Tracy MacDonald
Founder at Tracy Macdonald Consulting
Women Empowerment
Education: B. A. Wesleyan College - Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, 18-11 Certified Federal Agent, Counter-terrorism Finance expert, Diplomat
Arlington, VA, USA
Biography
Tracy K. Macdonald is from Columbus, Georgia and holds a B.A. in Sociology from Wesleyan College. She is a public speaker and Fraud and Risk consultant and drawing on her experience as a former Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service, as a Counter-Terrorism Instructor for the Defense Intelligence Agency, and as a Lead Associate in Counter-Illicit Finance for Booz Allen Hamilton Consulting.
Since 2013, Tracy has been living overseas as a diplomat with her husband and young son, supporting the U.S. mission, most recently in Libreville, Gabon. Living and working abroad has given Tracy a unique perspective of the challenges and opportunities facing families in the Foreign Service. Tracy thrives in dynamic environments that demand innovative thinking, adaptation, and strategic insights. Her commitment to integrity and excellence drives her to deliver impactful solutions that safeguard financial systems and promote global security.
Passion
Tracy is a passionate advocate for advancing women in unprecedented fields, breaking barriers and setting new standards. Her professional journey in challenging environments, such as her time as a federal agent with the U.S Secret Service is a testament to a woman’s resilience and determination.
Tracy’s creativity is fuled by nature photography, exploring new cultures, and writing. She captures her travels and life as an expatriate on her blog, Carpe Diem Creative. She’s an active member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and has recently completed the first draft of her debut fiction novel. Her freelance articles have been published in Bella Grace Magazine and on Stampington & Company’s official blog, ‘Grace Notes’.
Best Story
I share my journey so other women—whether students, professionals, or expats—see that reinvention is always possible, and that they, too, are stronger and more worthy than they imagine. A few examples of stories that shape mindset shifts are:
1. How a military coup affected our family and taught me how to build stability amidst chaos. (Diplomatic life is more grit than glamour).
2. While working at DOD, being asked, "Are you the General's secretary?" when I was waiting to give a speech on using counter-finance as a counter-proliferation measure.
3. Being told in the Secret Service, which is 10 percent women, that I was "a flower amongst the weeds" by my male supervisor.
Origin Story
My career path has been unconventional. A Southern Georgia female who began a career in banking, then moved into Federal Law Enforcement. Later, as a Federal Government Consultant, I became a Diplomatic spouse in the Foreign Service. I have lived overseas for over 20 years in England, Europe, Egypt, Eswatini, Honduras, and Gabon (West Central Africa). My mission is to help others cultivate the courage to stretch beyond their comfort zones and share how to start over in a new country (or situation) and create a life in which to thrive, even in the face of adversity.
Example talks
Owning Your Worth
Drawing from twenty-five years of personal experiences on an unconventional career path in male-dominated spaces (and overseas in countries with fewer women's rights), I'll share the stories and mindsets that help women embrace their feminine perspective and self-worth. For example, the day an Army general mistook me for a secretary before I delivered a briefing, it was a defining moment to find my voice.
Adaptability, Perspective, and Global Citizenship
This speech emphasizes the importance of stretching beyond your comfort zone through experiencing life abroad, and the impactful skill of learning and speaking foreign languages and exploring other cultures.
As an expat and diplomat, I share stories to illustrate how we become more culturally-sensitive and globally-focused- by engaging in experiences beyond our own borders, being an American from the outside looking in and what it's taught me about rights, freedom, and empathy, and how to adjust with grace when systems or norms are against you.
How to Succeed in Shifting Circumstances
A talk for women who are reinventing themselves or entering into a new phase of life. This talk draws from my experiences in the foreign service, where I had to pivot skills, reinvent myself, and start over in new countries and cultures every few years- my home, career, and community - and how to find stability in constantly shifting circumstances.
This talk can also be geared for college students, to emphasize how a major does not have to define their career. University is a time of exploring passions, interests, and gathering the necessary skills that can be combined later in a myriad of creative ways as they navigate their professional paths, allowing them to reinvent themselves and pivot with changing times and lifestyles. This discussion draws from my own experience, graduating with a degree in sociology, then following an unconventional career path in banking, law enforcement, counter-terrorism, and the foreign service.
Speaking Engagements
TEDxUStreetSalon Talent Showcase
Georgia Military College Women's Program-keynote speaker
Gather Verse SHE Summit 2025 Panel Speaker
Wesleyan College Center for Career Development-Speaker
Featured Video
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
Everything is negotiable
Topics
Best Story
I share my journey so other women—whether students, professionals, or expats—see that reinvention is always possible, and that they, too, are stronger and more worthy than they imagine. A few examples of stories that shape mindset shifts are:
1. How a military coup affected our family and taught me how to build stability amidst chaos. (Diplomatic life is more grit than glamour).
2. While working at DOD, being asked, "Are you the General's secretary?" when I was waiting to give a speech on using counter-finance as a counter-proliferation measure.
3. Being told in the Secret Service, which is 10 percent women, that I was "a flower amongst the weeds" by my male supervisor.
Origin Story
My career path has been unconventional. A Southern Georgia female who began a career in banking, then moved into Federal Law Enforcement. Later, as a Federal Government Consultant, I became a Diplomatic spouse in the Foreign Service. I have lived overseas for over 20 years in England, Europe, Egypt, Eswatini, Honduras, and Gabon (West Central Africa). My mission is to help others cultivate the courage to stretch beyond their comfort zones and share how to start over in a new country (or situation) and create a life in which to thrive, even in the face of adversity.
Example talks
Owning Your Worth
Drawing from twenty-five years of personal experiences on an unconventional career path in male-dominated spaces (and overseas in countries with fewer women's rights), I'll share the stories and mindsets that help women embrace their feminine perspective and self-worth. For example, the day an Army general mistook me for a secretary before I delivered a briefing, it was a defining moment to find my voice.
Adaptability, Perspective, and Global Citizenship
This speech emphasizes the importance of stretching beyond your comfort zone through experiencing life abroad, and the impactful skill of learning and speaking foreign languages and exploring other cultures.
As an expat and diplomat, I share stories to illustrate how we become more culturally-sensitive and globally-focused- by engaging in experiences beyond our own borders, being an American from the outside looking in and what it's taught me about rights, freedom, and empathy, and how to adjust with grace when systems or norms are against you.
How to Succeed in Shifting Circumstances
A talk for women who are reinventing themselves or entering into a new phase of life. This talk draws from my experiences in the foreign service, where I had to pivot skills, reinvent myself, and start over in new countries and cultures every few years- my home, career, and community - and how to find stability in constantly shifting circumstances.
This talk can also be geared for college students, to emphasize how a major does not have to define their career. University is a time of exploring passions, interests, and gathering the necessary skills that can be combined later in a myriad of creative ways as they navigate their professional paths, allowing them to reinvent themselves and pivot with changing times and lifestyles. This discussion draws from my own experience, graduating with a degree in sociology, then following an unconventional career path in banking, law enforcement, counter-terrorism, and the foreign service.