Once Upon a Balance Sheet Wins International Impact Book Award
- James C Foo Leong
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
When I wrote Once Upon a Balance Sheet, I was not trying to create another finance textbook.
I wanted to create a book that helped people feel differently when they faced the numbers.
For many non-finance managers, leaders, entrepreneurs, students, and professionals, financial statements can feel difficult to grasp. The terminology can feel technical. The layout can feel unfamiliar. And very often, confidence disappears before the learning even begins.
That is why this recognition means so much to me.
Once Upon a Balance Sheet has been named a Winner at the International Impact Book Awards in the Business category under Management Accounting. The book is also an Amazon bestselling finance book, and together, these milestones encourage the larger mission behind the work: helping more people understand financial statements through story, visuals, memorable characters, and practical business meaning.
From Publishing Setback to Award-Winning Finance Book
When Once Upon a Balance Sheet wins the International Impact Book Awards recognition, it marks more than a publishing milestone. It reminds me how far this book has travelled.
That journey was far from smooth. My original publisher went bankrupt, and I had to pick up the pieces from a virtually uneditable PDF. What began as a difficult publishing setback eventually became a self-published book, an Amazon bestseller, and now an International Impact Book Awards Winner.
That journey reminded me that meaningful work is not always built under perfect conditions. Sometimes, it grows because you care deeply enough to keep rebuilding, refining, and carrying the mission forward even when the path becomes uncertain.
Financial Statements Are Stories Told in Numbers
At the heart of the book is a simple belief:
Financial statements are stories about a business told in numbers.
Every number reflects a decision made, an action taken, and a result produced. Once people begin to see that connection, finance becomes less abstract and far more useful for leadership, communication, and decision-making.
That idea eventually became the foundation for something much larger.
Why Competent Leaders Still Struggle with Finance
Over the years, I realised that many competent leaders struggle with finance not because they lack ability, but because finance is often taught in ways that feel distant from real business life. The learning experience itself creates friction before the numbers even have a chance to make sense.
That led me to create the Financial Storyverse®, a story-led learning world designed to help readers approach financial statements with more clarity, structure, confidence, and meaning.
Inside the Financial Storyverse®, concepts are supported through visual metaphors, practical interpretation, and story guides:
Count Jargon® helps readers move beyond confusing finance language.
Miss Numbers® helps make concepts calmer and easier to follow.
The STEPH Model® introduces structure and practical thinking.
Huat® brings encouragement and momentum to the learning journey.
Master C FOO® helps readers pause and reflect on the deeper meaning behind the numbers.
Together, they support a style of learning that feels more approachable, memorable, and engaging.
Once Upon a Balance Sheet Wins International Impact Book Awards Recognition – Why This Matters
The International Impact Book Awards recognition means a great deal because it affirms that finance education can evolve. It reminds me that people are looking for learning experiences that do more than explain concepts. They want clarity they can actually carry into real conversations and real decisions.
And perhaps most importantly, it encourages the mission behind the work.
To help more people approach financial statements with confidence.
To make finance clearer and more accessible.
And to build a world where understanding the numbers no longer feels reserved for a select few.
From an Amazon bestselling finance book to an International Impact Book Awards Winner, Once Upon a Balance Sheet continues its journey to make financial statements more meaningful, more memorable, and more useful for everyday leadership and business decisions.
James C Foo Leong
The Financial Storyteller and creator of Financial Storyverse®
Adjunct Associate Professor, National University of Singapore
Ready to turn financial confusion into clarity?
If Once Upon a Balance Sheet resonates with you, we can change the way you see numbers.
