WHY THIS PHOTO INSPIRES ME

Julia Hartz

Cofounder and CEO, Eventbrite, says...

In a dark-paneled room, around an imposing conference table, sit 22 middle-aged men and one dynamic, gorgeous figure at the front—wearing a brilliant aqua-blue dress, hands folded in her lap, and a look of confidence, determination, and perhaps a little bit of terror behind her eyes. This is Katharine Graham in 1975, and to me, this photo is a symbol of a CEO leading The Washington Post through some of the most tumultuous times it’s ever seen.

I first saw this picture about a decade ago, when I read Graham’s memoir. She had never run a company before, and she never imagined she’d be the CEO, but after the unexpected death of her husband, she stepped in and stepped up. And one of the biggest things she had to handle was Watergate. Yes, she had some trepidation about her role—she wrote that she would do things like practice saying ‘Merry Christmas’ over and over again before a work holiday party. That resonated with me because I feel like, at times in my career, I’ve been two to three times more prepared than the average person. But the other thing that spoke to me is that everybody has to be a first-time CEO, and the realization that, even if it doesn’t always feel natural, after years of learning and growing, you’re actually ready.