Interview with Mridula Agarwal | Reiki Grandmaster | Intuitive NLP and Herbalife Coach | Founder at iReawake | Director and CEO at Soul Care Hospitality and Wellness Pvt. Ltd

At BrilliantRead Media, it is our constant endeavour to identify and share unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this initiative, we invited Mridula Agarwal for an exclusive interview with BrilliantRead Media.

Mridula is a seasoned business leader with over 13 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. She is the Director and CEO of Soul Care Hospitality & Wellness Pvt. Ltd. and the Founder of iReAwake. In addition, she is a Reiki Grandmaster, Intuitive NLP Coach, Herbalife Coach, and spiritual guide who is passionate about personal development, mental well-being, and inner transformation.

Through iReAwake, she aims to bridge the gap between dreams and reality by helping individuals recognise their potential, overcome limiting patterns, and create meaningful change. Let’s learn more about her background, inspiring entrepreneurial journey, experiences, and valuable advice for our growing community!

Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Mridula:

To begin with, could you tell us about yourself and your work as a Sustainable Growth Architect?

I am a Sustainable Growth Architect. I work with business owners on the patterns, mindset, emotional responses, and decision-making habits that influence how they build and run their businesses.

My philosophy is simple: a business is built by a person, and its growth is closely connected to the person leading it. Sustainable success requires strong foundations, sound decisions, and the ability to grow without compromising one’s health, relationships, or peace of mind.

I understand this from personal experience. Before starting iReAwake, I spent nearly a decade building a central kitchen business in Mumbai that generated approximately ₹2 crore in revenue. I experienced the pressures of managing payroll, protecting margins, acquiring clients, and carrying the emotional weight of a business that had become part of my identity.

Today, through iReAwake and our programme, Business Genius, I help entrepreneurs understand what may be preventing them from achieving sustainable profitability. Many are capable, hardworking individuals who continue to struggle despite trying different strategies. The challenge is not always a lack of knowledge or effort; sometimes, it lies in the patterns influencing their choices.

My work involves helping them identify those patterns, develop the capabilities they need, and make clearer decisions so they can build businesses that generate predictable profits and support the lives they want to lead.

Your entrepreneurial journey began in the food industry. Could you tell us about your first business and what led to its eventual closure?

I trained as a food technologist, completed an MBA in agribusiness, and spent a year working in a bank’s credit division because I wanted to understand how money and financial decisions worked.

In 2010, I started a central kitchen in Mumbai focused on healthy meal subscriptions and corporate catering. Within six months, we were featured in major newspapers and had secured corporate clients that many caterers found difficult to access.

From the outside, the business appeared successful. Internally, however, I constantly felt that we were just one contract away from reaching break-even.

In 2016, when our lease ended, I faced a major decision about whether to expand. Several developments followed, including demonetisation, the introduction of GST, and the loss of three contracts in a single month. In 2018, I sold the kitchen. Two years later, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the very businesses and potential buyers that had shown interest in it.

The financial consequences were significant. The business had incurred losses of approximately ₹1.5 crore, leaving me with debt and a deep sense of failure.

For the first time, I had to confront something beyond operational challenges or financial calculations: myself. I began examining the fears, beliefs, internal conflicts, and decision-making patterns that had influenced my entrepreneurial journey.

That period was painful, but it also became the starting point of a much deeper transformation. It eventually led me to the work I do today.

Looking back, what was the most expensive mistake you made as an entrepreneur?

My most expensive mistake was not simply a financial or operational decision. It was a recurring pattern of ignoring my inner concerns and continuously fighting fires instead of stepping back to understand the underlying problem.

When my lease ended in 2016, the numbers suggested that expansion was possible, and people around me encouraged it. However, I had reservations. I was not fully convinced that expansion was the right move, yet I was equally reluctant to shut the business down.

As a result, I remained caught between two decisions. I expanded without being fully committed to the direction I had chosen.

I also invested in building the backend before establishing sufficient sales. I hired operational staff, purchased machinery, and increased our infrastructure and overheads. Instead of strengthening profitability, these decisions pushed our break-even point further away.

When we lost three contracts in one month, I reacted by exploring multiple alternatives, including outdoor catering, dark kitchens, frozen food, contract manufacturing, and trail-mix products. Although some of these opportunities appeared promising on paper, I could not give any of them the focused attention they required.

Meanwhile, I neglected my health and mental well-being, assuming I would address them once the business stabilised. That moment never arrived.

Eventually, I realised that constant firefighting was reinforcing the very problems I was trying to solve. I was too overwhelmed to recognise that simpler options, such as outsourcing production or exiting earlier, might have been more practical.

The experience cost me approximately ₹1.5 crore, years of effort, and considerable peace of mind. My family also shared the burden.

The biggest lesson was that clear thinking is essential to good business decisions. Sometimes, the solution is already visible, but stress, fear, and conflicting priorities prevent us from recognising it.

Many entrepreneurs work incredibly hard but continue to lose money or struggle to recover after a business failure. How do you help them turn things around?

The first thing I tell entrepreneurs is that a failed business does not make someone a failed person.

Founders often become deeply attached to their businesses. When things go wrong, they begin identifying themselves with the failure. They may see themselves as the overachiever who could not deliver, the entrepreneur who disappointed the family, or the person who made poor financial decisions.

My approach begins by changing the question. Instead of asking only, “What is wrong with my business?”, I encourage them to ask, “What is influencing the decisions I make about my business?”

From my own experience, I have learned that internal conflict can be costly. The analytical side of me sometimes wanted to move forward while another part of me sensed that something was not right. When those perspectives were not reconciled, I made half-hearted decisions that created further complications.

I also believe entrepreneurs must be honest about why they entered business in the first place. Some start because they love a particular industry, some want recognition, and others are searching for independence or a sense of belonging. These motivations are understandable, but a sustainable business must also be designed to generate profit.

When profitability is not treated as a priority, certain warning signs begin to appear. The business remains perpetually close to break-even, the founder is the last person to get paid, every rupee is reinvested, and there are no adequate reserves. Owners may continue working longer hours while accepting discounts and avoiding difficult financial conversations.

As businesses grow, the same challenges often become more complex. Processes exist but are not followed, revenue increases without a corresponding improvement in profit, and every decision continues to depend on the founder.

Through Business Genius, I help entrepreneurs identify the patterns influencing these challenges, strengthen their decision-making capabilities, and address the underlying issues alongside the practical requirements of running a business.

The objective is not simply to work harder. It is to make better decisions, build stronger systems, and create a business that supports sustainable profitability.

Entrepreneurs sometimes feel that everything looks right on paper, yet something still seems wrong. What do you believe conventional business analysis may overlook?

I often describe my approach as looking through a microscope and a telescope simultaneously.

The microscope helps me examine the details: the financial number nobody wants to confront, the unspoken tension in a team, or the recurring behaviour that is hiding in plain sight.

The telescope helps me understand the larger picture: the decisions that brought the business to its current position, the circumstances surrounding those decisions, and the possible directions in which the business could move.

I look for connections between these different elements and try to identify the changes that could have the greatest impact.

For example, emotional regulation is important when an entrepreneur needs to make a difficult hiring decision or negotiate a challenging contract. Intuition can help someone notice concerns that deserve further investigation. Self-esteem influences the ability to negotiate confidently, communicate value, and hold firm on pricing.

Other important capabilities include understanding people, delegating responsibilities, building trust, maintaining a growth mindset, and knowing when to focus on details and when to step back and examine the bigger picture.

Technical skills in sales, marketing, and operations are essential, but entrepreneurs also need the personal and leadership capabilities required to apply those skills effectively.

In my work, I explore the beliefs, conditioning, and emotional patterns that may influence these capabilities. My broader framework also incorporates an energetic perspective, including the idea that family influences, subconscious conditioning, and, in my belief system, ancestral or past-life imprints can shape a person’s experience.

These perspectives form part of my approach to personal transformation. I encourage entrepreneurs to examine the patterns they recognise in their own lives and understand how those patterns may be influencing their decisions.

The ultimate goal is to help them become more aware of what is happening beneath the surface so they can respond to business challenges with greater clarity.

How does your Business Genius programme work with an entrepreneur’s patterns, energy, and decision-making?

I describe Business Genius as a framework that helps entrepreneurs understand the connection between themselves and the businesses they operate.

A business reflects many aspects of its founder, including their priorities, habits, communication style, and approach to decision-making. Consider pricing, for example. Two businesses may operate in the same market, but their positioning, messaging, and willingness to communicate value can be very different.

When a business struggles, I encourage its owner to look beyond the visible symptoms and investigate the recurring patterns that may be contributing to the situation.

A symptom could be cash-flow pressure, a team that does not follow processes, or revenue that fails to translate into profit. A pattern could involve avoiding difficult conversations, struggling to delegate, repeatedly underpricing services, or making decisions from fear.

Once the pattern becomes visible, the next step is to develop a different response and strengthen the capability needed to support it.

The programme follows a structured journey. During the initial phase, the entrepreneur begins identifying recurring patterns and making different decisions. This might mean holding firm on pricing, delegating an important responsibility, enforcing an established process, or addressing a conversation that has been postponed.

In the following months, the focus shifts towards building greater independence within the business. The owner works on developing team ownership, improving processes, and reducing unnecessary dependence on themselves.

As these changes become established, the aim is to improve the business’s ability to generate profit, manage cash flow, and grow without placing an unsustainable burden on the founder.

These are intended outcomes, not guaranteed results. The pace and extent of progress depend on the entrepreneur, the business’s circumstances, and the practical changes implemented along the way.

What recurring patterns do you observe among business owners at different stages of growth?

The challenges evolve as a business grows, but I often find that the founder’s capabilities need to evolve alongside it.

At the early stage, entrepreneurs may struggle to communicate their value or charge appropriately for their work. They may have a promising idea but hesitate to approach customers, ask for the right price, or put themselves forward. Building confidence, developing a clear voice, and learning to sell become important priorities.

As the business gains traction, the founder may become responsible for everything. They work long hours, struggle to take time off, and find it difficult to trust others with important tasks. The underlying belief is often that nobody else can do the job as well as they can. Learning to delegate and establish accountability becomes essential.

When a team grows to around five to twenty-five people, another set of challenges can emerge. Standard operating procedures may exist but are not consistently followed. Team members may wait for instructions, revenue may increase without stronger profitability, and the founder may continue resolving every problem.

At this stage, the entrepreneur needs to develop stronger people-management skills, communicate a clear vision, build accountability, and learn to let others take ownership of their responsibilities.

As a business scales further, decision-making can become a bottleneck. Cash flow may come under pressure, key employees may leave, and the founder may struggle to anticipate problems before they become urgent.

The ability to think strategically, recognise emerging risks, build leadership within the organisation, and look beyond day-to-day operations becomes increasingly important.

These are patterns I look for rather than fixed rules that apply to every business. Each entrepreneur has a different journey, and the objective is to identify the specific capabilities and systems required for their next stage of growth.

How is your approach different from working with a business consultant, coach, or training programme?

I believe consultants, coaches, and training programmes can all provide tremendous value. Each serves a different purpose, and my approach is not intended to replace them.

A consultant may help identify operational gaps, improve strategy, or develop a business plan. A coach may help an entrepreneur clarify goals, remain accountable, and build confidence. A training programme can provide frameworks and practical skills.

My focus is on the person applying those strategies and frameworks.

For instance, an entrepreneur may understand the importance of delegation but still find it difficult to trust the team. Another may know that prices need to increase but continue accepting lower fees because they fear losing customers.

In such cases, additional information alone may not resolve the problem. The entrepreneur must also understand the beliefs, emotional responses, and habits influencing their behaviour.

Through my work, I help business owners examine those patterns and develop the capabilities needed to translate knowledge into action.

My own entrepreneurial experience is an important part of this approach. I have experienced the pressures of building a business, making difficult decisions, facing financial losses, and having to rebuild.

That experience shapes how I work with entrepreneurs who are navigating similar challenges.

When an entrepreneur begins working with you, what is the first step?

I begin by understanding the entrepreneur’s journey, the current state of the business, and the challenges they are experiencing.

This includes exploring their professional history, the environment in which they grew up, the beliefs they developed, previous business experiences, and the significant moments that may have influenced how they make decisions.

I then look for recurring patterns that may be affecting their leadership, relationships, business priorities, and ability to move forward.

The objective is to connect the challenges they are experiencing today with the behaviours and decisions that may be contributing to them, while also identifying practical business issues that require attention.

From there, I help create a roadmap that brings together strategic changes, personal development, and the capabilities needed for the entrepreneur’s next stage.

For an early-stage founder, that might involve developing the confidence to communicate value and charge appropriately. For someone managing every aspect of the business, it may mean learning to delegate and trust a team member with a meaningful responsibility.

For an entrepreneur leading a growing team, the focus might be on accountability and leadership development. For a business that is scaling, it could involve building a stronger leadership structure and improving strategic decision-making.

The process is personalised because no two entrepreneurs have exactly the same circumstances.

Ultimately, I want the entrepreneur to gain a clearer understanding of their situation, recognise the changes that matter most, and know which steps to take first.

What kinds of changes can entrepreneurs experience in their businesses and personal lives through this work?

The changes I aim to facilitate extend beyond business performance because entrepreneurship affects many aspects of a person’s life.

Consider an early-stage founder who has been hesitant to communicate their value. As they become more confident in discussing pricing and approaching customers, they may begin to attract better-aligned opportunities and develop stronger professional relationships.

An entrepreneur who previously managed every task personally may gradually learn to delegate. This can create more time for strategic thinking, personal well-being, and family commitments.

For a founder leading a team, moving away from constantly rescuing employees can encourage greater ownership and accountability. The founder can focus more on developing people rather than repeatedly correcting the same problems.

At the scaling stage, stronger leadership structures and better decision-making processes can reduce unnecessary dependence on the founder. This creates more room to focus on long-term strategy and growth.

I have also seen individuals make significant changes in the direction of their professional lives. For example, one education entrepreneur who had been losing money for several years decided to exit the business rather than continue investing in an unsustainable model. Another professional, whose industry had collapsed, launched an independent practice after a period without income and subsequently secured a contract worth ₹10 lakh per month. Over time, he also worked towards becoming debt-free and building a team and systems.

These examples illustrate the kinds of changes that can follow a shift in decisions and actions. Individual outcomes vary, and results depend on the circumstances, choices, and execution involved.

For me, success is not defined by revenue alone. It also includes the ability to build a business that supports the entrepreneur’s broader goals, relationships, health, and quality of life.

Is Business Genius a short-term intervention or a longer journey?

I see it as a journey because meaningful change requires more than a single insight or decision.

A few sessions may help someone recognise a pattern or gain a new perspective, but sustaining that change requires practice, consistency, and the willingness to respond differently when familiar challenges return.

The core Business Genius programme runs for sixteen weeks, and I continue working with entrepreneurs over a six-month period. This allows time to work through the initial challenges and address new issues that may emerge as the business and its owner evolve.

For example, an entrepreneur may initially struggle with pricing. Once that issue is addressed, the next challenge may involve hiring, delegation, or building a stronger team. Each stage can reveal new areas that require attention.

The objective is to help entrepreneurs build lasting capabilities rather than depend on repeated motivation or temporary solutions.

Business Genius is not designed for someone seeking an overnight transformation, a guaranteed financial outcome, or a programme in which another person makes every decision for them.

The entrepreneur must be willing to participate actively, examine their own patterns, and implement the changes required.

How have you built iReAwake differently from your first business?

The biggest difference is the order in which I approach growth and the way I make decisions.

In my earlier business, I invested heavily in infrastructure and operations before establishing the level of sales needed to support them. I also continued moving forward even when I had unresolved concerns about the direction we were taking.

With iReAwake, I took a more deliberate approach. I began by exploring the model, working with different people, testing the market, and strengthening the foundations before expanding.

I also became more conscious of the importance of reviewing decisions at every stage. Whether the issue involved pricing, a client, marketing, or the timing of an expansion, I tried to pause and reassess whenever something did not feel right, or the evidence suggested a change was needed.

The business model itself is different. Unlike a central kitchen, iReAwake does not require the same level of physical infrastructure, heavy machinery, or large operational payroll. I have also developed four revenue streams, which helps diversify the business rather than leave it dependent on a single source of income.

Within three years, I reached approximately 70% profitability and built a healthy six-figure portfolio, something I had not achieved after a decade in my previous business.

For me, iReAwake represents more than a new venture. It reflects the lessons I learned about financial discipline, thoughtful expansion, diversification, and the importance of making decisions with greater clarity.

What advice would you give entrepreneurs who want to take their businesses to the next level?

My first piece of advice is to recognise that your own growth is an important part of your business’s growth.

Your thinking, habits, priorities, and decisions influence the organisation you build. As your business becomes more complex, you must also develop the capabilities required to lead it effectively.

Before expanding, ask yourself whether you are genuinely aligned with the decision. Have you examined the financial implications? Is the team ready? Do you have the necessary systems and resources? Are you moving forward because the opportunity makes sense, or because fear, pressure, or the desire to prove something is influencing you?

In my experience, half-hearted decisions can become expensive because they often lead to inconsistent execution and repeated course corrections.

Take the time to identify the capabilities your next stage of growth requires. You may need to strengthen your financial understanding, improve your leadership skills, delegate more effectively, communicate your value, or become more comfortable with difficult decisions.

Seek guidance where necessary, learn from people who have navigated similar challenges, and combine self-awareness with practical business discipline.

Most importantly, do not focus exclusively on the symptoms you can see. Understand the underlying issues, whether they involve business systems, financial decisions, leadership capabilities, or personal patterns, and address them in the right order.

Growth requires a willingness to learn, adapt, and take responsibility for your decisions. No mentor can do that work on your behalf, but the right guidance can help you see your challenges more clearly and move forward with greater confidence.

 

Follow Mridula At: 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mridulaagarwal/?isSelfProfile=false

Please don’t forget to read – Interview with Godha Bapuji | Social Entrepreneur | Founder at Women in Crisis Response

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