Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Alloway.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a woman and a psychologist, I have grown increasingly interested in this disconnect between our abilities and our behavior. As women, we often underestimate our abilities, downplay our successes, or apologize for asking questions.
At a recent conference, when I complimented a presenter on her talk, she quickly added, “It was nothing, you should hear some of my other colleagues’ work!” This type of response is common. A study done at Cornell University reported that women underestimate both their abilities and their performance, in contrast to men who overestimate both.
However, the researchers found that the women did not actually differ in the quality or quantity of their performance from men. As women, we suffer from “imposter syndrome,” wondering are we really good enough? And the data bears this out: a report by a Fortune 500 company disclosed that men apply for a job even if they only meet 60 percent of the qualifications. But women won’t apply unless they feel 100 percent qualified!
I’ve spent my career researching and sharing landmark findings in working memory, a field of brain science that didn’t receive a lot of attention before I came along. This critical brain process is the ability to hold information in mind for a brief period and do something with that data while ignoring any distractions.
Through my groundbreaking research, I began to realize that the female brain processes information differently in key ways. And I shifted the focus of my research and consulting to the female brain. The more I delved into this fascinating area, the more I was able to zero in on ways women can benefit from this knowledge and harness it for their own advantage.
Many women still believe the myths that they have been taught their entire lives. In Think Like a Girl, I dispel myths such as:
• Women make emotional decisions when stressed.
• Women suffer more from unhappiness than men.
• Women have to act like men to be effective leaders.
I provide simple tactics that will change every aspect of your life. Topics of discussion include:
• How sticking your hand in a bucket of ice can help you make a less emotional decision
• What specific personality traits to look for in a partner for long-term relationship success
• How biting a pencil can lead to more happiness
• Which leadership types to avoid at work to prevent stress and burnout
On the speaker circuit, I share my insights about the brain with Fortune 500 companies, including Prudential, World Bank, Holland & Knight, and Black Knight. In the past few years, a growing number of corporations and women’s organizations, such as chapters of the National Association of Women Business Owners (the voice of more than 10 million women-owned businesses in the U.S.), have been asking me to educate them about the female brain and how we can all harness its power.
I’ve emerged as a media-friendly spokesperson for the power of brain processing, explaining how women can take advantage of their unique neural traits to excel on a daily basis in every aspect of their lives. You may have seen me on Good Morning America, caught my TEDx talk, or seen me on any of dozens of other media appearances. You may have read about my research in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, or Bloomberg or read one of my 15 books.
You can catch me live every week for Mental Wellness Wednesday on River City Live/News4Jax. And as a licensed psychologist, I help many women learn how to use their uniquely female brains to have their best lives.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Early in my career as a psychologist, I went to the largest test publishing company with a bold proposition: create a test to assess “working memory” (also known as “active memory” because it is the memory that we use to actively work with information.
My enthusiasm and desire to create a test that measures working memory was driven by the results of a large-scale, government-funded project that I had led. The results showed that working memory was linked to success in school. In my view, creating a test to measure working memory was a no-brainer, so to speak.
The person who commissioned new tests, however, didn’t see it the same way.
“No one is interested.”
The phrase was repeated in case I hadn’t understood.
“No one is interested.”
I could have felt defeated, deflated, and doomed. I could have given up on my concept. But as a working memory expert, I had trained my brain to control my emotions and to take advantage of stressful situations to kick my working memory into action.
My brain shifted into solution mode, or as I like to call it, my “Bossy Brain.” I spent the next year like a traveling salesperson, crisscrossing the country talking about my research on the brain and memory. Fast-forward 10 years and my working memory test was picked up by that same publishing company—I guess someone was interested after all!—and has since been translated into almost 20 languages.
That experience early in my professional career taught me that I possessed the power to change the story. That we don’t have to be defined by the words we hear. When Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg applauded Pantene’s 2013 “Don’t Let Labels Hold You Back” ad campaign addressing the different words we use for men and women, people took notice.
Men Women
Boss Bossy
Persuasive Pushy
Dedicated Selfish
Neat Vain
Smooth Show-off
My research on the brain and memory shows that we can move beyond these negative labels to take charge of our own destiny. My efforts in the groundbreaking field of working memory have expanded beyond its effects on learning and into its implications in the business world and beyond. That’s what inspired me to write my recent book, Think Like A Girl.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Memory Doc?
As a licensed psychologist, I am passionate about raising awareness and supporting those with learning needs, including ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, and anxiety. I have led multiple large-scale government-funded grants and worked with thousands of families along the way.
Recently, I have published a series of children’s books: SEN (Special Education Needs) Superpowers that celebrates the positive traits of learning needs like ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, and dyslexia. I also have expertise in using DBT (Dialectical behavior therapy ) to support individuals with mood disorders, including depression and anxiety.
My background as a strong researcher and a licensed psychologist provides me with insight into how the brain works and how you can advocate for your needs. My recent book, Think Like A Girl, describes the unique strengths of the brain and the skills to maximize them.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Tracy Packiam Alloway, Ph.D., is an award-winning psychologist, professor, author, and TEDx speaker. She has published fifteen books and over one hundred scientific articles on the brain and memory.
Dr. Alloway shares her insights about the brain with Fortune 500 companies, and her research has been used in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Bloomberg.
As a psychology professor and in her private psychology practice based in Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Alloway helps many women learn how to use their uniquely female brains to live their best lives.
Contact Info:
- Email: tracy@tracyalloway.com
- Website: https://www.tracyalloway.com/
- Instagram: @drtracyalloway
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TracyPackiamAlloway/
- Twitter: @drtracyalloway
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TracyPackiamAllowayDr
