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Essential Read: 'Do Cool Sh*t' by Miki Agrawal

April 24, 2015 Melanie Hawken
Miki Agrawal, author, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, speaker and tv personality

Miki Agrawal, author, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, speaker and tv personality

 

“…it’s cool to care and be excited about ideas, it’s cool to be proactive, it’s cool to mess up, it’s cool to work your ass off on something that is meaningful to you, and it’s cool to keep trying when the odds are stacked against you.”

- Miki Agrawal, author, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, speaker and tv personality

 

Do Cool Sh*t: Quit Your Day Job, Start Your Own Business, and Live Happily Ever After is less of a how-to book and rather more of a personal roller-coaster ride of a story on how one hip, trendy and highly ambitious entrepreneur did it for herself. It is unconventional in its approach, yet hugely inspirational, encouraging, funny and liberating for anyone reading it. 

If you are a young, ‘would-be’ entrepreneur with a business idea in the making, but lacking the tenacity and gung-ho approach needed to make it happen, then Miki Agrawal’s book is a must-read. This is not your conventional practical, step-by-step business book that tells you how things must be done in order to succeed in building that multi-billion dollar company you aspire to. Instead, it is a story of how one gutsy young woman with several big dreams to fulfil, went out there and did it for herself.

Miki Agrawal, who founded New York City's farm-to-table pizzeria business, Wild, at age 25, and then went on to startup two more successful business ventures, presents a unique approach to other young entrepreneurs who might have similar business dreams. Writing in a chatty style that makes you feel you are sitting in a trendy coffee shop, sharing a latte and getting advice from a friend, she shares her own stories and insights on the road to business success and personal fulfillment. Simple yet powerful, Miki Agrawal's writing style and approach inspires readers to move away from conventional thinking and restrictions, encouraging and inspiring them to pursue their passions and make a living at the same time - not to mention giving them a motivational kick-up-the-butt to get them going when needed. 

“Starting and owning a business is a grind, often times thankless, and can send you on an emotional roller coaster. All of this requires energy. A lot of it. It requires daily discipline, failing forward (yes, fail) and figuring things out day by day. To keep motivating to do something every day requires so much passion for your business EVERY DAY. My advice is this: You must dig deep inside and find the motivation to act on your idea every single day for at least a month straight (to start). Try it. Ask yourself if you can do that. Your passion must be unwavering. If you do occasionally feel yourself losing passion for your business (after 30 days of day in, day out - you are human after all), take a couple of days off, recharge, go find nature and allow yourself to stop and think and find the motivation to act again.”

About Miki

Miki Agrawal, author of Do Cool Sh*T: Quit Your Day Job, Start Your Own Business, and Live Happily Ever After, is a successful serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and TV personality. She was named one of Forbes's 2013 "Millennials on a Mission" and was the recipient of a 2013 Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award. A Cornell University graduate, she is the founder of the highly acclaimed farm-to-table pizza restaurant WILD, which she opened at age twenty-six in New York City without any experience in the restaurant business. She has partnered with Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh to open a third restaurant in Las Vegas. She is the founder of THINX, a sustainable underwear solution for women around the world allowing them to live more comfortably without worrying about their "time of the month." She is also a partner in Super Sprowtz, a children's multimedia company that teaches kids about healthy eating. Miki is a half- Japanese, half-Indian French Canadian American who lives in New York City.

You can find out more at www.docoolshit.org


Why LoA loves it….

At LoA, we think this is a refreshing and inspiring read for any young, aspirant entrepreneur with a business idea to give them the confidence they might need to get up and go and turn it into a reality. Written in a chatty, hip and no-nonsense style, it has the feel of a conversation in a coffee shop with a friend, rather than a business how-to book. Instead of simply giving practical advice on how to start up a new business, it instead motivates, inspires and provides the reader with every reason to just go out there and do it for themselves. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and editor-in-chief of Lionesses of Africa
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IMAGE OF THE DAY. CELEBRATING WOMAN MADE IN AFRICA.

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Big bold accessories…We are big fans of luxury jewellery and accessories made with love and passion on the African continent, and Adèle Dejak in Kenya is the epitome of handmade luxury. The brand c
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Healthy snack treats…We love showcasing Africa’s women agribusiness builders, and ReelFruit, founded by Affiong Williams, is inspirational - it’s the largest fruit processing, packaging and distributi
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The Wedding Planner…Every big celebration day needs great organization, and that’s where Iris Lezi Munguambe, founder of Mariée Eventos in Mozambique, is your go-to person. She launched he
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Statement lighting… from Dounia Home, the home of innovative, handcrafted and ethically made Moroccan lighting and home decor founded by Dounia Tamri-Loeper. Her company designs, produces and brings to market hi
Image of the Day / Adèle Dejak

Big bold accessories…We are big fans of luxury jewellery and accessories made with love and passion on the African continent, and Adèle Dejak in Kenya is the epitome of handmade luxury. The brand c Image of the Day / ReelFruit
 
Healthy snack treats…We love showcasing Africa’s women agribusiness builders, and ReelFruit, founded by Affiong Williams, is inspirational - it’s the largest fruit processing, packaging and distributi Image of the Day / Dokmai Rwanda

Made in Rwanda Handbag…A passion for handcrafted accessories, combined with a sense of pride for ‘Made in Rwanda’ products, inspired Dokmai Rwanda founder, Bernadette Umunyana, to create a company Image of the Day / Eki Silk

Silk Serenity…Nothing is quite as luxurious as silk, that’s why we love the ‘Africa on Silk’ collections from Eki, founded by Hazel Eki Osunde. Her latest Deep Dive Collection is inspired by the p Image of the Day / The Nanjala Company

Pot plants delivered… Give gifts that will last, such as these stunning plants in individual pots from The Nanjala Company in Kenya, founded by Teresa Nanjala Lubano. This online store creates customized Image of the Day / Sari for Change

Sustainable Sari Glamour - If you want to wear a robe that makes you feel and look glamorous, then Rayana Edwards, founder of Harem in South Africa, has a range of fabulous robes all made from sari fabrics. She has Image of the Day / MonChoco

Pure chocolate heaven…If you are a chocolate lover, then you need to experience raw chocolate at its finest, and Dana Mroueh, founder of MonChoco an artisan chocolatier in Côte d’Ivoire, has just what y Image of the Day / Mulandi Brindes

Say it with flowers…If you want to make someone feel special, then there is no better way than with the gift of fresh flowers, and Mulandi Brindes in Mozambique, founded by Vanessa Guilherme Nhabete, creates Image of the Day / Mariée Eventos

The Wedding Planner…Every big celebration day needs great organization, and that’s where Iris Lezi Munguambe, founder of Mariée Eventos in Mozambique, is your go-to person. She launched he Image of the Day / Dounia Home

Statement lighting… from Dounia Home, the home of innovative, handcrafted and ethically made Moroccan lighting and home decor founded by Dounia Tamri-Loeper. Her company designs, produces and brings to market hi

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