69 | Alison Fragale - How One Setback Turned Into a Life-Changing Breakthrough
An episode of the Elevate Your Career podcast, hosted by Nicole McMackin, titled "69 | Alison Fragale - How One Setback Turned Into a Life-Changing Breakthrough" was published on August 12, 2025 and runs 56 minutes.
August 12, 2025 ·56m · Elevate Your Career
Episode Description
In today's episode of the Elevate Your Career podcast, Nicole is joined by Alison Fragale, professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, an organizational psychologist, speaker, and author of Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve.
In this conversation, Alison recounts an unexpected moment from her past that reshaped how she viewed a personal challenge. The discussion moves through moments of vulnerability, resilience, and the surprising ways our circumstances can force us into growth. Along the way, you'll get glimpses of practical steps and mental shifts that helped turn what could have been a long-term setback into a defining turning point.
They explore both the emotional impact and the strategic thinking that emerged from the experience. You'll be drawn into the process of reframing obstacles as opportunities and leveraging them to build something greater than before. Alison offers insights on shifting perspective, finding balance, and maintaining determination when facing adversity.
This episode offers a mix of personal story, mindset evolution, and actionable wisdom, woven together in a way that encourages curiosity about the full scope of the experience and its surprising outcomes.
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Enjoy!
Key takeaways:
- How Alison's experience with a senior colleague at McKinsey, who was a self-promoter but lacked actual competence, sparked a career shift to organizational psychology.
- The idea of being both likable and competent to gain respect and status, and how small actions can demonstrate both warmth and competence.
- Practical tips for navigating status issues and building influence in the workplace.
- How to handle rejections and use them as opportunities to learn and improve future negotiations.
- The importance of being strategic and intentional in one's actions and interactions.
- And much more...
Guest Bio:
Alison Fragale is a professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, an organizational psychologist, speaker, and author of Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve. With over 20 years of experience, she empowers ambitious women to confidently advocate for their needs, navigate career advancement, and build authentic personal brands using science-based strategies. Known for her engaging style that blends education with humor, Alison speaks on topics including gaining status and influence, negotiation, leadership, and networking. She holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Stanford and a B.A. in Math and Economics from Dartmouth. Formerly a McKinsey consultant, her insights have been featured in major publications like The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.
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Disclaimer:
The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not...