So last weekend, Reader, I realized my latest book, "Red Cape Rescue: Save Your Career Without Leaving Your Job," turned four years old.

Over 100 reviews later (hope one of them is yours--they mean a lot!), I'm proud that this work continues to help people all over the world. 🌎

But here are a few mistakes I've since learned I made.

1. I didn't title it right.

The book is really a guide to taking back control over your life at work anytime, not just when you feel your career's at the brink of explosion.  💥

My target readers may not feel s/he needs to rescue a career, but rather reset it. Truth is, you can initiate a reset anytime, anywhere, no matter what's happening in your company or our world. The book gives you the tools to do that.

2. I didn't realize how helpful the book would be to those early in their career.

In my work as an executive coach for leaders of leaders, I rarely work with recent college grads unless I'm doing a pro bono event at our local university or having a chat with a friend's child.

But I keep hearing from my clients and colleagues how they've shared the book with family and friends newer to the workforce. They're using it as a guide to how to think, talk and act, giving examples of the subtle things that can help them make their work work for their lives.

I'm so happy the book's in their hands early. If that's you, hit REPLY and tell me!

3. I didn't see it as a self-care book.

For a long time, I thought true burnout was collapse, or being at the end of your rope. But I've since learned that burnout looks like performance without joy—delivering results, showing up, yet feeling emotionally hollow, cognitively tired, and relationally detached.

What I found people gain from Red Cape Rescue is a method for self-care from inside the system—a pragmatic toolkit for reclaiming choice and energy without abandoning the role or reputation you’ve built. And this kind of self-care isn't bubble baths and nature walks--it's the way we rebuild control, meaning, and mental space.

So that's what I've seen, looking back over these four years with Red Cape Rescue in the world. If you haven't read it yet, I hope you will. I hope you'll grab an extra copy for a friend or colleague, too. 📚

How about you, Reader? If you've read the book, I'd love to hear from you what you got out of it (or what you didn't--hey, all honest input is valuable.) Hit REPLY and tell me your story, or ask me your question. I'm always glad to hear from you. ❤️

So happy birthday to Red Cape Rescue, and thank you for reading the book as well as my weekly notes here. You matter, and your presence is the best book birthday gift I can ever have.  🎁

Always, Darcy

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P.S. The book's also on Audible and a bunch of other booksellers. More here. Those places may not be honoring the Amazon discounts, but I promise you the investment will be worthwhile.  --D