No expectations for 2024 but it was a surprisingly a great year from being a finalist to a regional award to being comfortable in talks in CFO and corporate events to growing my advocacy project, OATM.
Year of The Franc XIX
Flashback to 2023, it was the year I finished my Asian Trilogy (Mount Kinabalu, Mount Fuji and Jade Mountain). What’s next after ticking that in your bucket list? It was also that year that I started to get invited to speak at CFO events. I really had no clue to where 2024 would bring me.
Controller of the Year – Finalist
Speaking of no expectations, I didn’t expect this one. I even initially denied the first nomination until I realized I had nothing to lose. The news came in January that I was shortlisted as a finalist and was able to go to Singapore for the awards night. More than the award, I also appreciated the chance to network with CFOs and Controllers in the region. It was also a good chance to finalize our financials with our auditors also based in Singapore.
Being comfortable talking in a crowd.
While I started having talks in 2023, it was in 2024 where I became more comfortable being in front of a crowd and speaking. I am a better writer than a public speaker. I do have several accolades in writing. But at this point in my life, I realized I had a lot to share over decades of experience. So be it, let’s try to spread that knowledge through talks and events. It was also a way to expand my own knowledge as I also tried to learn as much as I can in AI, Automation, Sustainability and others as I can to be able to be an effective speaker.
On A Trail Mission
Flashback to the end of 2019 that I turned my backs to organizing events and it was only in 2022 that I resumed with On A Trail Mission. It was my passion calling me back though through a much simpler trail academy style of events. It was just me recharging that passion to come up with something bigger and better all the time. OATM 5 had about 200 participants in a trail talk, trail run, trail party and trail outing. How do you top that for OATM 6? Well, make it a two day event and a have a 2 year anniversary celebration. We had OATM Turns 2 at R.O.X. Ayala BGC and OATM 6 Weekend, which also added tree planting, a Suunto challenge and the Batangas Road to Trail Challenge. OATM 6 Weekend had about 1,000 runners and a new benchmark of holding future OATMs.
Work and Play Around The World
I don’t get a high with traveling as much as I used to except probably with Family and Friends. I still make out the most of each trip. 6 out of the country trips (2 Singapore, 3 Cambodia and 1 Hong Kong). It felt like more because I had longer stays in each visit this year compared to 2023. It was also my 21st year at Medtecs and I would always be thankful to the Company for giving me the opportunity to grow and mature into bigger roles.
Weekend Warrior Mode Activate
While people are in their running era, I’m in my retirement tour when it comes to running. I do it just to have fun, to destress at time and just be fit. No more PR breaking, mileage chasing, elevation scaling for me. I just make a habit out of it and just appreciate that I can still be fit at this point. I am still on weekend warrior mode but on a more chill pace.
Project Franc 365 Year 2
I’m about to wrap up my Daily Thoughts Project (Project Franc 365), which is now on its second year. I’m still thinking if I’d continue this project in 2025 because the thoughts maybe repetitive already. Of course there are a lot of topics that are constant like humility, the importance of hardworking, being innovative among others.
2025 and beyond
One thing that 2024 has taught me is that my potentials are limitless and that’s what I’d want to explore in 2025. Aiming higher in 2025 and expecting to always be a better version of myself everyday.
