CAITLIN Pascucci
Company: Sangha Studio
Title: Founder, Executive Director
Age: 30
Favorite Part of Job: For sure working with people and seeing each person be more in tune with themselves over time. At Sangha we sort of have this unwritten motto of “come as you are” and an understanding that as long as someone is doing what is true to them, 
then great. I really enjoy helping people find what that means for them.
Most Inspiring Mentor: I have been lucky to have quite a few. Coby Kozlowski and Jason Crandell have definitely mentored me in teaching very skillful yoga and in leadership. One of our board members, Brian O., has coached me in management and setting goals.
What three words best describe you: Approachable. Open. Likes-giving-hugs. (three words, but whatever.)
What song on your playlist are you ashamed to tell your best friend: I’m still listening to Justin Bieber’s Purpose album pretty regularly....though not ashamed at all. haha!
Favorite Downtime Activity: I really enjoy listening to podcasts --- mostly ones that have to do with yoga and business.
What is the best career advice you have received: “Just go to bed and when you wake up, tell yourself it’s a new day.” I heard this from someone who really meant it. They had the most positive, genuine attitude towards just starting with their best self each day regardless of what may of happened the day before.
Where do you see yourself professionally in ten years: I would love to be mentoring other yoga teachers and yoga studios in how to run a successful business in some way. We are currently working on an online program for this, and we will see where it goes!
What else would you like to accomplish in the next 5-10 years: Figuring out how to expand Sangha Studio’s reach. I don’t really know what that means, and I would like to figure that out.
What motivated you to live and work in Vermont: I toured 1 college when I was a junior in high school and I just fell in love. I didn’t feel stressed or overwhelmed when I came on the tour, it just felt right, and I went with that.
Career Highlights: I think hiring my first staff member that wasn’t a yoga teacher. As in, someone to help clean up my messes (ha!) and get us organized and able to be better. That was over 2 years ago and now we have her as a full-time, salary staff plus 2 other part-time staff members. Really feeling the “build it, they will come” mentality was (and is) a highlight.
Another pretty big highlight is just teaching each week. Right now I teach 1 class weekly at the studio and I get to connect with the people who come in such a personal way. It’s a reminder each week as to why it all started in the first place. And why it’s so important that we are donation-based and have service programs and operate the way we do. A highlight each week is that even with growth, I don’t feel like we’ve lost the “heart” of the business at all, and that makes me feel so good.
Community Involvement: Sangha has so many yoga service programs. These are all aspects of community involvement that I am a part of in that I oversee the programs and the Program Coordinator. I personally teach at Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center each week. This class is probably the hardest class for me, in that I never know what to expect, which means I can only plan so much. It really challenges my skill as a teacher to lead the room and manage the space. I love it. It can be hard to connect with the kids sometimes, but we tell them to just keep showing up and trying their best, and that’s sort of the advice we give to ourselves as teachers too. Recently, one teen was in the process of leaving the facility and he started doing an internship with me at the yoga studio. To see him integrate into his community and feel a part of something is a reminder of why this work is so important.
