This Tech Company Reassures Working Women They Don't Need to Be 100 Percent
For more than half a century, women have been chasing the notion that they, too, can "have it all." But Ivy Wu, the vice president of global growth at ClassPass, knows that idea is a false narrative.
"The message has long been to lean in, fight for a seat at the table and move all speed ahead on all aspects of work, family, motherhood and life in general," Wu told Newsweek. "But I think that mindset sets us up for burnout."
According to a Gallup Poll published in December, women who report having to address work-related responsibilities outside their work hours and personal or family responsibilities while at work are 81 percent more likely to feel burned out.
The survey also found that over half of working women prefer a blender work style, which alternates fluidly between work and personal life, over a splitter work style, which makes a clear distinction between the two. But that doesn't surprise Wu.
"Work/life balance doesn't exist in a fixed state," she said. "There will always be times when one thing takes precedence over another."
"There are seasons where work takes the lead, and others where family, health or rest take priority," she said. "That ebb and flow isn't failure; it's just real life. As women, we need to rewrite the script: success isn't about giving 100 percent to everything, all the time—it's about focusing on the right things for you, so you can show up as your best, most energized self when it matters most."
Ivy Wu, VP of global growth at ClassPass, and Kristin Heintz, SVP of international at Playlist
Ivy Wu, VP of global growth at ClassPass, and Kristin Heintz, SVP of international at Playlist
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Canva
As a working mom, Wu has been especially appreciative of the work policies in place at ClassPass and its parent brand Playlist, which also owns Mindbody and Booker. The company is "proudly remote-first," offers unlimited time off and designates "no-meeting days" to limit internal calls so that employees can focus on other work.
"We trust people to make smart decisions about how to use their time and design their days around what matters," Kristin Heintz, the senior vice president of international at Playlist, told Newsweek.
She recognized that while everyone is different, "the most universal challenge is trying to fit everything that matters—both at work and outside of work—into just 24 hours a day."
Heintz, who has been with ClassPass since its early days, said she routinely reminds herself that it can be easy to try to do everything, but that it's rarely necessary. More important, "there is no prize for unnecessary suffering," she exclaimed.
Instead of operating as if every day is going to be a great day, Heintz buffers for days where she knows she might feel extra tired, stressed or overwhelmed. To set herself up for success on the days she's feeling less sharp, she tries to take advantage of her high-energy days: stocking her fridge with healthy options in advance, intentionally scheduling meetings to avoid back-to-back late-night and early-morning calls and turning away from situations that she knows will leave her feeling exhausted.
Ivy Wu, the vice president of global growth at ClassPass, talked to Newsweek about the most defining moments of her career, the narrative that working women need to shatter and what wellness means to her.
Ivy Wu, the vice president of global growth at ClassPass, talked to Newsweek about the most defining moments of her career, the narrative that working women need to shatter and what wellness means to her.
ClassPass
Wu embraces a similar type of intention in her life too. After having her two kids, she's become protective of her reset time, making sure that she and her husband carve out space for a weekly date night, align on their "must-have" priorities and plan travel well ahead to ensure they're making time for family and friends.
"Everything else gets built around these key pillars, and that helps keep us sane!" she said. "It's less about balance and more about alignment, ensuring your time reflects what matters most."
Reflecting on the moments that defined her career, Wu said that her life would not have unfolded the way it did if she had not embraced discomfort. She attributes her willingness to "leap into the unknown" as shaping two of the most pivotal decisions of her professional life: the decision to leave finance for the startup world and the decision to take over Playlist's growth team right after returning from her first maternity leave.
"The reality is, most game-changing opportunities rarely show up with perfect timing, so raising your hand when a challenge presents itself—even if you don't feel fully prepared—is a huge part of becoming a better leader," Wu said. "Growth comes from moments of ambiguity. You don't need to have it all figured out all the time."
Professional turning points can also be gradual. Sometimes, career paths are shaped by decisions that take years to mature, much like Heintz's decision to stay at ClassPass.
"The company was very small when I started, and plenty of seed-stage companies don't make it; I just happened to pick one that did survive its earliest days and then scaled quickly," she said.
For more than eight years, Heintz worked her way through various titles at ClassPass, starting off as an email marketing manager, evolving into the company's director of financial planning and analysis and business intelligence, until ultimately becoming the vice president of finance and analytics. After Mindbody acquired ClassPass, Heintz became the senior vice president for Mindbody, and when the two companies launched their parent brand this year, she became the senior vice president of international at Playlist.
"A rising tide really does lift all boats: when a company is growing fast, there's a lot of things to build, problems to solve and ambiguity to navigate," Heintz said. "For anyone willing to take on those challenges, it becomes a crash course in leadership and business. I 'grew up' professionally at ClassPass—the company grew, and I grew with it."
To celebrate women in leadership and to help them connect with the next generation of C-suite executives and board members, Newsweek is hosting its inaugural Women's Global Impact forum.
The August 5 event, hosted at Newsweek's headquarters in New York City, will bring together some of the world's top female executives and connect them with rising stars across industries and job functions. For more information on the event and entry guidelines, please visit the Women's Global Impact homepage.
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