Hallmark Movie Magic Meets Real Life: A Hallmark Guide to Starting Your Business | Ep #173

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—and the perfect time to overcome your fears and chase your entrepreneurial dreams! In this special holiday-themed Episode #173 of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, host Shannon Russell explores the parallels between your business journey and a classic Hallmark Christmas movie.

Just like our favorite holiday heroines, you may feel stuck, scared, or uncertain about taking the leap. But Shannon is here to show you how to rewrite your story, embrace the unknown, and create a magical "happily ever after" by starting the business you’ve been dreaming about.

Through festive anecdotes and practical advice, Shannon will help you:
🎁 Push past fear and self-doubt
🎁 Find your “Christmas angel” mentor to guide you
🎁 Embrace the ups and downs of building your dream
🎁 Celebrate your successes—big or small—along the way

Whether you’re sipping hot cocoa or brainstorming your next big idea, this episode will inspire you to take action and craft the second act of your dreams. Grab a cozy blanket and tune in—it’s time to create your own holiday magic!

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Transcript

Second Act Success Career Podcast
Season 1 - Hallmark Movie Magic Meets Real Life: A Hallmark Guide to Starting Your Business | Ep #173
Episode - #173
Host: Shannon Russell
Transcription (*created by Descript and may not be perfectly accurate)

[00:00:00] 

Hey there. Welcome back to the second act success career podcast. I am your host, Shannon Russell, and we are diving in. To a topic that is not only timely as we approach the holidays. But it also might just be the holiday picked me up that you didn't know you needed. 

The topic overcoming fear to start that business that you have been dreaming about, and we're going to explore it all through the lens of a classic hallmark Christmas movie.

[00:00:28] Speaker 2: 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. [00:01:00] Let's get started. 



I am the biggest hallmark Christmas movie fan. 

I watched these movies 24 7. And so I look at life a little like a hallmark movie sometimes. I am. Your typical optimistic girl 

who wishes? I lived in a small Christmas town all year long.

If you are a fan of hallmark Christmas movies. Then, you know what I'm talking about? If you have not been exposed to hallmark Christmas movies, then picture this. Our lead character. Let's call her business, Betty. She feels stuck in her day-to-day life. And she's about to embark on an adventure that changes everything. Sounds familiar. Well, let's break down this hallmark plot and compare it to starting a business buckle up because it's going to be festive insightful, 

and it might just inspire you to finally take that leap.

As we near the holidays and we start embarking on a brand new year. It is time to [00:02:00] stop making decisions out of fear. By playing it safe. You miss out on opportunities. If you have been on the fence about changing careers, starting over, creating that business, making a change into bettering your life in any way,

then let's take a hallmark movie as an example of how you can make this happen. 

Mhm. 

In almost every movie. The destined to be together, a couple starts off with a conflict. They start to like each other, they fear the next step. They know they should be together. 

But once they get close, there's some comic irony that always happens. 

This is a typical movie trope. And instead of clearly seeing that this problem is nothing at all, the couple of valves, they don't love each other because it's safer. They tend to back off until someone or something. Brings them back together in the last three minutes of the movie. When all of a sudden they realized the [00:03:00] obstacle wasn't as big as they feared. And they are able to move forward into this new, exciting chapter together. 

It's that happily ever after. That we want from these movies. We want that predictability. We want to see people that are happy and nice and have their problems and overcome them all within two hours. It's very comforting, especially at the holidays where there's stress. 

And you're starting to think about what you accomplish during the year and what you didn't and there's pressure and just so much going on. These movies create that comfort. 

As I watched these movies. I start seeing so many parallels to my clients and to the people that I work with to help them move from where they are, to where they want to be and get out of that scared state, where they fear the unknown. And I'm starting to see that there's so many parallels to these [00:04:00] movies. My hope is that. You don't wait the entire movie, AKA your life to realize that a little confusion. A little fear is not the worst thing. Not knowing what's on the other side of that change or that leap is okay. You can venture into the unknown. 

You can come out on the other side, happier in the end. So as we were making this comparison, I urge you to write a new script for your movie. Where you can be that sensible lead character, right from the first scene. This way you can create that life. That second act that really will light you up, that will fulfill you. That will make you less stressed, make you less overwhelmed. Give you the time and flexibility that you need for your life, your career and your family. 

Let's get into how you can use a hallmark movie to create your second act.

[00:05:00] Okay.

Just like in these hallmark movies. Our lead character, like we mentioned earlier, is business Betty. She works a nine to five in the big city, but maybe she's back in her small town for the holidays. And she's always wanted to own her own business, but she's afraid to go for it. Betty's safe and she's comfortable and maybe she's just bored in her current routine. So in hallmark land, we know what's coming next. 

We know there's going to be a life-changing encounter. Maybe it's a terming old bookstore. That's going out of business. Or maybe it's just an unexpected opportunity. From an old boyfriend or. Maybe it's an unexpected opportunity to start her own holiday cookie business. Whatever it is, it's enough to plant that seed of change in Betty's mind. 

In real life to compare ourselves with Betty, I'll ask you, what does this look like for you? Maybe you've had a spark of an idea over the past year [00:06:00] or longer, maybe someone mentioned how amazing you are at crafting or coaching or creating or managing. And you thought. Hmm, maybe I could turn this skill, this experience into something real. Maybe like Betty, you're feeling that hesitation because it's all new and that's totally makes sense. But that pesky voice inside of your head is saying, Nope. 

Nope. This is not the right time. 

Okay.

At this point in our hallmark movie, that's the conflict business, Betty isn't immune to this conflict. She's nervous. She doubts herself. Her mind runs wild with all the reasons. That this business could fail. She's thinking that it's just safer to stick with her nine to five job in the big city, 

even though she knows that living in this small town. Running the local bookstore or creating her holiday cookie business would be something that [00:07:00] she would love that she's passionate about. That she can use her existing skills from her nine to five job to build this business. 

But her mind runs wild with all the reasons. Why this business could fail. There are naysayers her. Family's worried about her making a big leap and leaving that paycheck. 

Her friends might be saying, are you sure this is a good idea? Isn't this risky? And of course there's a classic internal monologue that business Betty will have where she wonders. If I fail, what if I'm not good enough? What if I leave all of this and I'm miserable. All of the, what ifs that you might very well think to yourself, to. 

This, my friends is very, very common. This fear is a reality, and I hear about it. Day in and day out for my clients that I work with. I also experienced this. When I left my television career to open my first [00:08:00] business, I had these conversations with family and friends and. With myself. So I know that that fear is a very real thing. In reality, when someone starts down that road to entrepreneurship, That fear will pop up like clockwork. And this is where our business Betty, or you. Might feel like giving up. Just like in this movie. There's going to be a moment where you may need that hallmark style push. That's something that reminds you of why you wanted to make this leap or this change in the first place. 

I always refer to it as checking in with yourself and asking yourself, are you happy with the state of your life right now? Is it worth changing, making that transition to find something that could bring you more joy? Only you can answer that. 

Mhm.

in every great holiday movie, there's a mentor, right? 

There's always [00:09:00] that wise old bookstore owner or that, local entrepreneur or that mysterious Christmas angel, you know, someone who comes along to show Betty. What's possible. They share that inspiration. Maybe it's even some tough love to get her moving in the right direction. And then she has that epiphany that, wow. 

I can see what my life would look like. If I made that shift to that second act. And in real life, you need that too. 

It could be a mentor, a coach, a podcast, or a class you take that really reignites your passion and gives you that confidence boost. That you've been looking for. Finding someone to support you is crucial. 

It's that accountability partner that helps walk you through the hard stuff and get you to the other side. These mentors, these coaches. They've most likely walked that path before you. And can help you avoid some of the [00:10:00] pitfalls that come with taking risks. And if you're feeling that fear of failure, which we all do at this stage. Then that coach or that mentor, or that friend, that accountability partner. We'll be there to help remind you of why you started in the first place.

If you've listened to my podcasts and you've been around for a while, you know that I made so many mistakes when I left television, before I figured out what I wanted, my second act to be. And now when I work with my clients, I can help them avoid the mistakes that I made, which in the end, saves them time and money and heartache all of which I felt when I was making that transition from corporate into being a business owner.

So take a moment and figure out who is your Christmas angel, who is that mentor or that supportive person in your life that you can go to for guidance? And who can help you as you [00:11:00] step into this next chapter. And your mentor might not be that snow dusted, small town bookstore owner, but they're out there. 

That person is out there waiting to help you. And most times that handholding is the only step missing to help you really achieve what you want.

Okay. 

Okay. Back to the movie. In atypical hallmark movie, there is a montage where suddenly our business, Betty is deep in the trenches. She's figuring out what she should do. She's learning, she's making those mistakes. She's doing it all and she's probably wearing an adorable Christmas sweater. She's doing all of the things she's baking those cookies all night. She's wrapping the presents for her first customers. She's seeing what it is like to be in the second act position that she's thinking about. This is when she starts to see herself, make that progress. And the doubts start to disappear because she's powering through that [00:12:00] fear. 

In real life, if you were to venture into this business or whatever your second act is, then you're going to start to learn. That mix of excitement and obstacles and challenges, but you're going to feel that confidence, knowing that you're facing these obstacles and you're learning from them and you're growing. And you're experiencing, of course, all of the setbacks and the unexpected costs and the hiccups. But every time you are moving forward and you're going, and you're moving closer to that goal. 

So just like Betty's holiday montage in the movie, your business journey, your second act transition will have its ups and downs. And with each step you'll be building something real and rewarding.

Okay.



Next in our hallmark movie, there will be that climax, that moment where everything seems lost and Betty is sitting there crying with flour from her cookies all over her face. [00:13:00] And she's wondering if she made a big mistake. 

It's the ups and downs, the ebbs and flows of life. And Betty has to decide if she's willing to push through the hard. Or go back to her old life. 

It's easy as a viewer of one of these movies to watch and say, oh, Jess do it, Betty. You are happier here. You're making it work. Don't fear. This little bump in the road. But in real life, if you're starting to make your progress into opening this business moving along and you're happy. 

And then all of a sudden there's that, oh, no moment. Maybe it's a funding issue or you're having trouble with your website or you're getting those naysayers and they're becoming louder and louder in your head, whatever that is. That's where you'll have to remind yourself of why you started in the first place. And what's really at stake. Because that's the moment where you decide, are [00:14:00] you in or are you out. Do you want to keep pushing forward through the hard. Or are you going to revert back to the safety? Of what you already know. 

Okay.

Just like in the hallmark movie. You have to remember that the outcome depends on your choice at that moment. This is your business. This is your dream. Your second act venture. And only you can see it through. It's about getting all of that noise from the outside world. And that fear and that doubt and just feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. And that's enough to just make you want to shut everything down and crawl into your bed and pull the covers over your head. We've all been there. But if you want to see it through, if you want to push forward, if you want to push through it all. Then lean on your support system. Draw on that resilience and keep moving forward. Which is eventually what business Betty ends up doing and every hallmark movie. 

We come to the [00:15:00] end of the movie and it's a happily ever after betty overcomes her fears. 

She embraces her potential. And now she's running her new business in this small town, filled with joy. Maybe she's sipping on her hot chocolate and her little bakery,

or she's watching the snow fall outside of her store window. Or her old boyfriend comes back and just whisks her off her feet. But she's found her purpose and she's thriving. 

Betty is a better. For making this decision than if she went through all of this, got scared and decided to get on that train and go back to the big, bad city. In real life. My friend, your ending might not look so Hollywood like this hallmark movies, but success will come if you keep going. 

Remember the strength you have push past those fears and work through each challenge. And by doing so you will find that [00:16:00] your hard work is going to pay off. Whether it's in that first sale, that first satisfied client. Or just simply knowing that you're in the place that you've been dreaming about. You're happier. 

You're in a place where you hold all of the cards. Right. You're not working for someone else. You're not just going through the motions in your life every day. But now you are creating something with your own two hands. You're creating the life that fits your lifestyle.

You are now in control of your schedule. You have flexibility for your family. You have room to make as much money as you may need. And guess what? You did it. And you're no longer just dreaming. You're actually doing it. This is your happy ending. 

Okay. All right.



Okay. I hope you enjoyed this fun and festive episode. All about comparing hallmark Christmas movies to you in your life, [00:17:00] trying to work towards your dreams. Because as you're watching these holiday movies, Remember that you're living your own story. 

You have the potential for a happy ending of your own? My friend, if you keep moving forward and trusting the process,

and following your heart. Starting a business might not always be easy, but it will be worth it. That success is going to come. Because you're putting your heart and your soul and your mind and everything into it. You're taking your skills and experience from the past. You're taking your contacts, your network. And you're piling everything into this second act that you want for yourself and your family and your life. Just like in every holiday movie, you have to believe in yourself and be willing to face that unknown. Because when you do you discover that magic of what you're truly capable of? 

I hope this [00:18:00] episode inspired you. I hope it made you want to go make some hot chocolate cuddle on the couch under a blanket and watch some holiday movies. But regardless of what you watch on TV later on today, I just want you to feel inspired. There really truly is magic in the holiday season, and we can take these somewhat silly stories that we see on TV and in the movies and know that yes, they follow a format to get to that end and everyone's happy. 

Their dreams are coming true, but there's something about that that is so tangible and so real. Take a moment to look at your life. Look at the scenario that you're in now and see how you can use the lessons of these hallmark movies to move your career story. Your life story. Ahead to get to that finish line, to get to that happily ever after that you've been looking for. 

Thank you for joining me. [00:19:00] As we compare starting a business. To a hallmark Christmas movie. Remember, if you are feeling that inspiration. And you want some guidance on your journey. 

I am always here to help you turn your second act. Into a reality. Feel free to reach out to me. You can DM me on Instagram at @secondactsuccess, or email me at info@secondactsuccess.co let's. Schedule a call. Let's get you moving so that after the holidays you have a plan set for the year ahead. 

Go grab that Coco start brainstorming and let's make this season, the start of something truly magical for you. Thanks for listening. And I will see you on the next episode of the second act success career podcast by my friend.

[00:19:47] Speaker: Thank you for joining us. I hope you found some gems of inspiration and some takeaways to help you on your path to 2nd Act success. To view show notes from this episode, visit 2ndActSuccess. [00:20:00] co. Before you go, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode. Reviews only take a few moments and they really do mean so much.

Thank you again for listening. I'm Shannon Russell and this is 2nd Act Success.