Beyond The Quo

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 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.”

Publisher

Stacey Luces

Category

business · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Nov 2024

Latest episode

28 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

103 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Oct 2026

   EP. 99 - Beyond Expectations: The Freedom to Stop Being Who Everyone Wants With Gaby Viteri

   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 lifeWe 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.comInstagram: @gaby_viteriConnect with Stacey Luces:Website: https://staceyluces.comYouTube: @staceyluces🎙️ About Beyond the QuoHosted 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.

2. 

   21 Oct 2026

   Ep. 98 - Beyond Mental Stamina: Protect Your Prime Time, Recover Better, Stop Proving with Stacey Luces

   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 Exhaustion04:36 Why Mental Stamina Matters08:25 Beyond Overwhelm Context09:31 Mental Stamina vs Toughness14:52 Aging Changes and Advantages21:34 Three Midlife Observations26:41 The Real Consequences32:20 Strategy One Protect Prime Time36:11 Strategy Two Build Recovery38:52 Strategy Three Stop ProvingABOUT BEYOND THE QUOHosted 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.

3. 

   13 Oct 2026

   Ep. 97 - Beyond Overwhelmed: Why Doing More Isn't the Answer in Midlife

   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.CHAPTERS00:58 Midlife Overwhelm Season04:39 Rethinking Overwhelm10:46 Life Mirrors Organizations13:28 Success Adds Maintenance18:45 The Capability Trap24:24 Transfer Ownership, Not Tasks27:54 Put a Price on Your Yes31:11 The Founder Freedom Myth34:50 Support Agreements That Work37:54 The 7-Day Life AuditABOUT BEYOND THE QUOHosted 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.

Who has been a guest on Beyond The Quo

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Kadion Preston
• Dr Sheena C Howard
• Paul Christopher
• Christine Sylvain
• Rob Jaeger

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 37 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

61

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Beyond The Quo

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Beyond The Quo