In this insightful Q&A, we sit down with organizational psychologist and business school professor Alison Fragale, author of the compelling book Likable Badass, How Women get the Success they Deserve. Fragale shares the personal journey and academic science that inspired her to write a book specifically for women navigating power, influence, and negotiation. Beyond the book’s genesis, she offers valuable, actionable advice for business owners, startup founders, and those navigating significant career transitions, emphasizing the critical role of storytelling, networking, and taking calculated leaps when opportunity knocks.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background?
I am Alison Fragale, and for over 20 years, I’ve been an organizational psychologist and a business school professor. I primarily teach topics related to human behavior, such as negotiation, influence, gaining power and status, and networking.
What was the genesis of your book, Likable Badass?
I wrote Likable Badass for women. While serving women specifically was not my original intent as an academic, the idea came from the women I would speak to in my general audiences. They would approach me after a session to talk about challenges they were having with negotiating, being influential, being respected and taken seriously, and getting the power they wanted and deserved. I realized that behavioral science from my field could help women solve problems that were “not of their own making”. I also personally benefited from this science in navigating my own career. The book came from my desire to reach more women—especially those who wouldn’t be in an MBA program or attend a major conference. The opportunity to write it came during the pandemic, which provided the space I needed.
What advice do you have for business owners, people starting a business, or those navigating a career?
Writing a book is like being the CEO of a very small company of one. The experience feels very personal to me. You need to be good at storytelling, not just on your own behalf, but on behalf of your venture. In an entrepreneurial or startup founder model, the expectation to be the “chief storyteller” is huge. If you do not talk about your work, no one will know about it. My advice is to practice getting comfortable with storytelling. I suggest practicing in airports because you never have to see those people again if you don’t want to.
What does success look like for you, and what has been your biggest challenge?
Success for me means continuing to do what I’m doing, being gainfully employed, and making a bigger impact. This involves finding ways to reach more people, whether by moving more books, getting invited to speak to new audiences, or writing for a community that has a large following.
My biggest challenge is being really specific about what I want and putting it out there. For example, people often tell me I should start a podcast, or I think about being a talk radio person or a regular commentator on a recurring TV segment. Those are cool ways to reach people that I haven’t done.
People can’t help you if they don’t understand your goals and needs. I’ve had to get more comfortable talking about my goals, even to people who may not be able to help, because they might know someone who can.
What advice do you have for people who hesitate to take a career leap, even when an opportunity is available?
I am a big believer that doors do not open repeatedly. If you get an opening, you should take it.
Also, set yourself up for success by leaning on your network and asking for help. People who care about you will be excited to offer help. We tend to overestimate how much of a burden our requests for help are. People enjoy being experts, helping others out, and seeing them succeed. We often underutilize our networks because we don’t want to be the person making the ask.
How did you get involved with First Women’s Bank as an advisor?
The way I got involved is an example of how opportunities can come from anywhere. My neighbor, who was one of the founding board members, introduced me. She knew what I did from our conversations as neighbors. She realized the bank’s mission was very much in line with what I care about.
Initially, I struggled with “impostery syndrome feels” because my strengths were different from other board members. For example, I had only lived in Chicago, where the bank is based, for a relatively short time and did not have a deep network for making introductions. I realized I could contribute my unique strength as a behavioral scientist by providing content to the bank and doing a book talk. My advice is to focus on what unique strengths you can contribute to make the organization better off and keep your “ears open” for moments where you can add value.
Do you plan to write another book?
I have had some thoughts about another book, and I generally like the writing process. It will be a 2026 decision, as I’m giving myself the rest of 2025 to catch up on life. If I write another book, two things will be true: it will be for women, and it will be based in behavioral science
To learn more about how to be a Likeable Badass, check out Alison’s Book on Amazon.
