Beyond the Gray

Kari Schwear
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Mental Health

You’ve built something solid. A business. A reputation. A life that looks the part. But somewhere along the way, something started feeling off. Not broken. Not a crisis. Just… not right. Maybe the drinking has become more of a habit than you'd like to admit. Maybe the marriage is stable but not exactly alive. Maybe you're still driven, but the fire feels different. You're functioning at a high level — and wondering why that still isn't enough. Beyond the Gray explores the gray areas of life that successful people rarely talk about — including gray area drinking, midlife identity shifts, relationships, faith, health, and purpose. Host Kari Schwear, founder of GrayTonic, helps business owners, leaders, and high-achievers understand what’s driving their habits, reconnect with what actually matters, and lead their lives with the same intention they bring to their work. This isn’t a sobriety podcast. And there are no labels here. Just clarity, honesty, and conversations most people are too busy performing to have. While many of Kari’s clients are men over 50 navigating these transitions, the ideas explored here resonate with anyone ready to move beyond the gray. New episodes every Tuesday.

  1. 3d ago

    How to Relax Without Alcohol | Why You Can’t Relax After You Quit Drinking | Ep. 28

    You quit drinking. You thought you'd feel amazing. Instead, you can't sleep, you can't sit still, and your brain is screaming for something, anything, to turn off the noise. You're not broken. Your nervous system just doesn't know you quit yet. In Episode 28 of Beyond the Gray, Kari Schwear tackles the thing nobody warns you about after you stop drinking: your body has no idea how to relax without alcohol. For years, maybe decades, your nervous system learned one pattern: alcohol equals calm. Now that the alcohol is gone, your body is firing normally for the first time, and normal feels wrong. This episode explains why, how long it takes, and exactly what to do about it. Kari shares practical tools that actually work, including a client's cold plunge story, a 15-minute journaling practice, environment changes, breathing, walking, and a scrolling timer strategy. She also addresses the bridge question honestly: if you need a little help in the first few weeks, that's okay, just don't trade one habit for another. In this episode you'll hear: • Why your nervous system can't relax after you quit drinking (and why that's completely normal) • The 66-day / 3-month timeline for your body to relearn natural relaxation • Why "normal" feels wrong after years of being dampened by alcohol • The cold plunge story: how one client replaced alcohol's endorphin hit with something better • Why journaling 15 minutes before bed works better than scrolling (and the science behind it) • How to change your environment so your triggers stop firing • The 20-minute scrolling timer strategy and the 30-minute screen-free rule before bed • The framework for what actually works: intentional, felt, rewarding, and consistent • Why you shouldn't trade alcohol for THC, CBD gummies, or any other nightly dependency • Why you shouldn't quit on day 21 or think you're broken on week four If you quit drinking and you're wondering why you still can't relax, this episode is the answer. Your nervous system isn't broken. It's just catching up to the decision you already made. ————— FREE RESOURCE 28 Tools for Questioning the Drink: a free, one-page PDF with practical tools you can use today. No judgment. No shame. Just real tools that work. (Works for any habit, not just drinking.) Download HERE ————— READY TO TALK? If this episode stirred something and you want to have an honest conversation about where you are and where you want to go, no pressure, no sales pitch, no judgment, just book a call. Book a Call with Kari: https://calendly.com/karischwear/45min Visit the Website: https://www.graytonic.com/ ————— CONNECT WITH KARI LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karischwear/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beyondthegray.podcast/ ————— TOPICS COVERED how to relax without alcohol, quit drinking can't sleep, nervous system after quitting drinking, why can't I relax sober, 66 days to form a habit, cold plunge benefits, journaling before bed, natural relaxation, gray area drinking, alcohol and nervous system, THC replacement, CBD after quitting drinking, screen time before bed, environment change habits, sober curious, alcohol-free relaxation, Kari Schwear, Beyond the Gray podcast, GrayTonic, quit drinking what now, sober sleep problems ————— New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. If you know someone who just quit drinking and is struggling to relax or sleep, send them this episode. Knowing the timeline changes everything. They're not broken. They're relearning. #HowToRelaxWithoutAlcohol #QuitDrinkingCantSleep #NervousSystemReset #66Days #BeyondTheGray #KariSchwear #GrayTonic #GrayAreaDrinking #SoberCurious #ColdPlunge #JournalingBeforeBed #NaturalRelaxation #AlcoholFree #DontTradeHabits #NervousSystemHealing #SoberSleep #RelearningRelaxation

  2. Aug 18

    What You Feed Grows, What You Starve Dies | Ep. 27

    You can stop drinking and still starve your marriage. You can stop scrolling and still starve your health. You can quit the thing that's hurting you and never start building the life you actually want. And then you wonder why you still feel empty. In Episode 27 of Beyond the Gray, Kari Schwear tackles the principle that explains more about your life than almost anything else: what you feed grows, what you starve dies. But here's the part most people miss. It's not just about removing the bad. It's about what you're feeding (or failing to feed) in its place. Kari shares how a shoulder injury at the gym became the perfect metaphor for how we protect the very things we should be strengthening, and why removing a behavior without replacing it leaves you just as stuck as before. She also digs into the neuroscience and scripture behind why we rehearse old resentments, how thoughts become behaviors, and the two questions that will change how you see your entire life. In this episode you'll hear: • The shoulder injury story that became a perfect metaphor for life • Why protecting something too long actually starves it • How resentment stays alive: you're feeding a 10-year-old event every time you replay it • Three scriptures that changed how Kari handles her thought life (Philippians 4:8, Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 10:5) • Why "taking thoughts captive" is the most practical spiritual tool you'll ever use • How gray area drinkers feed the habit by negotiating with themselves • Why the healthiest relationship with alcohol might be zero • The danger of quitting one thing without building something in its place • How you can fix one Core Four area while another one is dying • The two questions to ask yourself this week: What am I feeding that I don't want to grow? What am I starving that I desperately want to grow? If you've ever quit something and still felt empty, this episode explains why. And it shows you what to do about it. ————— TAKE THE GRAY AREA AUDIT Not sure where your gray areas actually are? The Gray Area Audit is free, takes about 15 minutes, and looks at all four Core Four areas of your life: body, being, balance, and business. It will show you exactly where you're feeding something that's hurting you and where you're starving something that matters. Download the Audit HERE https://www.graytonic.com/gray-area-audit/ ————— READY TO TALK? If this episode stirred something and you want to have an honest conversation about where you are and where you want to go, no pressure, no sales pitch, no judgment, just book a call. Book a Call with Kari: https://calendly.com/karischwear/45min Visit the Website: https://www.graytonic.com/ ————— CONNECT WITH KARI LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karischwear/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beyondthegray.podcast/ ————— SCRIPTURE REFERENCED Philippians 4:8 (think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy) Romans 12:2 (transformed by the renewing of your mind) 2 Corinthians 10:5 (take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ) ————— TOPICS COVERED what you feed grows what you starve dies, gray area drinking, quit drinking now what, replacing habits, resentment and forgiveness, taking thoughts captive, Philippians 4:8, Romans 12:2, renewing your mind, Core Four, body being balance business, why you still feel empty, feeding vs starving, midlife change, high performers, marriage and drinking, spiritual health, thought life, Kari Schwear, Beyond the Gray podcast, GrayTonic ————— New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. If this episode made you realize you've been starving something that matters, share it with someone who's been so focused on removing the bad that they forgot to build the good. That shift changes everything. #WhatYouFeedGrows #WhatYouStarveDies #GrayAreaDrinking #BeyondTheGray #KariSchwear #GrayTonic #CoreFour #TakeThoughtsCaptive #Philippians48 #RenewYourMind #QuitDrinkingNowWhat #ReplacingHabits #Resentment #Forgiveness #MidlifeChange #HighPerformers #FeedOrStarve #SpiritualHealth #IntentionalLiving

  3. Aug 11

    I'm Not Training for 60. I'm Training for 70. | Project 60 Officially Begins! | Ep. 26

    I turn 60 in less than six months. And I made a decision: I'm not arriving there by accident. I'm not interested in a party or a trip. I'm interested in who I get to be when I get there. And more importantly, who I'm going to be in the decade that follows. Because I'm not training for 60. I'm training for 70. In Episode 26 of Beyond the Gray, Kari Schwear introduces Project 60: a six-month personal commitment to arrive at her 60th birthday with intention across all four Core Four areas of life: body, being, balance, and business. She shares where she's starting, what she's doing, and what she's already noticing just weeks in. This isn't a resolution. It's stewardship. And it's an open invitation for you to build your own version, no matter what age you are. In this episode you'll hear: • Why Kari is training for 70, not 60, and how that reframed everything • The real mission behind Project 60: stewardship, not vanity • Her physical plan: strength training, clean eating, tracking, and a 10-pound goal • What comprehensive labs through Function Health revealed (and why she recommends it) • Carrying the APOE4 gene on both sides and what she's doing about it • Why sleep is the area she's taking more seriously than ever before • Her spiritual plan: two Bible studies, journaling, and praying before everything • "Peace changes your face more than any makeup ever will" • How she's investing in her marriage and relationships with more intentionality • Kingdom Impact Network, GrayTonic, and the calling that drives her business • What she's already noticing: autopilot, self-negotiation, and going through the motions • Why awareness is the biggest gift and why you can't unsee it once you do • The Saturday updates: one lesson per week between now and January 16th This isn't just Kari's journey. It's an invitation. What's your version of Project 60? ————— FOLLOW PROJECT 60 Every Saturday between now and January 16th, Kari shares one update and one lesson on LinkedIn and Facebook. Follow along and start your own version. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karischwear/ ————— FREE RESOURCEReady to discover your gray areas? Take the FREE Audit. Let's get real and discovery your facts. Download HERE:https://www.graytonic.com/gray-area-audit/ ————— READY TO TALK? If this episode stirred something and you want to have an honest conversation about where you are and where you want to go, no pressure, no sales pitch, no judgment, just book a call. Book a Call with Kari: https://calendly.com/karischwear/45min Visit the Website: https://www.graytonic.com/ ————— CONNECT WITH KARI LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karischwear/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beyondthegray.podcast/ ————— RESOURCES MENTIONED Function Health (comprehensive labs by Dr. Mark Hyman): functionhealth.com Book: Experiencing God Kingdom Impact Network: kingdomimpact.network ————— EPISODES REFERENCED Episode 4: When One Partner Changes and the Other Doesn't (with Rob) Episode 8: Why Couples Drift Apart and How to Reconnect (with Rob) Episode 10: Still Waking Up at 3AM? (with Morgan Adams) ————— TOPICS COVERED Project 60, turning 60, training for 70, milestone birthday intention, Core Four, body being balance business, strength training over 50, APOE4 gene Alzheimer's prevention, Function Health labs, sleep optimization, spiritual health, prayer and journaling, Bible study, marriage after 50, stewardship, intentional living, awareness, autopilot life, midlife health, Kingdom Impact Network, GrayTonic, Kari Schwear, Beyond the Gray podcast, aging well, women over 50, men over 50, retirement ————— New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. If you're standing at your own crossroads and you don't want to slide into the next decade by accident, start your own version of Project 60. Name it. Commit to it. And follow along with Kari every Saturday. #Project60 #TrainingFor70 #TurningS60 #IntentionalLiving #CoreFour #BeyondTheGray #KariSchwear #GrayTonic #Stewardship #APOE4 #AlzheimersPrevention #StrengthTrainingOver50 #SpiritualHealth #MidlifeHealth #AgingWell #FaithAndFitness #MarriageAfter50 #Awareness #DontArriveByAccident #WomenOver50

  4. Aug 4

    25 Hard Truths I Learned the Hard Way | No Frameworks. Just Honesty. | Ep. 25

    No frameworks today. No five-step method. No guest. Just 25 hard truths in 25 minutes from almost 10 years of living alcohol-free and thousands of coaching conversations. At least one of these is going to follow you around for the rest of the week. In Episode 25 of Beyond the Gray, Kari Schwear does something completely different. She drops 25 truths she's learned the hard way, one per minute, covering everything from drinking and identity to faith, marriage, loneliness, and why the most successful people are often the most empty. Some of these will make you uncomfortable. Some might make you laugh. All of them are honest. The 25 Truths: 1. You're not hiding it as well as you think 2. You don't have a drinking problem, you have a peace problem 3. Healing starts with honesty, not confidence 4. Information has never changed your life, decisions have 5. Comparison is the cheapest excuse for staying stuck 6. The strongest people I know are willing to cry 7. Most men over 50 haven't had an honest conversation in years 8. Success doesn't solve misalignment 9. The day I stopped waiting for someone else to change my life is when my life changed 10. The best decision I ever made was the scariest one 11. Alcohol wasn't the hardest thing I gave up, identity was 12. If your morning routine takes two hours, you might be avoiding your life 13. You spend more on your car than your health 14. Prayer is the most underused resource in my life 15. People misrepresent God 16. Your calendar tells the truth about your priorities 17. The people who need help most are the best at hiding it 18. No client has ever regretted making a courageous change 19. Action creates clarity, waiting creates doubt 20. Your kids are still watching, even if they're grown 21. You can be grateful and still want more 22. You can't heal the life you're still hiding 23. Peace begins where pretending ends 24. God invited me to become who He created me to be 25. There is life beyond the gray Bonus #26: You don't have to change everything today. You just have to stop pretending nothing needs to change. Which one hit you the hardest? Drop it in the comments. ————— FREE RESOURCE 28 Tools for Questioning the Drink: a free, one-page PDF with practical tools you can use today. No judgment. No shame. Just real tools that work. (Works for any habit, not just drinking.) Download HERE ————— READY TO TALK? If one of these truths stirred something and you want to have an honest conversation about where you are and where you want to go, no pressure, no sales pitch, no judgment, just book a call. Book a Call with Kari: https://calendly.com/karischwear/45min Visit the Website: https://www.graytonic.com/ ————— CONNECT WITH KARI LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karischwear/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beyondthegray.podcast/ ————— TOPICS COVERED 25 hard truths, gray area drinking, quit drinking, peace problem not drinking problem, identity shift, men over 50, honest conversations, success and emptiness, church hurt, prayer, vulnerability, comparison trap, morning routine, health is wealth, action before feeling, kids are watching, alcohol-free, midlife change, faith and sobriety, Kari Schwear, Beyond the Gray podcast, GrayTonic, high performers, DECIDE Method ————— New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. If one of these 25 truths hit you, share this episode with someone who needs to hear it too. Sometimes one truth is all it takes. #25HardTruths #BeyondTheGray #KariSchwear #GrayTonic #GrayAreaDrinking #PeaceProblem #IdentityShift #MenOver50 #HonestConversations #ChurchHurt #PrayerWorks #VulnerabilityIsStrength #ComparisonTrap #HealthIsWealth #ActionCreatesClarity #KidsAreWatching #AlcoholFree #MidlifeChange #HighPerformers #StopPretending

  5. Jul 28

    One Decision Won't Change Your Life. Thousands of Small Ones Will. (Part Two) | Ep. 24

    You made the decision. You committed. You know your why. And then you woke up the next morning in the same house, with the same spouse, the same job, the same stress, and the same habits trying to pull you back. Now what? In Episode 24 of Beyond the Gray (Part 2 of 2), Kari Schwear tackles the part nobody talks about: what happens after the decision. Because the hardest part isn't saying "I'm done." The hardest part is living like someone who is done. This episode is about identity, the uncomfortable middle, and why feeling awkward is actually proof that you're growing, not failing. Kari shares how she built an entire identity around wine (including starting a neighborhood wine club), why quitting felt like burying a best friend, and the daily habits that slowly rebuilt who she was from the inside out. She also introduces the "floor vs. ceiling" concept and the one question that changed every decision she made from that point forward. In this episode you'll hear: • Why making a decision doesn't magically make you a different person • The "uncomfortable middle" and why this is where most people quit • How Kari built an entire identity around wine and what it felt like to let that go • Why feeling awkward or fake isn't proof that you're failing, it's proof that you're changing • The order that actually works: action builds belief, belief builds identity, identity builds consistency • Why nature doesn't like a vacuum and what to replace your habit with • Tonic water, walks, books, and prayer: the replacements that saved Kari's sobriety • The "floor vs. ceiling" concept for daily habits (and why your floor matters more) • The one question that changed everything: "Is this a vote for my future or my past?" • Why one decision doesn't change your life, but thousands of small ones will If you made a commitment in Part 1 and you're wondering what comes next, this is it. This is how you become the person your change requires. ————— FREE RESOURCE 28 Tools for Questioning the Drink: a free, one-page PDF with practical tools you can use today. No judgment. No shame. Just real tools that work. (Works for any habit, not just drinking.) CLICK HERE FOR THE 28 TOOLS RESOURCE (link) ————— READY TO TALK? If this episode stirred something and you want to have an honest conversation about where you are and where you want to go, no pressure, no sales pitch, no judgment, just book a call. Book a Call with Kari: https://calendly.com/karischwear/45min Visit the Website: https://www.graytonic.com/ ————— CONNECT WITH KARI LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karischwear/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beyondthegray.podcast/ ————— EPISODES REFERENCED Episode 23: Why Your Changes Never Stick (Part 1 of 2) Episode 3: The Identity Shift Episode 11: Stop Calling Yourself an Alcoholic Episode 13: Gray Area Drinking Explained ————— New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. If you know someone who made a change and then drifted back, send them both parts. Part 1 is the foundation. Part 2 is who you become. Together, they're the roadmap. #WhoAreYouBecoming #IdentityShift #LastingChange #GrayAreaDrinking #BeyondTheGray #KariSchwear #GrayTonic #FloorVsCeiling #VoteForYourFuture #QuitDrinking #UncomfortableMiddle #DailyHabits #ActionBeforeFeeling #SoberCurious #HighPerformers #MidlifeChange #Part2of2 #AlcoholFreeIdentity

  6. Jul 21

    Why You Keep Going Back To Your Comfort Zone | DECIDE Part One | Ep. 23

    You've tried to change before. Maybe it lasted 30 days. Maybe 90. Maybe even a year. And then you went right back. And the worst part wasn't the behavior. It was the voice in your head that said, "See? You can't do this." In Episode 23 of Beyond the Gray (Part 1 of 2), Kari Schwear breaks down why lasting change fails for most people and what actually makes it stick. She shares what she's never said publicly before: the nights she woke up outside sleepwalking, the mirror moment at 2am with two bottles of wine, and the promise she made to God on August 15th, 2016 that changed everything. This isn't motivation. This is the foundation. The psychology, the framework, and the exercises you need before anything else will work. In this episode you'll hear: • Why change fails even when you want it badly (and why willpower isn't the problem) • The "checkbox" concept: how small moments compound into the one that finally breaks through • Stories Kari has never shared publicly: the sleepwalking, the blackouts, the confusion • The mirror moment at 2am that became the turning point • The pros and cons list exercise that made the choice obvious • "Reasons to stay equaled comfort. Reasons to leave equaled my soul." • The "Five Whys" exercise: how to go five layers deep to find the why that actually holds • Why a surface-level why ("I want to be healthier") will never survive a craving • What AA got right: the white chip, one day at a time, and the power of commitment • Why Kari still doesn't say "I'll never drink again" and what she says instead • Three exercises to try this week before Part 2 drops This is Part 1. Next week in Part 2, we go deeper into identity, daily habits, and how to actually become who you've committed to becoming. This is the DECIDE Method. Don't miss it. ————— FREE RESOURCE 28 Tools for Questioning the Drink: a free PDF (via Google Drive link), with practical tools you can use today. No judgment. No shame. Just real tools that work. (Works for any habit, not just drinking.)YES! I WANT THE FREE GUIDE! ————— READY TO TALK? If this episode stirred something and you want to have an honest conversation about where you are and where you want to go, no pressure, no sales pitch, no judgment, just book a call. Book a Call with Kari: https://calendly.com/karischwear/45min Visit the Website: https://www.graytonic.com/ ————— CONNECT WITH KARI LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karischwear/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beyondthegray.podcast/ ————— EPISODES REFERENCED Episode 22: You Don't Need a Rock Bottom. You Need Your Own Enough. Episode 11: Stop Calling Yourself an Alcoholic Episode 13: Gray Area Drinking Explained ————— TOPICS COVERED why change doesn't last, lasting change psychology, gray area drinking, quit drinking, how to stop drinking, willpower myth, five whys exercise, pros and cons quitting drinking, rock bottom myth, midlife change, high performers and alcohol, identity and change, AA white chip, one day at a time, commitment vs motivation, Kari Schwear, Beyond the Gray podcast, GrayTonic, sober curious, alcohol-free, numbing behavior, THC and alcohol, checkboxes of change ————— New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss Part 2 next week. If you've ever made a change that didn't stick, share this with someone who needs to hear why. Sometimes the missing piece isn't motivation. It's the foundation underneath it. #WhyChangeFails #LastingChange #GrayAreaDrinking #BeyondTheGray #KariSchwear #GrayTonic #FiveWhys #QuitDrinking #RockBottomMyth #IdentityShift #SoberCurious #HighPerformers #OneDay AtATime #CommitmentOverMotivation #MidlifeChange #AlcoholFree #Part1of2

  7. Jul 14

    You Don't Need a Rock Bottom - You Need Your Own Enough | Ep. 22

    Jumping into a pool in my bra and underwear at a 4th of July party wasn't enough. Passing out on my husband's shoulder five minutes into a Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga concert we'd waited eight months for wasn't enough. Saying a cuss word in front of 700 people with their heads bowed in prayer at my husband's work event wasn't enough. But telling my then 23-year-old son to go blank himself while blacked out? That was enough. And I still remember his face the next morning when he told me what I'd said. In Episode 22 of Beyond the Gray, Kari Schwear gets raw about the moments that weren't enough, the one that finally was, and why the difference had everything to do with identity. This episode isn't just about alcohol. It's about why intelligent, successful people stay stuck long after they know something needs to change, and how to choose your own "enough" before life chooses it for you. Kari also shares three client stories of "enough" moments: the business trip that went too far, the wife who finally walked out, and the doctor who delivered news that couldn't be ignored. Every person's enough is different. The question is whether you'll choose yours or wait for it to choose you. In this episode you'll hear: • The three embarrassing stories that still weren't enough for Kari to change • The one moment that was, and why it hit differently than all the others • Why none of those earlier moments changed her identity, but the night with her son did • The neuroscience behind why our brains prefer unhealthy familiar over healthy unfamiliar • Why you keep comparing yourself to people who are worse off instead of people who are healthy • Three real client stories of "enough" moments: the business trip, the packed bag, the doctor's warning • Why most people aren't waiting for rock bottom, they're waiting for certainty • The leadership parallel: why leaders pivot fast in business but wait years in their personal lives • How the seed of change works, and why it took Kari two years of seeds before she acted • Questions to sit with this week that might help you find your own enough If you've been thinking about something you know needs to change but you keep telling yourself "it's not that bad," this episode is going to hold up a mirror. And maybe today is your enough. —————FREE RESOURCES👇 TAKE THE GRAY AREA AUDIT -Not sure where your gray areas actually are? The Gray Area Audit is free, takes about 15 minutes, and looks at all four Core Four areas of your life: body, being, balance, and business. It will show you exactly where you're living in the gray and what it might be costing you. https://www.graytonic.com/gray-area-audit/Download the free pocket-sized field guide of 28 practical tools men can reach for the moment they're tempted to drink, the days they're trying to build differently, and the deeper identity questions underneath both.👉 28 Tools: Question the Drink Want to go deeper? The Gray Area Insights Experience includes a behavioral scan and two coaching sessions designed for leaders who are ready to shift. Gray Area Insights Experience 👇https://www.graytonic.com/coaching-programs-leaders-couples/#insight Book a Call with Kari: https://calendly.com/karischwear/45min Visit the Website: https://www.graytonic.com/ ————— CONNECT WITH KARI LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karischwear/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beyondthegray.podcast/ ————— EPISODES REFERENCED Episode 9: "Am I Drinking Too Much?" (Stages of Change) Episode 13: Gray Area Drinking Explained ————— TOPICS COVERED rock bottom myth, you don't need a rock bottom, gray area drinking, enough moment, why people stay stuck, identity and change, choosing to change, midlife change, quit drinking story, embarrassing drunk stories, high performers and alcohol, brain and habits, neuroscience of change, comparing yourself to others, seed of change, Kari Schwear, Beyond the Gray podcast, GrayTonic, agency and change, personal leadership, gray area drinker, sober curious ————— New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. If you know someone who keeps saying "it's not that bad," send them this episode. Sometimes hearing someone else's "enough" is the mirror that helps them find their own. #WhatsYourEnough #YouDontNeedARockBottom #GrayAreaDrinking #BeyondTheGray #KariSchwear #GrayTonic #ChooseYourEnough #QuitDrinking #MidlifeChange #HighPerformers #IdentityShift #SoberCurious #EnoughIsEnough #PersonalLeadership #StopWaiting #SeedOfChange #AlcoholFree

  8. Jul 7

    Questioning Your Faith: The Gray Areas of Spirituality | Ep. 21

    People will talk about politics. They'll talk about money. They'll even talk about their drinking. But faith? That's where most people go silent. In this episode of Beyond the Gray, Kari Schwear sits down with Joshua Jurkovich, entrepreneur, ultra-runner, and founder of Level10 Growth and Kingdom Impact Network, for one of the most honest, unapologetic conversations this podcast has ever had. They go straight at the gray areas of faith that most Christians won't say out loud: church hurt vs. leaving God, why "new thought" and manifestation culture quietly replace God with self, and why the wealthiest, most successful people are often the emptiest on the inside. Josh shares his own rock-bottom season of disordered priorities, his experience with substances used to numb out, and the moment surrender changed everything. This isn't a religious lecture. It's a grace-and-truth conversation for anyone who believes in God "but," or isn't sure where they fit anymore. In this episode you'll hear: • Why "new thought" and new age practices quietly replace God with self, and how to spot it • The difference between leaving a church and leaving God • Why Kari's wealthiest, most successful clients are often the most depleted on the inside • What "disordered desires" means and why it explains the midlife crisis • Josh's rock-bottom season: breakup, loss, and the verse that reordered everything • The truth about ayahuasca, yoga, and spiritual "portals" from a Christian perspective • Why "it's not religion that's become political; it's politics that's become religious" • Practical first steps for anyone stuck in the gray area of their faith • Why the new age movement puts all the burden on you, while Jesus said His burden is light • Josh's closing line: "Your spirit is being formed. It's just a question of by what." If you've ever believed in God but felt the "but" creeping in, or if you've been hurt by the church and walked away from something bigger than the building, this conversation was made for you. ————— CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro: Why Faith Feels Off-Limits 01:58 Meet Josh: "Man of God" Before Anything Else 05:38 We All Worship Something 07:43 Church Hurt vs. Leaving God 16:01 What Is "New Thought"? (Enneagram, Manifestation, Self vs. God) 23:34 Wealthy and Empty: Why Success Doesn't Satisfy 26:19 Josh's Rock-Bottom Season and Disordered Priorities 31:01 Ayahuasca, Yoga, and Spiritual "Portals" 36:50 Where to Start: Surrender and the Holy Spirit 40:36 Kingdom Impact Network: A Home for Seekers 43:09 Closing Thought: What's Forming Your Spirit? ————— GUEST: Joshua  Jurkovich Entrepreneur, ultra-runner, follower of Jesus first. Founder of Level10 Growth and co-founder of Kingdom Impact Network.Connect with Josh on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joshjurkJoin us at Kingdom Impact Network: https://kingdomimpact.network ————— BOOKS MENTIONED Happy Lies by Melissa Dougherty: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Lies-Movement-Probably-Self-Obsessed/dp/0310368863 The Steps to Freedom in Christ by Neil T. Anderson: https://www.amazon.com/Steps-Freedom-Christ-Spiritual-Conflicts/dp/0764219421 The Bondage Breaker by Neil T. Anderson: https://www.amazon.com/Bondage-Breaker%C2%AE-Overcoming-Negative-Irrational/dp/0736975918 The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek: https://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Game-Simon-Sinek/dp/073521350X ————— TAKE THE GRAY AREA AUDIT Not sure where your gray areas actually are? The Gray Area Audit is free, takes about 15 minutes, and looks at all four Core Four areas of your life: body, being, balance, and business. It will show you exactly where you're living in the gray and what it might be costing you.https://www.graytonic.com/gray-area-audit/ Book a Call with Kari: https://calendly.com/karischwear/45min Visit the Website: https://www.graytonic.com/ ————— CONNECT WITH KARI LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karischwear/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beyondthegray.podcast/ ————— New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. If this conversation stirred something in your spirit, share it with someone who's been wrestling with faith in silence. Sometimes the most important gray area to address is the one between you and God. #GrayAreasOfFaith #ChurchHurt #FaithOverFear #NewThoughtMovement #ManifestationVsGod #SpiritualFormation #BeyondTheGray #KariSchwear #JoshuaJurkovich #KingdomImpact #ChristianEntrepreneur #WealthyAndEmpty #Surrender #MidlifeFaith #DisorderedDesires #GrayTonic #WhatAreYouWorshiping

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About

You’ve built something solid. A business. A reputation. A life that looks the part. But somewhere along the way, something started feeling off. Not broken. Not a crisis. Just… not right. Maybe the drinking has become more of a habit than you'd like to admit. Maybe the marriage is stable but not exactly alive. Maybe you're still driven, but the fire feels different. You're functioning at a high level — and wondering why that still isn't enough. Beyond the Gray explores the gray areas of life that successful people rarely talk about — including gray area drinking, midlife identity shifts, relationships, faith, health, and purpose. Host Kari Schwear, founder of GrayTonic, helps business owners, leaders, and high-achievers understand what’s driving their habits, reconnect with what actually matters, and lead their lives with the same intention they bring to their work. This isn’t a sobriety podcast. And there are no labels here. Just clarity, honesty, and conversations most people are too busy performing to have. While many of Kari’s clients are men over 50 navigating these transitions, the ideas explored here resonate with anyone ready to move beyond the gray. New episodes every Tuesday.

Information

  • Creator
    Kari Schwear
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Kari Schwear

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