What I’ve Learned From This Project (And What I’d Tell Anyone Else Trying Something Bold)

When I started this project, I thought the biggest lessons would come from the CEOs.

And to be fair, they’ve been generous with insights. I’ve learned how AI is showing up inside some of Norway’s biggest companies, how consulting firms are being challenged to rethink their value, and how leadership feels completely different depending on whether you’re running a grocery empire, a financial institution, or a tech firm.

But the truth?

The real lessons, the ones I’ll carry with me far beyond this project, came from actually doing it. They came from the awkward stuff.

• Like sending 50 emails and getting ignored.

• Like sitting in a lobby, heart pounding, pretending to scroll my phone while waiting for a CEO to appear.

• Like realizing halfway through an interview that I’d stopped rehearsing questions in my head and was actually… having fun.

This project turned into my crash course in persistence, people, and putting yourself out there.

1. You Don’t Need Permission

No one asked me to do this project. There was no application form, no professor assigning it, no “official” program to follow. It was just me deciding: Okay, what if I tried this?

That’s the first lesson: most of the doors you want to walk through don’t have someone standing at the front telling you it’s open. You have to knock. And sometimes you have to knock ten times.

2. Effort Compounds

One email might get ignored. Ten emails might too. But 100? 100 handwritten letters and LinkedIn messages? At some point, someone is going to say yes. And once you get one yes, it becomes easier to get the next one. Momentum is real. The hardest part is getting started. So when it feels like shit to keep going, do it anyways, you might be closer than u think;)

3. Nerves Never Go Away (But That’s Fine)

I’d love to tell you that by interview #10 I was calm, collected, fully confident. But the truth is, I still got nervous before every single meeting.

The difference is: with practice, nerves stop being paralyzing. They become fuel. By interview #15, I’d learned how to channel them take a deep breath, smile, and ask the first question anyway. So being nervous does not mean you should not do whatever it is!

4. People Are More Generous Than You Think

I was worried CEOs would be dismissive. That they’d rush me, brush me off, or wonder why on earth they were talking to a 19-year-old student.

But again and again, I was surprised. People stayed past our scheduled time. They asked me questions. They shared stories I never would have expected. More than a few told me, “This is such a cool project — let me know how I can support.”

The lesson? If you show up curious, prepared, and genuine — people want to help.

5. The Skills That Matter Are Changing

Yes, this project gave me insights into AI and consulting. But it also taught me something about the future of work itself: the skills that mattered five years ago aren’t the same ones that matter today.

Research and due diligence? Easier and easier to automate.Creativity, clarity, curiosity, and the ability to ask the right questions? More valuable than ever.

If you’re young and want a place in this industry — or any industry — those are the muscles to build.

6. Start Small, Think Big

I didn’t start with a perfect plan. I started with a 30-day challenge: send out letters, try to land a few meetings, see what happens.

That small start grew into 20 CEO interviews, insights that consulting firms actually want to hear, and presentation invites from McKinsey and BCG.

The lesson? You don’t need the whole roadmap to begin. You just need the first step.

7. TELL THE STORY!

   
   

What I’d Tell Other Students

If you’re young, ambitious, and trying to figure out your place:

• You don’t have to wait until you have a title.

• You don’t have to wait until you have all the answers.

• You don’t even have to wait until you feel ready (you probably won’t).

You just have to start!

Send the email!

Ask the question!

Launch whatever it is!

I really dont think you will regret doing it

So no, I don’t know exactly what comes next for me. Consulting? Maybe. Another project? Definitely. But I do know this: effort compounds. Curiosity pays off. And most doors will open if you just keep knocking.

-June