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Beyond The Quo: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Stacey Luces
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
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- 4 days ago56 min
Ep. 94 - Beyond the Mask: Why a ‘5 out of 10’ Life Isn’t Enough with Stacey Luces
What if I told you... you’re allowed to outgrow the life you once prayed for? You’ve checked every box—but now you’re asking, Is this really it? What do I want now?Join Stacey Luces—Executive Coach, Reinvention Strategist, and Founder of the Living Beyond Movement—for a powerful solo episode of Beyond the Quo as she shares lessons from 20 Visionary Leaders on Living and Leading Unapologetically.After hosting over 20 dynamic conversations with visionary leaders from around the globe, Stacey distills the most profound lessons on what it really means to redefine success, live authentically, and lead courageously. Drawing from both her guests' wisdom and her own journey—from burnout to building global communities—Stacey explores the critical role of community, courage, and personal reinvention.This episode is a call to action for anyone tired of performing at life’s ‘5 out of 10’—an invitation to question the metrics you’ve inherited, align with your core values, and take the lead in your own transformation. If you’re ready to rise beyond the status quo and live on your own terms, this one’s for you.🎧 In this episode:• 01:38 Three Pillars of Purposeful Living• 06:35 Redefining Success• 07:40 Community and Courage• 19:20 The Essence of Wealth• 26:09 Living Authentically: The Struggle and the Reward• 28:55 The Necessity of Reinvention• 31:16 Outgrowing Relationships and Embracing Change• 32:59 The Battle of Authenticity• 47:16 Living Beyond the Status Quo💡 Key Takeaways:• You’re Allowed to Outgrow the Life You Once Prayed For: You’re not ungrateful for wanting more—you’re evolving. Stacey reminds us that we don’t need to justify our growth. Whether it’s relationships, careers, or roles you’ve outgrown, it’s okay to say: “This no longer fits who I am becoming.” That awareness is not weakness—it’s wisdom.• Redefining Success Means Choosing Alignment Over Achievement: Success is no longer about titles, money, or how “together” you look. Every guest affirmed that true success is about alignment—with your values, your peace, and your purpose. Stacey challenges us to ask, “What does peace look like for me?” because success without soul is just survival.• Living Authentically Is a Daily Act of Courage: Authenticity isn’t a vibe—it’s a battle. It’s choosing yourself even when it’s easier to wear the mask. Stacey vulnerably shares how hard it still is, as a woman of color and immigrant, to shed old identities and show up as her full, true self. But doing so makes space for others to do the same—and that’s leadership.• Leading Courageously Begins With You: Courageous leadership doesn’t require permission, applause, or a platform. It requires ownership. Stacey defines it as “building a stage under your own feet,” moving forward even when you’re scared, broke, or misunderstood. It’s not about having all the answers—it’s about having better questions.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
- 1 weeks ago21 min
Ep. 93 - Beyond Achievement: What Will You Do With Everything You’ve Earned? with Stacey Luces
You spent decades becoming successful. Now what are you going to do with all of it?We spend much of our lives accumulating: degrees, promotions, money, relationships, credentials, influence, experience and access. But eventually, the more interesting question may not be "What can I achieve next?" It may be:"What becomes possible because of what I've already achieved?"Welcome to Beyond the Quo, the podcast for accomplished people who have done many of the things they were "supposed" to do and are now asking bigger questions about how they want to live, lead and contribute in the next chapter.Hosted by Stacey Luces, founder, leadership and transformation strategist, executive coach and entrepreneur, Beyond the Quo explores what happens when the definition of success that got you here is no longer enough for where you want to go next.In this solo episode, Stacey explores the second act of ambition: after decades building yourself and your life, what are you going to do with everything you've earned? And she isn't just talking about money.There's experience capital: what you've learned from decades of living, leading, building, succeeding and getting things spectacularly wrong.There's relationship capital: the people who trust you, take your call, value your judgment or can help open a door.And there's scar-tissue capital: the lessons you paid for through failure, loss, difficult relationships, career mistakes, health challenges and experiences no classroom could have taught you.But what happens to all that capital if it simply stops with you?Stacey explores why achievement eventually loses its emotional charge, how networks can become transactional, and why an introduction, honest conversation, mentorship or opened door can create more lasting impact than another trophy on the shelf.She also challenges the shadow side of contribution: performative generosity, martyrdom, gatekeeping and turning "giving back" into another way to prove our worth. Real stewardship means being intentional about where your experience, access and influence can genuinely create value.Maybe the second half of ambition isn't about proving you can become somebody. Maybe it's deciding what to do with everything it took to become who you already are.🎧 In This Episode01:06 Beyond Achievement: What Happens After Success? 02:38 The Second Act of Ambition 03:11 When Self-Development Has to Become Action 04:36 The Capital You May Not Realize You Have 07:26 Achievement vs. Contribution 10:49 Authenticity, Performative Giving & Stewardship 14:22 Legacy Doesn't Start When You're Gone 17:12 Three Questions for Your Second Act💡 Key TakeawaysYou may be wealthier than you realize.Achievement and contribution ask different questions.Your network is more than a contact list.Contribution isn't martyrdom.Legacy happens while you're alive.Three Questions to Ask YourselfWhat have I accumulated that I don't fully recognize as an asset?Where could that asset create immense value if I put it to work?What am I still accumulating for myself that I'm finally ready to put into circulation?Sometimes the next level isn't about acquiring more. It's about putting what you already have to work. You've already done the quo. Now it's time to go beyond.🔥 Subscribe, share and follow Beyond the Quo. If the show makes you think, challenge something or take action, leave a five-star rating so more people can find the conversation.✨ Connect with Stacey Luces: staceyluces.com | Instagram: @stacey.luces | LinkedIn: @StaceyLuces
- 2 weeks ago33 min
Ep. 92 - Beyond "Knowing Better": Why You're Unable To Do What You're Supposed To Do with Stacey Luces
You know what you need to do. So why aren't you doing it?Better boundaries. Delegating. The hard conversation. The idea you keep sitting on. You know — so why the gap?In this solo episode, Stacey Luces explores why we can be deeply self-aware and still repeat the same patterns. Knowing isn't the problem — living what you know is.She unpacks the hidden payoffs behind behaviors we say we want to change: overworking gives significance, people-pleasing gives belonging, rescuing others makes us feel needed, keeping a dream in your head protects you from trying and failing.In midlife, "eventually" stops feeling infinite. Stacey covers how self-awareness becomes an alibi, how broken self-promises erode self-trust, and how unrealized potential curdles into a story about what could've been — then offers three ways forward: name the payoff, shrink the gap between truth and action, rebuild trust one promise at a time.Growth stops being about discovering more truths about yourself. It becomes about whether you'll live the ones you already have.🎧 In This Episode 01:48 Why We're Exhausted 04:08 Why Knowing Isn't Enough 08:03 The Hidden Payoff 13:32 Midlife's Changing Math 15:57 Self-Awareness as Alibi 18:00 Eroding Self-Trust 20:00 Potential as Just a Story 21:54 Turning Insight Into Action 28:17 The 48-Hour ChallengeKey TakeawaysAwareness isn't transformation. History can explain you without governing you.The behavior may still be serving you. Every pattern has a payoff.Self-trust is built through evidence — following through, not just believing you can.Know. Decide. Act. Repeat. Close the gap while the truth's still warm.Midlife makes "eventually" expensive. Some futures need different choices now.Your 48-Hour Challenge Name one truth you've sat on for 3–6+ months. Ask:What am I getting from not changing it?What's it costing me?What can I do in 48 hours to prove I'm serious?Not a fix. Just proof you're moving.You've done the quo. Now 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 StaceyWebsite: staceyluces.comInstagram: @stacey.lucesLinkedIn: Stacey Luces
- 3 weeks ago49 min
Ep. 91 - Beyond the Followers: Own Your Story, Build Wealth & Have Creative Freedom with Dr. Sheena Howard
We're bringing back one of our favorite conversations! 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 episode of Beyond the Quo, host Stacey Luces—executive coach, reinvention strategist, and founder of the Living Beyond Movement—sits down with award-winning author, filmmaker, professor, and creative powerhouse Dr. Sheena C. Howard.Dr. Howard was the first Black woman to win an Eisner Award at San Diego Comic-Con. But 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. And if you missed it the first time (or just want to hear it again), this one's worth the replay.🎧 In This Episode01:53 – Authenticity and Social Media06:32 – Embracing Imperfection in Leadership12:48 – The Emotional Labor of Representation24:58 – Commitment Over Motivation26:26 – Setting Honest Goals (Not Just Impressive Ones)32:03 – Empowering the Next Generation36:07 – Rediscovering Identity Mid-Journey39:33 – Nerdworks and Owning the Creative Lane💡 Key TakeawaysVisibility Is Power Being seen isn't about vanity—it's about creating space for others to rise. Representation shifts culture, not just algorithms.Start Small, Then Scale A massive audience is not a requirement. Offer value, listen deeply, and grow from there. Wealth is built in the refinement.You Don't Need Permission The publishing and media world is evolving. Now more than ever, creators can publish, platform, and profit—on their own terms.Nerd Culture Is Not a Niche From comic books to cosplay, pop culture is a battleground for equity, identity, and imagination. Claiming that space matters.🔁 You've already done the quo. Now it's time to go beyond.🔥 Feeling seen? Here's how you keep the momentum going:Hit subscribe to Beyond the Quo so you never miss a conversation that challenges the status quo.Leave a five-star review and share this episode with that friend who's sitting on their genius.📱 Connect with Dr. Sheena C. HowardIG/LinkedIn: @drsheenahowardWebsite: sheenachoward.com
- Aug 19, 202656 min
Ep. 90 - Beyond the Treadmill: Crafting a Life Where Movement Meets Meaning with Paul Christopher
80 percent of us skip the bare-minimum workout—and pay for it in boardrooms, bedrooms, and bank accounts.Welcome to Beyond the Quo, the show that dismantles “good-enough” living. I’m Stacey Luces, transformation & leadership strategist and founder of the Living Beyond Movement. Each week we explore courageous self-leadership and practical ways to rise above burnout.Today’s guest is Paul “PC” Christopher, founder of Gravity + Oxygen. For 20 years he’s helped clients reclaim vitality through functional training, mindset shifts, and holistic wellness. Together we unpack what it takes to lead yourself first, juggle the sandwich-generation squeeze, and design routines that stick.⏰ Episode Roadmap• 02:32 The Sandwich Generation & Invisible Burnout• 07:02 Micro-Strategies for Busy Lives• 09:02 Building Sustainable Health Habits• 23:14 Fitness on Any Budget• 29:50 Reverse-Parenting Your Parents• 30:55 Keeping Kids Active & Engaged• 35:42 The 4 Pillars of Nutrition• 41:07 Why Community Beats Willpower• 46:25 Linking Health, Happiness, and High Performance💡 4 Rapid-Fire Takeaways1. Command the DayOwn the early hours—hydrate, walk, or lift before anyone else’s demands hit. Morning momentum kills the “too busy” excuse.2. Health Is Your BullseyeSleep, water, whole foods, strength work, and cardio are non-negotiable. Nail the center, and every outer ring—family, career, community—levels up.3. Make Movement PlayfulBake joy into your workouts: dance, beach walks, Zumba, surf camp with the kids. Culture and community turn exercise from chore to lifestyle.4. Fuse Body, Mind, and PurposePeak leadership depends on physical energy + mental clarity + mission. Micro-shifts (meal prep, 10 K steps, resistance sessions) keep you humming in the 8-9 zone—far beyond “fine.”You’ve mastered the quo; now it’s time to live beyond.🔥 Ready to Turn Inspiration into Action?Claim your free “Break Free from Burnout” micro-masterclass—a 30-minute power reset packed with the exact exercises and mindset prompts PC and I swear by. Grab it here ➜ stacey-luces.com/masterclass.✨ Stay Connected• Join my free global community: Rising Beyond Power Collective → https://www.skool.com/risingbeyondglobalcommunity• Follow Beyond the Quo: Subscribe, share, and drop a 5-star review so more leaders can rise beyond.📩 Connect with Paul• IG & LinkedIn: @pcology | @gravityandoxygen_fitness• Web: gravityandoxygen.com
- Aug 12, 202633 min
Ep. 89 - Beyond Parenting: Gen X - Did We Make Life Too Easy for Our Kids? with Stacey Luces
Here's a trimmed version, under 4000 characters:We worked incredibly hard to give our kids what we didn't have. Now, how do we make sure we didn't also remove some of what made us capable?We wanted better for our children: better schools, more opportunities, greater security, more choices, less struggle. For many Gen X parents, especially those who grew up with less, providing those things became part of how we measured our success.But now, as our teenagers become young adults, an uncomfortable question is surfacing: Did we accidentally remove the very experiences that taught us how to handle life?In this solo episode of Beyond the Quo, Stacey Luces gets personal about raising a 16- and 19-year-old, the conversations she's having with other midlife parents, and the tension between protecting our children and preparing them to stand on their own.Drawing on research around The Anxious Generation, anti-fragility, independence, free play, and the shift from a play-based to a phone-based childhood, Stacey explores why today's young adults may have fewer chances to navigate manageable risk, resolve conflict, recover from mistakes, and build confidence through experience.But this isn't another conversation about what's wrong with "kids today." Stacey argues they don't necessarily have it easier — they have it different. Gen X compared themselves with classmates and neighbors; today's young adults compare themselves with the entire internet. We feared failure. They can experience failure publicly and permanently.Then comes the plot twist: maybe this episode isn't really about them. Maybe it's about us.Our instinct to help can become rescuing. Protection can become interference. And sometimes our own discomfort with watching the people we love struggle prevents them from developing the confidence that only comes from discovering, I can handle this myself.So how do we rewire? Stacey offers practical shifts: move from rescuing to coaching, let young adults carry appropriate weight, normalize failure and recovery, teach stewardship rather than entitlement, and model the courage, growth, risk-taking, and reinvention we hope to see in them.Maybe the goal isn't simply to help our children survive or succeed. Maybe the better question is: Who are we helping them become?🎧 Episode Highlights 01:49 The Parenting Tension Nobody Warned Us About 02:52 Did We Overcorrect? 06:13 What The Anxious Generation Research Tells Us 11:12 Anti-Fragility: Why Some Struggle Is Necessary 12:12 How Phones Changed Childhood 14:28 They Don't Have It Easier. They Have It Different. 18:19 Signs We May Be Overprotecting 22:45 The Plot Twist3 Key TakeawaysConfidence isn't something we can give our children. It's earned through experience: solving problems, navigating discomfort, making mistakes, recovering, and realizing, I handled that.Our children don't necessarily have it easier; they have it different. We have to understand the world they're actually entering, not just recreate how we were raised.Sometimes the parent has to rewire first. Moving from rescuer to coach requires us to tolerate our own discomfort, allow appropriate struggle, ask better questions, and model resilience.The goal isn't to remove every obstacle from their path. It's to walk beside them long enough that one day they look back and realize they're walking on their own.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
- Aug 5, 202636 min
Ep. 88 - Beyond The Life You Didn't Choose with Stacey Luces
What if the greatest risk in life isn't failure...but becoming incredibly successful at a life you never intentionally chose?In this episode of Beyond the Quo, Stacey Luces explores one of the hardest transformations we'll ever face—not changing careers, organizations, or relationships, but becoming the fullest expression of who we're capable of becoming.Drawing from her own journey, decades of executive leadership, and research from Bronnie Ware, Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert, Gallup, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and Angela Duckworth, Stacey examines why so many high achievers quietly settle into lives that no longer reflect who they are.She explores the hidden consequences of unrealized potential—from becoming competent at the wrong life, to allowing comfort to become a beautiful cage, to confusing responsibility with fear. Most importantly, she shares practical strategies to close the gap through small, consistent acts of courage, integrity, and alignment.Because potential isn't realized through one extraordinary decision.It's realized through thousands of ordinary ones.In this episode:• Why self-respect begins with telling yourself the truth • The hidden cost of living someone else's definition of success • Bronnie Ware's powerful lessons from people at the end of life • Why comfort can quietly become your prison • Research on fulfillment, regret, and human potential • Five practical strategies to close the gap between who you are and who you're capable of becoming • Five daily reflection questions to help you live with greater courage and intention Key Takeaways• Self-respect begins with self-honesty. Integrity isn't just telling the truth to others—it's telling yourself the truth about the life you're living. • Unrealized potential changes more than your career. It shapes your identity, relationships, leadership, and ultimately the legacy you leave behind. • Comfort can become a beautiful cage. The greatest barriers to growth often arrive disguised as stability, responsibility, and "maybe next year." • The life we regret is rarely the one we failed. More often, it's the one where we slowly settled for less than we knew was possible. • Potential isn't built through dramatic reinvention. It's built through small, repeated acts of courage, integrity, and alignment that compound over time. 🎧 Chapters02:05 The Question of Self-Respect06:20 The Hidden Cost of Settling11:10 Becoming Competent at the Wrong Life18:40 Comfort as a Beautiful Cage24:10 What the Research Reveals About Regret33:45 Five Strategies to Close the Gap42:20 Five Daily Questions for a More Courageous LifeYou'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 StaceyWebsite: staceyluces.comInstagram: @stacey.lucesLinkedIn: Stacey Luces
- Jul 29, 202630 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
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
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