It has been a bit quiet here lately, not because nothing is happening, but because quite a lot is. I needed a little time to let things land before sharing them.
In this episode, I share an update after taking part in the Energiomstillerne program by cCHANGE, and how that experience changed the shape of a project I have been thinking about for a long time.
I went into the program with a fairly clear idea. I wanted to build a coalition connected to this podcast. A space where people from different parts of the energy transition could meet, listen, and talk across perspectives.
I came out with something else.
Not a different intention, but a different approach.
🔄 What Shifted
What became clear through the conversations in the program was how much already exists. There are already people, initiatives, and spaces where this work is happening.
Instead of creating something new that people would have to relate to from scratch, it started to feel more meaningful to move towards what is already there, and contribute in a way that builds on that.
The project is still about creating space for dialogue and understanding across what I often think of as different bubbles.
But it is no longer something I am trying to build around the podcast itself.
And that shift also frees up the podcast to stay what it has always been for me. A place where I can explore not only the energy transition, but also work, health, the future, and how we navigate change more broadly.
📚 The Book Came Back
Around the same time, a simple question from a friend brought something back that I had quietly put aside.
“What happened to that book you were writing?”
The honest answer is that I stopped working on it after a funding rejection last year.
But when I opened the document again, it was very clear that the book I had tried to write then is not the book I want to write now.
What is emerging instead feels both more personal and more relevant.
It is about identity, belonging, and what happens when the industry you have built your life in starts to shift under your feet. It is about the space between pride and shame, and about people who are navigating that space every day without necessarily having anywhere to talk about it.
It starts with my own experience of being laid off from the oil and gas industry in 2016, but it is not just my story.
🌍 A Related Space: Life After Oil
At almost the same time, I came across Life After Oil, a UK-based initiative where people with backgrounds in oil and gas share their stories and connect with others going through similar transitions.
I have joined a meetup and a webinar, and it immediately felt relevant to what I am exploring.
It is a space that is very much aligned with the human side of the energy transition, and it also made me wonder what something similar could look like in a Norwegian context.
🔗 Links & Resources
Stories for the Future website
💡 A Thought to Take With You
What happens if we stop trying to design the perfect structure first, and instead pay closer attention to where there is already energy, movement, and willingness to engage?
💬 Join the Conversation
If this resonates, or if you are navigating something similar in your own work, I would really like to hear from you.
You can reply here on Substack, reach out through my website, or connect on LinkedIn.
