All new activities have a learning curve, and live blogging is no different. I was so charged up for day 1 of the BlogHer Business Conference that I was having a hard time focusing enough to live blog the small section that I was responsible for on Day 1. I went home that night and I was scared. Granted, this was not a life or death situation. Still, I had volunteered to do this for the kind people at BlogHer and I really wanted to make sure I captured the information that would be helpful to those who weren’t able to attend and for those who couldn’t get down every concept in every talk.
For Day 2 of the conference, I refined my outlines making the actual blogging easier. I was also in a smaller room which was incredibly helpful. And rather than focusing on my nerves, I focused on the speaker and the information. I wasn’t trying to get every single word – I put my effort towards getting every single concept and the big golden nuggets that were being given by the panels and the audience. And with every post, I felt a little more confident, a little more helpful.
This was a great lesson for me in so many ways. When tackling a difficult or new task, we forget that we need to be kind to ourselves, to make sure that inner voice of encouragement comes shining through. We’re so qick to let that inner critic have its say, shouldn’t our inner champion have the same chance to be heard? And just because a task is hard at first doesn’t mean that we throw in the towel or assume that the task will always be hard. There is something to be said for the wonder and magic of practice. I am grateful to BlogHer for the opportunity to challenge myself and learn some valuable lessons, about blogging, and about living.
The above photo can be found at http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/27/07/22780727.jpg
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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Christa Avampato 