Hi! I’m Anumita Das, and this summer I began my first internship at BollyX. As a rising junior at Boston College, most of my experiences with business have been restricted to cramming for finance exams on late Sunday nights or reading over yet another case study about Apple’s miraculous brand loyalty. Saying that my time at BollyX has been a departure from my schoolwork is a bold understatement. From plastering bright yellow flyers all over New York City storefronts to interviewing break dancers in Union Square, no day is ever exactly alike. The only common quality among all of my different experiences here is the infectious energy and passion of my coworkers. I first sensed this energy not when I entered the office on my first day of work or sat down for my first lunch with Minal, but months prior, when I tried my first BollyX class. The instructors were drenched in sweat within the first twenty minutes, and yet throughout the class they performed every leap and fist pump with the same lively bounce in their step and smile on their face. Normally when workouts refer to “intensity”, some part of me usually imagines disturbingly muscular men screaming in their trainees’ ears to do ten more push-ups, but BollyX brought intensity in a different form; it was more like a steady heat that emanated from the instructors, a sense of positivity and vibrancy that motivated every single person in the room to keep dancing despite the growing suspicion that their upper thighs might be sore the next day. I was immediately impressed by the obvious spirit of the company and wanted to put the same passion into my work that I saw in the instructors.

While it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how much dedication I put into each e-mail or tweet I send to every potential new customer, I can definitely attest that there is something uniquely rewarding about getting replies from interested leads when you work for a startup that is still small enough to feel every inch of its growth. There is a satisfaction that comes with the knowledge that you’re doing work that will make a genuine contribution to the success of the company, not just busy work set aside for interns so they can write a single, over-embellished line on their resumes later. As an undergraduate, my future career endeavors are far from set in stone, but my time at BollyX has taught me that wherever I go, I want to always be surrounded by the kind of positivity that I have found at this company. The first piece of advice Minal ever provided me was to always seek out people who will motivate me. This summer, I definitely found people who give me the push I need to not only work hard, but also to think creatively, to venture beyond my comfort zone, and to always be confident in my ability to grow and succeed.