Reshma Saujani

So I had this amazing CEO who's now our CEO, Dr. Tarika Barrett, and I'd always wanted her to run the organization. And so it's like middle of COVID. I know it's time. And one, I know if I tell anybody that I want to step down, including my husband, he's going to talk me out of it. So I don't tell anybody. I get on a train. I like basically say, Tariq, I need to meet with you.

So I had this amazing CEO who's now our CEO, Dr. Tarika Barrett, and I'd always wanted her to run the organization. And so it's like middle of COVID. I know it's time. And one, I know if I tell anybody that I want to step down, including my husband, he's going to talk me out of it. So I don't tell anybody. I get on a train. I like basically say, Tariq, I need to meet with you.

And I'm like, I'm ready. And I think you're ready. And she said, all right, let's go. So one, I think it was so important for me to pick a successor, especially a woman of color, and give her the opportunity of like the fruits of my labor, right? Because building Girls Who Code almost killed me, Megan. You know, I was always on a plane. I was always just hustling.

And I'm like, I'm ready. And I think you're ready. And she said, all right, let's go. So one, I think it was so important for me to pick a successor, especially a woman of color, and give her the opportunity of like the fruits of my labor, right? Because building Girls Who Code almost killed me, Megan. You know, I was always on a plane. I was always just hustling.

But I had built something that I knew was sustainable because I had rebuilt it during the pandemic. I had money in the bank, right? So like oftentimes if you're a new person, CEO taking over an organization, you're terrified, like fundraising is hard. So I knew I could give her something that like had legs.

But I had built something that I knew was sustainable because I had rebuilt it during the pandemic. I had money in the bank, right? So like oftentimes if you're a new person, CEO taking over an organization, you're terrified, like fundraising is hard. So I knew I could give her something that like had legs.

But it was such an interesting lesson because the day we were transitioning, my assistant said to me, okay, I'm going to get you a conference room and you're going to get so many emails, so many people are going to call you that we just, we got to block out three hours. So Tariq and I send the email, she's in one room, I'm in one room, press send, crickets. Oh, no. Crickets.

But it was such an interesting lesson because the day we were transitioning, my assistant said to me, okay, I'm going to get you a conference room and you're going to get so many emails, so many people are going to call you that we just, we got to block out three hours. So Tariq and I send the email, she's in one room, I'm in one room, press send, crickets. Oh, no. Crickets.

Tarika calls me a couple hours later. She's like, oh, my God. It's been so amazing, the amount of emails and the phone calls. She's like, how's it been for you? And I didn't want to tell her, right, that no one had called me. But it was such an important lesson on like, this is why people don't give up power, because when you don't have power— You're not important anymore, right?

Tarika calls me a couple hours later. She's like, oh, my God. It's been so amazing, the amount of emails and the phone calls. She's like, how's it been for you? And I didn't want to tell her, right, that no one had called me. But it was such an important lesson on like, this is why people don't give up power, because when you don't have power— You're not important anymore, right?

So it's so easy to hold on to it because your identity is so caught up in it. But that to me was part of the work, right? From an ego perspective, being able to let it go, give somebody else that light, knowing that like it was going to actually diminish my power, right? My resources, my access. But that was the point. I mean, that is...

So it's so easy to hold on to it because your identity is so caught up in it. But that to me was part of the work, right? From an ego perspective, being able to let it go, give somebody else that light, knowing that like it was going to actually diminish my power, right? My resources, my access. But that was the point. I mean, that is...

That's, that's really, yeah, I was going to say, I feel like you're like reading my diaries. Like that's really, it's really insightful because I don't think anyone's seen it that way, like said it that way for me. But, but that's right because, you know, here I was for so many years, like trying to get pregnant, having miscarriages because I had autoimmune issues. And I got into this really like

That's, that's really, yeah, I was going to say, I feel like you're like reading my diaries. Like that's really, it's really insightful because I don't think anyone's seen it that way, like said it that way for me. But, but that's right because, you know, here I was for so many years, like trying to get pregnant, having miscarriages because I had autoimmune issues. And I got into this really like

kind of scary habit where I would be at a doctor's office and they'd be like, you have no heartbeat. And I should have just gone home and gone to sleep and curled up with my husband. But I would just take a breath and I would just show up in a living room, in a stage and just perform. And oftentimes I was like performing in front of these children that I desperately wanted.

kind of scary habit where I would be at a doctor's office and they'd be like, you have no heartbeat. And I should have just gone home and gone to sleep and curled up with my husband. But I would just take a breath and I would just show up in a living room, in a stage and just perform. And oftentimes I was like performing in front of these children that I desperately wanted.

And I just got really good at that. But it was eating me up inside. And it wasn't until my second where I was again on this path of serial miscarriages. And I remember just one day it was like I was in California. I had to get on a plane and go to Utah to speak to like – I don't know, like a thousand girls and like the governor.

And I just got really good at that. But it was eating me up inside. And it wasn't until my second where I was again on this path of serial miscarriages. And I remember just one day it was like I was in California. I had to get on a plane and go to Utah to speak to like – I don't know, like a thousand girls and like the governor.

And like that morning, I get a call from the doctor and they're like, okay, your HCG levels are not going up. You're going to miscarry. And I just got on a plane and I was sitting there in front of these girls and my heart was just breaking. And I remember saying, this is it. I'm not doing it again. And I went to my team and I said, guys, and I'd never told them I was going through this.

And like that morning, I get a call from the doctor and they're like, okay, your HCG levels are not going up. You're going to miscarry. And I just got on a plane and I was sitting there in front of these girls and my heart was just breaking. And I remember saying, this is it. I'm not doing it again. And I went to my team and I said, guys, and I'd never told them I was going through this.