Preschool Owner turned Author. How to Reinvent Your Career at Any Age with Kay Paschal | #261

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Have you ever wondered if it's too late to change careers, start a business, or even write a book? Think again.

In this inspiring episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with entrepreneur and author Kay Paschal, whose career journey proves that your best chapter may still be ahead.

After spending 18 years in the corporate world, Kay made an unexpected career transition by opening a preschool with her husband, despite having no experience in education or business ownership. Together they built a thriving family business that served their community for 25 years before successfully selling it just before retirement.

But Kay's second act didn't stop there.

In retirement, she discovered a new passion for writing and became the author of Insert Giggle Giggle, a parenting book inspired by decades of experience helping families. Today, she's a speaker, podcast host, and author, proving that reinvention doesn't have an expiration date.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How to successfully transition from a corporate career into entrepreneurship
 • What it's really like to build and sell a family business
 • Why it's never too late to write a book or pursue a lifelong dream
 • The realities of self-publishing and marketing a book
 • How retirement can become the beginning of your next career
 • Why every career experience prepares you for your next opportunity
 • Advice for women considering a career change or starting a business later in life

Whether you're considering a career transition, dreaming about entrepreneurship, or wondering what your own second act could look like, Kay's story will inspire you to believe that reinvention is always possible.

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Transcript

Transcription:

Second Act Success Podcast

Season 1 – Preschool Owner turned Author. How to Reinvent Your Career at Any Age with Kay Paschal 

Episode - #261

Host: Shannon Russell

Guest: Kay Paschal

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

[00:00:00] 

Shannon Russell: Hey there. Welcome to the Second Act Success podcast. I'm Shannon Russell. As a business coach helping women start and scale businesses, I created this podcast to give you the advice and inspiration you need so that you can start your second act and create a business and life you love. Let's dive in.

Shannon Russell: If you've thought about changing careers and writing a book, this episode is for you. I sat down with Kay Paschall, author of Insert Giggle Giggle. Kay worked in the corporate world and then transitioned to open her own preschool.

After twenty-five years of running that business, she retired and decided she was not done yet. Kay decided to write her first book all about parenting and what she learned in the business of running a preschool

Shannon Russell: Kay, welcome to Second Act Success. How are you doing? 

            Kay Paschal: I'm doing great. Thank you so much. 

Shannon Russell: You had a career for 18 years in the corporate world and then shifted out of that.

So [00:01:00] let's talk about where your career began and walk through your whole journey. 

            Kay Paschal: I was in the corporate world, until I was in my 30s. And, you kinda certainly think that when you're that age and have done something for that length of time,

that's where you landed, and that's where you always are gonna be. , My husband got a job transfer opportunity with an international bank that he worked for. We were in Texas at the time. , to move to Singapore. We had a three-year-old, and I was pregnant with our second son, and we just didn't think that was the right move for us all the way, , across the world with such a young family.

Now, being 66, I wish we had done that type of adventure. But, , it was very daunting at that time. So we took a big leap of faith with a big golden umbrella package, severance package that he had that we had to do something with. And okay, what can we do together in still the corporate sense?

So they moved us back to Atlanta, and [00:02:00] we couldn't hit on anything. And for some reason, one day, I don't even know how it happened, we said, "Why don't we open a preschool a daycare?" We had been the dual working couple. Never had really found the perfect solution for that. Just never were quite happy with the relatives keeping, the nanny, then a preschool.

So we're like, we'll just make one that we would take our children to if we were a dual working couple. So we just did that with absolutely no experience, either one of us running a business even though we felt we were corporate savvy. Neither one of us had an education degree, in early childhood education.

So we just took that leap of faith, found a piece of property, bought it, built the business, and 25 years later we had two locations, and we're at the top of that particular industry. I was on the board of directors for the Georgia Childcare Association writing for 15 years once a month in various publications around the [00:03:00] community Atlanta Journal Constitution editorials about parenting.

Just something that I never thought that I would be doing, when I was 30 years old and entrenched in the corporate world. So that was quite, quite an upheaval of what- I thought I would be doing.

 Was one of your considerations in opening this "Ooh, I'll be able to bring my kids"?

Shannon Russell: Were you still looking for childcare at that time? Oh, 

            Kay Paschal: yeah. I remember telling my mom, "We're gonna open our own daycare preschool. I can take my two kids there, and I will be free to do whatever I wanna do" 

Shannon Russell: Yeah 

            Kay Paschal: Free place to take my kids.

Oh, my gosh. The old saying that you don't own a business, it owns you.

Shannon Russell: That 

            Kay Paschal: is very true. Certainly we had somewhere for our children to grow up in, and I was there with them every day, and that was fabulous. It was the first five to seven years of being there at 6:30 in the morning when it [00:04:00] opened, still being there at 7:00 at night when they closed.

I thought that if a parent came in for a tour, I had to be the one to do it. I had to be the one to sell my business. They had to meet me so that they felt like they were handing their child over to me, and they would of course bring their child there if they could meet me.

And then of course as the years go by, you start losing that feeling that you have to do everything,

Shannon Russell: yeah. 

That's a hard place to get to. I've noticed that with my first business too, which was a children's STEM education business, and I had a brick and mortar.

, And so I'm curious how was dealing with the parents? Because as a parent, you're a parent, I felt like that was one of the most challenging parts of running that business. children were great, the curriculum was perfect, but it was dealing with parents who have a lot of opinions. 

            Kay Paschal: Yes.

Yeah. 

Shannon Russell: Yeah. And I can only imagine it's like that for you. 

            Kay Paschal: In the beginning, it was a lot easier and that seems very backward because I did not have any experience- 

... 

            Kay Paschal: In, [00:05:00] early childhood education I was just a young mom. Yeah. And I was, pretty much the same age as most of the parents that were coming in.

And I think it was very, I wanna say almost, not to be too corny, kinda sweet- 

... 

            Kay Paschal: That I could say to them- Exactly what I told you. My husband and I have never done this. We've hired these great teachers. We've hired this great curriculum. We're hoping this works. I'm gonna love your child as much as I love mine.

be very honest with them- 

that we're in this together. 

I grew in my knowledge and my experience and my confidence,

everybody was like, "Yeah, we're just all in this together and you got these great teachers, and my kid runs in here every day, and I'm hugging on everybody." As the years went by, the parents started changing a little bit. The social structure started changing, and there were a lot of good things that changed with that too.

But as I gained confidence- Sometimes it was harder for [00:06:00] me to not want to shape the parents more- 

... 

            Kay Paschal: Than I did at the beginning. Yes, 

Shannon Russell: yes.

            Kay Paschal: And so sometimes there was more conflict as my confidence grew and our business kind of grew and our brand and our reputation. Sometimes those kind of things get in the way.

The innocence that I had in the beginning with the parents I think was one thing that really built our reputation in 

Shannon Russell: the- Absolutely. I can see that. And I can see you being... the face of the business and your husband more of the back end admin? 

            Kay Paschal: Yes. 

In the beginning, when our boys were five and two when we opened, he was there every single day with me until we thought it was time for them to go home, he was upstairs, d- doing all the financial things and the billing and payrolls and all kinds of things like that.

I was the face of the business. When the boys got, older, he really started backing off quite a bit. When we became, more successful, we were able to pay [00:07:00] people to do things that he was doing, of course, and he was up there all weekend too doing things on the playground waxing the baby room floors.

Yeah. He was up there all weekend doing all those kind of things. And it was nice when we were able, to pay people to do those things. And he was able to be more at home with the boys, and I was still the face of the business,

yeah. But he was the one that, that, stayed at home with the boys in all those later years, ran them all around, coached them- 

Shannon Russell: you were figuring it out together, and that's- Yeah ... that's exciting. And I'm sure there are listeners now that are saying, "Ooh, I've thought about going into business with my husband, but I'm not sure." What is your advice on maybe starting a family business with your spouse? 

            Kay Paschal: It worked very well for us.

We had very defined- 

... 

            Kay Paschal: Jobs.

Shannon Russell: So how long did you run the business, and what was your decision to step away? 

            Kay Paschal: We had it for 25 years. 

Shannon Russell: Wow. 

            Kay Paschal: And I was i- in no way ready to quit, but I don't know. My husband one day just [00:08:00] said, " I think it's time.

Everything is at the top of our game. This would be a good time." 

Shannon Russell: Yeah. 

            Kay Paschal: And thankfully he had that epiphany of some sort because- Less than a year later, COVID hit. 

Shannon Russell: Ah. 

            Kay Paschal: And so many family businesses that you heard about, instead of being very comfortably retired, having sold our business at the height of success- 

We probably would've lost everything like a lot of family businesses did to try to maintain everything that you're having to maintain with no money coming in. The school did have to close for a period of time, and it took them a while to build back up enrollment. And not a day goes by - that we don't say, "Oh, my gosh, whatever it was that gave my husband that idea"- Yes ... that it was time, was great.

Shannon Russell: That is what you're supposed to do. When your business is at the height, that is when- Yeah ... you need to start making your [00:09:00] exit plan. 

            Kay Paschal: Yes. 

Shannon Russell: Exactly. I did that with my business when I sold it as well, I sold in 2024, and it was the same thing. We were at the top. I was starting to coach with my coaching business, and I said, "I don't need to run two businesses right now."

Yeah. Yeah. "Let's see if I can find someone." But like you, I was able to sell it to someone, so my baby is still out there in the world, as yours is. Yeah. 

            Kay Paschal: Yeah, we still have, a lot of our management is still there. A lot of our teachers are still there. And it was hard when I had to confront those parents and say, "We're selling."

Yeah. Because they thought everything that I had worked for, that they had heard in the community about our reputation, our brand, was just gonna collapse, and it didn't. And that's wonderful to leave something behind. One of my directors that, of course, is a dear friend after all these years, she sent me a screenshot the other day of one of our preschoolers coming in and bringing their baby- 

Shannon Russell: Oh

            Kay Paschal: to our school. And it's just meant the world to [00:10:00] me to have those kind of family connections that, that I've been a part of and that families have built their lives together because they met at my preschool. It's just- 

it was, is beyond anything that I thought that I could have reached in the corporate world.

Shannon Russell: You should be so proud, especially that it's a family business. You did it together and- 

            Kay Paschal: Yeah ... 

Shannon Russell: and you chose to step away together, and that is fantastic. 

What were your plans now that you didn't have to go to that preschool every day?

            Kay Paschal: I had a real period of I don't wanna say depression, but after the first month or two of, gosh, we've got this influx of money, and you go and you do this and you do that, and I'm having lunch with all these girlfriends and I'm shopping and I'm doing all this fun stuff, and then all of a sudden you realize, okay, this is not sustainable.

I've got to find something to do. And I didn't really know what that was. I would get dressed to go to the grocery store and to the bank, and I'm like, this is... [00:11:00] This used to be, like, my quick errands on my lunch hour, and now I'm making my whole plan for the day to do that. 

Shannon Russell: Yeah. 

            Kay Paschal: And, it was not good for me.

So I wrote the book, COVID hit everybody was at home, and I thought, I'm gonna do a scrapbook of some of my articles that I had written every month for 15 years. And so I got out this big box of these articles, these little slim columns that I had written about various topics.

And I started reading them and I'm like, "I have a lot more to say about this particular topic." So I just started banging that out using that as kinda my skeleton and built chapters in that. So that really gave me a purpose. And I really enjoyed doing it. And then after the book was published, then that went into speaking engagements, and exhibiting at parenting conferences, and speaking to junior leagues, and rotary clubs, and mom groups, and now it's a whole new career It 

Shannon Russell: is.

            Kay Paschal: That I just [00:12:00] didn't anticipate would ever happen. 

Shannon Russell: And just to know that just by pulling out that box and looking- .. through your history you came up with this idea. The book is called Insert Giggle Giggle. Yeah. Tell us about the book and the reception from people, and just getting it out into the world,

because a lot of people say, "I wanted to write this book, and I wrote it, and it's out in the world," but there's a lot that goes on in between. So what was your experience in taking those ideas and forming them into chapters, and actually getting it out into the world? 

            Kay Paschal: I know you've written a book.

And I don't know which way you went, but I'm not very techno-savvy- 

At all. So I needed to have someone that was going to take my jumble of words, that I thought sounded great 

Shannon Russell: Yeah. 

            Kay Paschal: And make them into a sellable product. So I found an independent book publisher that I could send off [00:13:00] my Word documents to.

And they helped me whittle it down, edit it. And it really, came together as a nice product. And then they were the ones that got it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, got the ISBN number. They did the copyright. They did everything. And of course that cost money to do that. If I knew, now that once I got into the author world and people started telling me, "Oh, you could've done this, you could've done that," I didn't have those connections.

I didn't know those people. I didn't belong to the, certain associations that I belong to now. I do have a second book that I'm about ready to hand off to somebody to start helping me edit. Oh. And I might not have to do everything with this publisher that I did before. I might con- You know, do some things myself or have connections where I can get something done a little cheaper.

But I don't know, it was so easy to just hand this company my book and let them just do [00:14:00] everything. That doesn't include any marketing. And as you know- Which is the hardest part, 

Shannon Russell: in 

            Kay Paschal: my opinion ... that's the hardest part. Yeah. Everything was just so joyful. Writing the book, getting the feel from the editor that I had, that she thought it would be very helpful to so many people, that it was very engaging and very conversational.

And- Mm ... The book takes a lot of the topics that I had given advice over the years to thousands of parents. I put that in the book, but then I softened it with the realities of what it actually means to parent. All these things that, that I was wagging my finger at parents and, "You need to do this," and, "Don't do that," and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, y'all wasn't always doing myself-

with my own two boys. It's just easy to give other people advice in any aspect of life, you can see what they're doing wrong, and then you justify you doing the same things or worse. So the book, that's where the giggle comes in, that I would give all this great advice and all this data and, [00:15:00] some experiences in the preschool, and then I would say, "And then this is what I did with my two boys."

You get to know Hayden and William really well in the book. Yeah. I tell a lot of stories that piggyback off the advice I'm trying to give- 

... 

            Kay Paschal: About how this worked with my two boys. And so I think that has resonated a lot with people that read the book, that, I'm not judging,

we all parent differently. Situations are so different in families. What somebody might see you do in isolation is not maybe the kind of parent you actually are. There's so many things. I would tell my teachers so many times, "Don't be so quick to tell a parent some problem today. You have no idea what's been going on, with them- all day long." But the marketing has been a lot. I'll go to a book festival or a conference or whatever, do all my setup. I've got this beautiful, thing that I've put together, and sell one [00:16:00] book, or somebody will have me come as the speaker at a library or something and two people show up, doing that, marketing a book, as you may know- It took a level of confidence that I really didn't know that I had, as well as a lack of a fear of humiliation that I didn't know I could endure.

Shannon Russell: Thank you for being so honest, because I agree with you. It makes you say, "Okay, how else can I get out there and explain my book and share it with people?"

Yeah. And it, you've got to be creative these days- yeah ... on how you do that. You being here on the podcast is a great way to get it out in front of other people who are looking for a resource on how to run a business and raise a family, and all of that because it's, it is tricky. And- Yeah

you can give money to someone to help you get the book out there, and then it's just more money for them to help you market it, and there's no guarantees in marketing. 

            Kay Paschal: That's right. That's right. I was I was very lucky. I sent in my book [00:17:00] to Zibby Owens, Ooh ... her media company. And it got chosen as a finalist for the best book for parents. And I was able to leverage that. I've met her a couple of times, and I've told her, it may seem like a small thing to her media company but I know she is very supportive of young authors and things like that.

But it really helped me to put that certificate on my table or- ... when I'm giving somebody a pitch to come and be a speaker that my book has been recognized for something. Yes. So that's nice, it is. And of course it obviously made me proud. You have to just pick every little thing that you can to help you promote your book when you're doing it on your own.

Like I said, there's just nothing that I feel like I'm not- Wanting to do to get my book out there

Shannon Russell: Yes. This is all, I think, another step in another act in your life, and it's learning. Yeah. For you to learn how to publish a book, I'm with you, having...

we [00:18:00] published around the same time, I think, and it's a learning process. You feel so accomplished and you know when you hear the feedback, like from Zibby's company and other readers that it is helping people. Yes. And so I always say it's out there. It's helping people learn.

Or I was just at a library the other day that my son volunteers at, and he mentioned to someone that I had a book there. And so she said, "I love nonfiction. I'm gonna go grab it." So you just never know how it's going to impact someone, and I think at the end of the day, that's an important thing for an author to say is, "You know what?

I did the work. It's out there, and it's going to help someone."

And if that's all the recognition I get, that's okay. 

            Kay Paschal: That's right.

But it's been a lot of fun, and it's kept me, in my retirement I don't wanna say it's a new career, but it's kept me something interesting, and I grew so much with this book, and it gives me something to do, and my husband is supportive and we'll laugh.

Something will happen. We'll wanna buy something or go on a trip, and I'm like, "Gosh, I guess I need to write another [00:19:00] book." Yeah. So we go... We just fall out laughing 'cause it's okay here's more money on another book. 

Shannon Russell: Right. 

            Kay Paschal: It's fun. 

Shannon Russell: It's fun. So. Well, What's your advice then?

Because I think if someone's listening and they wanna write a book I'm quick to always say too, you're not gonna make a lot of money off your book- No ... unless you're James Patterson or someone huge like that. What would you say to someone who's thinking about writing a book, maybe in retirement? Maybe they leave their job and they, like you, don't want to just go to the bank or the grocery store- ... and have that be their excitement for the day. Would you advise someone else to take their experience and write about it?

100%

            Kay Paschal: Like you just said, not only is it possible, I could give a couple of examples of people that are household names now that wanted to give up writing their book- 

... 

            Kay Paschal: Or marketing their book. And one little connection, one little [00:20:00] something happens, and boom, there you are.

It- And you never know when it might happen. Not only do you have the satisfaction and the time invested and just the purpose that you feel getting down something that you're passionate about you never know where it's gonna lead. 

And, I would never... This is probably, in two years, the eighth or ninth podcast I've been on.

I would never have pictured myself doing that four or five years ago. Yeah Or being standing up in front of an auditorium of people and talking and just having fun, just having those experiences. I never would've pictured that.

So I think that if you aspire, if you have something that you'd like to write about, it's fun just to do it. 

Shannon Russell: Yeah. 

            Kay Paschal: That, that's the first thing.

It's fun just to do it. And then you never know where it might lead and all the growth opportunities that you have, and just the confidence it builds. [00:21:00] Just it's been wonderful for me, especially in retirement. 

Shannon Russell: Mm-hmm. And you know what else I was just thinking as you were listing off those benefits?

It's your legacy. Especially with what you wrote, and even with what I wrote. I wrote about my career transition and what I teach, people to start over in their second act. Those are both legacies for both of us, Kay, 'cause it's- 

            Kay Paschal: That's 

Shannon Russell: right. That's right ... it's going to be, like, w- what we lived in our lives and the advice that we can give and how we can help others, and it's something for our kids to have.

            Kay Paschal: That's right. 

Shannon Russell: That's right. I think that's an incredible way to look at this too. 

            Kay Paschal: It was really funny because all along writing the book, and I would put these stories in about- ... divorce. And when it finally got edited and- it was going to publication, I told him, I said, "This is your last opportunity.

I've told you now for a year and a half to read this," or, "I've told this story," or whatever. "It's about to go into print." 

Shannon Russell: Speak now- 

            Kay Paschal: So- ... or forever 

Shannon Russell: hold your peace. 

            Kay Paschal: If you don't want your [00:22:00] employers or your friends or whatever to hear these stories about you growing up and some about you now, let me know.

Thankfully they didn't ask me to cut out anything, but that is as funny as it, it is that legacy, and you feel like those stories are there. And, sometimes when I go to different author events, and for you and I, having a book like we have, there's, that opportunity to speak at places.

People that write books of fiction and things like that don't always have that opportunity. They just have a wonderful book that's entertaining for somebody. But, there's not the opportunity for them to go and talk about topics like you and I can talk about- Yeah ... at, like I said, all kinds of mother group- mom groups conferences, parenting.

There's a whole world out there I didn't even know existed- 

Shannon Russell: And it's also true that when we are asked to speak at these events, you do bring your book.

Yes. So that is another opportunity to potentially sell your book, too. And so- ... [00:23:00] Right ... you know, you just have to be creative, like we've been saying, but it's something to definitely, if it's weighing on your heart you need to try. You need to try to write it and see. Can you tell us anything about the book that you're writing now?

            Kay Paschal: Yes. I'm basing this book off, I guess there's probably about 55 episodes that I have on my podcast, Kay's Giggle Cast.

And it's just 10 minute little quick grabs of things that are just women related or kind of social or cultural or just things that women go through that aren't necessarily about parenting. Again, I've just expanded on those short little things that, that women can listen to as they're putting on their makeup or sitting in carpool and they can turn on one quick one and listen to it real quick and be done with it.

So I've expanded that into chapters so it, it'll be more women centered, not particularly parenting or mommy centered. 

Shannon Russell: As we wrap up here, what advice do you have for someone who just wants to start something new? Maybe [00:24:00] they're in corporate and they wanna get into entrepreneurship, or they wanna write that book. What advice do you have about starting a second act?

            Kay Paschal: Just don't be afraid, when we decided to open up our preschool It was the furthest thing from anything that either my husband or I had experienced. And, life goes on. If this doesn't work out, you can shift and do something else. I've seen so many o- of my friends have jobs and careers that they didn't enjoy, and I never would have thought that I would have enjoyed owning a daycare center.

Yeah. And it was just, has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, as well as now writing this book and doing all the things that I'm doing for that. I never would have thought, I would never have pictured myself in any of these roles. So I think that if you find yourself in a career or a job that you're [00:25:00] not enjoying, try to think, "What would I enjoy?

What might be going out on a limb? And if it doesn't work out, I've got this other experience I can shift back to until I can maybe figure something else out." Because there's so many choices now in life. There's so many different ways that you can make a life. That really wasn't available when I was a young adult.

You went to college, you got a job, bam. That, that was it. There's just so many things that, that young people especially, and people that are in their, the middle of their career life can make a shift and do. You just have to do it. And hopefully you have support of other people that say, go for it and let's see what happens, and let me know if I can help you out."

Find somebody that maybe has got experience in what you're trying to do and seek their advice, and then just jump off that cliff and do it. 

Shannon Russell: Great advice. So how [00:26:00] can everyone find you? Where is the best place for our listeners to go and connect with you? 

            Kay Paschal: You can always follow me on Instagram.

It's insertgigglegiggle.

Shannon Russell: Thank you so much. K, I really wanna thank you for sharing your experiences, all the amazing things that you've done over the course of your career and are continuing to do, and I'll link to everything in the show notes so everyone can connect with you, and just thank you for being here. 

            Kay Paschal: Thank you so much for having me.

It was a delight, and thank you for what you do, for what you put out to people. I know that it's very helpful as well for a lot of people to get into that second act success of their life. 

Shannon Russell: Aw, thank you.

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 [00:27:00] 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.