December, for me, is always the descent.
If November is the climb — steep, relentless, exhilarating — then December is the careful walk back down the mountain. The view changes. The air softens. The noise fades. And for the first time in months, the pressure lifts.
After our global celebration of women in November — the gala, the stories, the energy, the emotion — the first week of December felt… strange. The only way I can describe it is this: I felt like a deflated balloon.
Not in a sad way. Just suddenly light. Empty of urgency. There were no frantic to-do lists scribbled before sleep and clutched first thing in the morning. No constant checking, chasing, coordinating. No late-night messages or early-morning confirmations. The noise stopped.
And when the noise stops, you notice it.
For a brief moment, it felt like there was nothing. Of course, that isn’t true — but after months of high-intensity delivery, the absence of pressure can feel disorientating. When you’ve been holding something so tightly for so long, letting go creates space. And space can feel unfamiliar.
But December is not quiet — it is strategic.
Behind the calm sits some of the most important work of the year.
December is when we design the year ahead. Dates are mapped. Events are spaced carefully, intentionally — not to overwhelm our team, our community, or ourselves. Venues are contacted, contracts negotiated, timelines checked and rechecked. Every decision made now protects quality later. It ensures that when we show up, we show up fully — present, personal, and grounded.
It’s also the month where I am reminded, yet again, that leadership lives in the details. Contracts are read line by line. Menus. Timings. Clauses. Because when you sign, you commit — and clarity now prevents pressure later. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s essential. This is how sustainability is built.
As dates are confirmed, our digital world comes alive again. New events populate the website. Booking pages are created. Links are tested. Graphics refreshed. Everything connects — quietly, methodically — long before announcements are made.
December is also when RISE takes shape. Our leadership conference, taking place on 22 June, requires depth before visibility. Panels, workshops, speakers, themes — all of this groundwork happens now. Long before the spotlight, there is structure. Long before the audience arrives, the intention must be clear.
This December also carried moments of joy that had nothing to do with strategy.
A dear friend celebrated her birthday — and alongside it, received life-changing personal news. Not mine to share, but deeply moving to witness. Moments like that remind me that leadership, friendship, and life itself are layered. We carry our professional worlds alongside personal milestones, joys, and private victories. Celebrating someone else’s happiness — simply because it exists — is one of life’s understated privileges.
Our Bollywood Bliss Festival of Music, Art and Wellbeing has secured funding for the next two years. For over eight years, we have used the shared language of Bollywood — music, movement, memory — to reduce social isolation and create spaces where people belong: overseas students far from home, young people finding their feet, and women and men simply needing somewhere to sit, talk, and connect. Bollywood Bliss extends that ethos, weaving mental health, wellbeing, culture, and creativity into joyful, accessible experiences — and being able to continue this work feels both grounding and hopeful
Alongside this, conversations continued — new people, familiar faces, unexpected connections. More than two dozen of our recent winners have expressed interest in becoming judges. That circular model — winners giving back — continues to be one of the things I am most proud of. Panels, lead judges, dates… the foundations for 2026 are already forming. Nominations are open. A new cycle begins.
And woven through it all is Empower 50K Girls.
December saw Empower 50K named as a charity partner for Womanifest, thanks to Lisa Williams — something I am deeply grateful for. Christmas Networking Lunch – the first fundraising event followed soon after, and what stayed with me most wasn’t just the funds raised, but the conversations. Three women approached me that day, each wanting to explore how they could support the girls. Moments like that remind me why this work matters — and why momentum is built person by person, conversation by conversation.
As December draws to a close, contracts are signed. Calendars are settled. Loose ends tied. And for the first time in months, it feels right to pause.
We’ve earned the rest.
This descent isn’t an ending — it’s preparation. It’s the moment where breath returns, perspective sharpens, and intention resets. The climb will begin again soon enough. But for now, I’m grateful, humbled, and deeply aware of how fortunate I am — to do this work, with this community, year after year.
Here’s to rest.
Here’s to reflection.
And here’s to rising — again — in the year ahead.
— Gulnaz
