Ep 116 | Payal Kadakia

Written By Yasmin Nouri

Drop Your Limits & Achieve Your Wildest Dreams

Listen on

 
 

Payal Kadakia is the founder of ClassPass, the revolutionary fitness and wellness platform which provides people access to the best boutique fitness classes, gyms, and wellness experiences around the world.

Prior to its acquisition by MindBody in October 2021, ClassPass was valued at over a billion dollars, with members logging more than 100 million workouts across 30,000 partner studios in over 30 countries. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Payal is also the founder and artistic director of the Sa Dance Company, which she founded in 2009 to increase awareness of Indian dance in the mainstream. 

Payal has been listed as one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People and was named in Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list. She is also the author of the new book, LifePass: Drop Your Limits, Rise to Your Potential, which hits shelves on Feb 15. 

In today’s episode, we touch on the ways that Payal’s Indian heritage has impacted the woman & entrepreneur she is today, why you have to ask yourself the hard questions in life, the importance of not getting wrapped up in what Payal calls the ‘false signals’ of success, as well as the benefits of choosing impact over perfection. 

We also candidly talk about the early days of building ClassPass, how it took over three years to gain any traction, the many lessons she learned along the way, and so much more.

Show Notes:

  • Payal reflects on her relationship with risk (which she inherited from her parents). [2:40]

  • How her Indian heritage has informed the woman that Payal is today. [4:30]

  • What she means when she says her life centers around the number two. [7:58]

  • A formative experience in her childhood that ultimately led Payal to view dance as a way to share her story and her heritage. [9:25]

  • Practical tips for taking a leap of faith: allow your vision to be your motivator! [11:30]

  • The value of asking the hard questions and pursuing the goals you truly want. [13:55]

  • How Payal approached the topic of risk-taking with her risk-averse parents. [19:40]

  • When she realized that she had to follow her passions and start her own business. [22:27]

  • Find out why she believes that it’s important to set boundaries with some people. [24:00]

  • How to cultivate the right mindset while you are building your business. [26:57]

  • Why Payal suggests starting with a problem you personally need solved as an entrepreneur. [28:17]

  • The importance of not getting caught up in the “false signals of success.” [30:05]

  • The crucial role that failure played in Payal’s journey as an entrepreneur. [31:33]

  • How Payal overcame perfectionism and her suggestions for other entrepreneurs. [34:20]

  • Hear the story of when Payal first knew that ClassPass was a success. [37:12]

  • Why she believes that the universe opened doors for her when she started doing the work that aligned with her spirit. [39:02]

  • Advice for women who have lost sight of their passions [40:26]

  • How Payal juggles motherhood, dance, and business by letting her priorities guide her time. [42:22]

  • Payal’s philosophy on guilt; when you love what you do, there’s no place for guilt. [43:34]

  • How her dual identity has served her throughout her life and in her business. [45:12]

This episode is brought to you by Beeya:

  • If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.

  • Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.

Follow Payal:

Yasmin Nouri
Previous

Ep 117 | MaryRuth Ghiyam
Next

Ep 115 | Jane Wurwand