A Year of Ups, Downs and Breakthroughs: My 2024 Wrapped

Well, here we are. December. The end of another year. The end of 2024 – surely that’s not right?! 

What a year it has been. 

Back in January, I gave myself a word for 2024. And that word was build. To build up my businesses, build up my brand, build up myself. And I think, by and large, my year lived up to that. I’ve laid the foundations for new opportunities, and strengthened the building blocks I’d already put in place over the last few years. I’ve invested, unashamedly, in myself. I’ve built my team into the best it’s ever been and, in turn, I know they’re always putting their heart and souls into building on my behalf. 

But, everything hasn’t been perfect. And you guys know I always try to be as open, honest, and authentic as possible. Because every failure, heartbreak and bumpy ride is an opportunity to learn. And if we don’t take those opportunities, we’ll never grow. (Growth, by the way, is my word for 2025.)  

So, in non-musical style, here’s my 2024 Wrapped.

Travel 

2024 was equal with 2023 for the amount of international travel I managed to pack in. 

Getting the opportunity to attend shows and conferences is one of my absolute favorite things about what I do, and it’s an honor to be invited to more and more each year. Events – from Manifest and TPM to Inland Distribution and Women In Supply Chain Forum – took me to Las Vegas twice, Atlanta twice, and Miami three times.  

I think I’m finally settling into my groove when it comes to travel. I know what to wear, what to pack, and the latest I can arrive at the airport before last call. But I STILL haven’t racked up enough air miles to fly First Class!

Myself 

Like so many entrepreneurs and determined, hard-working women, I’ve been guilty of wearing busyness as a badge of honor. Being too committed to the hustle, secretly proud of having ten back-to-back meetings and working on weekends. 

This year, I’ve been trying to be more present and focused on what I want to achieve, to think more about personal growth and wellbeing rather than simply moving forward at pace. And, as part of that, I went to the Summit of Greatness. Honestly, that was an investment in myself I never would have thought about making before. But I’m so glad I did. When Lewis Howes says the summit is a life-changing experience, he’s not wrong. I learned to think about my greater mission, tackle imposter syndrome, embrace positive mindset strategies that actually work, and discover the power of self-worth. I’ll be headed back to the Summit of Greatness in 2025 with some of my team this time, and I hope to see some of you there.

Family 

When you focus too much on the hustle and push yourself down the priority list, the same often goes for your family. I’m lucky that my husband often helps me out with Let’s Talk Supply Chain and travels with me, but we all know that’s not really quality time. And the same goes for my step kids and nieces and nephews. 

So in 2024 I re-focused on family. I was thrilled to be able to take my nephew to Tampa for his very first Buccaneers home NFL game – it was such a blast, and a memory I’ll never forget.

But, perhaps even more excitingly, my husband and I had time to think and talk about what we really want from the next chapter of our lives together, and we made a BIG decision. In 2025, we’re Coming to America! So if you have any top tips for a Canadian in Florida, let me know!

Non-profit 

This year, my voluntary career came to an end. I gave up my seat on the board at FITT - Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) after 10 years. I was sad, but ready. I took the seat when I was pretty inexperienced, and they took a chance on me (Thank you Caroline Tompkins for all your friendship and guidance). I learned so much, and gave everything I had. But it had come to a point where I didn’t have anything new to give, and it was time to let someone else bring a fresh take to the role. I wish them all the best, and can’t wait to see how they continue to thrive in 2025. 

And of course that meant I had more time to focus on my own non-profit, the Blended Pledge. 2024 has been quite the year for Blended – the podcast has gone from strength to strength (+88% listeners!) and the board has grown more than I could’ve hoped. We’ve gone from six to 20 volunteers, and almost all chairs are now filled. If you want to join us in 2025, now’s the time to raise your hand!

Re-birth

Many of you will know that I launched the Secret Society of Supply Chain in 2023, after many months of plotting, planning, researching, building, and head-scratching. It was a real labor of love and I was really excited for what it was going to bring to the industry. My team and I worked hard throughout 2024 to run pilot programs and gather feedback from the community. But, I promised you honesty. And honestly, I think I’d underestimated the challenges of running not one but three membership groups. It didn’t end up how I’d planned –does anything in life?! At first, I was sad. Then I took a pause, read a previous Monthly Hustle, and took my own (great!) advice! Failure isn’t a bad thing. Failure is learning, failure is growth. And failure is often a much needed part of innovation.

So this is not the end for the Secret Society of Supply Chain. Like a caterpillar waiting to become a butterfly, it’s just at the start of a beautiful transformation. So look out! We’ve already partnered with some powerhouses for SSSC 2.0 – go to the website to sign up for the newsletter, look out for networking events and stay updated on all the breaking news. The Secret Society of Supply Chain will be back bigger and better in 2025. 

Celebrity 

Now, if you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know that I appeared twice in hair campaigns for the gorgeous Denise Richards. It’s random, but that’s my life! And I thought it would remain the most random celebrity link in my life. Until 2024!

I was lucky enough to attend the US Open earlier this year, and I ended up sitting next to Taylor Fritz’s Dad, Guy! He was such a nice man, and obviously incredibly proud of his super talented son. In Denver, I stayed at a cabin where the famous crooner Bing Crosby used to vacation. And in March, I helped book a hotel room for pop star Jessica Simpson’s Mom. There was something in the air this year!

And, the tip of the iceberg for all reality fans, I got to interview the beautiful and talented entrepreneur, business owner, and star of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Sutton Strake! And here’s a little 2025 teaser: look out for a very special announcement involving me and Sutton in February. 

Awards 

I’m not one to shout about this sort of thing . But I always tell other women (pretty forcefully, actually!) to shout about their achievements, to share their accomplishments with the world. Men are so good at it! Women? Not so much. So I need to follow my own advice!

In 2024, I was named a Top 10 Supply Chain Influencer, and recognized with the Pros to Know Award – that one really meant a lot.

I know awards aren’t everything. They aren’t the only measure of success. But, combined with all the other amazing things on my 2024 Wrapped list, I have to admit I’m pretty proud.  

2024 has been a YEAR and I cannot wait for 2025. 

Now, over to you! I want to hear your 2024 Wrapped stories. Did you get a promotion, or have a baby? Quit a toxic job, or visit a new country? Did you learn a new skill, or move house? I want to hear your highlights, and what’s to come for all of you in 2025.  

-Sarah