I can't face another bar, restaurant or event. I don't know what it's like in your industry, but in mine, it's all about network. For the last three weeks, it's been black-tie dinners, pub meetups, parties, lunches and glaze-eyed breakfasts.
I gave up drinking alcohol a couple of years ago - but I still feel like I've been on a booze marathon.
Everyone is trying to get deals over the line or hit the milestone before the mental milestone of Christmas.
The consistent narrative I've heard from people is the following: "It's been a really hard year, but the last quarter things have picked up."
Then a split of stories. Either:
"I'm leaving for Dubai in early 2026."
Or:
"I'm not going anywhere. We just need to work harder and get our sales up."
Let's face it - the latter is the majority of people, but the impact of some big hitters leaving will hurt. Then again, it opens opportunities too.
Personally, I found 2024 harder. Sales for go-to-market work, messaging and research were very slow. This year, people seem to have realised they cannot cut too far on sales and marketing without it hitting them. The need for creative strategies and new business approaches has become essential.
Deals need to speed up so people need to adapt. Big opportunities lie here.
My clients have been far more interested in my network and deal support this year. An over reliance on digital marketing and insight-led marketing (which are now saturated channels) has meant companies have forgotten the basics: a nice lunch or a coffee with someone goes a longer way than a thought leadership article.
People buy people. Covid led to a lot of drifted relationships and disconnect.
The old ways are returning - hence why I am mince-pied out.
Make the effort to look after your network - and it will look after you.
The recent flurry of mergers and acquisitions this year will have made a huge difference. After years of deliberation over undervaluation fears, the private equity market has started to trigger the sale of portfolio companies. This year it really started to move and will have a positive cash flow impact at a material level.
While initial public offerings are up in the US, they are down in the UK, but pipeline and confidence are getting stronger in the City so 2026 could look better.
The City - one of the financial capitals of the world - has so much impact on the UK. We are so lucky to have it here given the revenues and jobs it provides. When economic trouble hits, the City tends to go through hard times first but come out of them first too. The economic shockwaves hit the rest of the UK a year or so later.
There is reason to be optimistic as the City appears to be more positive than it was last year.
How is it in your business? Next year, I'm launching a survey to find out what you want to learn more about. You can always drop me an email too.
Just the other day, someone subscribed to the newsletter who owns a hotel business. Last week, I got talking to a Scottish engineering firm. And I had a nice email from a CEO at a bank.
Community is such a powerful driver of conversation and business.
However, winter is a tough time for some people and as leaders, we need to remember that not everyone is open about this. I recently heard a tragic story of a very capable and brilliant man who took his life. I had met him at one of the black-tie events only six days before.
Young people in particular find Christmas a challenging time.
Dan Ilett
Keep an eye out for mental health challenges in your colleagues - and remember, January is often harder than December.
And so to some messages...
This year we've covered AI, tech, economics, growth leadership, marketing, sales, frameworks, books, geopolitics, crypto, superfans and much more. Next year, AI will be huge for this newsletter - as will strategies to drive more sales. Wellbeing is a big theme for 2026 and there will be some new products too.
I want to say an enormous thank you to you for reading the Executive Summary. I also want to thank those people who got behind me when I found it tough.
I am now going into hibernation until early January. Until then, have a great break - and get some downtime.
Dan