You Deserve Freedom: Why Starting a Business Gives Women More Time, Flexibility, and Purpose | #259

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What if the real reason you want to start a business isn't about money?

What if it's about freedom?

In this heartfelt solo episode #259 of the Second Act Success Podcast, host and business coach Shannon Russell shares the deeper reason so many women pursue entrepreneurship. Not just for financial independence, but for the freedom to be present for their children, aging parents, and themselves.

After leaving her television career, Shannon discovered that building her own businesses gave her something even more valuable than income: flexibility, purpose, and the ability to show up for the people she loves most.

Whether you're experiencing burnout, dreaming about a career change, or wondering if starting a business could create a more fulfilling life, this episode is your reminder that you don't have to choose between ambition and family.

You deserve both.

In this episode, you'll learn:

•  Why freedom is one of the biggest reasons women start businesses 
•  How entrepreneurship can support your family and personal priorities 
•  Why you don't need to quit your job to start a business 
•  Small steps you can take toward your second act 
•  How to overcome the fear of starting over 
•  Why building a business doesn't have to be all-or-nothing 
•  How to create a career that aligns with your values and lifestyle 
•  Why giving yourself permission to dream may be the hardest step of all 

If you've been thinking, "There has to be more than this," this episode is for you.

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Transcript

Transcription:

Second Act Success Podcast

Season 1 – You Deserve Freedom: Why Starting a Business Gives Women More Time, Flexibility, and Purpose

Episode - #259

Host: Shannon Russell

Transcription (*created by Descript and may not be perfectly accurate)

Speaker 2: [00:00:00] If you are thinking about starting a business and you're looking for a little guidance on how to get you there, head over to 2ndactsuccess.co and book a call with me. Let's have a chat about your goals to see if I can better support you as you transition from where you are to where you want to be. Go to 2ndactsuccess.co and click on that green button to book a call or grab a link in the show notes below.​

Shannon Russell: Hello, this is Shannon Russell welcoming you back to Second Act Success. There are 100 reasons why women should start businesses. Flexibility, purpose, creativity, escape from burnout, freedom, you name it.

But if you are anything like me, the real reason lives somewhere much deeper. It's the desire to be there, to be present, to show up, to be available for the people who mean the most to you. The ability to Not be squeezing in [00:01:00] time with your kids in between meetings, or not rushing through life praying that traffic cooperates on your commute. Not hoping that your boss understands this time because he or she understood last time. Or not feeling torn between your family and your paycheck I get it.

For me, that desire began with my boys. I wanted to be a mom who could pick them up from school, who could volunteer in their classroom, who could be there rather than missing everything

I didn't want their childhood to happen while I was busy producing someone else's dream. But as life unfolded and as seasons shifted, I realized something even more profound. It dawned on me that starting my own business didn't just give me more time with my kids, it gave me the freedom to support my parents too.

My mom recently had another back surgery. This was one of many in [00:02:00] just a handful of years, and I don't take lightly what it means to be able to sit by her hospital bed, talk with her doctors, help her recover,

And simply be there for her and my dad when she needed me.

And I don't take lightly that the truth is, if I were still working in my first career in television, running around, traveling, working late hours, I would've missed so much of this. Not because I didn't wanna be there, but because I wouldn't have had that flexibility. Entrepreneurship gave me that gift of being present.

Present with my kids, present with my parents, present with myself, And that freedom really is priceless

The honest truth is, yes, business owners work hard, but the freedom is worth every moment. And I'll be the first to tell you, starting your own business is not a shortcut to an easy life by any means. And I work with clients each and every day [00:03:00] who are building businesses from different stages.

Some are still working their full-time career but are slowly building that business on the back end, where others have had their businesses up and running, and they're just trying to scale it and really get it into a stable business so that they can take their foot off the gas. But either way, it is not easy.

You will think about your business more than you ever thought about your old job.

You will put in extra hours during seasons of building especially. You will probably put hours in over holidays and on weekends, especially when you are getting everything up and running. You will care so deeply about this business because it's your baby. It's yours. But here's what you won't do, I can guarantee.

You won't be asking permission to attend a school event for your kids. You won't feel guilty for taking your mom to an appointment. You won't feel that silent panic when daycare [00:04:00] calls at two p.m. and someone is sick. You won't have to beg your boss for a little bit of flexibility. And my friend, you won't have to choose between the life you want and the life you currently have. Because when you're your own boss, you get to say, "My kids need me right now. My family needs me right now. I need space today," or, "I'm taking this afternoon off," or, "I'm working around my schedule, not someone else's."

That is the freedom that you can't really put a number on, in my opinion, and it's something that is different in so many ways. But there's something at the end of the day where you can say, "You know what? I'm going to hustle really hard right now to get this business in a place where I can take a breath and step back a little if I need to."

This freedom will be something that you will feel every time you close your laptop and you show up to do what matters for you

Now let's talk about starting a [00:05:00] business because it doesn't have to be big and scary, it just has to start, right? It's talking about not being perfect, just getting it done. So many times when I speak with friends of mine or clients, they really talk about holding themselves back because they believe that starting a business has to be all or nothing.

And I'm here to tell you that that is not true. You do not have to quit your job tomorrow to start a business. You don't have to build everything overnight tonight to start a business. And you don't have to have it all figured out right now to take that next step. You can start small, you can start slow, you can start with just one idea and one tiny step.

The key is to start thinking sooner rather than later. I do have clients, like I mentioned, who are working full time, and they're earning that paycheck while they build the business. So they're making it work, and they're doing that extra [00:06:00] work now so that when they are ready and that money is coming in from the business, they can make that educated decision if they are ready to leave their job or not.

Some may want to build that business and have that business up and running while they are still getting their benefits and getting their paycheck. It really is such a unique decision, But the idea is that there are choices, and the choice is yours on how all in you want to go or how slow you want to build.

There's no right answer The key is simply starting sooner rather than later. Because every day you delay, if you know you really want to start something that's your own, by delaying, it's another day that you're giving away that control of your time, your energy, and your potential success. the beautiful part that I really want you to think about is that maybe you have this clear idea of what it is that you want to build, or maybe you just know you want to go into business for yourself, 

but you [00:07:00] are not sure yet what that business is. Either way, it's okay because that business will grow with you.

It can grow around your life. It can grow in those margins of your day until those margins feel like they are ready to become your main focus.

And that could be one month from now, six months from now, two years from now. But at least you're getting started. It makes that process so much easier

And everyone's schedule is different. When I began my first business, I was all in. I had already left my career, and I had tried many different things, working a part-time job, uh, going back to school. I was really trying to figure it out. But when I decided to open that business, I was all in. I was all in around my kids' schedule because at that time when I actually launched the business, my kids were four and one, so they were very little. So I worked while they were at daycare and in between, you know, naps and when they were in bed, and I [00:08:00] just figured out what worked for me

Some women will open their laptop after bedtime. Some women will build their business on the weekends. Some will do it during their lunch breaks or when they're scrolling, drinking their coffee in the morning. There are little pockets, and it can be 15 minutes here and there or a half an hour once a week.

Whatever you can spare can be that time that you put in the calendar and you dedicate to yourself really thinking about this business and what you want it to look like. All of these women I just mentioned, and no matter how they chose to think about their business and work on their business, they all were able to do it because they all started, no matter how small

So if you're feeling like you just can't keep up juggling everything, I want you to know that there is another way.

You might be feeling stretched thin right now, and so you're thinking, "How can I add one more thing onto my plate, Shannon?" As you know, trying to do everything for everyone while you're [00:09:00] feeling like you're falling behind in your own life is not a great direction to be in. It's not sustainable. So if your job feels misaligned with your values, or you're feeling guilty about missing moments, or you're tired of asking for that permission, if you're exhausted from juggling it all, then listen to your gut.

And just know that you deserve a life that allows you to be as present as you want to be. You deserve a career that fits your family, not that fits the other way around. And you deserve to build something of your own So the more you think about it, the more you research what this business would look like, how would it fit into my current life?

 And as you are Doing this research, and you're thinking more, and you're planning, and you say, "You know what? Yes, this is the direction that I want to move into," then you're on the right path because you're starting to think about a business that just isn't [00:10:00] about a flexible schedule. It's about reclaiming your time and giving you that confidence to really step into your purpose and step into that future where your days feel aligned with you, maybe your values will soon lead to your decisions.

And your family gets more of you. They get to see the real you, not the burnt-out version of you. I'm raising my hand because I've been there, and I know many, many of you have been. It's not a great feeling. It's not a great place to be. And if you're feeling that now, then I'm with you. I'm, I'm here trying to help you see that there is a way out.

And again, I'm not telling you to quit your job. I'm not telling you to, do anything wild and crazy. I'm just suggesting that you think about what's possible for you

You don't have to be fearless, you don't have to be perfect. You just have to be willing to try. And I wanna tell you, my friend, The truth that no one tells you is that most women [00:11:00] think the hardest part of starting a business is the work itself.

But I will tell you after starting many businesses at this point, that it is not. The hardest part is giving yourself permission to dream, and to dream on a different level. Because so often we get the degree, we start the job, and we're on that hamster wheel. , We are going, we're climbing, we're following the rules, we're striving, and then one day you say, "Woo.

How did I get here?" so the hardest part is not the work itself or the dedication it takes to start a business of your own. The hardest part is giving yourself that permission to dream that different way. To dream about a life that looks different than you planned it at 22. And once you decide that you're worthy of building this life, or at least trying it, and you are doing it to support your family and to create that joy, then that becomes your strategy.

That strategy [00:12:00] can be learned step by step, bit by bit. It really becomes what motivates you. That freedom to be present and to have that flexibility becomes less unrealistic, and you start to say, "Hmm, maybe this isn't selfish. Maybe this idea, this dream, this fantasy isn't impossible. It's simply on the other side of me trying, of me starting."

And what is the worst that can happen? You try, you start, and you say, "Huh, okay, I did it. It's not really for me, though." That is a blessing in itself. That is a great answer if that's what ends up happening, because you will have no regrets. You would've tried, you would've put everything into it, and if you realize that this isn't for you or you need to pivot again, it's okay.

Because you're not meant to do it all, you're meant to do what matters most for you and the ones you love.

And as someone who went through it, [00:13:00] who made that transition, I want to tell you that you are allowed to want more time with your kids or to take care of your parents or to find a career and work that is meaningful to you. And most importantly, you're allowed to want to start over and start a second act that is important to you so that you don't have regrets at the end of the day.

Building a business, building a life that is new, and building it on your terms is beautiful. It's your choice, it's you in control, and it's you being present

As we wrap up, I just wanna say that if you are thinking about this, if you have a whisper, those whispers that say, "Ooh, there's gotta be more than this," or, "I'm missing out on so much. I want to be there for my family," or, "I just want more freedom in my day. I don't wanna feel burnt out every single moment," that feeling is the beginning of your next [00:14:00] act.

It's the beginning of your next chapter. It's your second act tapping you on the shoulder saying, "Okay, come move forward. Try this. See if this is something that feels right." It's a sign that you're ready even if you don't feel ready Start small, be gentle to yourself, and be honest.

Either way, start

Entrepreneurship has given me the freedom to be present with my kids, with my family, my parents, and with myself. It's given me the ability to pause work on a Tuesday afternoon to sit with my mom in the hospital or to go volunteer at my son's fifth grade graduation party. It gives me the chance to live a life that feels aligned and really honest.

Honest in what I want for this chapter of my life. And so if you are nodding along, if you feel that deep desire [00:15:00] for more freedom in your life, for more presence and control over your time,

Then starting your own business or researching what that might look like may be the greatest gift that you give yourself and the people you love. And remember, you don't have to leap, you don't have to rush, you don't have to be fearless. Just allow yourself to think, "What if? What if I do this?" Because your second act is waiting, and you get to build it your own way.

The inspiration for this episode has been weighing on my heart. I wanted to just give you a pep talk if you need it. I've spoken to a lot of women over the past couple of months who have really expressed this draining feeling of being in overwhelm and close to burnout, and feeling like it's all gotta stop.

We just have to stop the craziness and find something that fits our lives. And so I wanted this episode just to be clear, to create that clarity, and to show you that [00:16:00] it is possible, even starting super small, even doing research just to see what the possibility of that what if looks like. Just know that you deserve to think about what else can be in this life that you're living.

You deserve to be happy and feel fulfilled. And of course, if you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to me. Links are in the show notes below this episode, or you can connect with me over on Instagram. I'm @secondactsuccess. dig back into the last 200 plus episodes of the podcast for more inspiration either success stories of other people who have made a leap from career into entrepreneurship.

Let those stories inspire you as well. And if you're thinking about getting started, check the link in my show notes about booking a free strategy call with me where we can discuss the business idea that has been weighing on your heart. Thank you again for listening. I am Shannon Russell, and I will catch [00:17:00] you on the next episode of the Second Act Success podcast.. Make it a wonderful day

Speaker: Thank you for joining me for another episode of the Second Act Success podcast. If this episode has you thinking about starting a business or growing the one that you already have, I offer free Second Act strategy calls. This is where we map out what makes sense for your business and your life. You can book yours now at secondactsuccess.co/strategy or grab the link in the show notes below.

As always, thank you for being here. Until next time, I'm your host, Shannon Russell, wishing you the best day ahead as you plan your second act. I'll see you on the next episode.