2024 in Review
I prioritized quality time with friends and family, worked with a therapist, and finally got to see the northern lights. Going all in on my signature course paid off and I got to work with some amazing online business owners.
Here’s what went well, what didn’t go so well, and what I’m looking forward to in 2025 — with lots of photos and graphs.
What went well — Personal
1. Honeymoon in Iceland
Possibly the biggest highlight of 2024 was celebrating our honeymoon in Iceland. Sean and I had been dreaming about visiting Iceland for years, and planning a two-week trip to mark our first wedding anniversary felt like the perfect way to make it happen.
We were lucky enough to catch the northern lights — one of the main reasons we chose to go in October. It felt like pure magic.
The northern lights, captured from our cottage near Húsavík in northeast Iceland
Everything is so big and alive
In the depths of the Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge
The road was closed (to cars) because there was too much snow
Honestly, the entire trip was filled with unforgettable moments. The lava fields and rock formations felt otherworldly. We also visited a few thermal baths and hot springs — including Landbrotalaug, a literal hole in the ground that was just big enough for two people.
And the food! I especially loved the fresh arctic char and langoustines, local lamb, and sourdough bread. We indulged in many Nordic pastries and the local craft beers were also some of the best we’d ever had.
It was a trip we’ll never forget and the perfect way to celebrate a special milestone together. Here are links to see more photos and videos on Instagram: part 1 and part 2
Sean walking down the Rainbow Street in artsy, charming Seyðisfjörður
Braving the unpaved F-roads on a very snowy day
2. Reunions with school friends
This year gave me the chance to reconnect with friends from my primary and high school days.
In Boston, I caught up with a middle school friend I hadn’t seen since before she had her two kids. Life had changed so much for both of us (the last time we met, I was on a work trip for my 9-5 job) but it was so easy to pick up where we left off. Sean and I spent a whole day with her and her family, and we left feeling so happy and grateful.
Amsterdam turned out to be the hub for reunions. I stayed with one of my oldest friends, someone I try to see every year, especially now that we’re both in Europe. We also met up with a friend we hadn’t seen since Grade 5 and another friend we hadn’t seen since our high school graduation. There was naturally so much to catch up on, and the time just flew by.
There’s something so comforting about reconnecting with people I met at different stages of my life — whether as a 10-year-old, probably feeling the most secure I ever would about my friendships, or as a stressed-out teenager preparing for university. It also made me feel homesick for Sri Lanka, where all of us went to school and so many memories were made.
3. Quality family time
My parents visited us in Switzerland, and we got to show them some of the beautiful places we’d been saving just for their trip. We started with a steamboat ride across Lake Lucerne, followed by a cogwheel train ride to the summit of Mount Rigi. We had the most perfect weather and the views of the Alps and the lake were stunning. Another memorable hike was in Stoos, where we had panoramic views in every direction.
The steamboat “Uri”
Starting our Stoos hike at the Klingenstock
Lake Lucerne from the other side
We also visited Lungern, a village straight out of a postcard with its turquoise lake and mountain backdrops. It was an extra hot August day, and a dip in the cool water was exactly what we all needed. Another highlight was driving through the Furka Pass, with its dramatic winding roads and alpine views, and visiting the stunning Rhone Glacier.
Lake Lungern is a real gem — perfect on a hot summer day
The iconic Furka Pass (also the location for the James Bond film, Goldfinger)
The last time my parents were here, our house was under renovation, so it felt extra special to finally host them at home. We also enjoyed a relaxing few days at Sean’s parents’, visiting old lakeside villages and sharing slow meals out on the terrace. I’m so grateful that we all get along so well — an interracial, intercultural family, I don’t take this for granted at all.
My dad making friends with the local cows
The gorgeous vineyards of Grandvaux
While my sister couldn’t join us in Switzerland, we made up for it with a sisterly trip to London, just the two of us. We had so much fun exploring museums, small design shops, and indulging in delicious Sri Lankan food. Since we’ve lived in different countries for most of the last 17+ years, we haven’t had many chances to spend quality time together as adults — and I really hope to change that going forward.
We also indulged in some amazing sashimi at a Japanese Brazilian Peruvian restaurant
We were blessed with the perfect weather for wandering around the city
4. Traveling with Sean (and Mari)
Sean and I got to do a fair bit of traveling together this year, and each trip brought its own special memories.
We explored the Engadine region in Switzerland, visiting beautiful mountain villages like Bergün and Scuol. This region has its own unique cultural charm, and we loved wandering through the quiet village streets and forest trails.
We also took a train to St. Moritz along the Albula Line of the Rhaetian Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage route famous for its stunning alpine scenery and innovative engineering, with viaducts and spiral tunnels dating back to 1904 — but the real highlight (at least for Mari) was her swim in the icy lake!
The gorgeous view from our airbnb living room in Bergün
A beautifully decorated house in the tiny mountain village of Latsch
This is basically the whole of Latsch
Mari and Sean in Scuol
The 10th century Tarasp Castle and village
New York City was definitely a highlight. It’s the first place I ever traveled to alone as a teenager — it was the summer I turned 16 and the first time I felt seen and loved for who I was by my peers. I’ve been back many times over the last twenty years, and although I don’t think I’ll ever live there, it always makes me so happy to visit.
NYC was also one of the first places Sean and I traveled to together. It was the second time we were doing the long-distance thing — we met up on the other side of the world and ended up getting stuck in a blizzard. This time, we had much better weather and we got to see Hamilton, which was just as incredible as we’d hoped.
We also drove up to Boston and other parts of Massachusetts, places I had never been before. We love road-tripping together — there’s something about discovering the best local food, coffee, and craft beer and exploring new places with no set plan. I finally got to try lobster rolls for the first time — and then couldn’t stop eating them!
Click here to see my NYC and Boston photo dump on Instagram.
London was a very last-minute trip. We decided we wanted a pre-holiday holiday before the busy Christmas season and combined it with meetups with Sean’s university friends. We did a bit of shopping (something we keep to a minimum in Switzerland, where everything seems to cost double) and feasted on dim sum in Chinatown and enjoyed the festive holiday atmosphere around the city.
Cocktails at The Ned
Dimsum is love
5. Working with a mental health therapist
This year, I worked with a mental health therapist and empowerment coach, and I feel so much better equipped to take care of my emotional well-being.
I had been following Angela Wu (aka The Sassy Asian Therapist) on Instagram for months, and when I saw she was taking on new clients, I jumped at the opportunity.
For the first time in my life, I learned to accurately identify my feelings and understand the different parts of myself that were often in conflict. She gave me tools to work through my anxiety and provided a reassuring space to process more complex, traumatic experiences (like encountering overt racism while traveling).
It truly changed my life. I used to worry that I’d never find someone who could understand my specific experiences. I feel so fortunate to have found Angela because with her, I felt truly seen and understood.
6. Feeling more grounded in Switzerland
This year, life in Switzerland started to feel more grounded and settled. I’ve gotten to know my way around the city, and Mari and I have established our stomping grounds out on the trails. We hike together every morning, exploring the beautiful landscapes in our neighborhood, and it’s become one of my favorite daily routines.
You can get a peek into a our routine in this video: A Day in My Life as an Online Business Owner in Switzerland
We’ve had the chance to meet a lot of our neighbors, which has made our community feel more welcoming — not something Switzerland is exactly known for! I also joined a local HIIT (high-intensity interval training) boot camp by invitation, which has been a great way to stay active and improve my Swiss German while meeting new people.
Sean and I also bought an investment property together here in Switzerland — a real grownup milestone!
I feel fortunate to have many places in the world that feel like home, and Switzerland has definitely become one of those places.
What went well — Business
1. Growing The Fast Track System
This year, The Fast Track System became my biggest revenue driver, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with how it’s grown. What started as a live 4-week program I ran four years ago has evolved into my signature course for web designers who want to build consistent income through high-ticket projects.
Last year, I made the decision to focus on it as my main offer. To better support my customers, I added twice-monthly office hours, providing ongoing guidance as they work through the course and tackle the day-to-day challenges of running their businesses.
I also worked with Prerna Malik from Content Bistro to create a brand new sales page that truly reflects how robust the course has become and showcases the incredible results web designers have achieved.
It wasn’t easy to take my foot off the gas for my other products and offers, but it paid off — more than half of my 2024 revenue came from The Fast Track System sales alone.
I feel both relief and a sense of accomplishment. This brings me one big step closer to building a business where my ability to earn isn’t tied to the number of hours I work.
Here are some graphs that show how The Fast Track System fits into my overall business.
First, here’s where my revenue came from in 2024 (hover over the segments to see the percentage figures).
The Fast Track System, of course, falls into the Courses & Digital Products category, which continues to be the largest source of income for my business.
As you can see in the following chart, 84% of my income was from sales of The Fast Track System. Interestingly, the Website Audit Masterclass was the second best-selling course (but trailed far behind). No other course or digital product came close.
2. Growing my email list
My email list is my main way of engaging with my audience and promoting my offers, so continuing to grow it was a big focus this year.
The Google and Yahoo email delivery updates this year were definitely a challenge, especially with all the new authentication requirements and stricter spam filtering. But thanks to Cheryl Rerick’s Deliverability Unboxed workshop series (affiliate link), I was able to navigate the changes smoothly and make all the necessary updates to my email setup by February. As a result, I didn’t notice any dips in my email deliverability, which was a huge relief given how important email is to my business.
One major way I grew my email list was by participating in summits and bundles, which introduced my work to new audiences.
These are the events I contributed to this year:
Your Booked Out Year — for experienced service providers wanting to get fully booked, hosted by Megan Elliott
Simply Profitable Designer Summit — a major annual summit for designers looking to simplify and grow their businesses, hosted by Shannon Mattern
The Creative Future Summit — uniquely focused on the future of the design industry, hosted by Gigi Davarashvili of One6Creative
The Pagebuilder Summit — another mainstay in the industry calendar, especially for WordPress designers, hosted by Anchen le Roux and Nathan Wrigley
The Sustainable Visibility® Not-Quite-a-Summit-Thingamabob — for socially conscious online service providers wanting to increase their visibility, hosted by Maikee Tsang
Lizzy’s $9 Party — a fun bundle of $9 products created according to Lizzy Goddard’s “Small But Mighty $9 Offers” method (affiliate link)
I’ve also been consistently promoting my free training, How to Get Clients Consistently (which leads into The Fast Track System), and that’s helped grow my list both organically and through paid ads. A special shoutout to Zach Spuckler — I learned a lot about running Facebook lead generation ads from his Listbuilding Bootcamp.
Here’s a graph showing how my email list has grown over the past few years. I love knowing that every new subscriber represents someone I can help build a more profitable and inclusive web design business.
3. “Relaunching” my YouTube channel
I revived my YouTube channel this year and saw some exciting growth. I worked with Gulce Onganer, a YouTube strategist, who provided a tried-and-tested framework for creating helpful and relevant content that guides my ideal audience toward learning more about The Fast Track System. Her approach helped me keep things simple and practical, which was key to staying consistent without feeling overwhelmed.
At the end of June, I had just over 500 subscribers. In July, I began posting a new video almost every week, managing to upload 17 videos over 24 weeks. My initial goal was to reach 1,000 subscribers by December 31, but I surpassed that, hitting 1,166 subscribers by the end of the year.
Number of subscribers over 2024 — things really started picking up in the last 2 months!
As my channel grew, I noticed more comments and engagement — the positive feedback has been such a bright spot in my day.
Even more exciting, 14% of Fast Track System sales between July and December 2024 came directly from YouTube. I love being able to share content that web designers around the world find helpful, while also seeing how it contributes to my business growth.
4. In-person meetups with online business owners
One of the highlights of this year was seeing other online business owners in person. This was such a big part of my 2023, and I’m so glad I was able to do it again in 2024. These meetups reminded me how much relationships can deepen when you spend time together, sharing meals and conversations in the same physical space.
I met up with Gigi Davarashvili, founder of One6Creative and educator for designers, for a panoramic hike with our dogs, and she introduced me to a beautiful part of Switzerland in a neighboring canton that I’d never explored before. It also happened to be one of the first times I drove solo with Mari in the car, which made me feel very capable and independent 😂
Cash and Mari enjoying the view 🥹
I actually got to see Gigi twice this year — I also organized a lunch with her and Yvonne Durand, a career coach and HR consultant. We met up at one of my favorite restaurants in the beautiful old town of Lucerne. I loved exchanging stories about where we’re from and how we all ended up in Switzerland. I always appreciate getting to hear other people’s life stories — even if they might sound familiar, everyone’s experience is so unique and fascinating.
During my visit to Amsterdam, while staying with my school friend Annelie Wambeek (who also runs her own business as an intercultural trainer), I invited Mariana Peña and Gulce Onganer to Annelie’s light-filled, airy apartment.
Mariana is an instructional designer and IP consultant who’s become a close friend over the past few years. She and I did a “walking tour” photoshoot with the very talented and energetic Polina Nasedkina for our new podcast — more on that in the next section! It was so much fun seeing Gulce in person shortly after we’d started working together on my YouTube channel.
Between Annelie, Mariana, and Gulce, I got a very insightful picture of what it’s like to live in the Netherlands as a foreigner and woman of color — in many ways similar, but also different from what I’ve seen and experienced in other parts of the world.
I also got to see Mai-kee Tsang during my trip to London, when she joined me and my sister for an amazing Sri Lankan dinner. Mai-kee is a podcast guesting strategist and the host of The Sustainable Visibility® Not-Quite-a-Summit-Thingamabob.
Seeing someone in person is completely different from talking to them online. The conversations flow differently when you’re not sitting in front of a computer screen, and there’s something special about the energy of being in the same room.
I always leave these meetups feeling like my heart is so full — grateful that I get to work with such unique, smart, and talented people. This is exactly why I started my business: to choose the people I surround myself with and make sure I’m working alongside those who share my values.
5. Launching a podcast about decolonizing online business
I created a podcast called “We Should Talk About This” with Mariana Peña! This was the first podcast either of us had launched and it was a true labor of love.
The name of the podcast came from how often we’d find ourselves in day-to-day conversations, saying “Ooh, we should talk about this” — as in, we needed to set aside quality time to dive deeper into topics that deserved more attention.
Promo graphic for the podcast
Promo graphic for the podcast
Our podcast is all about unpacking shady practices in online business, covering topics like time zone prejudice, anti-oppressive learning, pay equity, passport privilege, and interracial marriages.
These are the kinds of conversations that usually happen behind the scenes, with personal stories, unscripted answers, and real-time reactions — and we wanted to share all of this with our online community.
Season 1 is all about decolonizing online business, inviting listeners to rethink and reshape how we approach work in this capitalist, white supremacist, patriarchal, and colonial system. I’m so proud of what we’ve created and excited to keep the conversation going. You can listen to the podcast on our website: weshouldtalk.co
What didn’t go so well
1. I didn’t get enough sleep
I complained about not getting enough sleep last year, and unfortunately, this continued to be a challenge. According to my Oura ring, my average sleep time increased slightly from 6 hours 47 minutes in 2023 to 6 hours 54 minutes in 2024, but that’s still far from where I want to be.
Years ago, improving my sleep was one of the biggest factors in reversing my prediabetes and boosting my overall health. But in the past couple of years, I’ve struggled to maintain that habit. When I don’t get enough sleep, I get more frequent migraines, feel sluggish, and I’m noticeably less productive.
The biggest issue has been going to bed on time. I like staying up — since I don’t scroll through Instagram or TikTok much during the day, I almost feel like I’ve earned that time before bed. But this habit isn’t serving me and it’s time to fix this.
2. I read fewer books than usual
I’ve always loved reading, but in 2024, I didn’t make enough time for it. I usually read 15-20 books a year, but this past year, I only finished 9.
Reading is one of those things that brings me so much joy, yet I struggled to prioritize it. Part of the challenge was finding books I genuinely enjoyed — too often, I’d spend all my time searching for my next read, get frustrated I couldn’t find anything I wanted to read, and just end up watching TV instead.
To change this, I’m going to try keeping a running list of books I want to read so when I finish a book, I can dive straight into the next one without getting stuck.
I know how much reading adds to my life, and there’s no real excuse for not doing more of it. Part of my dream life includes reading a lot, and this is entirely within reach.
The best book I read in 2024
Another favorite from 2024
3. I made less progress than I’d hoped with German
Since November 2023, I’ve been taking regular German classes, focusing on speaking and getting comfortable having conversations in everyday situations. I’m probably close to a B1 level, which means I’m making progress. Sean’s family speaks Swiss German at home, and I understand much more than I did before moving to Switzerland.
But despite these improvements, I expected to feel more confident speaking German in daily situations by now. I still hesitate more than I’d like and often default to English, especially in larger cities where most locals speak English.
Learning a language is such a big part of understanding a country and its culture. Especially since we plan on staying in the German-speaking part of Switzerland for a while, it’s important to me that I feel comfortable speaking German and Swiss German, even if it’s not perfect.
So in 2025, I’m setting aside more dedicated time to work on my German. If you have a favorite German language resource, please send it my way!
What I’m looking forward to in 2025
1. Growing my YouTube channel
I’m beyond happy with the growth of my YouTube channel in 2024, and I want to keep that momentum going in 2025. Now that I’ve established a solid content strategy and a consistent posting schedule, I’m excited to do more of what’s working.
I’d love to become more efficient at scripting and recording my videos — that will hopefully come with practice!
It’s been amazing to see web designers discover my work through YouTube and then join The Fast Track System, and I can’t wait to see where the channel goes next.
2. Updating The Fast Track System
Over the past year, The Fast Track System has become my primary offer, and I’m focusing on refining and expanding this course to make it even more valuable for web designers who want to grow their businesses through high-ticket projects.
The biggest update is new content that walks customers through a complete client project from start to finish. I’m documenting every step — including all the parts that don’t go according to plan — to give them a practical, in-depth look at The Fast Track System in action.
The Fast Track System has always included examples from real client work, but this will be the first time I share an entire project, from the sales call to the website launch and beyond. I want to show how everything fits together in a real-world setting and hopefully help my customers take action and get results.
2025 is all about streamlining, optimizing, and growing what’s already working. The Fast Track System is helping web designers transform their businesses, and I’m excited to amplify its impact.
3. Prioritizing sleep and feeling more energetic
After another year of not getting enough sleep, I’m making this a serious priority in 2025. I know how much better I feel when I get 7-8 hours of sleep consistently, and I don’t want to keep running on low energy.
I’m committing to changes like keeping my phone away from my bedside table (and replacing it with a book) and practicing a wind-down routine every night, including a hot shower, stretching, and guided meditation.
I love the feeling of waking up well-rested and want this to become the norm instead of something I experience only once in a while.
Wish me luck!
Want to read my 2023 review?
This is my third year writing a year-in-review post. Click here to read the one I wrote last year, looking back on 2023.
