.

It was like, I don't know what's next. But in true, you know, fashion, contracts get extended, they get extended, and so that contract ended up being a two year contract with that company. but then, as leadership changes, everything kind of shifts, and they're all like, Thank you, Jess, for your two years, but now we really don't need you anymore.

Voila. So technically, it was the third time that I had been laid off in four years. But it was the first time that I could actually throw deuces and say, peace out. Exactly. I'm out. so it helps me, having my business helped me with that final layoff because I was no longer in a panic stricken mode. I [00:24:00] could actually take some time to figure out what was next for me.

I had built myself a cushion, an exit strategy where, you know, if all of a sudden one day 50 percent of your income is gone. You still have another 50, so I wasn't in a stressed out, crazy spot. And then I could just take a little bit of time to figure out what was next for me.

And I chose not to go back into full time work after that. I then decided I'm like, I want to start doing some other things. I wanted to explore some stuff. I got to volunteer. I got to like work for some cool projects and brands that I really cared about. I got to, you know, help a friend, , work on this cool thing that they had going on and bring my consulting experience.

So then I could just like consults and contract and like do little projects here and there. Alongside of my business, because now that was the main gig and the consulting and freelance was the side hustle and the [00:25:00] extra that I could do, whenever those cool opportunities came my way.

So I just kind of like flipped it. Right? Instead of having the job be the main source of income and the business be the extra, the business grew to the size where it was the main and then I could find those other extras that I wanted to do. 

[00:25:19] Shannon Russell: Wow. It worked out so perfectly and For you to know, I don't have to go back to corporate.

Like you just must have felt so at peace and in control. 

[00:25:30] Jessica Stehphens: Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:25:31] Shannon Russell: And what was it like when you realized you could travel with your husband and you could take that first trip? Because you could do both the consulting and your business anywhere, I'm assuming. 

[00:25:41] Jessica Stehphens: Yeah, it was great. It was just nice to know that I had the option, 

and I could, , literally pick up my business and take it with me because It was a digital mobile franchise that I didn't have to physically show up to. So it was really great. 

[00:25:54] Shannon Russell: Yeah. And creating the life for you when he's gone, right? You were keeping busy. You were doing your [00:26:00] own thing, like you said. And so it seemed like you both were really Reaping the benefits of what you built together. 

[00:26:06] Jessica Stehphens: Oh, yeah. Like, to be a pilot's wife, you need to be a fairly independent person. Which I was, which was great.

and we don't have kids, either. You know, the plan was to have kids, for sure. And that was one of the reasons why I also started, my business. Is because I couldn't even imagine being a, a mom. Plus this career with him gone so much, but, in the process of all of the things, , discovering that, you know, parenthood was not going to be , our story in our future.

Then I was like, okay, well, it's me. I don't even have a dog. I'm like, let's, we got to fill up this time I got to do stuff when he's not around. so that I still feel.and fulfilled and connected with people because it can be a very lonely life to 

[00:26:48] Shannon Russell: Admire what you're doing and how you've done it so well. do you still have the business?

And then you're, you're also a transformation coach as well. Is that right? 

[00:26:58] Jessica Stehphens: Well, I, that kind of stemmed out [00:27:00] of me starting the business because I was having a lot of conversations with people and sharing my story and inspiring them to start like rethinking what is it that you want to do, right? Like, is employee life really the end of your, potential?

Right? and so I started having lots of conversations, especially as it related to like joining me in my business and for some people it was amazing. It was great. And they joined me and that's how I grew my business , and reach some high levels of leadership success. But other people I met was like, Oh my God, like, I don't want to do that.

But I love you, and I love, you know, the way you talk about shifting gears and starting, , something else. So, you know, I want to work with you. And so that's when I started doing a little bit of coaching alongside for people who still wanted to work with me, but didn't want to get into a social marketing business.

fully. So then that's when I started doing a little bit of transition coaching, for started out with employee to [00:28:00] entrepreneurship transition, right? Have that mindset of making the switch, but it also was like helping people figure out where they are. in, you know, their health and to transition to, what kind of lifestyle they want to live or some relationships they were in.

Because the same principles that apply to helping me transition from an employee to an entrepreneur, I applied to other categories of my life, relationships, fitness, nutrition, right? and, you know, that's when I started working with a handful of people and I got to choose how much or how little of that I actually wanted to do, because as you know, coaching one on one, it's, it's exhausting.

and so, I would cherry pick the people who was like, okay, yes. Let's, let's work together. I want to really help you, you know, do some things. And you know, that's also how I was networking and meeting new people. They would be like, Oh my gosh, I met this person and you have to have a conversation with her and blah, blah.

so yeah, that's how I , grew my business. 

[00:28:55] Shannon Russell: And then the podcast, where did that come into it? Jessica's podcast [00:29:00] is I just blank. Now what? So you share such incredible stories. So tell me where the idea for that came about. 

[00:29:08] Jessica Stehphens: Okay. So, I always had this idea for the show, but it sat on a shelf for a little, little long time.

And then I just kept seeing other people doing the thing that I said that I wanted to do. And I was like, Jessica, like. So and so has a podcast, ? Like, if she can do it, clearly you can do it, right? 

so the, I just blank now, what comes from the sentence?

I just got laid off. Now what? And it goes back to the story of me getting laid off from my job for the first time ever in my career that I mentioned earlier, two months after getting married and in the middle of my husband's residency application. 

and so that was the inspiration for show title was. We all go through something.

We all have that now, what moment we all have had life come at us. Good or bad [00:30:00] and us figuring out what was next. So that was the inspiration behind the title and the theme of the show. So I wanted to share my stories more widely with other people so that they could learn from the lessons there buried in.

and then invite other people to come on and share their stories and their lessons and inspire people every day to wake up no matter what life is bringing to the door, they can figure it out. 

[00:30:27] Shannon Russell: It is so helpful to hear other people who've been in situations like that and what they did to get out of it. And, and you've explained your story of what you did during those situations. And you really, Pulled it out of the park. Like you created this business. You created this life. You're helping others.

You're now having a podcast to share the message. So you really led the way and showed the example. 

[00:30:52] Jessica Stehphens: You have to lead from the front. Yeah. . Like you can't ask anyone to do anything that you're not willing to do yourself. . And I'd say that to my team all [00:31:00] the time, or I say that to my clients all the time.

I'm like, you got to go first. Right? They need to know that you actually have experience in a version of what they're going through. And then like, , I've climbed the mountain. Let me be your 

[00:31:16] Shannon Russell: Sherpa. I'm 

[00:31:16] Jessica Stehphens: not climbing it for you, but I can guide you and I can tell you, take that path. Don't go this way.

You might want to consider packing this, that, and the other. Because when I did it, I didn't have those things. And let me tell you, I could really have appreciated it. So that's our job as coaches, is not to do the work for people, but to help them. Either train and get the muscles so that they can actually physically endure what it is that they're about to do or, or mentally, like get the mindset muscles going and give them a few cheat codes, make it a little bit easier for the person behind us.

That's what our job is. 

[00:31:54] Shannon Russell: I love it. I love it so much because you and I have such aligned stories [00:32:00] and we both had to figure it out. Like I always say, I had no one helping me when I left television and I just fumbled and I did missteps and it took me a while until I too went into entrepreneurship. But you just, you fumble and now you're like, I don't want anyone else to go.

Be in that situation and go through that. So here's how I can help you not make those same mistakes. 

, I want other people to look around and, okay. She can do this and she's different. I can do this because I'm different. 

. 



[00:32:33] Shannon Russell: Name one thing that these different chapters in your life have taught you. 

[00:32:38] Jessica Stehphens: Nothing's permanent and everything changes. And so you need to know that life is going to change and how, and to prepare for impact.

[00:32:48] Shannon Russell: Would you recommend taking a leap into a big life change to your best friend? 

[00:32:53] Jessica Stehphens: 100%. I do it regularly. Whether take the challenge or not is questionable, but I will always continue to [00:33:00] inspire and encourage people to like take a leap, all the time. 

[00:33:03] Shannon Russell: That was a silly question for you because I knew the answer, obviously.

So what is one piece of advice that you would give to someone who is about to start their second act?

[00:33:12] Jessica Stehphens: Be okay with being bad because us professionals who have reached a certain level of success in our first act careers, we walk into our second ones with the mindset that we should already be good at it. And we're not going to be. So be okay with sucking. Be okay with showing up like a kindergartner. Not knowing anything, but being a sponge to learn all the things that you possibly can.

[00:33:45] Shannon Russell: That is great 

[00:33:46] Jessica Stehphens: advice. 

[00:33:47] Shannon Russell: So what does the next act look like for you? Jessica, I can't wait to hear, because you have so many things bubbling in your head, I'm sure. 

[00:33:55] Jessica Stehphens: Yeah, I actually am, like, sitting on the edge of a [00:34:00] potential new opportunity, which I can't really talk about yet, but just know that there is something.

There is a next act, because as we grow, and age different things become important to us at different stages of our life. and now that I have fully embraced my child free life because that took a while to do right, moving from being childless to child free was a process for me. But now that I'm fully embracing my child free life, I'm making space for something else in my life that is going to complement the things that I'm already doing.

And I never want anyone to think that they're too old to start something new, to do something different. And that everything that you've done up until this point, will help you do it. bringing a lot of credentials with you, but you're also. As I said, you're starting something new. And so you get to use [00:35:00] that part of your brain again, where you're learning.

So I will always kind of start a new venture or do a new project or, collaborate in a thing and do something different that I've never done before for the purpose. Of continuing to learn to continuing to grow because if we're not growing, we're dying. And so eventually some things will, fall off the plate and that's totally fine, right?

if they're no longer serving you and other things that are serving you in what your life looks like right now is the thing that you should be doing next. 

[00:35:35] Shannon Russell: Beautifully said. 

[00:35:36] Jessica Stehphens: Yeah. So 

[00:35:37] Shannon Russell: where can my audience connect with you? 

[00:35:40] Jessica Stehphens: Instagram is the social media platform of choice for me. Jess loves life is where I like to hang out and share all sorts of content.

I share the podcast there. I share my nutrition recipes, all the things. it's just me literally sharing the life that I love with everyone else. Inspiring people to [00:36:00] love theirs too. So that's where they can find me. They can also, check me out at just. JessicaStevens. ca, that's my website, that's where people can connect and send me an email and a note.

I love having conversations with everybody, you can find me at JessicaStevens.

ca. 

[00:36:14] Shannon Russell: Fantastic. I'm going to link to everything in the show notes too. And I just want to thank you. It's been so lovely to hear your entire transformation and evolution into really loving the life that you lead and you're just leading by example and everything that you're doing. So thank you. 

[00:36:30] Jessica Stehphens: Thank you.

Oh my goodness. Yeah, it's been so great to have a second follow up conversation with you. Loved our chat. and show swapping, , it's probably the most fun part about being a podcast host is being invited to be a guest on someone else's show and being able to share your story and just kind of sit back and be interviewed.

That's really fun. 

[00:36:48] Shannon Russell: Well, you're an amazing interviewee and I thank you so much for being here. It was so much fun. 

[00:36:53] Jessica Stehphens: Awesome. Good 

luck. [00:37:00]