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“I have always been someone who wanted to make sure that I never fit into a box ... and at some point I felt like I was, everyone was, trying to put me in this box, and I was like, ‘This is not how I'm going to add the best value to my company.’”

Kadakia and then-executive chairman, Fritz Lanman, swapped roles.

“I just wanted to make sure I was creating the vision for my company and pushing that forward, and that was the only thing that mattered,\" she added. “The only way you can make a decision like that is by having the right person, and I think for Fritz and me, we've been partners for so long that it was just so gradual and easy.”

While Kadakia was growing her company, she always kept dancing, simultaneously serving as the artistic director for The Sa Dance Company that she founded in 2009. It’s something she said helped her while building ClassPass.

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A post shared by Payal Kadakia Pujji (@payal) on Dec 7, 2018 at 10:01am PST

“Building the dance company taught me these really tactical things ... you have to learn a new job every day especially when you're starting,\" she explained. \"It's like you need to be the best marketer, the best salesperson, the best product person and you just have to figure it out on the spot, and I really learned all those amazing skills just by having to do it.”

But running her dance company didn’t just teach her tactical skills. It was also something that became important to her as a leader, so much so that when investors and even her own parents suggested she give it up, it wasn’t something she considered.

“Everyone just wanted me to make sure I was taking care of myself, but taking care of myself meant dancing.”

Not listening to the “worst advice” is something that Kadakia has learned can be necessary as an entrepreneur. She said that as an entrepreneur it’s important to know when to “go against the grain.”

“I always think about my life and my story about being about passion, at the end of the day, and always fighting for it,” Kadakia said. “When I was at school I had to fight for a way to keep dance in my life. Once I graduated, I fought for a way to keep dance in my life and with ClassPass I believe I'm fighting for everyone else to keep their passion in their life.”

Hear more from Payal Kadakia on episode #118 of the “No Limits with Rebecca Jarvis” podcast.

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