We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrea Marcum a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Andrea thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Over the course of your career, have you seen or experienced your field completely flip-flop or change course on something?
I’ve been teaching yoga for over 20 years, and in that time, I’ve also been an author, a studio owner, a retreat leader and most recently an Independent online platform creator. That’s what’s exciting though- that there are so many expressions under the same umbrella to explore in the “business of yoga.” There is always something more to learn which inspires me to stay a humble student.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I stumbled into yoga at the gym by accident and was pretty annoyed by my first class. As a cardio gal, the slow pace and emphasis on breathing was like throwing my (obsessively ridden) spin bike in reverse. Yoga caught my attention, and ultimately changed the trajectory of my life. It made me reexamine my “nothing’s ever enough” lens-on-life and refocus where I was putting my energy. It also became a tool for navigating one of my toughest chapters, which in turn convinced me to become a teacher. In the late 90’s being a yoga instructor wasn’t something people did for a living, but somehow I managed to make it work.
I taught at a little local studio in LA, then became a reluctant entrepreneur, opening my own place on the 5th floor of an Art Deco building overlooking the DTLA skyline. It was basically business school on the job, and I acquired a skillset that has proven to be invaluable throughout the evolution of my career. U Studio was named for the Unity and commUnity that created it with me. My online platform, where I teach now, is an extension of that same U as a virtual studio and global family at andreamarcum.com.
Writing articles was a passion that gave way to writing a book. Close to Om: Stretching Yoga From Your Mat to Your Life was published by St. Martin’s Press. I even got to read the audiobook, which felt like a 7 and a half hour meditation. Yoga and mindfulness practices prepare us for life’s twists and turns.
I’ve prepared celebrities for the Oscars, worked with athletes (Matt Kemp, LA Dodgers – NFL Network , U.S. Tennis Association) collaborated with global brands (lululemon, Vogue, Equinox, Travel & Leisure, NBCUniversal, Yoga Journal, Om Yoga Magazine, Well + Good,) created content for Medicare’s Silver & Fit, and built my own platform at andreamarcum.com.
Bringing awareness to causes and communities around the world that need to be seen and heard lights me up. Retreats are a way to use our yoga mats as magic carpets to look into our lives and stretch out into the world. It’s one of my favorite parts of my “job.” I’ll be doing that in Iowa this summer and just got back from Guatemala. I’d love for you to join us sometime.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
In yoga philosophy abhyasa and vairagya are central tenets. Abhayasa is consistent practice, uninterrupted, over a long period of time. Showing up consistently is key to success in anything, and certainly in my profession. They say that integrity is what you do when you think nobody is looking. Abhyasa is the integrity it takes to build and grow organically and effectively – it’s a reminder that life is an endurance race, not a sprint. Vairagya means “without expectation of a particular outcome.” Whether there are two people in our classroom or 200 we bring the same integrity. I’ve had incredible things come from what looked like a failure- personally and professionally. Vairagya asks us to keep our net open for things we might not be able to see yet.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Pivoting happens in small ways all the time. We change our sequencing as our bodies change, as science shifts, as creative inspirations evolve. I’ve pivoted from studio owner to author to retreat leader… and as we all did during the pandemic, from in persons to online. The pivot to start andreamarcum.com has been one of the most rewarding of my career. We chat for 10-minutes before our livestreams and have become a family from all over the world. It’s another example of abhyasa and vairagya- we kept trudging through the pandemic together consistently and ended up with an unexpected bond that extends far beyond the Covid confines. It’s been amazing to meet people for the first time in person on retreat who have been practicing online with me- connection is everything and phy-gital (physical and digital combined) is expansive in every way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.andreamarcum.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreamarcum/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ustudio.yoga.7/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAndreaMarcum
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andreapietrangelo/videos
Image Credits
Dave Gould (Iceland king dancer) Cari Lutz (Smiling shot) Dimyana Marie (pink seated twist) Andrea Marcum others