Welcome to Annual Review number 10! Ten! TEN!!
Ten years in business. Ten years working for myself. As I write this, I still can’t quite believe that it’s been ten years.
In some ways it feels like only yesterday that I was wearing a suit to an office on K-Street in Washington DC, and yet, also, it feels like I’ve been doing this for a really long time now.
I want to go back and give my naive 2015 self a quick pep talk and say “it’s hard but it works out ok!”, when I was flailing around after quitting my accounting job.
Here’s a look at 2024:
2024 Highlights
The work highlight of 2024 was launching my new membership:
⭐️ Sheets Insiders ⭐️
I worked hard to launch this in September and feel like the work over the past few months has been some of the best I’ve ever done.
We’re up to 414 members now and have covered data visualization techniques, drop-down menus in detail, analytical functions, the new Google Sheet Tables in detail, user interface with Sheets elements, and, of course, AI.
And, we have a 3-part Apps Script beginner workshop coming this January (it’s not too late to join!).
In addition to live workshops, members enjoy an exclusive weekly newsletter, packed with Sheets tutorials, news, and templates.
Interested? Join today and get instant access to the full archives!
Google Sheets Tips Newsletter
I sent 44 Google Sheets Tips newsletters this year, starting with #285 in January and ending with #328 in December. I really enjoy putting the weekly newsletter together and I’m still blown away that it goes out to nearly 55,000 people every week. 🤯
If you’re one of those folks, thank you for your support!
And if you’re not, and you’d like to level up your Sheets skills with a bite-size tutorial each week, you can sign up here.
Website
This year I published 14 new and updated posts on this website. My favorite posts to research and write were:
Play-It-Through Chess Game in a Single Google Sheets Formula
Formula Pie Charts in Google Sheets
Website traffic declined again this year, following the trend from last year.
I think there are a combination of factors at play, including: 1) more competition from other Google Sheets sites, 2) competition for search traffic generally from AI chatbots, and 3) younger audiences consuming content in video form, via YouTube or social media.
YouTube
I focused on my YouTube channel for the first few months of 2024 and saw good results, finally reaching 10k subscribers! After this initial burst of energy at the beginning of the year, things slowed down and I’ve only had minimal growth since then.
Google Partnership
One of the highlights of every year is working closely with the Google Sheets team to provide feedback on new features and this year was no exception.
I was also honored to continue as a Google Developer Expert and be part of the Champions Innovator program for another year. 🙏
Craft & Commerce Conference
This was so fun!
Working with AI Tools
It’s crazy how fast these tools are improving, although there are signs those gains are slowing down. But what’s really crazy is how good these tools are getting at doing my job! Yikes 😉
From generating formulas, explaining concepts, writing code, or even drafting blog posts, gen AI can seemingly do it all now.
It’s very clear that what has worked incredibly well for me the past 10 years will not carry me forward for another 10. I’m okay with this though.
One of the things I love most about my job is all the learning I get to do. I’ve always considered adaptability one of my strengths and I’m excited to jump into new technologies this year.
Obviously, AI will be a big focus of my work for 2025 (mostly in a spreadsheet context of course).
Non-Work Highlights
Although a foot injury slowed me down for the second half of 2024, I have many wonderful memories of adventures with family, friends, and solo, to savor from last year.
The 2024 adventure highlights included:
- A 4-day trek in the Julian Alps of Slovenia with my wife
- A 5-day solo hike on the Appalachian Trail in March
- Progressing the sport of bike SUP! I ride to the river put-in, paddleboard downriver, then ride home 😉
- A backpack along the AT with Lexi and our boys to celebrate our 9-yo’s birthday
- Wonderful walks in the UK with my parents and brother, when our trips home lined up
- An awesome 3-day packrafting course in Colorado with Four Corners Guides
- A 23 mile day hike along the Appalachian Trail with friends over summer
- Doing the Harpers Ferry 3-peaks again (~24 miles, 4.5k ft vert), via bike-and-hike with a friend
- Paddleboard adventures with the family on a new lake (Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia)
- Getting started on my birding journey and participating in an amazing bird + coding course with Jer Thorp
- Picking up regular swimming again, when I take my son to his team practice
2024 Challenges
Another lap around the sun and 2024 is in the rear view mirror.
The challenges of 2023 — creative burnout, feeling like I’m running on a treadmill balancing work, parenting and life — continued to affect me in 2024.
I realized in the spring that I didn’t have the enthusiasm for another Google Sheets course, and it took me a while to figure out what my next step was. I was sick for a while in the spring too (a rough cold and then a cough that rumbled on for months), which didn’t help.
A break, participating as a student in an online course myself, and a change of approach (shifting from courses to membership has helped).
I’m looking forward to starting afresh this year and delivering consistent, high-quality teaching through the Sheets Insiders membership.
Looking Forward To 2025
2025 Work Goals
Similar to the past few years, I have a couple of annual goals that I strive for:
- Send my weekly Google Sheets newsletter every week, except for holidays and a short summer break
- Hit 60k newsletter subscribers
I also have internal (non-public) goals for my business, around revenue and subscriber numbers for the Sheets Insiders membership. I want to grow the membership in 2025.
Other 2025 Goals
My 2025 non-work goals are similar to my 2024 ones, mostly to get out for lots of outdoor adventures with friends and family:
- Have another healthy year
- A C&O canal bike tour with my boys
- Get fit on the bike again (and do a 200 mile double century ride!)
- Join a hiking or biking club to meet more people to go adventuring with
- An adventure trip with my brother
- A trip home to see family in the UK
- Weekly brainstorming hike with my wife
- Read 20 books
Thank You!
Thank you for your support on this journey.
A huge thank you if you read my newsletter, have joined Sheets Insiders, or taken one of my online courses. I hope they’re helpful to you!
Best wishes for 2025!
Previous years
- 2023 In Review And A Look Forward To 2024
- 2022 In Review And A Look Forward To 2023
- 2021 In Review And A Look Forward To 2022
- 2020 In Review And A Look Forward To 2021
- 2019 In Review And A Look Forward To 2020
- 2018 In Review And A Look Forward To 2019
- 2017 In Review And A Look Forward To 2018
- 2016 In Review And A Look Forward To 2017
- 2015 In Review And A Look Forward To 2016