As a self-described hard-charging entrepreneur, Miki Agrawal rarely slowed down until hyperthyroidism forced her to. One of the many symptoms of hyperthyroidism is excess defecation.
Entrepreneur Miki Agrawal had to use the toilet up to eight times a day for that reason and wiped her backside until it was raw and painful. Despite scrubbing and using many personal wipes, she never felt like she truly got clean. The situation got so bad that she sometimes had to jump into the shower immediately after using the toilet just to ensure that she got herself clean. She knew there had to be a better way.
Upon returning home from a trip to Asia, Agrawal’s husband brought her a bidet attachment for the toilet that did not even work as effectively as it should. However, even using a faulty bidet made her bottom feel so much better. Miki Agrawal knew at that moment that she had to create a better bidet product and make it available in the United States. This was the beginning of TUSHY, one of several unique products Agrawal has created over the course of a 20-year entrepreneurial career.
Miki Agrawal’s Typical Daily Schedule
Miki Agrawal purposely divides her days into time for administrative tasks like phone calls and emails and time for developing and strategizing the next big idea. Every Monday to Thursday, she carves out two consecutive hours to receive or make phone calls.
Most of the calls take 15 to 30 minutes to complete, while some can go as long as an hour. She tries to anticipate the length in advance to avoid spending more than two hours of her workday on phone calls. She does not accept or make any phone calls on Fridays because she gives herself the whole day to think and work on new ideas. Once she completes her phone calls, Agrawal moves on to reading and sending emails for approximately one hour.
How Miki Agrawal Takes Ideas from Concept to Production
Agrawal never forces herself to come up with new ideas. Instead, she surrounds herself in peaceful, supportive environments that allow ideas for new products or opportunities to occur spontaneously. For example, she spends time meditating each day and takes walks in nature whenever possible. Talking with others and resting also helps new ideas flow into her consciousness.
When an idea for a new product or opportunity arises, Agrawal reaches out to her team to get their feedback. Her leadership team of three people are the ones responsible for creating support for the new product and then following through with execution.
Agrawal’s next step is to request that her art director draw out and design the concept of the new product. The two of them work together to break the process into steps that end with the launch of the new product. She gives her art director and leadership team the autonomy to prioritize the steps and processes they feel make the most sense. After the product officially launches, Miki Agrawal continually monitors customer feedback to see if the team can make improvements in later versions.
