Beyond The Quo

**100 episodes. Two years. One hell of a journey.**

Beyond the Quo is officially celebrating its 100th episode, and Stacey Luces is taking us back to where it all began.

From flatlining twice during emergency surgery to leaving a 25-year federal career, moving her family, building businesses, and rediscovering parts of herself she'd left behind, Stacey has spent years challenging what success is supposed to look like.

But here's the uncomfortable truth: **You can change your entire life and still bring the same old habits with you.**

In this candid, funny, and deeply personal milestone episode, Stacey revisits her very first recording and asks herself a question: *After 100 episodes about redefining success, living authentically, and leading courageously, am I actually living what I preach?*

She reflects on the conversations that changed her thinking, the immigrant drive to achieve, the trap of living a "level five" life, and why even the most accomplished people struggle with boundaries, self-abandonment, and knowing when enough is enough.

Now in her late 40's, with another business, new adventures, and a whole lot more perspective, Stacey is learning that reinvention isn't always about making bigger moves. Sometimes it's about the tiny decisions that bring you closer to the life you actually want.

And yes, two years later, she's still worrying about laundry.

**This one's a birthday celebration, a reality check, and an invitation to look at your own life differently.**

So here's the question:

*If you were recording episode 100 of your own life tomorrow, what would you be proud of, what would you laugh about, and what would you finally admit needs to change?*

You've already done the quo. Now it's time to go beyond.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when the life you've spent decades building no longer feels like yours?

In this episode of Beyond the Quo, host Stacey Luces sits down with artist, curator, and cultural advocate Gaby Viteri for a refreshingly candid conversation about midlife reinvention, grief, divorce, motherhood, creativity, and the freedom to become someone new.

Gaby married young, became a mother at 21, and spent much of her adult life identifying as a wife, mother, and businesswoman. Today, approaching 50, she's divorced, navigating an evolving relationship with motherhood, and finally comfortable calling herself an artist.

But getting here wasn't exactly a smooth transition.

The loss of her mother, the end of her marriage, career changes, and a series of personal challenges forced Gaby to question who she was and what she actually wanted. Along the way, she discovered how uncomfortable other people can become when you stop being the person they've always known.

Stacey and Gaby explore what happens when we stop seeking permission to change, why grief doesn't need a neat inspirational ending, and how creativity can help us reconnect with parts of ourselves we've spent years neglecting.

In this episode, we get into:

•    Why midlife can feel like starting over, even when you've built a successful life

•    Divorce, motherhood, empty nesting, and the identities women outgrow

•    Sobriety, boundaries, and dealing with other people's opinions

•    Why we sometimes abandon ourselves to keep everyone else comfortable

•    The stories behind her exhibitions SPEED KILLS and All My Friends Are Birds

•    Finding freedom, authenticity, and peace in the next chapter of life

We also discover that Stacey and Gaby share an October 13 birthday, discuss the unexpected connections art can create, and have a few laughs about the wonderfully strange business of becoming ourselves.

Gaby Viteri is the founder of Women's Art Week Palm Beach and First Female, creating opportunities for artists and expanding access to the arts.

Connect with Gaby:

Website: https://gabyviteri.com

Instagram: @gaby_viteri

Connect with Stacey Luces:

Website: https://staceyluces.com

YouTube: @staceyluces

🎙️ About Beyond the Quo

Hosted by Stacey Luces, Beyond the Quo explores what it means to redefine success, live authentically, and lead courageously, especially in the messy, exciting, sometimes uncomfortable middle chapters of life.

If this conversation resonates, subscribe, share it with someone navigating their own reinvention, and join the conversation below.

Here's a question worth sitting with: What part of who you used to be are you still holding on to, even though it no longer fits who you're becoming?

You've already done the quo. Now it's time to go beyond.

#BeyondTheQuo #StaceyLuces #GabyViteri #MidlifeReinvention #PersonalTransformation #WomenOver40 #GriefAndHealing #AuthenticLiving

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stacey Luces reflects on feeling mentally exhausted after ordinary days and, as she approaches 50, explores why midlife mental stamina matters beyond simply handling pressure.

She distinguishes mental stamina (sustaining attention, judgment, emotional regulation, and purposeful effort) from mental toughness (pushing through), noting how nonstop demands, overstimulation, sleep and hormonal changes, and inadequate support systems can erode decision quality and strain relationships.

Citing APA stress findings, Gallup burnout data, and National Institute on Aging notes on aging and menopause-related sleep disruption, she argues the goal isn’t just physical longevity but having patience and presence for what matters.

She offers three strategies: protect your cognitive prime time for high-value thinking, build real recovery and transitions between demands, and stop proving your worth by carrying everything alone through clearer roles, boundaries, and delegation.

01:03 Ordinary Day Mental Exhaustion

04:36 Why Mental Stamina Matters

08:25 Beyond Overwhelm Context

09:31 Mental Stamina vs Toughness

14:52 Aging Changes and Advantages

21:34 Three Midlife Observations

26:41 The Real Consequences

32:20 Strategy One Protect Prime Time

36:11 Strategy Two Build Recovery

38:52 Strategy Three Stop Proving

ABOUT BEYOND THE QUO

Hosted by Stacey Luces, *Beyond the Quo* explores what it means to redefine success, live authentically and lead courageously. You've already done the quo. Now it's time to go beyond.

🌐 staceyluces.com

📸 Instagram: @stacey.luces

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feeling overwhelmed in midlife? What if the problem isn't your time management, but the number of responsibilities you're carrying?

Between careers, entrepreneurship, family, aging parents, health, finances and building a legacy, life gets complicated. And the advice to "just prioritize" isn't cutting it anymore.

In this candid solo episode of Beyond the Quo, Stacey challenges the productivity advice we've heard a thousand times and introduces the capability trap: when being the person who always figures things out becomes the reason everyone depends on you.

Drawing on 25+ years in leadership and transformation, Stacey explores why success creates more responsibility, why asking for help doesn't always lighten the load, and why entrepreneurship doesn't automatically mean freedom.

You'll learn how to:

- Transfer ownership instead of simply delegating tasks.

- Recognize the hidden mental load of being everyone's go-to person.

- Put a price on your YES and protect your time.

- Have better conversations about support at home and work.

- Conduct a simple 7-day life audit to identify what needs to change.

CHAPTERS

00:58 Midlife Overwhelm Season

04:39 Rethinking Overwhelm

10:46 Life Mirrors Organizations

13:28 Success Adds Maintenance

18:45 The Capability Trap

24:24 Transfer Ownership, Not Tasks

27:54 Put a Price on Your Yes

31:11 The Founder Freedom Myth

34:50 Support Agreements That Work

37:54 The 7-Day Life Audit

ABOUT BEYOND THE QUO

Hosted by Stacey Luces, *Beyond the Quo* explores what it means to redefine success, live authentically and lead courageously.

You've already done the quo. Now it's time to go beyond.

 staceyluces.com

 Instagram: @stacey.luces

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when the fuel that got you here starts poisoning your experience of being here?

For many high achievers, proving yourself works.

Prove you’re smart enough. Prove you belong. Build the career. Make the money. Raise the kids. Survive the setback. Walk into rooms that weren’t designed for you and show that you deserve to be there.

But what happens when you already have the evidence?

In this solo episode of Beyond the Quo, Stacey Luces, founder, leadership and transformation strategist, entrepreneur and Co-Founder of WE WHISTLE Global, explores a question she’s confronting in her own evolution:

If I stop proving, will I stop achieving?

Drawing from her immigrant story, career, burnout and life redesign, Stacey examines why proving can become such a powerful fuel source and why, eventually, it can become expensive. Pasted text

Because proving requires an audience. A boss. A parent. An industry. Someone who underestimated you. Sometimes someone who hasn’t been in your life for decades.

And if you never decide what “enough” looks like, the goalpost keeps moving.

This episode explores the identity of the strong one, the hidden costs of constantly proving your worth, and what it means to enter a chapter where ambition comes from somewhere different.

From proving to purpose.

From fear to curiosity.

From validation to conviction.

From “I’ll show you” to “I want to see what I’m capable of creating.” Pasted text

 In This Episode

02:16 When Success Turns Toxic

06:00 The Immigrant Drive to Achieve

08:06 The Audience Problem

09:27 The Red-Stick Goalpost

11:31 Midlife + Enoughness

15:36 The Identity of “The Strong One”

19:19 The Real Costs of Proving

24:08 Changing Your Fuel Source

Maybe the question is no longer, “What else do I need to prove?”

Maybe it’s: “I know what I’m capable of. What do I want to do with it now?” Pasted text

You’ve already done the quo. Now it’s time to go beyond.

 Connect with Stacey Luces:

staceyluces.com

| Instagram: @stacey.luces | LinkedIn: @StaceyLuces

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You did the work, the business is growing, someone said yes, and the calendar is full of things you once prayed for. So why are you procrastinating, picking fights, overthinking, and saying yes to everything except what matters?

In this episode, Stacey Lucis takes on a different side of self-sabotage: not what happens when you're failing, but what happens when things finally go right. She explores why high achievers who are great at the chase can struggle with the arrival, and why the skills that got you here aren't always the ones that keep you here.

Stacey unpacks:

She closes with three things to experiment with: catch yourself restoring the familiar, identify what your new reality requires (not what it took to get here), and practice tolerating the good thing.

Maybe you're not afraid of success. Maybe you're just inexperienced at having this much of what you wanted, and that is a skill you can build.

This is Beyond the Quo. We've done the quo. Now it's time to go beyond.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 Episode

01:06 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 Takeaways

Three Questions to Ask Yourself

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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 Challenge

Key Takeaways

Your 48-Hour Challenge
Name one truth you've sat on for 3–6+ months. Ask:

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 Stacey
Website: staceyluces.com
Instagram: @stacey.luces
LinkedIn: Stacey Luces

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 Episode

💡 Key Takeaways

🔁 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. Howard

IG/LinkedIn: @drsheenahoward

Website: sheenachoward.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.