Early Mornings, Consulting Realities, and Learning on the Go – My First SIRI Reflection

Joining the Sustainable Investing Research Initiative (SIRI) practicum has been an exciting and slightly nerve-wracking experience. Before this class, I had zero experience in consulting, so working on a structured project with a real client is completely new to me. It’s one thing to learn about consulting frameworks in theory, but actually applying them in a real-world setting with real stakes is a whole different challenge. Even in these early stages, I’m already seeing how consulting is about much more than just coming up with a solution—it’s about understanding the client’s needs, managing expectations, and structuring a process that gets us to a practical and actionable outcome.

Right now, we’re still at the very beginning of our project, and our main focus has been setting up the timeline and defining the scope of work. As it turns out, this step is a lot more complicated than I expected. It’s easy to say, “Let’s create a tool that helps our client analyze market opportunities,” but what does that actually mean? What data do we need? What format should the tool take? What will actually be useful to our client? These are the kinds of questions we’ve been working through as a team, and it’s been an eye-opening experience. Consulting isn’t just about coming up with big ideas—it’s about making those ideas tangible, realistic, and tailored to the client’s specific needs.

A Lesson in Time Management (and Sleep Sacrifices)

One of the unexpected challenges we’ve had to navigate is time zones. Since our client is based in Norway, we needed to schedule our meetings at a time that worked for both them and us. After some discussion, we agreed that 9 AM New York time was our best bet. Sounds reasonable, right? Well, it is—unless you’re me.

My usual wake-up time? 10 AM. On a good day. So now, on meeting days, I have to drag myself out of bed at an ungodly hour (okay, maybe not ungodly, but still painful) to make sure I’m awake, somewhat functional, and ready for our short team meeting before we meet with the client. These pre-meetings are actually really helpful because they allow us to align, clarify our talking points, and ensure we present ourselves as a professional and cohesive team. But still, waking up early is a struggle. I’ve started relying heavily on coffee, alarms, and sheer willpower to adjust.

Will this practicum make me a morning person by the end of the semester? Unlikely. But at least I’m learning how to function in a professional setting when I’d much rather be asleep.

Building Skills That Actually Matter

Even though we’re just getting started, I can already tell that this practicum is going to be one of the most valuable experiences of my time at SIPA. Consulting is not just about crunching numbers and making fancy presentations—it’s about communication, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving. The SIRI workshop has already helped me understand how to approach client interactions, ask the right questions, and structure our work in a way that makes sense for both us and the client. Learning how to balance what the client wants with what is actually feasible is a skill that I know will be useful far beyond this practicum.

Another thing I’ve found really interesting is working in a multidisciplinary team. Everyone in our group has a different background and skill set, and at first, I wasn’t sure how my own expertise would fit in. But I’ve quickly realized that having diverse perspectives is one of our biggest strengths. Someone might be great at financial modeling, another person might excel at strategy, and another might have a deep understanding of sustainability. The challenge—and the fun—comes from figuring out how to combine those skills in a way that creates the best possible outcome.

Looking Ahead

Right now, I’m most excited to move beyond the planning phase and start digging into the actual research and analysis. I know there will be challenges along the way—whether it’s finding reliable data, managing client expectations, or making sure our final product is useful—but that’s part of the learning process.

Even though I had no consulting experience before this class, I’m starting to feel more comfortable with the idea that consulting isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about asking the right questions, structuring a clear process, and continuously refining your approach.

So far, this practicum has already pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I know it will continue to challenge me in new ways. Whether it’s learning to think like a consultant, collaborating with a diverse team, or simply waking up before 10 AM, I’m looking forward to the journey ahead.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an early meeting to prepare for—and probably another cup of coffee to drink.