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April 23, 2019

Finance + dance class = new yoga business

PHOTO | Michelle Tuccitto Sullo Amanda Audibert has turned her background in finance and yoga into her own business, True Blue Studio in Wolcott.
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

It was while doing yoga that Amanda Audibert first learned to quiet the anxiety from the stressors of daily life.

“It was the first time I felt a connection to a higher power and the start of a strong faith,” Audibert said.

Now, the entrepreneur and former finance major is spreading this sense of calm and love of yoga to others. She recently opened her own business, True Blue Studio, at 421 Wolcott Road in Wolcott.

Audibert, 25, earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Endicott College, where she minored in dance. She also took yoga in college and discovered it helped her escape feelings of anxiety and fatigue.

“I learned to calm myself down through yoga,” she said.

Audibert became certified as a yoga instructor about three years ago, and she has almost reached her 500-hour certification. She opened her own yoga studio last year. While Audibert lives in Milford, she is originally from Wolcott.

“There are a lot of learning curves,” Audibert said. “Owning a business is one thing, and teaching yoga is different. You have to come and keep giving great yoga classes, and the business will take care of itself.”

As a new business owner, Audibert has encountered some challenges, such as the investment to renovate the studio, which had been an office. The space now has wooden floors, flowing curtains, scented oils, succulent plants, and serene paintings to get clients in a relaxed state.

“One of the reasons I loved the space is because whether you have one person or 20, the space feels full,” Audibert said. “I always look forward to seeing everyone. I never thought I would create a space and it would turn into a community.”

Young entrepreneurs sometimes face a unique set of challenges because of their age and inexperience. According to Audibert, she has learned to exude confidence and not take anything personally.

The studio offers a range of classes for those with varying experience, from vinyasa yoga to restorative yoga to barre.

Up until a month ago, Audibert worked full-time as an account executive at a Madison marketing agency in addition to running her studio. She has scaled back her hours to part-time so she can focus more on her own business. Her Madison job has given her the experience to manage her own marketing.

For True Blue Studio, Audibert’s mailing list is already up to about 500 people, and her classes are often full. The studio is located on the main thoroughfare in Wolcott in a building that also houses a spa, salon and a counseling business.

The yoga studio has five part-time teachers and is open in the early morning, evenings and weekends. Audibert hopes to continue growing her business, including potentially opening another location in the Guilford/Madison area.

William Kane, who started taking yoga classes at True Blue Studio last year, said the experience has changed his life.

“It’s rare that you see a young woman entrepreneur seeking her dreams perhaps in an unconventional way,” Kane said.

For more information, visit www.truebluestudiowolcott.com

Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com

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