Taking up space (when there isn't enough room)

Returning to work after becoming a mum is a transition no one can fully prepare you for. It’s equal parts empowering and disorientating, especially when the world you’re stepping back into wasn’t really designed with you in mind.

Starting a business in the midst of this transition? That’s another level.

When I launched Innerminx, I wasn’t just stepping into entrepreneurship, I was opening myself up to potentially being in spaces that I wouldn’t feel welcome. Spaces where leadership still skews male, where confidence is currency, and where motherhood is often seen as a soft skill rather than a strategic one.

There have been many moments when I questioned myself. Am I really cut out for this? Will I be taken seriously? What if I fail?

In the early days of building Innerminx, I often found myself reflecting on the incredible resources I once had access to in the large firms I left behind. Suddenly, I was the entire team: sales, marketing, finance, research. Every hat needed wearing, and many days felt overwhelming.

But I leaned into the very sound practices I now teach. They helped regulate my nervous system and keep burnout at bay. Through sound healing, tapping, and regular nervous system resets, I found clarity. I realised I couldn't do it all - and that learning to outsource and build a team of trusted contractors was a skill in itself, not a weakness.

Leaving my corporate job wasn’t just a “career move”, it was deeply personal. One of the biggest reasons I stepped away was because I wanted to breastfeed my son for as long as felt right for us. That wasn’t something I could continue in the role I was in. Being present for those early moments on our own time meant everything.

This isn’t just about flexibility. It’s about acknowledging that wellness is not one-size-fits-all, and that real support requires understanding each individual’s rhythm and return-to-work needs with compassion and nuance. Policies must evolve to reflect that.

What if I fail?

This question still visits me — honestly, most weeks. But the shift I’ve made recently is anchoring back into why I started Innerminx.

I created this business for my family. For other parents who don’t have the policies or workplace cultures in place to truly support them. For the flexibility to be present with my son on our terms. To build generational wealth -  not just in money, but in wellbeing, time, and values.

Innerminx was born from what I needed most. When I returned to work after maternity leave, struggling silently with postnatal depression and a strong desire to continue breastfeeding, I felt voiceless. I didn’t know how to ask for what I needed.

So now, I give voice and calm to others who may not feel able to speak up.

This is the heart of imposter syndrome, a challenge so many women face, particularly those returning from parental leave or carving out their own path. If this resonates, I recently wrote more about it on the Innerminx blog. 

But, here’s what I’ve learned:

Taking up space is not about waiting for permission. It’s about claiming your seat at the table, or building your own when there isn’t one.

That’s why I introduced sound therapy into my coaching practice and corporate programmes. To bring someone’s energy into the conversation, not just their performance. In previous roles, I’d implemented energy audits and burnout prevention tools. But sound took things deeper.

Now, through Innerminx, I’m building a whole new kind of table! One where managers and individual contributors alike can access inclusive wellness that speaks to the whole person, not just the job title. One where sound becomes a language for rest, for clarity, for regulation, even when you didn’t know you needed it.

Because sometimes the most radical thing you can do in a culture of constant doing... is pause.

To feel.

To rest.

To be.

I truly believe that creating a space where empathy, flexibility, and authenticity are strengths, not liabilities. I want to challenge the idea that success has to look a certain way. I want to build something that supports people, not just in what they do, but in who they are.

This isn’t just about my story, it’s about rewriting the playbook for women in business and for working mums, parents, and caregivers who refuse to shrink themselves to fit a world that wasn’t always built for them.

So here’s to taking up space, even when it feels uncomfortable! 

If you’d like to learn more about Innerminx and what we do, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

With love and resonance,

Minx