The Causey Consulting Podcast

Statistically, it's impossible to be sure how many people in the general population are truly psychopaths. Yet I wouldn't be at all surprised if you have encountered a workplace psychopath at some point in your career.

Trigger warning: I will be treading into some very dark and disturbing content here, including abuse. If at any point you are concerned this could be triggering for you, turn this episode off.

Key topics:

✔️ Some people use "psychopath" and "sociopath" interchangeably, but this is not correct. I am using the term psychopath intentionally in this episode.
✔️ Psychopaths can be superficially charming and they can be talented liars. They can also be One-Eyed Jacks: many people may be fooled by their façade but what if YOU have seen the other side of their face?
✔️ Don't allow yourself to be gaslighted, either by yourself or others. Also use caution. If you are worried that someone might try to harm you, make sure you stay safe. Psychopaths can lash out if they are worried that you might expose them for who and what they are.
✔️ Someone may have a carefully constructed persona that includes charity work, volunteerism, constant church attendance, etc., yet still be engaged in horrible activities in secret.

Links I discuss in this episode:

https://www.drphilintheblanks.com/

https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/Psychopath-vs-Sociopath

https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/american-crime-story

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/06/27/how-bbc-star-jimmy-savile-got-away-with-allegedely-abusing-500-children-and-sex-with-dead-bodies/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/psychopathy


Need more? Email me: https://causeyconsultingllc.com/contact-causey/

A quick episode to wish you all a wonderful holiday, whatever you may celebrate. I also encourage you to use this time for rest. 2020 and 2021 have been strange years; this is a good time to recuperate and do things you enjoy simply for their own sake. 

The show will be on hiatus after this as I will be following my own advice and indulging in some dolce far niente. 😊 New episodes return on Thursday, January 6th when I will be talking about Workplace Psychopathy. If you suspect you have been the victim of a workplace psychopath or you know someone else who could be, it's an episode not to be missed.

Special intro music: "Christmas Time All Over The World" by Sammy Davis Jr.
Special outro music: "By the Fireside" by Jo Stafford. 

Part II of my take on The Great Resignation. Some folks are proposing that we stop calling it "the Great Resignation" in favor of something warmer and fluffier, but I disagree. I think we need some of that "I'm a person, not a robot" energy in Corporate America. No one rules if no one obeys. ✊

Key topics:

✔️ Here's a dirty little secret: all these video conferences and video interviews can be and sometimes are used for discriminatory purposes. If some company is browbeating you about showing up on video when there seems to be no coherent reason for it, ask yourself why that might be.
✔️ The same people who act like jerk managers to their employees within a company do not deserve to be in your freelancing business either. They will make your life a living hell, too. They need to stop being jerks!
✔️ Running on the hamster wheel of consumerism and "keeping up with the Joneses" will keep you trapped in Corporate America. I've lived long enough to see Gordon Gekko go from vilified yuppie who demonstrated 1980s excess to hearing him give the most cogent explanation of the burst housing bubble of the late 00s I've ever heard. And be aware: we're headed for the same territory again. More on this topic in a future episode.
✔️ The magic salary number of $75K for happiness is 10+ years old. Adjusted for inflation, it's more like $95K now. Some companies want to pay yesteryear's wages and then wonder why no one is interested.

Links I discuss in this episode:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2020/05/07/3-ways-video-conferencing-can-unintentionally-cause-bias/

https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/are-our-new-virtual-workplaces-equitable

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danpontefract/2021/11/22/the-great-resignation-isnt-really-a-thing-something-else-is/?sh=6c796be423e5

Logical Finance video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d88Lkr-TzjI&t=416s


Need more? Email me: https://causeyconsultingllc.com/contact-causey/

Take this job and shove it!

More people are deciding to quit rather than putting up with a micromanager or jerky boss, working constantly, having to get on 58 Zoom calls a week, etc. So what's'a'goin'on with all of this?

Key topics:

✔️ In the same way that no one cares if Billy Bob's Staffing Agency won't represent them if they decline a job offer, guess what - the same is true now with actual hiring companies. The days of ghosting candidates and acting like an a-hole during the interview process yet still expecting to attract in talent are gone.
✔️ Likewise, acting like a jerk to your employees and expecting them to stay and obey = not gonna do it.
✔️ People are getting tired of trading time or labor for money. Let's examine the results and stop obsessing about the process.
✔️ "But, but, no one wants ta work now!" Really? A person applied to 60 jobs he was qualified for, got 1 offer and it was a lowball. Companies are the candidates now. Job seekers want to know what you have to offer them and it ain't foosball tables in the break room or unlimited sodey pops in the fridge.


Links I discuss in this episode:

Russell Brand's episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_32hy0FLoec

Logical Finance video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d88Lkr-TzjI&t=416s

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/great-resignation-accelerating/620382/

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2021/10/20/a-florida-man-applied-for-60-entry-level-jobs-in-a-month-to-prove-the-so-called-labor-shortage-is-a-myth

https://time.com/6106322/the-great-resignation-jobs/

Need more? Email me: https://causeyconsultingllc.com/contact-causey/

Here we are in the midst of The Great Resignation and yet: so many companies don't get it. I still see job descriptions and terms that make me wince.

Key topics:

✔️ "Hungry" may mean you'll go hungry if you work there. Or that you'll be fired if you don't work 80 hours but get paid for 40.
✔️ I remember turning down a job offer when the manager told me, "I want you scared. I like employees who are scared. If you're scared you'll lose your house or get the car repossessed, you'll be a top producer." HARD PASS. 🤮
✔️If the company feels the need to say, "No one likes a jerk," ask yourself why that might be. It's such a silly statement of the obvious that it makes you wonder if they have a higher jerk-to-nice-person ratio on staff already. Or if they assume anyone who thinks for themselves  is a jerk.
✔️Anything that sounds like cult speak should be an automatic red flag.


Links I discuss in this episode:

https://medium.com/@katipierce106/job-ads-for-young-and-hungry-f9067fcdd47

https://www.trustradius.com/buyer-blog/annoying-business-buzzwords

Need more? Email me: https://causeyconsultingllc.com/contact-causey/

Just a quick episode to express how grateful I am for all of you! I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday.

Special intro music: "Autumn Leaves" by Frank Sinatra
Special outro music: "Early Autumn" by The Four Freshmen 

Last December, I recorded an episode called "Cult-Like Tactics Used in Corporate America & Why Self-Help Often Doesn't Help" after watching the Starz documentary on NXIVM. Now here we are about a year later with the LuLaRich documentary on Amazon Prime recounting the turmoil of LuLaRoe. 

Key topics:

✔️ Yes, MLMs and pyramid schemes utilize the same tactics as religious and sex cults. So does Corporate America. The more the culture tells you, "You must be one of us... one of us... one of us..." the more you're in a freakin' cult.
✔️ Be careful of environments where you get love-bombed and people are required to talk about how the place is "like a family." Those love-bombs can turn into a lot of malice if you step out of line.
✔️ Know your own rights. If you suspect that your employer is engaging in discrimination and/or placing requirements on you that go against the EEOC or Civil Rights Act, consult with a legal professional for help.
✔️ When we are in the thick of something, we may not always understand just how dire the situation is. Trust your gut and use good judgment. If something sounds too good to be true...


Special intro music: "How to Be a Millionaire" by ABC.

Links I discuss in this episode:

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/lularich-docuseries-lularoe-mlm-cult-1228224/

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-corporate-america-is-_b_2171040

https://www.mandatory.com/living/1567161-17-signs-youre-in-a-cult-or-just-working-for-corporate-america

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/multi-level-marketing-businesses-and-pyramid-schemes

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/job-opportunity-mlm-scam-pyramid-scheme_l_5e30c62ec5b6e8375f647a5e

Need more? Email me: https://causeyconsultingllc.com/contact-causey/

#blessed
#livingyourbestlife
Always find a silver lining!

🤨 What do we do in situations where we aren't #blessed? Or where we've faced a senseless tragedy and there is no silver lining?

Key topics:

✔️ In 2015, Kate Bowler was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. This was after spending a chunk of her career researching the American prosperity gospel, the "#blessed" culture, and the "living my best life" crowd. So what happens when tragedy visits?
✔️ In the same way that "love and light only," "only good vibes allowed" can become a prison of toxic positivity, rushing to find some silver lining in the face of grief can morph into toxic optimism.
✔️Using phrases like "well, at least..." or "I guess it's good that..." to someone who is grieving is not helpful. Even if well-intentioned, it usually doesn't help.


Links I discuss in this episode:

https://www.ted.com/talks/kate_bowler_everything_happens_for_a_reason_and_other_lies_i_ve_loved?language=en

https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/how-to-avoid-toxic-optimism.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10089201/Positivity-POISONOUS-says-author-KATE-BOWLER-provocative-new-book.html

Need more? Email me: https://causeyconsultingllc.com/contact-causey/

Trigger warning: In this episode, I will be discussing grief, loss, and bereavement as well as other potentially triggering topics (abuse, depression, suicide, etc.). If you feel that any of these topics could be overwhelming for you, please skip this episode.

Key topics:

✔️ There is more acceptance and open discussion now about mental health in general, as well as anxiety and depression. But what about grief? Grief/Loss still seems to be the hairy, unwieldy beast in the corner no one wants to discuss.
✔️ By and large, we are not taught much about grief and the grieving process. Unless you have religious and/or cultural traditions around it, you may feel as though no one has ever told you what to expect. Or where to even begin.
✔️The "stages" of the grieving process are not linear and, for that matter, may not encompass the experience you have. Please do not listen to the Grief Police who want to tell you what you are and are not allowed to feel. 😡 It is YOUR journey and your experience.


Links to things I mention in this episode:

https://www.onecommune.com/blog/the-sixth-stage-of-grief-with-david-kessler

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

https://www.samhsa.gov/

https://www.vet.cornell.edu/about-us/outreach/pet-loss-support-hotline/resources-grieving/faqs

Need more? Email me: https://causeyconsultingllc.com/contact-causey/

It's hard to believe that October is almost over. And Halloween/Samhain is Sunday!

Key topics:

✔️ Looking for something scary to watch? I can definitely make some suggestions. I always say I won't watch horror movies at bedtime and then 100% do it anyway. 🤷
✔️ Modern films rely too much on cheap jump scares and loud noises for my money. It might be startling but it's not scary.
✔️ However you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a safe and fun holiday!

Special intro music: "Witchcraft" by Frank Sinatra.
Special outro music: "That Old Black Magic" by Frank Sinatra.

Need more? Email me: https://causeyconsultingllc.com/contact-causey/