For THINX cofounder and CEO Miki Agrawal, success is hard-won. And it's a journey.
The former investment banker, athlete, filmmaker, restaurateur, and current entrepreneur has spent the last 15 years learning from a wide array of jobs and industries.
She's come away from her experiences with a distinct perspective on leadership, the importance of hard work, and making sure you're surrounded by the right people.
Here are five of the best bits of advice we picked up from her on how to set yourself up for success.
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"You are the average of the five closest friends you keep."
In Agrawal's opinion, it's the people you surround yourself with who will exert the most influence over your life, so it's important to create a core group who you can trust.
Agrawal's twin, Radha, is another entrepreneur. She founded the popular alcohol-free morning dance series Daybreaker in 2014. And her partner, Andrew Horn, is a social entrepreneur too, having founded companies dedicated to communications and advocacy.
Miki even lives in a building with a half-dozen close friends, many of them in the entrepreneurial world as well.
"Eliminate the depleters — the people who complain or hold you back."
"Don't let other people dim your flame," says Agrawal. Instead, take a good, hard look at those around you — and make sure they're contributing positively to your sense of self and your ability to achieve.
If someone is holding you back, or their attitude is having a negative impact your own outlook, don't be afraid to move forward without them.
"Do what you do best, and bring in other people to do what they do best."
For Agrawal, this means recognizing your strengths and weaknesses — and the strengths in others that might complement you best.
When she was running her restaurant business, she fortuitously met a business partner and relinquished day-to-day oversight to him, seeing that he was better suited for the operational role.
Similarly, at THINX she functions as CEO and creative director, but she makes sure to fill her team with operational and technical talent to support the brand's vision. There are now 25 people working for THINX.
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