Having a solid supporting cast is always important, and the people you surround yourself with can be a major key to your development and success. From the fundamental lessons of our childhoods to top tier business professionals, those who influence us help dictate the direction we are heading in life.

Minal Mehta and Shahil Petal of  have diagnosed the importance of teamwork and used the principles to turn their creative passion into a fist-pump worthy business, BollyX.

Minal and Shahil met as undergrads at Berkeley and are both award winning choreographers.  They built their business around their love for dance and exercise, and even made it to the semi-finals on America’s Got Talent. Minal went to Harvard Business School and worked at Amazon prior to founding BollyX, while Shahil actually dropped out of his MBA program at MIT to join Minal on founding the project. They now have over 300 instructors and trainees spreading the BollyX love all over the country. You can check out their website to find a class near you!

This episode is deep in the process and mindset of believing in yourself and working with like-minded dreamers. We get into the motivation and tactics behind designing a team that will allow you to turn your passion into a business.

The road is never easy, but Minal and Shahil are certainly helping us skip a few grades with their experiences. 

To defeat Godzilla with their talents…

• Minal: “I would rally the powers of teamwork and build an army. We would go out there and conquer this beast together.”
• Shihal: “With BollyX-ing. We will get Godzilla to dance BollyX with us.”

Advice…

• A great success is basically a bunch of small, unglamorous tasks that you do everyday.
• Passion can only get you so far.
• Surround yourself with people who lift you and encourage you.
• Every failure is one step nearer to the big win.

Interview Links

• BollyX’sWebsite
• BollyX’s Twitter
• BollyX’s Instagram
• Shahil’s LinkedIn

Minal:

• Twitter
• Biopage in Bollyx Website
• Media: Team Aao Na from UC Berkeley’s Hindi Film Dance Competition (2005)

Shahil:

• LinkedIn
• Media: Performing Slumdog Millionaire’s “Jai Ho” on NBC’s America’s Got Talent
• Ishaara on America’s Got Talent