Discover how borrowed belief—the power of others seeing your potential before you do—becomes the foundation for success and transformational leadership through real stories of mentorship and growth.
Her Story
About Tracy
Tracy Queensberry, MSM, is an enterprise transformation and governance leader specializing in information governance, regulatory compliance, and operating model architecture within highly complex and regulated environments. She currently serves in enterprise modernization leadership roles supporting large-scale federal and enterprise programs, where she designs governance frameworks that align policy, operations, and digital systems to ensure consistent execution, audit readiness, and scalable performance.
With more than 15 years of experience across federal, R&D, and enterprise systems, Tracy has led major initiatives spanning records management, enterprise information governance, and cross-program modernization. Her work includes designing metadata architectures, strengthening compliance across regulated data environments, and building governance structures that support transparency, accountability, and operational resilience. She is also actively engaged in advancing AI governance frameworks to ensure responsible adoption of emerging technologies in regulated settings.
Tracy is recognized for her ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into practical operational systems that enable organizations to function more cohesively across disciplines. She is also a selected speaker for the 2026 NAGARA Annual Conference and has been featured by Influential Women for her contributions to governance modernization. Her professional focus centers on building sustainable governance systems that reduce fragmentation and improve enterprise-wide execution.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tracy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my father and the environment I grew up in. He taught me resilience, independence, and how to figure things out rather than rely on others to solve problems for me. Growing up in a large family with diverse needs also shaped my ability to adapt, stay persistent, and approach challenges with a solution-oriented mindset.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve received is, “We make better pirates than poets.” It means we should not constantly reinvent the wheel. If something already exists and works, we should use it, improve it, and give proper credit. That mindset has shaped how I approach governance, transformation, and leadership.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to surround yourself with people who support your growth and success. The right mentors and peers will elevate you, while the wrong environment can limit your progress. It is also important to have the courage to distance yourself from influences that do not support your long-term development.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges and opportunities is AI governance. AI is rapidly becoming embedded in operational systems, but governance frameworks have not fully matured to regulate its use in highly controlled environments. The opportunity lies in building strong governance structures that allow organizations to use AI responsibly while maintaining compliance, accountability, and security.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is the most important value to me. I believe in leading by example and holding myself to the same standards I expect from others. Without integrity, trust cannot exist, and without trust, effective leadership and governance are not possible.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Tracy
The Power of Borrowed Belief
The Power of Borrowed Belief in Shaping Your Future
Sometimes the Person Who Changes Your Life Is the One Who Sees Your Potential Before You Do
When people talk about success, the conversation often focuses on hard work, determination, and perseverance.
Those things matter.
I've relied on all three throughout my life.
But as I look back on my journey, I realize there is another ingredient that doesn't get discussed nearly enough.
Borrowed belief.
Borrowed belief is what happens when someone sees something in you before you can see it in yourself. It's the teacher who recognizes your potential when you're struggling. The mentor who encourages you to take on a challenge you don't think you're ready for. The leader who gives you an opportunity before you've fully convinced yourself that you deserve it.
Sometimes, another person's belief becomes the bridge that carries us until our own confidence catches up.
I've been fortunate enough to experience that more than once in my life.
Working Toward My GED
One of the earliest examples came while I was working toward my GED. At the time, I attended classes during the day and worked nights in the sandwich shop of a local bowling alley. School had always been difficult for me, and for years, I believed that meant I simply wasn't very smart.
Then a volunteer teacher noticed something no one else had ever recognized.
She believed I had dyslexia.
That single observation changed the course of my life.
For the first time, there was an explanation for why learning felt different for me. More importantly, there was someone who looked beyond my struggles and saw capability.
I didn't suddenly become confident overnight. But her belief helped me begin questioning assumptions I had carried for years.
What if I wasn't incapable? What if I simply learned differently?
Sometimes that is all it takes. Not certainty. Not transformation. Just enough belief to consider a different possibility.
Susan and Steve
Years later, I found myself benefiting from borrowed belief again. While working at Sandia National Laboratories, I had the privilege of working for a manager named Susan.
Susan had a remarkable ability to see potential in people and then create opportunities for them to grow into it. She didn't simply assign tasks. She opened doors. She placed me in situations that challenged me, stretched my capabilities, and exposed me to experiences I would never have pursued on my own.
At the time, many of those opportunities felt intimidating. I wasn't always convinced I was ready. Susan often seemed less concerned with whether I felt ready and more focused on whether I was capable.
Looking back, she was usually right.
The confidence we see in people today is often built on opportunities they were brave enough to accept before they felt fully prepared. I was no exception.
Around that same time, I met Steve. Steve represented our regulatory community, but over time, he became far more than a professional contact. He became a mentor and a friend.
Steve challenged me to think differently. He shared knowledge generously, encouraged my growth, and helped me see possibilities I had never considered for myself. The lessons he shared extended far beyond technical expertise.
- He taught me how to think strategically.
- He taught me how to approach problems.
- He taught me how to navigate complex situations.
- And perhaps most importantly, he helped me understand that leadership isn't about knowing everything. It's about continuously learning.
Together, Susan and Steve helped shape the professional I would become. Their influence wasn't limited to the opportunities they provided or the knowledge they shared. Their influence came from believing I could accomplish things I wasn't yet sure I could accomplish myself.
That kind of belief is a gift.
The Confidence We Admire in Others
Over the years, I've come to realize that many successful people carry stories like these. Behind the accomplishments, there is often a teacher, mentor, manager, coach, parent, colleague, or friend who saw something worth investing in. Someone who offered encouragement at exactly the right moment. Someone who opened a door. Someone who believed.
We often think confidence comes first and action follows. In reality, I think the opposite is often true.
- Someone believes in us.
- We take a step.
- We succeed.
- Our confidence grows.
- Then we take another step.
The confidence we admire in others is frequently built one borrowed belief at a time.
How I Think About Leadership Today
That realization has changed how I think about leadership. Today, when I look at the people around me, I try to remember what those individuals did for me.
- I try to look beyond current performance and see potential.
- I try to create opportunities.
- I try to share knowledge.
- I try to encourage growth.
- Most importantly, I try to help people recognize strengths they may not yet see in themselves.
Because the truth is, we rarely know the impact of a few encouraging words. We rarely know what someone is struggling with. We rarely know how close they are to giving up on a dream, a goal, or a possibility.
- A single conversation can change that.
- A single opportunity can change that.
- A single act of belief can change that.
Looking back, I am grateful for every person who invested their time, knowledge, encouragement, and confidence in me. They helped shape my future in ways they may never fully understand. Their belief became the foundation upon which I built my own.
And perhaps that is one of the greatest gifts we can offer another person:
To believe in them long enough for them to learn to believe in themselves.
A thoughtful exploration of how life's major transitions are not about starting over, but rather moving forward by building upon the experiences, resilience, and wisdom we've already gained along the way.
Starting Over or Moving Forward?
How Life's Transitions Are About Moving Forward, Not Starting Over
One of the phrases I hear most often when people are facing a major life change is, "I feel like I'm starting over."
I've heard it from people changing careers, returning to school, ending relationships, relocating to a new city, or rebuilding after an unexpected setback.
I've said it myself.
At first glance, the phrase seems accurate. When we leave something familiar behind, it can feel as though we're returning to the beginning. The job is new. The environment is unfamiliar. The future is uncertain.
But over time, I've come to believe that most of us aren't actually starting over.
We're moving forward.
The distinction may seem small, but for me, it changed the way I viewed some of the biggest transitions in my life.
Every Step Forward Was Built Upon Everything That Came Before It
For many years, I measured progress by milestones: earning my GED, going back to college, completing my degrees, and advancing my career. Each achievement felt like a step toward something new.
What I didn't fully appreciate at the time was that every step forward was built upon everything that came before it.
When I decided to return to school years after earning my GED, I often felt like I was starting over. I was older than many of my classmates, balancing work and family responsibilities, and carrying doubts that had followed me since childhood.
For years, I had believed that education simply wasn't my strength. Discovering that I had dyslexia explained many of my struggles, but it didn't immediately erase the self-doubt that came with them.
Yet I wasn't starting from the beginning.
I was bringing years of life experience into the classroom with me. I was bringing resilience, determination, and a work ethic shaped by challenges I had already overcome. I was bringing the perspective of a mother who understood the importance of investing in the future.
The classroom was new.
I was not.
Leaving Felt Risky
The same lesson appeared again later in my career.
After years at Sandia National Laboratories, I made the difficult decision to leave a place that had become home. The laboratory was where I had grown professionally, completed my education, and built relationships that would influence me for years to come.
Leaving felt risky.
It felt uncertain.
It felt like stepping into the unknown.
I accepted a position in Washington State, sold my home, packed my belongings, and started a new chapter.
Three months later, I was laid off.
At first, it felt as though everything I had worked toward had suddenly disappeared.
I remember sitting with that disappointment and wondering what came next. For one day, I allowed myself to feel frustrated, discouraged, and angry.
Then I did what I had learned to do throughout my life.
I made a plan.
I Wasn't Actually Starting Over
Looking back, I realize the reason I could do that wasn't because I was fearless. It was because I wasn't actually starting over.
I still had my education.
I still had my experience.
I still had the confidence that came from overcoming challenges before.
I still had the mentors who had invested in me and the lessons they had taught me.
My circumstances had changed.
I had not.
That realization carried me through one of the most uncertain periods of my life.
My dog and I moved into a travel trailer and began a journey throughout the Southwest while I searched for the next opportunity. To some people, that chapter might sound frightening.
Oddly enough, I remember feeling excited.
Every major turning point in my life had begun with uncertainty. Why should this one be any different?
Eventually, that journey brought me to Utah, where I found opportunities, experiences, friendships, and a future I never could have predicted.
If someone had told me years earlier that a layoff would eventually lead me to one of the happiest chapters of my life, I probably wouldn't have believed them.
But that's often how growth works.
We rarely understand the purpose of a transition while we're living through it.
We only see the connections when we look back.
We Underestimate What We're Bringing With Us
One of the reasons so many of us fear change is that we underestimate what we're bringing with us. We focus on what we're leaving behind instead of recognizing everything we've gained along the way.
We see the uncertainty. We forget the experience.
We see the risk. We forget the resilience.
We see the unfamiliar path ahead. We forget the strength we developed on the path behind us.
The truth is that every challenge, success, setback, and lesson becomes part of who we are. Those experiences don't disappear when we enter a new chapter. They become the foundation we build upon.
Moving Forward
That's why I no longer think of life's transitions as starting over.
Starting over suggests that everything behind us has been erased.
Moving forward recognizes that every lesson, every mistake, every accomplishment, and every piece of hard-earned wisdom comes with us.
The destination may change.
The circumstances may change.
The plan may change.
But we do not return to the beginning.
We carry our experiences with us.
We carry our growth with us.
We carry the person we've become with us.
Today, when I face uncertainty, I try to remind myself of a simple truth.
The path ahead may be unfamiliar.
The destination may be unclear.
But I am not beginning from nothing.
Neither are you.
Every lesson you've learned.
Every challenge you've overcome.
Every skill you've developed.
Every relationship you've built.
Every success and every setback.
They all come with you.
So, the next time life asks you to begin again, consider another possibility.
Maybe you're not starting over.
Maybe you're simply moving forward.
Every decision requires an investment of time, energy, resources, or comfort. This article explores how evaluating the potential return, rather than focusing solely on the risk, can help shape a more intentional life and career.
Every Decision Has a Cost. The Question Is: What's the Return?
Why some of the most important investments you'll ever make have nothing to do with money.
For most of my life, I didn't have the luxury of making decisions based solely on what I wanted.
As a young single mother, every decision carried consequences. Time mattered. Money mattered. Energy mattered. Mistakes were expensive.
There were two little boys depending on me, and every choice I made had the potential to affect their future as much as my own.
Looking back, I didn't realize it at the time, but I was learning one of the most important lessons of my life: Every decision has a cost. The question is whether the return is worth the investment.
Return on Investment Isn't Just Financial
When people hear the phrase "return on investment," they often think about money. I think about life.
The best decisions I have made were rarely the easiest. Many weren't even the safest. Some required time I didn't think I had. Some required sacrifices I wasn't sure I could afford. Some required me to leave behind things that felt comfortable.
The investment was often immediate. The return was often delayed.
That can make good decisions difficult to recognize in the moment.
The Best Decisions Rarely Feel Comfortable
When I earned my GED, I wasn't investing in a diploma. I was investing in possibility.
When I went back to college years later, I wasn't investing in letters behind my name. I was investing in opportunity.
When I pursued my bachelor's degree and later my master's degree, I wasn't chasing credentials. I was chasing growth.
For the first time in my life, I had discovered that I could learn, and I wanted to see where that realization could take me.
The return wasn't simply education. The return was confidence.
Every Yes Requires a No
One lesson I learned along the way is that every meaningful investment requires a tradeoff. Every yes requires a no.
Saying yes to education meant saying no to free time. Saying yes to growth meant saying no to comfort. Saying yes to opportunity sometimes meant saying no to certainty.
We often think of boundaries as something we use to keep people out. I learned to view them differently.
Boundaries are how we protect the investments that matter most:
- Our time.
- Our goals.
- Our energy.
- Our values.
- Our future.
Without boundaries, even the best opportunities can be crowded out by distractions.
Be Careful Who Gets a Seat at Your Table
One piece of advice I often share with young women is to pay attention to the people around them. The people in our lives influence how we see ourselves.
Some people encourage growth. Some people celebrate success. Some people challenge us to think bigger. Others don't.
One of the most valuable boundaries we can establish is deciding whose opinions deserve a seat at our table.
Throughout my life, I have been fortunate to have people who invested in me:
- A teacher who helped me understand dyslexia.
- A manager who opened doors and created opportunities.
- Mentors who shared their knowledge and challenged me to grow.
Those relationships changed the trajectory of my life. Not because they gave me success, but because they helped me recognize my own potential.
Sometimes the Return Doesn't Look Like You Expected
One of the biggest risks I ever took was leaving a career I loved to pursue a new opportunity. I sold my home, moved to another state, and started over.
Three months later, I was laid off.
If we were measuring the return on investment in the short term, that decision looked like a failure.
But life isn't always measured in quarters or years. Sometimes it takes much longer to understand the return.
That decision eventually led me to Utah. It expanded my perspective. It created opportunities I never would have found otherwise. It introduced me to the man who would become my husband.
What appeared to be a setback became one of the most important turning points of my life.
The Return You Can't Measure
Some of the most valuable returns in life don't fit neatly into a spreadsheet.
You can't always quantify confidence. You can't calculate resilience. You can't measure the value of discovering what you're capable of.
Yet those returns often have the greatest impact.
When I look back at the decisions that shaped my life, I don't see a perfectly planned career. I see a series of investments made by a mother trying to create a better future for her children.
The remarkable thing is that those investments ended up changing my life, too.
Because every decision has a cost. The question is: What's the return?
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