Episode 4: Minal Mehta
“You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality.”
"Success is unleashing the inner rockstar in you."
Minal Mehta, Co-Founder and President, BollyX, on building a vibrant community and sharing the joy of fitness
When I came across this Disney quote, I immediately thought of Minal Mehta. Minal Mehta is the Co-Founder and President of BollyX and her mission is to empower people who have a passion for dance and fitness, to build a vibrant community around healthy living and to share the joy of fitness with others.
Minal is a fitness maven. From being the only Indian girl in her synchronized swimming team to being cast as a lead in her first Bollywood dance team competition, her enthusiasm for fitness started from the age of three. Minal realized very early on that she was a part of something bigger than herself. Through participating in team sports, she learned the importance of being a part of a community and how to motivate each other to bring out the best in your selves.
Throughout the interview, I could envision every cell of Minal dancing to Bollywood and drawing others in to the cyclone of energy. I know I was anxious to join her Bollywood jam session!
Podcast Details
Find out from the podcast how Minal:
- Spent Sundays with her family which included going to the gym together
- ot selected as a lead dancer at the tender age of ten and how it opened new doors that allowed her to “fly toward the stars”
- Was surrounded by a diverse community which gave her the courage to combine her passion for dance and to start her own company
- Broke the stereotype of the “analytical Indian girl”
- Made a conscious decision to fail as a condition of happiness
- Made tough decisions as an entrepreneur and the lessons she learned along the way
- Makes every interaction with BollyX a delightful experience
- Used nimbleness to grow her business across 20 states with 500 trained instructors
- Negotiates for herself and advocates for self-worth
This was a fantastic interview! Minal exudes so much love for what she does and wants to share that same love with the broader community. I couldn’t stop thinking of a video that I came across on YouTube, where the Accenture Mumbai office has a daily five minute dance routine before starting work. Now wouldn’t you want Minal and her BollyX team to help you start your day with that?
About Minal
Minal Mehta is the Co-Founder and President of BollyX. With an M.B.A. in general management from Harvard Business School, Minal has leveraged her expertise in marketing and strategy to drive BollyX’s brand and build a vibrant community around healthy living. As a master trainer and choreographer for BollyX, she leads instructor certifications across the U.S. and teaches regularly in New York City. Minal has a fitness background in competitive synchronized swimming and water polo, and an artistic background in various styles of dance including Bollywood, Kathak, Jazz, and Hip Hop.