**Business Book Awards 2025 Finalist**

Ignite your PERSONAL POWER for a better self and better world.

How do you take what is breaking your heart and turn that into action, achieving impactful and sustainable change? Match-Striking for Beginners is your playbook to ignite power from the margin, inviting you to discover the pathway to a more just world by recognizing your personal power and unleashing the superhero within you.

In this road map for individual and collective change, Tracey Breeden draws on her own unique perspective and lived experience as a queer woman and shares actionable steps she used to amplify her own personal power to create organizational and societal change. The specific challenges and harm members of historically marginalized groups experience often slow or stop progress, but Tracey’s method incorporates essential practices and bold moves to help you break through those blockers to ignite your inner superhero, activate collective power, and drive the social change our hearts ache for.

Tracey Breeden is a thought leader, speaker, coach, advisor, and activist. From street cop to corporate executive, she spent over two decades as a safety and inclusion expert in public safety and leading efforts in Tech at Uber and Match Group, parent company of Tinder and Hinge. Her vision is to build authentic, equitable, and respectful communities, free from harm. Join her in the expansion of that vision, together empowering and igniting people toward a better self and a better world.

For anyone wanting to understand how to make a difference in this world — and hear really relatable and inspirational stories along the way — this is the book for you. The author was very intentional about both changing her life and remaining in service of others and it seems like this book is just one more example of that. – Amazon 5*

This book is exactly what I (and so many others) need. The tools, the encouragement, Tracey’s lived experiences, all of it together in one place helped me find my voice and ignite the power in me to create change. A must-read for anyone looking for a blueprint that is actionable and achievable. – Amazon 5*

A very accessible book, that deals with our lack of self-belief and societal conditioning in a relatable way. We all have it! Rather than trying to overcome it: interrupt the negative patterns. This book affirms that by accepting our authentic selves and taking action around what hurts our hearts, we are all capable of making an impact. – Amazon 5*

Sometimes life throws you a bone; you meet a person who changes you for the better, who makes the world a better place and makes you believe you can leave a positive impact too. That’s Tracey Breeden. In the years I have known her, she has taught me how to not only approach change, but also to evoke it in ways that can make my world as a woman better for all of us. Match-Striking for Beginners is one of the most important books I’ve had the honor of reading. I watched it grow from a flicker of an idea fueled by passion into the honest, thoughtful, raw, yet approachable, work it is now. This roadmap is filled with the truths that motivate us to want better for our world, as well as the ways in which we can do our part to get there. I more than recommend, I insist. – Ginger Scott, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestselling author

Match-Striking for Beginners is a unique book in the self-improvement space—an inspirational, actionable, and supportive guide to identifying and developing the unique superpower that will propel you forward in life and work. Tracey’s career path is not typical, yet the personal stories she uses to demonstrate how she found and used her unique power to make change are entirely relatable. We had the good fortune to work with Tracey in a number of capacities and learned something new every time. Whether you are in the workforce already, or just entering, Match-Striking for Beginners is a must read. – Robbie Karp and Jane Randel, Co-Presidents, Karp Randel LLC

I am thrilled to see this book come to life! As someone who: 1) believes in Tracey’s vision, 2) needs inspiration to act, and 3) could use a framework for delivering on social change, this book is exactly what I (and so many others) need. The tools, the encouragement, the inspiration garnered from Tracey’s lived experiences and other anecdotes, all of it together in one place is going to provide so many people with opportunities to create social change— many who may not otherwise be able to deliver on it. – Jessica Johnson, Director of Product, Match Group

INSPIRED! If you don’t walk away feeling like that after reading this book, then you might want to read it again. Tracey’s personal anecdotes and vision are clear and social change is what we all need! From start to finish you can’t put it down and by the end you are trying to figure out how to help others you may have overlooked in the past. This book is about helping ALL people and I hope it is something that you strive for now too. – LiAnn LaTour, Executive Support Specialist

Getting to know Tracey Breeden in real life is such a joy. But reading Tracey’s story and wisdom through these pages is the second-best thing! From personal tales in childhood to making change in professional settings as an adult, Tracey shows us that making an impact is possible if we’re willing to speak out. Packed with actionable tips and real-life examples, this book will leave you feeling inspired, empowered, and ready to stand up for what you believe in. – Calen Otto, Author of The Art of Unruly Travel on a Budget and Creator of unrulytravel.com

Tracey’s passion and desire to create positive change in the world is always glaringly obvious in any conversation you have with her. In this book, Tracey does a beautiful job of helping you to feel the same desire for change as she does. Tracey doesn’t just put statistics in front of you but pairs the painful reality of marginalized groups with actionable tools so that you walk away feeling like you truly can make a difference. – Dianni Hall, Podcast Producer

I had the great fortune of meeting Tracey Breeden through a leadership program that I was facilitating at Uber. The program ended and that was the beginning of a friendship, sisterhood, and commitment to support each other as we lean into our individual and collective work to be a part of much needed systemic change. Her book illuminates that we have a long way to go to create a harmonious and just world for everyone; no exceptions. And she has bravely offered her life stories in service of shining a light on things we prefer to not see or know about. It also emphasizes what it means to live aligned with values, purpose, and a vision of something better. The best part is that she does not leave us there but rather creates a roadmap and tools for making change happen. And gives us the much needed hope that it can happen.– Nan Watts, CEO and Founder, Nan Watts Coaching

Tracey, a true catalyst for change and creating safe spaces for all, reveals their transformative journey in this inspiring book, which I hope is just the first of many. As a trailblazing disruptor (have you also listened to their podcast?!), they have revolutionized a range of institutions, from well-established entities like Match.com to cutting-edge startups like Uber— and even their former police department. What sets this book apart is its unique ability to be both awe-inspiring and accessible. Tracey shares a collection of powerful stories and life lessons, coupled with a wealth of practical tools, themes, and concepts. This approach breaks down the process of creating change into manageable, step-by-step actions that we can all work to undertake to actively foster safer, more inclusive, and yes, even more fun, communities and organizations. This book is more than a good read; it’s a rallying cry for anyone eager to make a significant difference in a world that often overlooks the most vulnerable. – Carley Lake, Co-founder and CEO of Lucky Sweater App and Former Head of Women’s Safety Marketing at Uber

The journey of becoming one’s self can be a challenging ride for women. Even having the courage to share our stories — raw, honest, and unfiltered — can be overwhelming, but this is how we truly find authentic connection. In this powerful narrative, Tracey creates a safe space for personal reflection, while providing tools to find our real voice and inspire us to act. As the CEO of a global women’s travel community, the book inspires me to stand in a place of hope and ultimately create meaningful and much needed social change. After all, if not me, then who? – Carolyn Ray, CEO and Editor, JourneyWoman

While reading Tracey’s book, I was constantly presented with the opportunity to reflect on my previous work experiences. For 18 years, I was a Black female in an environment dominated by white men. I was consistently an outlier, always the only one. I was in and out of therapy, learning how to cope in the job positions that I chose, for more than a decade. The Bell System, my company at the time, was a major corporation that excelled in technology, but struggled greatly in human resources. We had several lawsuits filed against us prior to the big breakup. Bringing an issue to the attention of upper management was a surefire way to turn yourself into a target of condescension. You would, undoubtedly, be turned into the “one” with a problem and be told that you should make more of an effort to “fit in.” I can say with full confidence that once I became an executive and acquired the power to implement change in the organization, if Match-Striking for Beginners had been available, I would have figured out a way to incorporate it into our training program for all employees. I am sure it would have resulted in a safer, more understanding environment for all.

Tracey’s book is filled with powerful lessons that can be successfully applied across many workplace environments. I saw several concepts represented in the book that would be a perfect fit for my second career endeavor as a middle school teacher. One of the major issues within education today is the cookie-cutter approach of teaching, in which it is assumed
that all students think and learn alike, and thus, must be taught alike. Our students’ differences make them who they are, and we are asked to ignore those differences. We are told to never allow them to speak or write about who they are and why or how they feel, unless of course, it falls under the accepted social norms.

Match-Striking for Beginners is a compelling book that will take those that are narrow-minded and open their minds. It will provide clarity to those who feel trapped and invisible in a place where they feel that they are dismissed, anxious, frightened, and trapped, giving them hope rather than letting them get to the seemingly unavoidable solution of
quitting their job and often times, quitting life. Tracey’s book has the capability to make a difference for every person who is introduced to the idea and world of it is okay to be who you are because you are valued and safe here – Carla D. DeBow, Retired Corporate Executive, Middle School teacher, Diversity Consultant

This book is a powerful reminder that each of us has the potential to spark change. It shows that with passion and determination, even the biggest challenges can be overcome, inspiring us to make a significant impact. An essential read for anyone who dreams of making a positive difference in the world. – Pamela Zaballa, Chief Executive Officer, NO MORE

Foreword

Introduction: For it is not the light that is needed, but fire…

Chapter 1: You are enough

Chapter 2: Disrupt the limiting voices and thoughts

Chapter 3: Find purpose and pathways in what breaks your heart

Chapter 4: Be fully and authentically you in every moment

Chapter 5: Your most powerful tool: Your voice

Chapter 6: Lay down your safety

Chapter 7: Assembling community for action

Chapter 8: Collective Activation: Move forward with boldness and disruption

Acknowledgements

References

Resources

FORMAT / ISBN / PUBLICATION DATE / RRP

Hardback / 9781788606103 / June 25, 2024 / £24.99

Paperback / 9781788606110 / June 25, 2024 / £14.99

Ebook / 9781788606134 / June 24, 2024 / £7.99

Paperback and eBook Bundle / £16.99

Tracey Breeden

Tracey Breeden is a thought leader and queer activist, life coach, advisor, speaker and executive leader, with over two decades as a safety and inclusion expert working in public safety and leading efforts in tech. Known as a fearless people leader, she has fought for and created safe, inclusive and empowering spaces for both consumers and employees.

Breeden has a vision of building authentic, equitable, and respectful communities, free from harm. She is relentlessly committed to the expansion of that vision, empowering and igniting people to be better, more powerful versions of themselves, unleashing their inner superhero through self development and activating collective power from the margin, all toward creating a better world.

A former law enforcement officer and medal of valor recipient, Tracey was Uber’s first Head of Women’s Safety and Gender-Based Violence, creating Uber’s first global team dedicated to the safety of women and other vulnerable populations. She was the VP, Head of Safety and Social Advocacy at Match Group. While there she was named one of the top 50 LGBTQ women and nonbinary innovators in business and tech, before creating her own coaching and consulting practice.