7 Powerful Business Lessons from the Year That Changed Everything
2024 was a paradoxical year, both deeply challenging and incredibly transformative.
It reminded me that there cannot be light without darkness.
As a business owner, I’ve come to realize that stewarding a business is deeply intertwined with how we steward ourselves. The vision we have for our own lives inevitably shapes the way we show up in our work.
Over the past year, I’ve learned some invaluable lessons about business, leadership, and success—lessons that have not only shifted how I run my business but also how I show up in life.
Here are 7 key lessons I’m taking forward:
1. Bigger Isn’t Always Better
I used to believe that growing my business meant expanding my team, taking on more projects, and constantly chasing “bigger.” But this year, I realized that success isn’t about size—it’s about alignment. With a small, highly skilled team, we achieved incredible results, worked with dream clients, and created more spaciousness in our lives. Growth doesn’t always mean more; sometimes, it means better.
2. Walk to the Beat of Your Own Drum
Success looks different for everyone. This year, I embraced my own definition of it rather than chasing someone else’s version. With a young, blended family, I needed to create space to be present for big moments—and that meant making business decisions that prioritized my reality. Every season of life is different, and trying to live in all of them at once is a recipe for burnout. {Believe me! I know!]
3. Embrace Your Own Rhythm
Work has changed drastically since the pandemic, and I’ve leaned into the flexibility that comes with it. Letting go of the rigid 9-5 structure has allowed me to work in a way that fuels my creativity. Whether it’s morning yoga, a midday walk, or a Friday afternoon off, I’ve learned that honouring my rhythm makes me more productive, not less.
4. If It’s Not a HELL YES, It’s a No
Life is too short to say yes to work that doesn’t light you up. This year, I got crystal clear on the type of work I want to do and the clients I want to work with—and it changed everything. Work becomes a joy when you’re surrounded by people who inspire you and are aligned with your vision.
5. I Already Have the Answers
For a long time, I outsourced my decision-making—seeking validation, overanalysing, and second-guessing myself. But this year, I reconnected with my own intuition and trusted my gut. The result? Clarity, confidence, and the realization that I already have everything I need to lead my business and my team.
6. Work Is What I Do, Not Who I Am
This was a hard one. For so long, my identity was tied to my work. But slowly, I’ve been unravelling that attachment and finding fulfillment beyond my business. As my husband often reminds me: Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.
7. It’s Safe to Blaze Your Own Trail
There are no hard-and-fast rules for how business should be done. This past year, I’ve reimagined my business to align with my passions, skills, and what my clients truly need. I learned to embrace the unknown, trust the process, and take the next right step—even when I couldn’t see the whole path ahead.
Looking Ahead to 2025
Beyond these lessons, I also spent time reflecting on three key moments that truly lit up my year—the experiences that brought me the most joy, and fulfillment. These weren’t necessarily the biggest milestones, but rather the moments that made me feel most alive. Now, I’m setting the intention to create more of that energy into 2025.
What about you? What lessons are you taking from 2024? And what will you be carrying forward?
If you'd like to do your own reflection, you can grab a copy of my reflection workbook HERE.
This is the workbook that I shared with the attendees at my Business Planning day earlier this year to prepare them for a day of strategic thinking and forward planning for their year ahead. When you download the guide you'll also join the waitlist for the next one in June 2025.
Tune into the podcast where I deep dive on all these lessons you can tune in HERE.
If you're looking for support to reach your business goals without the burnout, then reach out. I'd love to help you redesign your business to set your soul on fire!
And if your body is craving a complete reset, come exhale with us at Exhale | The Retreat, October 2025. I'd love nothing more than to hold space for you while you come home to yourself.
