Beyond The Quo

Stacey Luces
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

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 Quo. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to shows that inspire change…you’ve already done ‘the quo’—now let’s go beyond.”

  1. Aug 12

    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 Twist 3 Key Takeaways Confidence 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

  2. Aug 5

    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

  3. Jul 29

    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

  4. Jul 22

    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

  5. Jul 15

    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

  6. Jul 8

    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

  7. Jul 1

    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

  8. Jun 24

    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.

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About

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 Quo. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to shows that inspire change…you’ve already done ‘the quo’—now let’s go beyond.”

Information

  • Creator
    Stacey Luces
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    92
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024, Stacey Luces, All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    Beyond The Quo