Why Not Getting McKinsey Was a Turning Point | Failing Forward

I don’t talk about this often, but I failed at becoming a consultant. Back in the early years after graduating, I applied to McKinsey. I got through the application. Then the game test. Then the interviews. Somewhere in between, I convinced myself that this role was not just an opportunity, but a version of who I was supposed to become. I practiced case after case, spoke to consultants across the world, filled my walls with sticky notes, and slowly attached my worth to the idea of getting in. Every case felt like it had to bring me closer. Every miss felt personal. What I didn’t realize at the time was how quietly I was losing balance. How much pressure I had placed on one outcome. And how tightly I had tied my identity to something external. McKinsey took two months to respond after my final interview. And strangely, that waiting period changed me more than the rejection itself. This video isn’t about consultancy. It’s about what happens when we let a goal define us too much. About learning to do your best without losing yourself in the process. And about how some failures only make sense in hindsight. If you’ve ever been there, this one’s for you.