Payal Kadakia was ready to move on from her beginner's ballet courses and take things to the next level. As she did her research, she ended up with a browser full of potential classes that she didn't know what to make of.
Kadakia knew there had to be a less stressful way to find the right class — but unfortunately, at that time, there simply wasn't.
"I didn't know if the classes I was finding online were the right level for me, if they had the right teachers, or if I had even brought the right clothes with me — and all that intimidation sort of made me not go," she told Business Insider.
Her experience that day helped spur the idea that ultimately resulted in ClassPass, a subscription-based search engine for fitness classes. The monthly membership allows users to take their pick of classes at various gyms and studios, exploring a variety of workout options throughout their city. The membership varies by city, but ranges from $79 to $125 a month for unlimited classes users can book directly on the app.
"We wanted people to walk into a studio with no prior experience and feel like they can do it — taking all the friction of picking and choosing a fitness program away," she said.
Now live in 39 cities globally, the $400 million dollar startup has changed the way people are choosing to work out.
We met up with Kadakia at one of her favorite studios in New York City, exhale, to take her class of choice: barre.
Kadakia grew up fitness- and dance-focused. She participated in dance competitions from a young age, and was the captain of her varsity cheerleading squad in high school.
"My parents came [to the US] from India, and I started learning Indian folk dance when I was three years old, competing on the weekends," she said. She still dances and works as the artistic director for The Sa Dance Company, an Indian dance collective she founded.
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Although she was always extremely active, Kadakia definitely understands that certain fitness classes can be intimidating even to a motivated, regular gym-goer.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider