Environment Shapes Energy: Creating Space That Supports Your Success
“You’re still working from the dining table?”
It wasn’t said with judgement.
It was worse.
It was said with disbelief — as if the work I was doing couldn’t possibly be real if it was squeezed in between the school run and dinner prep.
That comment stayed with me for days. Not because it was rude, but because it echoed something I’d been feeling but hadn’t yet owned:
If I wanted my business to be taken seriously, I needed to start by taking myself seriously.
In the MINERVA framework, E stands for Environment.
But this isn’t just about productivity hacks or Pinterest-worthy office spaces.
It’s about the people, places, and perspectives that either expand your energy or quietly chip away at your confidence.
When Your Environment Doesn’t Match Your Vision
At the start of my business journey, I worked from a coffee table. Sometimes the dining table. Occasionally, my lap. And the message I was sending — to myself and to others — was:
“This business is something I fit in around everyone else.”
It’s no surprise, then, that the people closest to me didn’t really take it seriously either.
They asked me to run errands mid-day.
They assumed I was “free” because I was “just at home.”
They didn’t mean to dismiss my work — but the absence of boundaries created an energy of invisibility.
And I felt it.
Every day.
When your environment doesn’t honour your business, it becomes harder to hold the vision.
You second-guess your next move.
You shrink your goals.
You start building based on what’s convenient rather than what’s possible.
Environment Is More Than Space — It’s Energy
Let’s be clear:
You can work miracles from a kitchen table if the energy around you supports it.
And you can feel like a fraud in a high-rise office if the energy doesn’t.
Environment, in the Minerva way, is holistic.
It includes:
The physical space you choose to work from
The people who have access to you during the working day
The attitudes that surround you — what people say (or don’t say) about money, ambition, visibility, and success
So the real question becomes:
Are you building your business inside an environment that reflects the business you want — or the one you’re trying to outgrow?
The Cost of the Wrong Environment
Let’s name it:
The constant interruptions
The background noise of someone else’s TV
The subtle, loaded questions: “How’s the little business going?”
These don’t just slow you down — they erode your energy.
You can’t create bold strategy in an environment that asks you to shrink.
You can’t show up fully in your content if someone’s rolling their eyes in the next room.
You can’t claim your vision if you’re surrounded by people who think you should “just get a proper job.”
This is not about cutting people off — it’s about consciously choosing the energy you build your business inside.
What the Right Environment Feels Like
The right environment grounds you.
It reminds you what you’re here for.
It makes you feel capable, creative, and in command — even on the messy days.
It might be:
A home office with the door shut and a candle lit
A co-working space where everyone else is building, too
A kitchen table reclaimed with purpose — laptop open, notebook ready, phone on do-not-disturb
Or a Zoom call with women who speak your language, reflect your ambition, and remind you you're not alone
And yes — sometimes it means having difficult conversations with those closest to you.
Because you deserve an environment that reflects your brilliance, not just your convenience.
Redesigning Your Environment Starts with a Decision
You don’t need to move house.
You don’t need a fancy desk.
You don’t need to wait for a partner or parent or friend to finally get it.
You just need to choose:
My business matters — and I will honour it in every space I create.
Start with one small shift this week.
Reclaim a room.
Block out your calendar.
Have that boundary-setting conversation.
Say no to the coffee date that cuts into your prime creation time.
And say yes to you.
If you're ready to stop shrinking your business to fit the room you're in — and instead, step into spaces where your vision is seen, heard, and supported — come and explore our Minerva Circles.
They're designed to connect you with women who take business seriously, understand the power of environment, and are building with purpose, not pressure.
👉 Find out more about Minerva Circles and how to join us here.