Hi, I’m Serena Fordham, and this blog post is an extension of my Amazon Bestselling Book “ProspHER(ish): The diary of a fcuked up female-founder” written to help women succeed in their businesses and careers – while ultimately achieving their dreams and fullest potential.
Bouncing back from bad news gets easier. Let me explain.
The most recent verdict from Innovate UK hit my inbox today: another rejection. Initially, a wave of disappointment washed over me, followed by that familiar self-doubt. But after a few minutes of reading the feedback, something shifted. I felt a sense of immense pride in what my team and I have achieved, especially over a very difficult few years. This news might not have been what we had hoped for, but a “no” has never held us back.
Making it happen
I know building our innovative, gamified learning platform, ProspHER Quest, WILL HAPPEN. It might just take a little longer without funding, but our passion to educate and empower millions of women around the world to succeed remains stronger than ever.
It wasn’t always this easy to see the bigger picture. I remember receiving our first competition feedback in early 2023 and breaking down in tears. It took weeks to get over the feeling that I’d let myself and my team down. I linked this bad news directly to my self-worth and branded myself a complete failure.
But now, as I look at our scores from all the Innovate UK competitions we’ve applied for, I see something different. While we’ve had our share of ups and downs, our scores have improved massively over time. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Even through extreme adversity, we’ve remained resilient and never given up. We’ve evolved.
What it’s really about
My biggest learning from taking part in these processes is this: it’s not really about winning—the destination. It’s about evolving and becoming better—the journey. And that’s a HUGE win for ProspHER.
Our story is a perfect example of what is often called a growth mindset. This powerful concept, popularized by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, is the belief that our abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. People with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, rather than as a reflection of their limitations.
Instead of allowing this rejection to define us, we’re using it to propel us forward. We’re taking the feedback, identifying our areas for improvement, and building an even stronger platform. We’re celebrating the small victories along the way—the steady increase in our scores, the lessons we’ve learned, and the resilience we’ve built as a team.
True success
This journey has taught me that true success isn’t just about securing a grant or winning a competition. It’s about the transformation that happens on the path to your goal. It’s about building a team that trusts in the mission, staying true to your vision, and never giving up, no matter how many “nos” you receive.
So, to my incredible team: thank you. Your hard work, passion, and belief in ProspHER Quest are what make this journey so worthwhile. We’ve come so far, and this is just the beginning. The destination is in sight, but the journey has already been the greatest reward.
Have you faced rejection that you’ve overcome? Or had a win lately? Share it with me here.
Hi, I’m Serena Fordham, and this blog post is an extension of my Amazon Bestselling Book “ProspHER(ish): The diary of a fcuked up female-founder” written to help women succeed in their businesses and careers – while ultimately achieving their dreams and fullest potential.
Focusing on others
As a woman in business it’s easy to get caught up in the comparison game. We scroll through social media, watch the highlight reels of others, and find ourselves asking those all-too-familiar questions: “Why aren’t I that successful?” “How come they get all the luck?” “Why does everyone seem to love them so much, when I’m over here struggling?”
I know I’ve been there. I remember being a quiet kid in school, watching the popular children from a distance, and wondering why I wasn’t like them. That feeling of being on the outside, of not quite belonging, is a heavy one. And the truth is, it doesn’t just disappear when you leave the school hallways. It can follow you into adulthood, into your career, and even into your personal life.
For years, I carried that same loneliness and self-doubt with me. I compared my journey as a writer and business leader to others, always feeling like I was falling short. The more I looked outward for validation, the more I felt I lacked. It was a vicious cycle of comparison and self-criticism that kept me from truly celebrating my own wins.
The shift to me
But a few years ago, something shifted for me. I had a moment of clarity that changed everything. I realized that the reason I felt like I was struggling wasn’t because of what anyone else had. It wasn’t about their success, their luck, or their popularity. It was because I wasn’t giving myself the love and respect I deserved.
I hadn’t celebrated my own achievements. I hadn’t fully embraced who I was—the good, the bad, and the beautifully imperfect. I was so focused on trying to be someone else’s version of “enough” that I had lost sight of my own. Once I started treating myself with kindness, once I started acknowledging my own strengths and accomplishments, something truly magical happened.
My “right people” started to appear in my life.
The old adage is true: “Your vibe attracts your tribe.” When you show up as your authentic self, you become a magnet for people who are on a similar wavelength. When you stop trying to fit into a mold that was never meant for you, you create space for genuine connections to flourish.
I started embracing all the quirky, beautiful parts of me. I’m a writer and an advocate for female success, yes, but I’m also newly disabled, a film fanatic, and a proud lover of giraffes. I’m a tea drinker and a wife to an amazing husband, and a mum to two children and two mischievous dachshunds. These are all parts of my story, and they are what make me, me.
And you know what? When I started sharing these truths, the community I had been searching for all along began to form around me. It wasn’t a group of people who were all exactly the same, but a crew of individuals who were all on their own journey to self-love and authenticity.
My invitation to you
So, if you’re reading this and you’ve ever felt like the quiet one, the outsider, or the person constantly comparing themselves, I want you to know that you are not alone. The greatest gift you can give yourself is to stop looking outward and start looking inward.
Embrace your authentic self, celebrate every single win, and give yourself the same love and grace you would give to a friend. Your tribe is waiting for you to show up, fully and completely, as yourself.
If this resonates with you, I’d love for you to reach out and introduce yourself to me here.
