The Reflective Founder

In 2023, I lost my company after being targeted by fraudulent investors. It wasn’t just the numbers or the contracts, it was the culmination of years of work, a £10m ARR pipeline, and a team I believed in. And in a matter of weeks, it was gone.

I’d lost not only a business, but also my identity.

As founders, so much of who we are is tied up in what we build. When that disappears, it can feel like the ground has fallen away.

I want to share this story not for sympathy, but because I believe the truth of entrepreneurship is rarely talked about. Behind every scaling success, there are failures, betrayals, and moments when walking away feels easier than standing back up.

The Myth of Resilience
For years, I believed resilience meant never breaking. That you could outwork or out-hustle anything. That if you just kept going, you’d push through.

But fraud has a way of humbling even the most determined. It's when resilience stepped up.

Resilience is not denial. It’s not stoicism. It’s the ability to rebuild stronger, clearer, more aligned with your purpose.

Three Lessons That Changed Me

1. Purpose is greater than product.
   When everything else fell apart, the only thing left was my “why.” If you don’t have a reason beyond revenue, the setbacks will break you. My father’s preventable death had always been the reason behind my work in HealthTech. That remained, even when the company didn’t.

2. Values aren’t negotiable.
   Integrity isn’t optional. Fraud happens in the shadows, and it taught me that the moment we compromise our values, whether in who we partner with or how we grow, we lose everything that actually matters.

3. Community carries you.
   In the weeks after the collapse, what kept me standing wasn’t my own strength, but the people around me. The founders who had walked similar paths. The friends who reminded me that I was more than my company. Resilience isn’t a solo act; it’s a collective one.

Rebuilding from the Rubble

Out of the collapse came clarity.

I began writing as a cathartic exercise, putting down my thoughts about HealthTech, longevity, and preventative healthcare. I called it Well Purposed. At first, it was just words and a way to process.

But the writing resonated. Founders began reaching out. VCs wanted conversations. What started as a personal practice grew into an advisory studio helping HealthTech companies scale globally.

Well Purposed became proof that resilience isn’t about holding on to what you had, it’s about creating something better aligned with who you are now.

Why I’m Sharing This With You
We celebrate exits and funding rounds. We post the highlight reels. But the truth is that often the defining moments of a founder’s journey are the losses.

The failures shape us more than the wins. They strip away illusion and force us to ask: what do I stand for now?

If you’ve ever lost something you thought defined you - a company, a role, a dream, I want you to know you’re not alone. And I want you to know it’s possible to rebuild, stronger and more purposeful than before.

An Invitation to Reflect
Resilience isn’t about being unbreakable. It’s about being willing to stand back up, with values intact and purpose sharper than ever.

I’d love to hear from you: What’s the hardest setback you’ve faced and what did it teach you?

Reply, share your story, or pass this on to someone who needs to hear it. Because together, we can make entrepreneurship less lonely, and a little more honest.

PS: If you’re a HealthTech founder looking to refine your scale strategy, tighten your story, or partner with the NHS, I’m opening a few founder strategy sessions for Q4. DM me on LinkedIn or book some time here.