The Year of Iceberg

If you’ve ever stared at an iceberg or watched Titanic way too many times, you know the deal;

a little bit of icy glory pops out above the water, but below the surface? It’s a whole other world. It is layers of complexity, weight, and events you never guessed were there. That’s exactly what my 2024 felt like. We all carry our personal iceberg. Let me share mine.

From the outside, it probably looked like a year of big wins, new connections, and exciting progress. And it was! RaizUp reached new heights, my team tackled some bold goals, and we made waves in the travel and hospitality world. But below the surface? Oh, it was ... a lot.

Let me take you behind the scenes of my iceberg.

It felt like a perfect party where the vibe was just right, and you didn’t even regret the karaoke at the end.

Our team leveled up in ways that made me proud every single day; they became braver, and more innovative than ever. RaizUp grew stronger than ever—we welcomed amazing new people into our community, while we said goodbye for some longtime WHTT / RaizUp Team Members. The pillar of this are them: Luz Alvarado Zaiz Maria Stoyanova, PhD Erika Bucsi Sophia Melas @Elizabeth Long @David Balint Varga and new team members Julia Rey Juan Ruano Ori Appel and the many people behind the scenes who opened doors, pushed us, and challenged us to provide global recruitment and consulting services to our great industry: travel.

We built impactful partnerships and created programs that challenged the status quo.

We teamed up with organizations that didn’t just understand the importance of inclusion but actively worked to make workplaces more human.

Ally Northfield who trusted me with Revenue Academy and GRF London to kick off 2024, an incredible leader, visionnaire, mentor.

Mark Haywood we completed our 6th hire this year and more to come with BirchStreet Systems .

Ilaria Marinoni we completed our 1st hire and I cannot wait to see the journey for Thynk.Cloud next year.

Walter Buschta who always supported our mission from day 1.

Bram van Berkel Vassilis Syropoulos we finally did our first project together.

Yuliya Denysenko look what one year did to us - I don't want to spoil but cannot wait for January.

Roeland Verhamme and ExpectMe the rocky road on the opportunity of room allocation.

Fiona Gillen to be a first mover on all the ideas - apart from being a great karaoke singer.

Luka Berger to embark this 12 months yourney with you. Thank you for welcoming me in Ljbuljana.

And many other partners, friends, colleagues who hold a special place equally.

Stay tuned for new positions and agenda for 2025.

But just like any great celebration, the behind-the-scenes work was immense.

While we celebrated these wins, I was navigating some heavy personal challenges.

This year brought heartbreak in the form of two pregnancy losses. Balancing grief and the demands of leadership wasn’t easy, but these moments reminded me of the power of community and the importance of self-compassion.

I also face heavy hormonal treatments, which tested my patience (and my wardrobe. And like many others, I had my battles with mental health—days when even showing up felt like climbing Everest.

And through it all, I learned that the real strength lies in what isn’t always visible—asking for help, taking breaks, and leaning on the people who believe in you (I am looking at you Brendan May .

These experiences reminded me that it’s okay to pause, and let others carry the weight when you need to catch your breath.

Thank you to everyone who was part of this journey.

Lessons from My Iceberg

If 2024 taught me anything, it’s this:

1. What’s beneath the surface matters. The messy stuff makes you stronger.
2. Celebrate the visible wins, but honor the hidden struggles. They’re part of the story too.
3. Keep showing up... for yourself, your dreams, and your people.

Here’s to another year of growing, connecting, and discovering what lies beneath the surface. Bring on 2025.