Tucson duo turns burnout into business of compassion
Tucson duo turns burnout into business of compassion
By Katherine Martinez on Aug 14, 2026
Tucson natives Jose Ocaño and Angel Guzman built Hatching, a business teaching burned-out helpers how to reconnect with compassion.
In 2023, former Tucsonans and married couple Jose Ocaño and Angel Guzman were both navigating personal crises when they made an unconventional choice: quitting their jobs to start a business together.
That business, Hatching, now teaches burned-out helpers, from animal shelter workers to school social workers, how to reconnect with compassion.
Ocaño began working at Pima Animal Care Center when he was 19. A certified vet technician, he ended up having to assist with the euthanasia of animals. While euthanasia can be the best and most humane option in some cases, that wasn’t always the case at the shelter, he said.
“I saw animals being euthanized because they sneezed,” he said. “They were being euthanized because they were hissing at you after being in a long car ride.”
Ocaño noticed he and his colleagues were experiencing burnout. Part of the solution, he said, was to change PACC’s operational procedures.
“Over the years, PACC has become an incredible organization and one of the best life-saving models in the country and I got to be a part of that,” Ocaño said.
His success implementing changes at PACC took his work to a national audience when he was hired by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. But while working in human resources, he began experiencing the familiar feeling of burnout from his days at PACC.
“So often I was going in to do programs and operational support, but I know that addressing the burnout and the human side of things was a necessary part,” Ocaño said. “Over time, I realized this is the missing piece here. It’s about centering people’s humanity.”
If the emotional challenges that come with caring are not met, Ocaño says it can make the situation worse.
“It leads to people being … apathetic and hopeless,” he said.
During his time at Best Friends, Ocaño’s mom entered hospice and passed away.
“My life was really up and down at the time and a co-worker told me I’m ‘hatching,'” Ocaño said. “She meant it like this next iteration, like you’re growing, learning, and having to navigate this hard circumstance. That stayed in the back of my mind.”
Guzman is a professional violinist who has performed at Disneyland, toured with Latin artists and recorded with Camila Cabello. He’s also a financial whiz, with his resume including a job with Adult Protective Services’ financial crimes unit and work as a financial investigator for the state of Arizona.
Guzman also had a benign tumor growing on his jaw where his violin rested. The operation to remove it would effectively end his career, so he resisted until it became too much.
He eventually went ahead with the surgery, but missed playing the violin as a way to express himself and cope.
“It was life-changing and how I perceived life and the world around me,” he said.
Guzman needed to find another outlet, so he filled his time with mindful practices.
“I picked up practices like yoga, meditations because I could no longer go to the gym (or play),” Guzman said. “It was really a lot of adapting and accepting the reality of my circumstances.”
The idea behind Hatching didn’t begin as a business plan. It was seeded in coping with life’s hardships, and grew from emotional evaluation and finding ways to heal.
Read the full article on Tucson Spotlight.This article was written by Katherine Martinez. Katherine Martinez is a a Kickapoo-Potawatomi Native majoring in journalism at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at martinezk29@arizona.edu.
September 2026
Hatching Together
Monthly Newsletter
From Survival Mode to Compassion Mode
September 2026
A Moment Before We Begin…
Before you scroll, take a breath.
Fall is here, and with a new season comes another opportunity to notice what’s happening around us… and within us.
Inside, you’ll find:
- Are People Getting Meaner – A new blog from José for NACA
- Compassion in Action: Partner Highlight – Social Workers gearing up for the new school year
- Inside the Skool of Compassion – Community, Connection, and Free Resources
- Introducing: Pause on Purpose – 15-minutes to pause and slow down with intention
- What’s Hatching? – Upcoming workshops, gatherings, and opportunities to say hi
Our intention this month: Seasons change. Modes change. Choose Compassion Mode.
Find what speaks to you, take what you need, and leave the rest.
We’re glad you’re here
Are People Getting Meaner?
7-minute read by José
It can definitely feel that way.
“But we still have agency over what we give our attention to, what we amplify, and how we choose to show up.”
José Ocaño, CEO & Co-Founder of Hatching™, explores what might actually be happening when it feels like people are becoming less patient, less understanding, less compassionate, and how Survival Mode, curiosity, and compassion can shape the way we respond to one another.
Compassion in Action: Partner Highlight
TUSD Social Workers
“I learned so much about my coworkers and I’ve worked with them for years.”
-TUSD Social Worker, Más Compassion Experience™
Much of Hatching’s work has taken place in animal welfare, supporting the people who dedicate themselves to caring for animals and their communities.
Recently, we had the opportunity to bring the Más Compassion Experience™ home to Tucson, this time with social workers serving young people.
As a team born, raised, and educated here, returning to the school community that helped shape us felt especially meaningful.
It also reminded us that while helping professions may look different, the humans behind them often share a similar experience: noticing suffering, caring deeply, taking action, and continuing to show up even when they can’t control what happens next.
Different populations. Different professions. Shared humanity.
So we keep asking:
Who takes care of the people who spend their days taking care of everyone else?
If there’s a team of Helping Humans in your world who could use some space to reconnect with themselves and one another, we’d love to bring the Más Compassion Experience™ to them.
Inside the Skool of Compassion
Over 100 Helping Humans and growing…
Our free Skool of Compassion community has officially reached more than 100 members, and this summer, 28 Helping Humans joined us for our very first Live Better: From Survival Mode to Compassion Mode™ Skool cohort!
For six weeks, we practiced moving from Survival Mode toward Compassion Mode, learning more about ourselves and connecting along the way.
For their final project, participants wrote a letter to their future self, an opportunity to look back on what they had learned and decide what they wanted to carry forward.
“What surprised me most… was how much I’ve learned about myself during this course. I felt seen and supported.”
-Tasha Haug, Executive Director, Homeward Animal Shelter
And there’s more hatching…
This fall, we’re bringing our Virtual Lunch & Learn workshops to Skool, with more ways to learn, connect, and practice compassion together.
The Skool is free to join. Come be one of the Helping Humans.
Introducing: Pause on Purpose
Next Pause: September 27 at 10 AM PT
Sunday Slowdown is getting a little refresh.
What started as a space to slow down together on Sundays is becoming Pause on Purpose, a simple 15-minute opportunity to step away from doing all the things, check in with yourself, and practice the 333 Routine together.
Same intention. Same invitation to slow down. Just a new name that gives us a little more room to pause together… whatever day of the week we need it.
Check out our Skool of Compassion Calendar for our most up-to-date offerings like our upcoming Pause on Purpose Sept 27 and Oct 25.
Monthly Newsletter: August 2026
Hatching Together
Monthly Newsletter
From Survival Mode to Compassion Mode
August 2026
A Moment Before We Begin…
Before you scroll, take a breath.
This month, we’re thinking about what becomes possible when we slow down long enough to notice what’s happening around us… and within us.
Inside, you’ll find:
- a personal story about compassion showing up when it wasn’t planned
- a community investing in the people behind the work
- a few new ways to learn, connect, and practice compassion with us
Our intention this month: Make a little more space to notice.
Find what speaks to you, take what you need, and leave the rest.
We’re glad you’re here
Compassion in Action
5-minute read by Angel
What happens when compassion interrupts your plans?
We spend so much of our lives moving from one thing to the next.
“But every once in a while, something asks us to stop long enough to pay attention.”
Angel Guzmán, COO & Co-Founder of Hatching™, reflects on a personal experience that reminded him that compassion can begin simply by noticing, slowing down and choosing to act.
Partner Highlight
Coalition for Pet Progress
Caring for animals also means caring for the people behind the work.
Caring for animals also means caring for the people behind the work.
The Coalition for Pet Progress, a network of more than 40 animal welfare organizations across the St. Louis region, brought the Más Compassion™ Experience to its members.
Together, we explored moving from Survival Mode to Compassion Mode through reflection, connection, mindfulness, emotional regulation, and practical tools participants can carry into their work and lives.
“Animal welfare professionals are the most compassionate people I know, but we don’t often consider where our compassion begins and ends. This workshop exposed that reality. It was vulnerable and inspiring. We all left a bit less divided and a bit more self-aware.”
— Nev Fisher, Executive Director, The Coalition for Pet Progress
We’re grateful to Nev, the Coalition, and everyone who came together to create space for the people behind the mission.
Curious about the practical tools we explored during the workshop? Explore free resources in our Skool of Compassion.
A Community for Practicing Compassion
We’re excited to have launched the Hatching™ Skool of Compassion, a free online community where you can stay connected, continue learning, and grow alongside others committed to building more compassionate lives, workplaces, and communities.
We already have more than 70 members. Here’s why some of them joined:
” I joined because I want to make sure I’m taking care of the person doing the caring. Poco a poquito, I’m learning that I don’t have to carry everything alone.”
“I wanted a space where I could keep learning and be reminded that compassion is something we can practice every day, not just talk about.”
Two Free Online Courses
Both courses are eligible for 6.0 RACE-approved credit hours.
Live Better: From Survival Mode to Compassion Mode™
Mondays, 12:00–1:15 PM PT / 3:00–4:15 PM ET
Sept. 14, 21, 28 • Oct. 5, 12, 19
Work Better: The Power of Us™
Prerequisite: Live Better course completed
Mondays, 4:00–5:15 PM PT / 7:00–8:15 PM ET
Sept. 14, 21, 28 • Oct. 5, 12, 19
New Virtual Lunch & Learns
(For Organizations)
Our new virtual 90-minute Lunch & Learn workshops offer organizations practical tools and meaningful conversations.
Designed to make learning convenient and accessible.
Monthly Newsletter: July
Hatching Together
Monthly Newsletter
From Survival Mode to Compassion Mode
July 2026
Over the past year, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside hundreds of individuals and organizations, building stronger teams, deeper connections, and more compassionate communities.
While we’ve loved connecting through workshops, presentations, and online learning experiences, we’ve heard the same question time and again: “How can we stay connected and learn about upcoming events?”
That’s exactly why we’re launching Hatching Together. Each month, we’ll share stories from the communities we serve, practical tools, upcoming events, and opportunities to continue learning together. We’re grateful you’re here and hope you’ll join us as we continue to learn, grow, and build a more compassionate world together.
Wherever you are on your journey, we’re grateful to be a small part of it. We look forward to staying connected.
The Backstory
The Story Behind Hatching
In this personal reflection, José shares the experiences that shaped our mission, why compassion became the foundation of our work, and what continues to inspire us today.
Compassion in Action
Real stories from the organizations and communities we're honored to serve.
How Santa Fe Animal Shelter Is Investing in Staff Well-being
Supporting the people who care for others creates stronger organizations and healthier communities. Discover how Santa Fe Animal Shelter is investing in staff well-being through the Más Compassion™ Experience.
Join Live Better Summer Session!
Class begins July 27 at 10AM PST
We’re excited to launch the Hatching™ Skool of Compassion, a free online community where you can stay connected, continue learning, and grow alongside others who are committed to building more compassionate lives, workplaces, and communities.
Our first instructor-led course, Live Better: From Survival Mode to Compassion Mode™, begins July 27. This six-week experience is designed to help you better understand yourself, strengthen your capacity for compassion, and build practical skills you can apply every day.
To make this work more accessible, we’re offering the inaugural course for $33, through Skool.
Class Details:
Mondays | July 27 – August 31
10:00-11:15 AM PST
Live on Zoom (link provided after registering)
Your journey begins here. Click below to join the Hatching™ Skool of Compassion, watch José’s welcome message, and register for our Live Better Summer Session!
Can’t attend? Explore our Fall 2026 courses through Maddie’s University.
NEW - Lunch & Learn Workshops
(For Organizations)
Designed for mission-driven and heart-led organizations, our new 90-minute Lunch & Learn workshops offer practical tools and meaningful conversations in a flexible virtual or in-person format.
Perfect for organizations looking to introduce compassion and well-being without the time commitment of a full workshop.