Payal Kadakia

“When something is aspirational, you don't want someone to be thinking about payment every single time.”

“I want little girls to believe that they can be CEOs.”

“Every person is different and unique. I am a female. I'm Indian. I'm 4'11". People should never be defined by what they look like and sort of these demographical parts about them, but the most important thing is the work you do, so females are just as capable as doing that as males, and the same thing with any other person out there.”

“Without a story, people aren't going to connect to what you're telling, what you have a pain point about. It's so important for them to know why you've created the company, without that connection to the broader vision that you have - why are you going to do it? What are you going to accomplish?”

“If I exercise once or twice a day on vacation and don't want to wash my hair too often. I pack a lot of dry shampoo, like Amika's.”

“Some people have that school of thought where fitness isn't enjoyable, but we're making it enjoyable, I think, by making it more fun, challenging, and engaging rather than this boring thing that you have to do. It's about using technology and data to change this experience.”

“In running my own company, I was too busy for a while, and I thought, 'Maybe I'll stop dancing for a bit.' It was the worst decision ever. I just lost my creativity and my drive.”

“No business is good when, on the last day of the month, you're like, 'What was the usage for the month?'”

“I love meeting our users and partners and talking to them about how ClassPass has made an impact.”

“The best thing I could do is build a successful company and continue to innovate and be in the right role I want to be in. If I'm not doing that, I'm inauthentic. That's not a good role model to anyone. That, to me, is the most important thing.”

“I remember going out to raise my Series A and ending up with multiple term sheets when I had gone to Silicon Valley probably four times at that point and coming back with nothing.”

“I like to work out every single day. And it's about movement.”

“I think, as a founder and entrepreneur, you just keep hustling through it.”

“I needed to build a product that got people back to working out.”

“To me, I will be a stronger person if I'm moving forward, doing the work I want, and continue to drive: force the purpose that I want to create versus doing what other people think I should be doing, which is never a way to live.”

“Surround yourself with people who only lift you higher.”

“Being a dancer or athlete of any type teaches you the fundamentals of discipline... and the ability to know you can grow.”

“The more you practice something, the easier it'll become.”

“I think I had a lot of people who were like, 'Payal, we love you, but product's not there,' or 'business is not there.' I never gave up, though.”

“Failure is an amazing data point that tells you which direction not to go.”