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Today30 min
Ep. 87 - Beyond Waiting for Permission: Why You're Stuck (And How to Finally Choose Yourself)
Who are you waiting for? For so many high achievers, the biggest obstacle isn't a lack of talent, experience, or ambition. It's an invisible habit we've carried for decades: waiting for permission. Permission to ask for the promotion, to leave the job, to start the business, to set boundaries….to finally choose ourselves. In this episode of Beyond the Quo, Stacey Luces explores why so many successful leaders, especially Gen X professionals, women in leadership, and recovering overachievers, remain stuck despite being more than capable. She unpacks how years of grades, promotions, performance reviews, and external validation quietly condition us to wait for someone else to decide when we're "ready." Drawing from her own journey of leaving a successful federal executive career after a life-changing health crisis, Stacey challenges listeners to stop confusing preparation with progress and to recognize that no one is coming to hand them permission for the life they want. Backed by research from Herminia Ibarra, Ellen Langer, and Gallup, this conversation explores why action creates clarity, how invisible rules keep us stuck, and why choosing yourself is one of the greatest acts of leadership. If you've been waiting for the "right time," this episode is your reminder that there isn't one. There is only your next decision. 🎧 In This Episode 00:00 Why We Wait for Permission 02:41 How We Learn to Seek External Validation 04:30 Redefining Success, Authenticity & Courageous Leadership 10:02 My Reinvention After Burnout and Leaving Government 12:44 Why Gen X Still Waits to Be Chosen 13:53 The Research Behind the Permission Trap 16:13 The Hidden Costs of Waiting 21:14 Stop Auditioning. Start Deciding. 27:25 Practical Exercises to Choose Yourself 💡 Key Takeaways • Success can become a trap when you're still waiting for someone else to validate your next move. • Confidence doesn't come before action. It grows because of action. • Preparation can become another form of procrastination when it replaces progress. • The invisible rules that once helped you succeed may now be limiting your future. • Leadership begins the moment you stop waiting to be chosen and choose yourself. You don't need another certification. You don't need another permission slip. You need one courageous decision. You've already done the quo. Now it's time to go beyond. 🔥 If this episode resonated with you, subscribe, share it with someone who's been waiting too long to bet on themselves, and leave a five-star review so more leaders can join the conversation. ✨ Connect with Stacey Website: staceyluces.com Instagram: @stacey.luces LinkedIn: Stacey Luces
1 weeks ago24 min
Ep. 86 - Beyond Comfort: Why the People Who Love You Should Expect More with Stacey Luces
"The people who love you shouldn't just celebrate your potential. They should expect you to live up to it."In this episode of Beyond the Quo, executive coach and founder Stacey Luces challenges one of the biggest myths about healthy relationships: that love means never making each other uncomfortable. She argues that the strongest friendships, partnerships, and leadership relationships aren't built on constant encouragement—they're built on shared accountability and a commitment to helping each other become who we said we wanted to be.Drawing on research from the Harvard Study of Adult Development and the American Society of Training and Development, Stacey explores why so many Gen X leaders quietly settle into comfortable patterns despite having enormous potential. She reflects on her own relationship with her co-founder, the tension between support and challenge, and why excuses often become the greatest threat to growth.She also shares practical strategies for creating a personal "board of directors," asking deeper questions in your relationships, giving trusted people permission to challenge you, and building a culture where accountability is an act of love rather than criticism.If you're in midlife, leading a business, raising a family, caring for aging parents, or simply trying to become the next version of yourself, this episode is a reminder that the people closest to you shouldn't just cheer you on—they should help you grow.🎧 In This Episode00:00 Why support without challenge isn't enough03:45 The Gen X trap: carrying everything alone08:20 What the Harvard longevity study teaches us about relationships12:40 Why accountability changes behavior more than intention18:30 The danger of comfortable excuses23:10 How to build your personal Board of Directors27:45 Better questions that deepen friendships and leadership32:20 Why the people you love deserve your honesty36:45 The challenge: stop letting each other settle💡 Key TakeawaysReal love isn't passive—it calls people forward. The healthiest relationships don't simply validate who you are today; they remind you of the person you said you wanted to become.Excuses compound just like good habits do. Left unchallenged, small compromises become comfortable patterns that quietly shape the life you never intended to build.Accountability is one of the greatest gifts you can give—or receive. Give a few trusted people permission to interrupt your excuses, challenge your thinking, and help keep you aligned with your values and goals.You've already done the quo. Now it's time to go beyond.🔥 Feeling inspired? Don't keep it to yourself!Subscribe, share, and follow Beyond the QuoLeave a five-star review to help more leaders discover the show.✨ Connect with StaceyWebsite: staceyluces.comInstagram: @stacey.lucesLinkedIn: Stacey Luces
2 weeks ago31 min
Ep. 85 - Beyond Wellness: Why Your Health Is Your Greatest Leadership Strategy with Stacey Luces
I flatlined ten years ago. Most people don't get a second chance to rethink their life. I did. And if there's one thing I know now that I didn't know then, it's this: Success means very little if your body can't come with you. Today we're talking about wellness—not as self-care—but as one of the most strategic leadership decisions you'll ever make. “What if the shame you feel in midlife is not failure, but evidence that something deeper in you is waking up?” In the episode of Beyond the Quo, host Stacey Luces discusses longevity and argues that a key competitive advantage is recovering better rather than just working harder. Drawing on her burnout, autoimmune challenges, and a near-death medical episode, she reframes wellness as a leadership and business issue tied to decision quality and nervous system health. She cites statistics from WHO, Gallup, APA, McKinsey, and Deloitte to highlight widespread stress, burnout, and midlife pressures, especially for Gen X and the sandwich generation. Stacey outlines consequences of neglecting recovery—decision fatigue, emptiness despite achievement, and leaders normalizing exhaustion—and offers strategies: redefine wellness as capacity, protect energy like money by tracking what drains/restores you, and design your life so your calendar reflects your values. She closes with reflective questions and shares her own struggles with fatigue and sleep while building We Whistle Global. 01:35 Burnout Wake Up Call 03:32 Why Wellness Is Leadership 06:24 The Data Behind Burnout 07:27 Midlife Sandwich Squeeze 12:11 When Success Feels Hollow 13:54 Leaders Normalize Exhaustion 19:50 Protect Energy Like Money 22:47 Gen X Conditioning And Rest 24:07 Women And Men In Midlife 💡 Key Takeaways: 1. Wellness is no longer a personal goal. It's a leadership strategy. The quality of your decisions, relationships, creativity, and resilience is directly connected to the health of your mind and body. In today's world, your capacity may be your greatest competitive advantage. 2. Success that costs your health is not sustainable success. Many high performers spend years building careers, businesses, and families while quietly depleting themselves. Midlife isn't about working harder—it's about redefining success in a way that allows you to enjoy the life you've built. 3. Small, intentional shifts create extraordinary change. You don't need a complete life overhaul. Protect your energy, design your calendar around your values, and build simple daily habits that restore your capacity. Wellness isn't something you earn after the work is done—it's what makes your best work possible. You’ve already done the quo—now it’s time to go beyond. 🔥 Feeling inspired? Don’t keep it to yourself! • Subscribe, share and follow Beyond the Quo and I’d deeply appreciate your five-star rating so more people can listen and learn! ✨ Connect with Stacey: staceyluces.com IG @ Stacey.Luces LinkedIn @StaceyLuces
3 weeks ago27 min
Ep. 84 - Beyond "I'll Be Happy When...” with Stacey Luces
What if somewhere between building a successful life and carrying everyone else, you quietly lost your joy? Executive coach Stacey Luces explores why joy often disappears as people take on more responsibility, stress, and constant stimulation, leaving nervous systems rarely returning to baseline and life feeling “fine” but emotionally flat. She distinguishes joy from curated happiness and argues joy requires space - time to breathe, be bored, create, and connect - yet many postpone it for “later,” which never arrives. Stacey outlines three consequences of joylessness: emotional flatness, reduced creativity (which she says comes from curiosity, play, and rest), and relationships becoming purely functional. She offers three practical strategies: conduct a one-week “joy audit” by tracking what energizes vs. drains you, schedule joy like any other commitment, and “borrow joy” by spending time with joyful people or environments until your own returns. She closes with a challenge to interrupt patterns and do something purposeless that makes you feel alive. Highlights: • 02:38 Joy vs Busy Success • 04:49 The Big Joy Question • 05:29 Overstimulation and Stress • 08:31 The Myth of Later • 10:27 Three Consequences • 14:51 Strategies • 22:58 Final Challenge and Wrap Key Takeaways 1. Success without joy eventually becomes survival: Many high performers don't lose joy overnight. They slowly trade it for responsibility, achievement, and the belief that they'll enjoy life "once things settle down." The problem is... they rarely do. 2. Joy doesn't just improve your life - it improves your leadership: When joy disappears, creativity shrinks, relationships become transactional, and life begins to feel emotionally flat. Joy isn't a reward for success; it's one of the things that sustains it. 3. You don't have to reinvent your life - you simply have to interrupt it: Small, intentional moments of delight compound over time. By auditing what gives you energy, scheduling joy like any important meeting, and surrounding yourself with joyful people, you begin reconnecting with the version of yourself that feels most alive. You've already done the quo. Now it's time to go beyond. Feeling inspired? Don't keep it to yourself! • Subscribe, share, and follow Beyond the Quo. • If this episode resonated with you, I'd be grateful for a five-star review. It helps more leaders discover these conversations. Connect with Stacey Website: staceyluces.com Instagram: @stacey.luces LinkedIn: Stacey Luces
4 weeks ago25 min
Ep. 83 - Small Acts, Epic Impact – Reclaim Your Power with Stacey Luces
Why saying ‘yes’ makes you powerless—and how one four-word habit changes everything.In this episode of Beyond the Quo, Stacey Luces steps in solo to discuss a crucial and recurrent theme among leaders, particularly women: owning your power. While addressing unexpected challenges, Stacey dives deep into personal experiences and client stories to outline the importance of self-leadership, authentic living, and courageous leading from within. Drawing from workshops, coaching, and personal anecdotes, she explores the costs of powerlessness, strategies to reclaim one’s power, and the significance of building supportive power circles. With actionable tips and a 7-day power audit challenge, Stacey empowers listeners to set boundaries, make clear decisions, and prioritize their well-being. Join this transformative discussion and learn how to redefine success on your own terms.🎧 In this episode:• 01:12 The Concept of Owning Your Power• 02:25 Diverse Perspectives on Power• 05:46 The Cost of Powerlessness • 15:05 Signs of Leaking Power• 20:34 Strategies to Reclaim Your Power• 28:42 Non-Negotiables for Owning Your Power• 33:29 Building Your Inner Power Circle💡 Key Takeaways:• Owning Your Power Isn’t Optional - Power is something you reclaim, not wait for—and if it’s left unclaimed, it leaks through over-apologizing, decision delay, and saying “yes” out of guilt.• Boundaries Build Confidence - Respecting your body, time, and energy—like saying no without explanation or carving out solo thinking time—is how you reinforce integrity and reclaim authority.• Small Shifts = Big Gains - Progress starts with tiny actions: a weekly “power audit” of what you’re saying yes to (or avoiding) and small boundary experiments recalibrate your entire life.• Cultivate a Core Power Circle - Surround yourself with a small group: a mirror (truth-teller), a firestarter (encourager), and a strategist (planner). They fuel accountability and keep you aligned.• Legacy Requires Guarding Your Light - When you own your power, you inspire others to do the same—leading courageously doesn’t just change your life; it creates ripple effects across your family, work, and community.You’ve already done the quo—now it’s time to go beyond.🔥 Feeling inspired? Don’t keep it to yourself!Subscribe, share and follow Beyond the Quo and I’d deeply appreciate your five-star rating so more people can listen and learn!✨ Connect with Stacey Luces: Free Global Community - Rising Beyond Power Collective: https://www.skool.com/risingbeyondglobalcommunity/about
Jun 24, 202649 min
Ep. 82 - Beyond the Followers: Own Your Story, Build Wealth & Have Creative Freedom with Dr. Sheena Howard
If you missed it the first time — consider this your sign. And if you've already heard it? Good. You're ready to hear it differently.What if everything you've been told about visibility and success is wrong?You don't need millions of followers. You don't need to wait for a publisher, platform, or gatekeeper. And you certainly don't need to water down your brilliance to fit someone else's mold.In this encore episode of Beyond the Quo, host Stacey Luces sits down with the award-winning author, filmmaker, professor, and creative powerhouse Dr. Sheena C. Howard — the first Black woman to win an Eisner Award at San Diego Comic-Con.Her success didn't come from playing the game. It came from rewriting the rules. Through her platforms Nerdworks and Power Your Research, she teaches creatives, scholars, and entrepreneurs how to own their voice, monetize their genius, and build six-figure brands — without waiting for permission.Together, they unpack the emotional labor of representation, the myth of perfection, and what it really takes to thrive as a culturally-rooted entrepreneur in spaces that weren't built for you.Whether you're an academic, a creator, or a leader building something bold — this episode will remind you: your story is your power.
Jun 17, 20261h 3m
Ep. 81 - Beyond 2025: Intentions, Not Resolutions Revisited with Yulimar Trumbo
"Grownups can be dream killers."This one stopped listeners in their tracks when it first aired — and it's just as relevant now. We're bringing it back because some conversations don't have an expiration date.Stacey Luces sits down with Yulimar Trumbo — investor in the future of entrepreneurs and world-class sales facilitator who has worked across 40+ countries with Fortune 500 companies, NGOs, and government sectors — for a conversation about courage, safety, and choosing possibility again.Together they explore why intentions create alignment while resolutions create pressure, why authentic connection matters more than proximity, and how protecting your time is really about protecting your life. Through personal stories about family, entrepreneurship, partnership, and change, they dig into leading yourself first, trusting what your body knows, and building "a new same page" in relationships and communities.🎧 In this episode:02:39 Intentions vs. resolutions05:06 Decisions that shaped the last decade10:47 Protecting your time and saying no26:24 Dreams, courage, and refusing to shrink29:07 Youth, innovation, and social entrepreneurship39:36 Relationships, loneliness, and real connection💡 Key takeaways worth revisiting:Intentions create alignment. Resolutions create pressure. This episode reframes goal-setting as an invitation to rise — not a demand for compliance."No" is autonomy in motion. Self-betrayal starts small. Boundaries are built in the everyday.Courage must be protected or it will be negotiated away. When safety becomes the goal, imagination shrinks.Transformation begins with a new internal language. Swap sacrifice, balance, and guilt for integration, equanimity, and surrender — and watch how you lead, love, and choose differently.You've already done the quo — now it's time to go beyond. 🔥Loved this episode? Subscribe, share, and leave a five-star rating so more people can listen and learn.✨ Connect with Staceystaceyluces.com · IG @Stacey.Luces · LinkedIn @StaceyLuces✨ Connect with YuliLinkedIn @yulimar-trumbo
Jun 10, 202628 min
Ep. 80 - Beyond Independence: The Lie High Performers Tell Themselves with Stacey Luces
Beyond Independence: The Lie High Performers Tell Themselves with Stacey Luces "Many successful people don't have a capacity problem. They have a support problem. And somewhere along the way, strength became carrying everything alone." In this solo episode of Beyond the Quo, Stacey Luces explores one of the most celebrated—and costly—traits among high achievers: hyper-independence. For many leaders, founders, caregivers, professionals, and high performers, self-sufficiency became a survival skill. It helped them build careers, raise families, navigate adversity, and earn trust. But what happens when the very thing that made you successful becomes the thing limiting your growth? Drawing from her own experience with severe burnout, executive leadership, entrepreneurship, and coaching hundreds of leaders, Stacey unpacks the hidden cost of carrying too much alone. She explores why asking for help feels uncomfortable, why receiving can feel harder than giving, and how many successful people quietly become isolated while appearing completely capable. This episode challenges the idea that maturity means needing less and offers a different possibility: that the next level of leadership may require learning how to receive support, build trust, and stop carrying everything by yourself. 🎧 In this episode: • 02:15 Why high performers struggle to ask for help • 06:40 The hidden connection between success and burnout • 11:25 How Gen X, immigrants, caregivers, and founders were wired for self-sufficiency • 16:10 The Strong Friend Syndrome and leadership isolation • 21:30 Three lies high performers tell themselves • 29:15 The real cost of hyper-independence • 33:45 Building your personal Board of Directors • 38:10 Why receiving is a leadership skill • 42:00 The shift from self-reliance to interdependence Key Takeaways: • Hyper-independence often masquerades as strength. Many successful people learned early that being dependable, useful, and resilient created safety and value. But what begins as resilience can eventually become isolation. • The cost of carrying everything alone is not just burnout. Over time, hyper-independence limits growth, trust, collaboration, creativity, and the ability to receive support from others. • Leadership is not about carrying more. The next chapter of success requires building relationships, support systems, and communities that allow you to expand beyond what you can accomplish alone. • Receiving is not weakness. Allowing others to contribute, support, challenge, and care for you is one of the most powerful leadership shifts available in midlife. Final Thought One of the greatest myths many successful people carry is that strength means independence. But perhaps healthy leadership isn't about needing less. Perhaps it's about knowing when to lean on others. Because eventually the thing that got you here won't get you there. And the next level of success may not come from carrying more. It may come from allowing others to walk beside you. Feeling inspired? Don't keep it to yourself! • Subscribe, share, and follow Beyond the Quo • Leave a five-star review so more people can discover conversations that challenge conventional thinking about success, leadership, and life. Connect with Stacey: Website: StaceyLuces.com Instagram: @stacey.luces LinkedIn: Stacey Luces

About Beyond The Quo

If you’ve felt that restlessness—that feeling like there’s more than the midlife crisis or navigating a never-ending To do List - something beyond the status quo…. you’re in the right place.Beyond The Quo isn’t about following the script; it’s about tearing it up. I’m Stacey Luces, and each week, I invite you to join me and our extraordinary guests - leaders, innovators, disruptors, and dreamers who’ve dared to challenge “the quo.” This podcast is where we go past the expected, beyond the ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts,’– we break down old narratives about success, purpose, and authenticity. In each episode we explore raw and honest stories filled with profound insights, strategies and practical advice that leads to bold transformation. So, if you’re ready to claim your next chapter on your terms, If you’re done with the limits, the labels, and you’re ready to redefine success, and build a life that goes beyond the ordinary, hit that subscribe button and Join us each week for Beyond The Q

By Stacey Luces

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Latest Episodes

Ep. 87 - Beyond Waiting for Permission: Why You're Stuck (And How to Finally Choose Yourself)

Ep. 86 - Beyond Comfort: Why the People Who Love You Should Expect More with Stacey Luces

Ep. 85 - Beyond Wellness: Why Your Health Is Your Greatest Leadership Strategy with Stacey Luces

Ep. 84 - Beyond "I'll Be Happy When...” with Stacey Luces

Ep. 83 - Small Acts, Epic Impact – Reclaim Your Power with Stacey Luces

Ep. 82 - Beyond the Followers: Own Your Story, Build Wealth & Have Creative Freedom with Dr. Sheena Howard

Ep. 81 - Beyond 2025: Intentions, Not Resolutions Revisited with Yulimar Trumbo

Ep. 80 - Beyond Independence: The Lie High Performers Tell Themselves with Stacey Luces