Reshma Saujani

And he's like, I'll make you a deal. Like, just go at any of those schools. And if you get into the top 10%, I'll let you come to Yale.

And he's like, I'll make you a deal. Like, just go at any of those schools. And if you get into the top 10%, I'll let you come to Yale.

So I go to Georgetown. I don't make one friend. I study every single day. I am just super focused, right? Like getting straight A's so I can go to Yale. But it was such a lesson, Megan, in like, I was just so narrowly focused that I had to have that Yale law degree so I could go do the things that I wanted to do, not understanding that I was just letting life and its experiences just pass me by.

So I go to Georgetown. I don't make one friend. I study every single day. I am just super focused, right? Like getting straight A's so I can go to Yale. But it was such a lesson, Megan, in like, I was just so narrowly focused that I had to have that Yale law degree so I could go do the things that I wanted to do, not understanding that I was just letting life and its experiences just pass me by.

What happens then is that Bush v. Gore happens, and I'm thinking I'm going into public interest, right? I'm going to go work at the NLAACP, right? Like, civil rights, that's what I want to do. Bush wins. No one's going to D.C., you know? And I'm like, oh, and I'm $300,000 in student loan debt. I guess I'm going to go work for the man in New York at a law firm, which I hate.

What happens then is that Bush v. Gore happens, and I'm thinking I'm going into public interest, right? I'm going to go work at the NLAACP, right? Like, civil rights, that's what I want to do. Bush wins. No one's going to D.C., you know? And I'm like, oh, and I'm $300,000 in student loan debt. I guess I'm going to go work for the man in New York at a law firm, which I hate.

And that's when I run for office. take this crazy chance, right, in running in a primary. I was 33 years old. My name was Reshma Sajjani. There had never been a South Asian woman to ever run before. I run for United States Congress. I lose, like, spectacularly. I mean, it's, like, not even close. But I had, like, convinced John Legend to do, like, two concerts for me, like, Jack Dorsey.

And that's when I run for office. take this crazy chance, right, in running in a primary. I was 33 years old. My name was Reshma Sajjani. There had never been a South Asian woman to ever run before. I run for United States Congress. I lose, like, spectacularly. I mean, it's, like, not even close. But I had, like, convinced John Legend to do, like, two concerts for me, like, Jack Dorsey.

Like, I had, like, hustled. the whole world, right, into thinking that, like, I'm winning this upstart race. And it is not even close. Like, I'm crushed. And the biggest kind of aha for me was I'm sitting there the next day. I'm in my, like, 400 square foot Lower East Side apartment, and I've pissed off everybody in the Democratic establishment because I didn't wake my turn.

Like, I had, like, hustled. the whole world, right, into thinking that, like, I'm winning this upstart race. And it is not even close. Like, I'm crushed. And the biggest kind of aha for me was I'm sitting there the next day. I'm in my, like, 400 square foot Lower East Side apartment, and I've pissed off everybody in the Democratic establishment because I didn't wake my turn.

I ran against another Democrat. I'm broke because I spent a year running for office instead of working. And no one's calling me. Oh, no. No one's calling me. But the biggest kind of, I think, moment that changes my life is I realized, like, oh, my God, like, this was the thing that I thought that I was supposed to do. Run for office. Be a politician. Be a public servant.

I ran against another Democrat. I'm broke because I spent a year running for office instead of working. And no one's calling me. Oh, no. No one's calling me. But the biggest kind of, I think, moment that changes my life is I realized, like, oh, my God, like, this was the thing that I thought that I was supposed to do. Run for office. Be a politician. Be a public servant.

The very thing that I had been driving towards, Yale, all of that was about this destination. It doesn't happen for me. But when I wake up the next morning, I'm like, oh, like— I'm not broken. Yeah, this sucks. But like, I'm not broken. Huh. I think we think as women that when we try something, especially something we want so bad.

The very thing that I had been driving towards, Yale, all of that was about this destination. It doesn't happen for me. But when I wake up the next morning, I'm like, oh, like— I'm not broken. Yeah, this sucks. But like, I'm not broken. Huh. I think we think as women that when we try something, especially something we want so bad.

And it doesn't work out that it will break us and we won't be able to like wake up the next day. We won't be able to continue on. Forget about like the humiliation and the judgment and all that. I think there's a sense that like failure will cripple you.

And it doesn't work out that it will break us and we won't be able to like wake up the next day. We won't be able to continue on. Forget about like the humiliation and the judgment and all that. I think there's a sense that like failure will cripple you.

Exactly. And so now the thing doesn't happen and I'm like, huh, there's a lot of things that I should maybe fail at and try and learn. And that's the path.

Exactly. And so now the thing doesn't happen and I'm like, huh, there's a lot of things that I should maybe fail at and try and learn. And that's the path.

I mean, I always say, like, if I had applied to be the CEO of Girls Who Code, I wouldn't have gotten the job. I didn't code. I'd never coded before. Yeah. Right? Like, I majored in polyscience speech communications. And the only thing I'd ever built was a failed campaign.

I mean, I always say, like, if I had applied to be the CEO of Girls Who Code, I wouldn't have gotten the job. I didn't code. I'd never coded before. Yeah. Right? Like, I majored in polyscience speech communications. And the only thing I'd ever built was a failed campaign.