As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting not just on what I’ve achieved but on the meaning behind those milestones. Wins, to me, are never about ticking boxes or meeting external benchmarks – they are moments of intentionality, growth, and clarity. They reflect conscious choices and the courage to embrace both opportunities and challenges, shaping a narrative that feels deeply personal and purposeful.
2024 wasn’t a year of passive progress; it was one of deliberate wins, each a testament to the values I chose to honor and the goals I set with care. Here are three key milestones and seven notable achievements that defined a year of purposeful growth.
Key Milestones
Driving Strategic Clarity and Team Empowerment at OCF
This year was pivotal in my journey at the Ottawa Community Foundation (OCF). My role as Director of Corporate Services and Social Innovation offered an opportunity to recalibrate, redesign, and redeploy core processes and systems. I focused on enhancing operational strength and driving strategic clarity to align OCF’s efforts with its mission of lasting community impact. As I led and managed key operational and strategic priorities, I prioritized thoughtful stewardship and measurable outcomes, ensuring every initiative reflected our core values. This role evolved into a dynamic platform for empowering teams and forging transformative pathways for change, driven by an unwavering commitment to excellence and impactful delivery.
Rebuilding Bridges Through TiE Ottawa
This year, I made a deliberate effort to re-engage with the TiE Ottawa network – an ecosystem of innovation, mentorship, and collaboration. Re-engaging thoughtfully with TiE Ottawa reminded me of the power of networks as engines of collective growth, amplifying impact beyond individual contributions. I re-immersed myself in its vibrant community, building meaningful intersections between people and ideas, and fostering collaborations that matter. This experience once again underscored the profound value of nurturing relationships with intention, creating connections that inspire collective growth.
Exploring AI as a Strategic Imperative
Artificial intelligence was more than a buzzword in 2024; it became a strategic enabler for me. I immersed myself in understanding AI’s potential to solve complex problems, drive innovation, and create value. By positioning myself as an AI strategist, I helped leaders and organizations navigate its possibilities, enabling them to stay ahead of change. This journey wasn’t just about learning AI – it was about asking the right questions, identifying opportunities amid challenges, and ensuring AI serves as a force for good.
Notable Achievements
Returning to the Classroom
After years away from formal teaching, I returned to the classroom to teach four post-secondary courses at Lambton College’s Ottawa campus. Teaching has always been more than a role for me; it’s a calling. This year reminded me of the transformative power of education, not just in imparting knowledge but in sparking curiosity and fostering growth. Standing before my students felt both like a privilege and a profound responsibility.
Committing to Writing as a Discipline
For over two decades, I’ve carried a collection of untapped reflections. In 2024, I committed to writing regularly as a disciplined practice. Writing became more than an act of expression – it became a way to clarify my thinking, refine my voice, and engage meaningfully with the world. This year wasn’t about perfecting the craft, it was about starting and finding joy in the process.
Choosing to Obtain My Real Estate License
Concerned by housing affordability and access, I chose to finish the process for securing my real estate license. While I’m still refining the best ways to harness this capability, I am deeply committed to leveraging every opportunity to drive greater transparency and unlock seamless access to real estate insights.
This step embodies my unwavering belief in tackling systemic challenges through purposeful, thoughtful, and decisive action—driven by a bias for action and a deep desire to engage meaningfully in creating tangible, lasting impact. I felt that the best way to be part of the solution was to gain access to the data, enabling informed decisions and purposeful change.
Reimagining Work-Life Harmony
The concept of work-life balance often feels elusive, if not fundamentally flawed. This year, I chose to reframe it as work-life harmony – cultivating intentional boundaries that honored my goals while respecting the needs, aspirations, and feelings of those around me in both personal and professional settings. This shift demanded deep humility and thoughtfulness, ensuring that expectations were not only well-established but also clearly understood by all involved. By prioritizing connection, rest, and renewal with intentionality, I discovered a rhythm that was not only sustainable but profoundly meaningful, rooted in purpose and mutual respect.
Helping Shape the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs, Leaders and Business Innovators
This year, I deepened my commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders by coaching early-stage entrepreneurs and small business owners, with a strong focus on youth leadership and youth entrepreneurship. My work centered on developing accessible, actionable frameworks that demystified the complexities of business modeling and strategy, enabling them to confidently navigate the challenges of launching and growing their ventures. Through this journey, I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of thoughtful guidance, reinforcing my belief that investing in young visionaries not only shapes businesses but also fuels communities and drives lasting, impactful change.
Renewing Focus on Family and Friends
This year, I embraced a renewed consciousness of life’s fragility, choosing not to fear or worry about mortality but to channel that awareness into intentionality. I prioritized creating and protecting meaningful time with my parents and sister, crafting experiences that deepened our bonds and celebrated the profound value of connection. Family has always been at the core of who I am, but 2024 brought a heightened appreciation for the limited opportunities we have with those we love. This realization inspired me to thoughtfully plan and cherish every moment, ensuring that my time with immediate family and close friends is purposeful, deeply enriching, and enduring.
Advancing Frameworks for Decision-Making and Growth
I honed and refined models to empower individuals and organizations to make smarter, more informed decisions and achieve new heights of performance. This work was never about novelty for its own sake – it was about purposefully designing actionable, transformative frameworks that unlock potential and drive meaningful success. These tools became indispensable in navigating complexity, enabling clarity, and fostering growth, proving their value as catalysts for lasting impact and progress.
A Year of Purposeful Growth and Forward Momentum
Each of these wins (and achievements) feels deeply personal yet interconnected, representing alignment between intention and action. Re-engaging with TiE Ottawa reignited my commitment to community and innovation. Immersing myself in AI sharpened my strategic thinking. Returning to teaching and committing to writing brought me closer to my purpose, while reimagining work-life harmony reminded me of the importance of living in alignment with my values.
As I look back, 2024 feels like a year where I not only achieved but became. These wins are not endpoints – they are lessons and invitations to keep growing. They remind me that the most meaningful achievements aren’t the loudest but the ones that resonate deeply and inspire us to move forward.
Looking ahead, I aim to carry the momentum of 2024 into the new year. My focus for 2025 is to deepen these efforts – to amplify impact, build resilience, and continue aligning my actions with purpose. To be more at peace with my limitations and to better appreciate the blessings in my life. Because at the heart of it, the best part of any win isn’t what it proves – it’s what it teaches and how it propels us toward what comes next.