‘Bows and Ties’ is a modern collection of interviews and reflections from 19 women exploring what sisterhood means today. Written by 16 year old author and aspiring journalist Kavya Thakrar, the book brings together conversations from women who are redefining leadership, creativity, and connection in their own ways.
From entrepreneurs and designers to writers and founders, each story reveals how ambition and empathy can coexist and how women continue to inspire one another through honesty and shared experience.
At its core, ‘Bows and Ties’ is about community. It celebrates the moments that tie us together: advice about relationships to starting a business, the courage to start something new, or the quiet confidence that comes from being seen and supported. The book blends personal reflection with storytelling, giving readers a chance to see the many ways sisterhood shows up in both everyday life and big accomplishments.
The book starts with an interview, and the theme that emerges influences the set of questions for the next woman. This captures what ‘Bows and Ties’ is all about: weaving stories and voices together to create a beautiful and connected narrative.
‘Bows and Ties’ is more than a book. It is a movement toward open, authentic connection. It reminds readers that success is not a solo journey but a shared one, built through trust and the stories we choose to tell.
Below is an excerpt from the book – an interview with Manana Marie a lifestyle and fashion content creator with over a million followers combined on both TikTok on Instagram.
How did you get started as a content creator?
I got started a long, long time ago. When YouTube was first around, we were young and I would post, and then when Snapchat came out I would just share my life, similar to what I do now, but it wasn’t normalized then. People would call it really weird, and I would ask my friends, “Am I posting too much?” and they would say, “Yeah,” but I would still continue.
Then when Instagram first came around, before Instagram Stories, I was sharing three Instagram posts a day; and I would still ask my friends, “Am I posting too much?” and they would say, “Yeah, maybe tone it down to one.” And then when Stories came about, I would just start sharing like I do now. Then I went to school to be a dentist, so social media wasn’t a thing then for me. I didn’t know that it was available for a career.
I didn’t like learning biology; so then I went into hospitality, and in Vegas, where I live, it’s the best. It’s hotels and marketing. So I interned at a few places, I worked at a few hotels, and then I just slowly saw that, “Okay, I think social media can be a career” and started to see how I can transition to it, and it was a very natural transition into making it a full-time thing.
What obstacles have you faced that have influenced the person you are today?
Hmm. I would say, hate comments. And a lot of negative things that people can say about you, it can easily crumble you, but I think having a really good support system with you is key. They are the ones that align you, and although you can be as strong as you want to be, sometimes you’ll read some things and be like, “Ouch, that hurt a little bit.” It reminds me that having a strong community such as my family and friends is really important.
As an influencer who connects with people of all ages and demographics, and as someone who follows other female influencers, how do you perceive the role of social media and fostering the idea of a “modern sisterhood”?
Stay consistent to who you are, the woman that you are, and support women because this is a world where it really is the most important time to support women, not only in social media but also everywhere else.
What are the next steps for you? How long do you see yourself influencing, or do you see yourself segwaying into another career path?
I always do what feels fun for me. So once this stops being fun, I’ll have to figure out something else.
How did you create your own niche in an industry that’s highly competitive, and also develop an established following?
I stayed in my own path and really tried my best not to compare because there are so many types of people in this world. There are so many doctors, so many lawyers, there’s room for everybody. Touching on what I said before, it’s so important to have really good friends and family that keep you in your lane and to remind you that you’re doing great. It’s only going to get more saturated, so just stay true to who YOU are.
In a world where people, especially women of all ages, are prone to comparison based on what’s on the surface, how do you stay grounded?
Motivational comparison can be healthy, as in setting goals and saying “I would love to be there one day,” as opposed to being unrealistic and saying, “I want blue eyes, but I have brown eyes,” it’s important to remember there is so much diversity in culture in this world and it’s important to be happy with how you are. It is very hard, though, to not compare yourself negatively, and just remind yourself this is literally how I am and I cannot change [certain aspects]. It is very tough.
You have been very transparent with your nose job journey. Do you believe that it is important to be authentic with cosmetic procedures?
I don’t think it’s necessarily important to be transparent. You should share what feels right and organic for you. I chose to because I didn’t want people to think “Oh, everything is perfect,” although it is fabricated in a way. I think if we are insecure about something we definitely have the ability to change it, but for me because I share my life in every aspect it just felt natural to share it, and I’m happy to because it sets less expectations for the younger generation.
Through your family’s bakery, Manan Bakery LV, you have been surrounded with hard work from a young age. Were you able to use that same work ethic in building your platform?
Yeah, I think I just naturally saw it when I grew up and also [because of] having immigrant parents. My dad learned English from reading a dictionary while he was waiting for people to drive around in his taxi cab. So just seeing someone who left their entire life in Armenia for America for his kids is really inspiring and that only makes me want to work harder.
My mom was a stay-at-home mom, and growing up she also had dreams and she opened up a bakery at a later age. It is inspiring to know you can literally do anything at any age. I’m so grateful to be in an industry that I’m truly passionate about and that you can monetize, which is a great blessing.
Before you, I interviewed a teenage girl named Tanisha who is involved in political and advocacy work, and she said her key takeaway is to understand the value in hard work. Why is the value in hard work essential to you?
It gives me purpose. Everyone’s purpose in life is so different, and my purpose in life is just to be happy, and I think that’s everyone’s purpose in their own way. But for me to be happy, I have to work hard, and I love to stay busy from the moment I wake up to the second I go to bed, although it can be overwhelming. I’m sure you hear this from busy people all the time, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I looooove being busy. I think work ethic and hard work go hand in hand.
Lastly, what is your biggest key takeaway?
I try to switch up the answers when people ask this, but I say the same thing almost every time and it’s to stay in your own lane. And not in a rude way but more like, everyone’s path is so different. Somebody could be an overnight success, but then they’ll have their own difficulties of keeping that success. And there’s also someone who gets there slowly and goes through all the struggles of getting there slowly, but now it’s easy for them to have long-term success, if that makes sense.
Really, everyone’s path is just so different, so you need to remind yourself that it’s my journey, I’m doing my best, and there should be no expectations from anybody else. And as long as you’re making yourself proud, and the people you truly love and respect, then what else? Who are you trying to show off for? That’s what I always try to remind myself of, and I think people who stay like that are a lot more grounded.
You can get a copy of ‘Bows and Ties’ HERE, and follow Kavya Thakrar on Instagram.
