People are tired. The summer has been hot as the devil's backside. The economy sucks. NO ONE WANTS AN ARGUMENT OR A GUESSING GAME WITH YOU!

In an era dominated by frictionless online shopping and "no-haggle" pricing, gatekeeping basic cost estimates is a fast track to losing business.

In this episode, I'll tackle the destructive sales practice of forcing prospective clients to "throw out a number first." I'll break down why opaque pricing instantly kills trust, drives high-value clients straight to your competitors, and signals a lack of professional confidence.

Links:

https://causeyconsultingllc.com/career-narrative-consulting/

***

For insider information & spilled tea, please subscribe to my weekly newsletter, The Unicorn Dispatch, here: https://sara-causey.kit.com/2d8b7742dd

Sara's award-winning biography of Dag, Decoding the Unicorn, can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-Unicorn-New-Look-Hammarskj%C3%B6ld-ebook/dp/B0DSCS5PZT

Simply Dag: The Private Man in a Public—and Dangerous—Office is now available in ebook and print anywhere Amazon books are sold: https://a.co/d/06kuNST9

The exclusive audiobook experience is available here: https://sara-ija-shop.fourthwall.com/products/simply-dag-audiobook

And that is great news. Every guru will tell you how you're supposed to pray or meditate or manifest. But what if no one single person has the magical key?

If you have unplugged from the Matrix and you worry about this, that, and the other, this message might be for you.

Everyone dreams about launch week.

The book is finally out. Readers are excited. Reviews start rolling in. Maybe you even imagine yourself relaxing with a cup of coffee while you watch the sales come in.

Reality?

You're refreshing dashboards. Opening support tickets. Chasing approvals. Answering emails. Wondering why one format is live while another has vanished into the publishing void.

Sound familiar?

I share the lessons I learned during the launch of Simply Dag—and why a chaotic launch week doesn't mean your book is doomed.

Whether you're preparing to publish your first book or you're already an experienced indie author, this practical survival guide will help you navigate the emotional roller coaster that almost nobody talks about.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why something almost always goes wrong during launch week—and why that's normal.
• How to keep logistics from crushing your confidence.
• The hidden customer-service side of self-publishing.
• Why readers notice far less than you think they do.
• How to protect your creativity when you're buried in emails, approvals, and technical issues.
• Why launch week is only the beginning—not the finish line.

Publishing independently is one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do—but it can also test your patience in ways you never expected.

If you're an indie author, this is the episode I wish someone had made for me before my own launch week.

Subscribe for more conversations about writing, creativity, introversion, and building a meaningful creative life—one book at a time.

***

For insider information & spilled tea, please subscribe to my weekly newsletter, The Unicorn Dispatch, here: https://sara-causey.kit.com/2d8b7742dd

Sara's award-winning biography of Dag, Decoding the Unicorn, can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-Unicorn-New-Look-Hammarskj%C3%B6ld-ebook/dp/B0DSCS5PZT

Simply Dag: The Private Man in a Public—and Dangerous—Office is now available in ebook and print anywhere Amazon books are sold: https://a.co/d/06kuNST9

The exclusive audiobook experience is available here: https://sara-ija-shop.fourthwall.com/products/simply-dag-audiobook

Ever sat in a meeting with the fear, "Eventually, they’re going to figure out I have no idea what I’m doing."

You aren't alone. In fact, 70+% of high-achievers experience Imposter Syndrome. The paradox is that it rarely affects people who are actually unqualified—it disproportionately targets the people who care the most.

In this episode, I'll break down the psychology of why we feel like frauds, how to identify which of the "5 Imposter Archetypes" is holding you back, and actionable strategies to shut down that inner critic, both in your career and your personal life.

If you’re tired of feeling like your success is just luck or that everyone else is ahead of you, this episode is for you.

#impostersyndrome #imposterarchetypes

***

For insider information & spilled tea, please subscribe to my weekly newsletter, The Unicorn Dispatch, here: https://sara-causey.kit.com/2d8b7742dd

Sara's award-winning biography of Dag can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-Unicorn-New-Look-Hammarskj%C3%B6ld-ebook/dp/B0DSCS5PZT

Her forthcoming project, Simply Dag, will release globally on July 29th! ✨

Do you verbally say you desire change and then resist what's necessary to achieve it? We've all done it. And in this episode, I discuss why.

• The Brain Prefers a "Predictable Miserable" over an "Unpredictable Happy"
• Cognitive Comfort vs. Executive Fatigue
• The "Intention-Behavior Gap"
• The Secret Benefit of Staying Stuck

***

For insider information & spilled tea, please subscribe to my weekly newsletter, The Unicorn Dispatch, here: https://sara-causey.kit.com/2d8b7742dd

Sara's award-winning biography of Dag can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-Unicorn-New-Look-Hammarskj%C3%B6ld-ebook/dp/B0DSCS5PZT

Her forthcoming project, Simply Dag, will release globally on July 29th! ✨

Is it a really an awkward silence or is it a pregnant pause? Have you closed the sale but then you keep talking and wind up losing the deal?

Not every silence needs to be filled. If you tend to get verbal diarrhea on the phone, this episode is for you!

Also in this installment: time kills all deals. Are you lollygagging? Does your definition of "immediately" actually mean: "I'll get to it when I get to it and it's whatever" ? This attitude will cost you business.

***

For insider info & spilled tea, subscribe to the Unicorn Dispatch here: https://sara-causey.kit.com/2d8b7742dd

Sara's award-winning biography of Dag can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-Unicorn-New-Look-Hammarskj%C3%B6ld-ebook/dp/B0DSCS5PZT

Her forthcoming project, Simply Dag, will release globally on July 29th! ✨

What if the problem isn’t that you don’t know what to do…
but that you’ve never really been taught how to know yourself?

Let’s talk about self-knowledge—the kind that quietly reshapes your decisions, your relationships, and the direction of your life.

Because most people aren’t actually lost. They’re just disconnected from themselves.

#selfknowledge #feelingstuck #findyourdirection #personalgrowth #selfdiscovery #innerlife #emotionalintelligence #mindsetshift #lifedirection #clarity #purpose #knowyourself #growthjourney #midlifereflection #authenticliving

Why You Can’t Depend on a Job—or a Company—Forever

For most of the twentieth century, the formula for a stable life seemed straightforward.

Get a good job.
Work hard.
Stay loyal to the company.

In return, the company would provide stability—steady income, predictable advancement, and perhaps even a pension.

That model shaped how generations of people thought about work.

But the world that made that arrangement possible is rapidly disappearing.

Today, with the rise of artificial intelligence, automation, global competition, and constant technological disruption, depending on a single job or employer as your long-term safety net is becoming increasingly risky.

In modern life, stability no longer comes primarily from institutions.
It comes from your ability to think, adapt, and live on your wits.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vz3HKkVrJE4

***

For insider info & spilled tea, subscribe to the Unicorn Dispatch here: https://sara-causey.kit.com/2d8b7742dd

Sara's award-winning biography of Dag can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-Unicorn-New-Look-Hammarskj%C3%B6ld-ebook/dp/B0DSCS5PZT

Her forthcoming project, Simply Dag, will release globally on July 29th! ✨