MILLENNIAL LEADERSHIP
IN FAMILY BUSINESS

Mission Makers are joined this week by the sibling founders of Fable & Mane, Akash and Nikita Mehta. In this, our first ever, double interview we discover how their early experiences in education would go on to shape the individuals we see today, what it is really like working with family and how to survive being attacked by a tiger. We also gain an insight into Akash’s and Nikita’s spiritual journey and how their personal beliefs continue to inform their philanthropic endeavours.

 

Long-time listeners of the podcast will know all too well that Mission Makers is no stranger to having siblings on the show. In fact, at the end of last year our host Farah interviewed her younger sister and Montessori Educator, Sabeen Nanji, in what turned out to be a fascinating and moving conclusion to our first season. In this equally enthralling interview, we have brought together yet another remarkable pair of siblings that are seemingly just as accomplished as a duo as they are as individuals, which is no mean feat when you consider their respective careers thus far.

It is on the topic of education where our conversation with Akash and Nikita begins. Both siblings studied in some of the most pressurised schools in the UK and unsurprisingly achieved high grades through the process. Despite being grateful for this, they can’t help but ponder the limitations of the current educational system. As Nikita points out, “what they don't teach you at school is education of the mind.” Reflecting back on his time as a pupil Akash admits that he struggled to find his path early on but similarly acknowledges the importance of those formative years and the lessons he learnt from those supposed missteps in making him the man he is today.

 

Fortunately for Akash he would go on to discover his true passion and despite his somewhat tender age can already claim to have achieved more than most of his contemporaries. His career highlight perhaps coming at the age of 22 when he became the youngest Global Digital Manager at Christian Dior. His success at the French brand culminated in being listed in Forbes 30 under 30 and later saw him deliver a TEDx talk. Unsurprisingly Akash is keen to pass on the message that age should not hold you back from pursuing your dreams, as he explains, “age is not experience dependent and experience is not expertise dependent.”  

 

Akash has since left Dior and is now looking forward to the next chapter of his career. Nikita, has similarly enjoyed a successful career with the luxury conglomerate LVMH where she spearheaded sustainable initiatives for the brand. She also worked extensively for her family’s business of luxury perfumery who were excitingly behind the development of the fragrance for Formula 1. The next phase of the siblings' journey now lies with their own holistic wellness brand, Fable & Mane, based on ancient Ayurvedic rituals for the healing of the hair passed on from generation to generation. Launched in lockdown, the brand has already proven to be a huge success and is primed for further growth this year. 

 

But what of their working relationship? Sibling dynamics can be tough to handle at the best of times, let alone when running business. Thankfully Akash and Nikita avoid any arguments by constantly reminding themselves of what the other half brings to the table, “we’ve realised that we need each other in business,” Nikita says, and both work very deeply on bringing different values of communication, collaboration and sustainability to the heart of Fable & Mane. 

 

Incidentally it is on the topic of giving back where we end our conversation. Both Akash and Nikita are hoping to be able to transcend the world of business and are committed to making the world a better place with a fund developed in tandem to protect tigers in the wild.

 

The full interview with Akash and Nikita can be found on the video below and on Spotify and iTunes. 

 

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