My dad passed away the morning of this recording. This episode wasn't planned. I hit record because something happened this week that made everything else feel insignificant. Twenty-three family members gathered in Branson, Missouri. We laughed, we played games, we sat on the porch together. My dad told my husband, "You won't see me tomorrow, Rob. I'm going home." We didn't know how true those words would be.
This isn't a grief story. This is a wake-up call. Because gray areas are dangerous precisely because nothing ever feels urgent inside them. We always think there's more time. More chances. More tomorrows. And then life steps in and reminds us that we were never guaranteed any of it.
In this episode you'll hear:
• The last week I spent with my dad and why it became the greatest gift of my life
• His final words to Rob and what they meant
• Why I'm only talking about three of the Core Four today (and why business doesn't matter)
• A plea about faith, getting right with God, and what watching someone die teaches you about living
• What carrying the APOE4 gene for Alzheimer's on both sides means for how I live now
• The respiratory nurse named Eric who showed our family what it looks like to live your faith out loud
• Why you need to stop postponing the conversation, the trip, the relationship, and the change
• Rob's words that changed everything: "A piece of your father gets to live on through you"
If you've been putting something off because you think there's still time, this episode is going to sit with you. And I hope it moves you to stop waiting.
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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:
Visit the Website:
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CONNECT WITH KARI
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TOPICS COVERED
losing a parent, grief and gratitude, don't wait, life is short, Alzheimer's, APOE4 gene, faith and death, gray area drinking, stop postponing, Core Four, body being balance business, midlife wake-up call, intentional living, relationships matter, time is finite
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If this episode moved you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. Sometimes the most important message is the simplest one: don't wait.
#DontWait #LifeIsShort #LosingAParent #GriefAndGratitude #GrayAreaDrinking #BeyondTheGray #KariSchwear #GrayTonic #FaithAndLoss #IntentionalLiving #CoreFour #StopPostponing #Alzheimers #APOE4 #MidlifeWakeUpCall #TreasureEveryDay
What is Beyond the Gray?
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.