A few days ago, Business Chicks founder Emma and I were working late in the office when we stumbled on a collection of photos taken over the past year.

As leaders, it can often be hard for us to stop and reflect – there’s always more work to do and we never think we’re doing enough.

But looking through those photos, we both had a moment of clarity and gratitude for all that’s happened in 2016.

This year has been champagne and grazed knees. I started out with complete impostor syndrome – stepping into the CEO role and into a founder’s business was a daunting prospect.

But what I’ve learnt over the past 12 months is that it’s not qualifications that make a good leader.

It’s how you show up. It’s how you treat people. It’s how you get up, with a smile on your face, after you’ve fallen over.

Em felt that more acutely than ever when she packed up four kids and her husband and moved to Los Angeles to launch Business Chicks USA.

The distance from the rest of the team back in Australia and the humility of starting again has been incredibly tough.

Neither of us had a handbook for what we had to do this year. But we found courage in the action and in the doing – and through leaning on and learning from each other and from everyone in the Business Chicks community.

From both of us, we want to thank you for believing in the work we’re doing and for believing in women.

We’re both so excited about the next chapter for Business Chicks, because we’re never going to stop believing in each other – or in all of you.

Whatever you’re doing, and however you’re celebrating, I hope the next few weeks are full of happiness.

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