It's boxing day today in both the UK (where I live) and Australia (where I am today), and I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and I hope this period allows you some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

It's been a fascinating year at Financial Leadership Foundations and Fast Growth Consulting, filled with podcasts, panels, and articles covering a wide range of topics.  Thank-you for letting me share everything with you.

I'm also very excited for 2025, as we prepare for new things and more updates.  What I'm really looking forward to is finally holding a copy of my book in my hand in Q1 2025.  I have been writing this book since Jan 2024 (I thought it would only take me 6 months!).  It's been with the Editors and Publishers now for a couple of weeks and the end of Q1 is looking like the final release date.  If you haven't already - sign up to the book waitlist today.

We're also busy updating the website - as I have two businesses on the one website, so we're going to split them into two.  Soon this website will be on it's own FLF domain name and the Fractional CFO services will be elsewhere.

As we wind down 2024, I thought it might be fun to look back at what resonated most with you this year.

What I've found particularly interesting............

Let's look into the highlights of the year: the most clicked-on and searched-for articles on our platform.

Most Clicked-On Articles in 2024:

1. 5 ways to Find your Voice in business meetings: We talked about this a lot in one of our Q&A sessions in the FLF program.  It was a big learning for me and it looks like it is a big topic for many people.

2. How CFO's manage very tight cashflows, especially pre-fundraise.  Unsurprisingly this is a hot topic in 2024.  I had a conversation with a founder who said, "Survive to '25" and I think many founders share this sentiment.

3. Finance Tech Stack Recommendations: September 2024.  These bi-annual updates are always popular - as new products are launched regularly.  I've already got a few changes that I look forward to sharing in the next update in March.

4. Elevating Your Finance Career: The Strategic Value of your Foundation.  I do bang on about this topic quite a bit - but I've been hired by founder's more than once as some leaders to ignore the foundations.  I'm glad this is a popular one.

5. The Role of a CFO in Product Development in 5 steps.  I'll be honest, I'm surprised this one is on the list, but it shows the interest in how finance leaders can help around the business.

Most Searched-For Articles in 2024:

1. The pros and cons of working for a startup or fast growth business.  I do get asked this question a lot, and if experienced in this field, you can laugh about the fires and the huge ups and downs!

2. Will AI Replace Accountants? Unsurprisingly a similar topic was on the list last year as well.  It's still a popular topic, but not one I'm concerned about. (hint: upskilling to a more strategic role is a must... see where you're at in upskilling in our quiz)

Most Popular Videos in 2024:

1. What is a Start-up or Fast-Growth Business & Its Impact on Finance Leaders.  Similar to searched for articles - this is the most watched video on our channel.
2. How to Convince your boss to pay for professional development & training.  Love this one - hopefully L&D budgets are a little bigger in 2025.
3. The most common fraud I see in a startup: Fractional CFO Tips. I know fraud and risk and the most intersting topics - however if you're a finance leader in a start-up you may be the only one that is thinking about it.

If you haven't subscribed to the YouTube channel yet - then please do!  I'm hoping to get more interviews this year and the best way to get brilliant people is by increasing views and subscribers - so please click on the subscribe button if you haven't already- thanks so much!

Looking back, it's clear that 2024 was a year of broadening out the CFO role, managing the current macroeconomic climate and exploring new technologies.

It's been a pleasure to share these insights and learnings with you.

As we gear up for 2025, I'm excited to continue offering what I can with you all. Your engagement and curiosity are what drive this platform, and I am grateful for your continued support.

Wishing you all a restful holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

Alysha