Month: January 2009

career, comedy, holiday, office space, television

Holiday card mishap

Christa Avampato

This story is just too good to keep to myself. I debated about whether or not to tell it in a public forum but I just can’t resist. My friend, Jane, had me laugh so hard today that my eyes were tearing over. My stomach was aching. 


She has a boss who’s a bit of an exhibitionist. For example, when they needed to use some photography for a new product her company was launching, he used a photo of himself. In a muscle shirt. And the presentation was being sent to perspective clients.

So with this year’s holiday cards, he got a little creative. Most people get a family photo where everyone’s smiling, the dog seated on the couch, etc. Not this guy. He took a trip to Bali this past summer and thought he’d like to showcase that. Now, a normal person would choose a picture of the sunset, the ocean, maybe even a picture of himself sipping a tropical looking drink. 

Jane’s boss decided to have someone take a photo of him in a black speedo (what Jane describes as an ill-fitting banana hammock) and used that for his holiday card. Yep – sent it to family, friends, co-workers, business contacts. I was floored. Talk about lack of judgement!

Now the card is all the talk about the office. People crowding in corners, at the copier, at the water cooler. Some are laughing, some are appalled, all have lost respect for him. Even clients are commenting on the card. It sounds like a stunt that Steve Carell would pull on The Office. (I’m thinking of sending the idea in to NBC.) Would anyone in their right mind seriously do that? Well, you know what they say – in all good comedy, there’s a little bit of truth.     
career, entrepreneurship

My Year of Hopefulness – Place a Bet. On You.

Christa Avampato

I love Donnie Deutsch. He is a fellow Penn alum and follow his advice closely. I don’t think he has a magic formula, a crystal ball to predict winner ideas. I love him because he’s an optimist. He believes whole-heartedly that you have to go for it. Do you have an idea and are you excited about getting it off the ground? Great – go for it. There will be people who will say that your idea will never work, it’s been tried before, and tat you’re wasting your time. Go for it!


And now is the time. You can no longer stake your career on big, inflexible institutions. The only one you can depend on is you. Suppliers are cheap. Manufacturers are cheap. And the public is hungry for new, interesting ideas that make their lives easier. He’s just written a book based on his very popular TV show on CNBC, The Big Idea. It will knock your socks off with inspiration, something we could all use a little more of.

Here is the link for his recent segment on the Today Show:  http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/28538920#28538920. 
art, creativity, theatre

My Year of Hopefulness – Shakespeare

Christa Avampato

Did you ever feel like somewhere along the line you lost a piece of yourself? A hobby, a part of your job, a relationship or friendship that you wish you hadn’t let just fade away? It happens in life, with all of our comings and goings, that things slip between our fingers into some abyss. The good thing about that abyss is that it’s not really that far away and we can easily fish out what we once loved and make it new again. 


Theatre is that candle for me that went out several years ago. I was in it, making it, and then my interest in it just faded away. I was disillusioned by certain practices and the politics and the commercialism of it all. I just cared about the art, and in that field getting the credit (and as much of it as possible) is crucial. Or so I thought….

I recently joined a brand new group at work called Temporary Shakespeare, a soon-to-be nonprofit, that offers free Shakespeare readings, and workshops to help corporate employees attain and maintain work / life balance. Our first show is Comedy of Errors and will be held January 14, 15, and 16. I’m excited about this new venture and what may come of it. At rehearsal today, I felt like I reclaimed a passion that I thought was so long gone, and it was actually just over my shoulder all along.   
blog, blogging, Facebook, social media, writing

Is it quantity or quality?

Christa Avampato

The debate continues about quantity versus quantity in the world of social media. Do you want more Twitter followers or are you more concerned with having followers who are interested in your life, share interesting articles and activities with you, and building dialogue? The same is true of traffic on a website: do you care more about how many people subscribe to your newsletter and blog feed or how many people actually read it rather than tossing it in the recycle bin without even opening it?


The best possible scenario for trying to build web traffic is to have a lot of brand advocates who are passionate about the site. However, if I had to choose between a small group of people who really care about the site and visit it often and a large group of people who stop by once, maybe subscribe to a feed or newsletter, and rarely read my writing, I would absolutely choose the former. It goes back to that time-honored phrase, “take care of your people (in this case, your community members) and they will take care of the brand (in this case, the site).”

Now sites like Facebook are in that rare crossroads of having a lot of followers who are very passionate about the brand. I am one of them – I LOVE Facebook. I’m on there all the time, poking around, updating my status, emailing friends far and near. Most sites will never get that kind of traffic so they usually have to choose: lots of surface conversations or a small group of meaningful conversations?

Let’s be realistic – my blog is never going to be Facebook. And that’s fine – that’s good, actually. I have a small group of readers that I love who read and comment on my writing regularly – some on my blog, some in person when I see them, some in very kind emails that they send me. They are extremely special people to me. I know a little bit, or a lot in some cases, about them and we have a good dialogue and exchange of ideas. If this blog were Facebook, I couldn’t devote the time, care, attention, and honesty I do to the fun part – the writing. I’m one person writing about topics and people I care about. And that is a blessing to be able to do.  
hope, relationships, work

My Year of Hopefulness – A Change of Self and Not a Change of Scene

Christa Avampato

I was speaking to a friend of mine tonight about how difficult it can be to get our head back in the game of work after the holidays. I’ll admit that I felt a tiny pang of dread this morning when my alarm went off this morning. Some people say they never know what they’d do with themselves if they retired. I’m not one of those people. I can happily fill any day with activities I love sans work. 


My friend had the same feeling this morning, wishing that she could turn off the alarm and happily snuggle back under the covers to sleep a bit more. No such luck. So with one heavy foot in front of the other she got onto the subway and made her way downtown to work, like so many of us this morning. She was pleasantly surprised to find that EVERYONE at work was cheerful and pleasant. All traces of stress and grumpiness that descended on her off right before Christmas had dissipated. It was the same office space with a whole new collective attitude. 

It’s possible, even in bleak times, to change our scene by changing ourselves. By choosing to look up while also reaching down. We can take other people with us into a new attitude. It’s not easy work. Changing the way we look at a situation or at a person, even if that person has caused us some kind of grief in the past, can work wonders to move us forward. Extend your heart and mind toward the sentiment that brings more comfort to your daily life and you will be amazed by the feeling of well-being that you’ll find.   
books, clarity, culture, hope, meditation

My Year of Hopefulness – Law of Attraction

Christa Avampato

I love getting daily quotes, thoughts, intentions, etc. into my inbox. I’m a loyal e-newsletter subscriber. My friend, Ken, turned me on to one put together every day by a duo that offers workshops based on ideas behind The Secret. I’m not into going to workshops, though I’m enjoying the daily quotes. 


Ken reads the daily quote first thing in the morning and then when he gets home at the end of the day. He meditates on the sentiments and meaning offered in each, and tries to be mindful of it throughout the day. I’m not saying that this is a magic potion, though it does make me feel better to read these ideas and consider them in my daily life. At this point, positive reflection on our current situation may be the best remedy. It’s a technique worth trying. You can sign up for the daily quote emails at http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php

As a sample of what’s typically on offer, here is the daily quote from today:
“You are on the leading edge of thought, taking thought beyond that which it has been before. Who cares what thoughts have led up to this. You’re standing in the fresh now, and many of the thoughts that you vehemently oppose are the very thoughts that have given you the desire that has attracted the clarity of where you now stand. No matter how awful you think they might be, all were of value in the evolution forward. Every one of them.

Excerpted from a workshop in Philadelphia, PA on Tuesday, April 14th, 1998

Our Love, 
Jerry and Esther”

career, economy, entrepreneurship, hope, Obama, work

Dreamers and Doers

Christa Avampato

Big companies are announcing layoffs right and left, and those who do keep their jobs are being asked to do evermore work without any pay increase, bonus, or title promotion. We have felt very secure at big companies because in large part they have taken good care of their people and rewarded loyalty. With this latest downturn, we are seeing people with 10+ years of service turned out, replaced by younger and less expensive employees. The game has changed.


Here is the reason for hope in all of this economic mess. Maybe, finally, people will begin working very hard for themselves and not for these large companies. Perhaps we will begin to place more trust and faith in ourselves than we do in these behemoth organizations. One observation my former boss, Bob, made about a year ago is that the difference between generations these days is that young people, by and large, will bet on themselves rather than bet on a corporation to make their careers. 

In today’s New York Times there is an article entitled “Dreamers and Doers” that discusses entrepreneurship programs and classes on college campuses. They have experienced double digit growth in the past few years, and some colleges like Babson have become known for their entrepreneurship programs.

It is my greatest wish for the economy of 2009 that all of this corporate downsizing sparks a surge in entrepreneurship and innovation by small companies. Will giant corporations that have long dominated the business landscape go the way of the dinosaurs? Maybe. Think of all the talented, capable, well-educated people that are now being laid off. If they banded together to create something new, leaving behind the saddle of corporate politics and bureaucracy, couldn’t they be more productive? 

Supporting small business may be President Obama’s shortest road to economic recovery, and we would all be better off for it.   
friendship, grateful, gratitude, hope

My Year of Hopefulness – my friend, Ken

Christa Avampato

One way I feel more hopeful is by spending more quality time with people I love. Last year I spent a lot of time dashing from one place to the next, squeezing this task in here and that task in there. It’s exhausting. So I’m taking more time out this year for individuals and enjoying the time I have with them rather than watching the clock when I’m with them. 


To this end, I took the bus out to the Poconos to visit my friend, Ken, one of my nearest and dearest. Just being around him lifts up my spirit. He had a rough year in 2008, and what amazes me about him is that he doesn’t resent anything that he’s lost. He is much more grateful for having ever had those things and people in his life at all. It’s a good lesson for me, for all of us. Resentment and regret gets us nowhere. Gratefulness brings us joy, and ultimately more to be grateful for.  

business, career, happiness, hope, Marcus Buckingham, Oprah, strengths, talents, work

My Year of Hopefulness – Marcus Buckingham Workshop Session 1: Introduction

Christa Avampato

I’ve previously written about Marcus Buckingham on this blog – his writing has been very influential on the way I live my life and build my career. He is a career guru and has dedicated his life to helping people live their best lives. Oprah recently featured him on one of her shows. He did a three-hour workshop with a group of women who want to improve their lives from a career standpoint. These women felt overwhelmed, anxious, off balance, and sometimes very unhappy with their jobs.


As a gift to viewers who want to live their best lives in 2009, Marcus Buckingham and Oprah filmed the entire three hours session, broke it down into 8 different classes, and put all of them on-line for free with resources and class materials. You can download them to your ipod, watch them, or listen to them on your computer. It’s as if you are sitting in a classroom with one of the most world-renowned thinkers on living a strengths-based life. And it’s incredible. 

I just completed session 1 – The Introduction with two of my friends, John and Ellen. Three basic question for everyone in the class: What is your name? What are you paid to do? Why are you here? As part of this blog, I will detail what I’m thinking, experiencing, and feeling in each one of these classes and John and Ellen have agreed to allow me to share the specifics of their situations on this blog. 

To take the class, please visit the link on Oprah’s website: http://www.oprah.com/package/money/career/pkgmarcus/20080401_orig_marcusbuckingham

Here is my own mini-class that will be featured on this blog:
Name: Christa
Paid to do?: Product Development
Here because?: My day is filled with lots of tasks I don’t want to do

Name: John
Paid to do?: Graphic Design
Here because?: Feels like he is wasting time with a company that has no advancement opportunities. Job is mostly executional, not strategic. Culture is siloed and not collaborative. A lot of in-fighting at his current firm. Many people don’t want the responsibility of making decisions, but want credit when something goes right. 

Name: Ellen
Paid to do?: Nonprofit fundraiser
Here because?: Doesn’t feel that her current company is creative, innovative, or motivated to improve. Decision-making processes in the organization are very slow and misguided. Her opinions are not listened to by her boss. She works with great people, though is not enjoying working for her boss as there is very little mentorship. 

Once a week, I will be sharing our stories as we continue through the remaining sessions of this class with Marcus Buckingham. If you decide to take it and would like to share your thoughts on the classes, I’d love to have you comment on this blog! Here’s to living our best lives in 2009!
art, comedy, humor, NBC, television

I Might Be Liz Lemon, and So Are You

Christa Avampato

I’m a little late to the party on this one – 30 Rock has already won several Emmy’s and is in its 3rd season. I’m just now getting into the series on DVD. Hilarious. And comedy writing is not easy – I’ve tried it and I was terrible. I laugh out loud at the ridiculous behavior of those characters and marvel at how often I think things at work that they say freely to one another. If only all workplaces were that honest, we’d have greater job satisfaction. It’s the passive-aggressive behavior, the simultaneous smile and toss under the bus that kills morale. 


Liz Lemon, Tina Fey’s character, is someone I relate to immensely. She is a single 30-something who lives on the UWS, just a few blocks from me. Works hard, sometimes to the detriment of her personal life, makes impossible relationships a hobby, and eats as much as I do. She’s nerdy and independent. We love our humidifiers. While she has this dream job, she’s constantly worried that she will be reduced to teaching improv at the Y. She’s all our unsavory features rolled in to one sympathetic, funny shell. We don’t love the character because she’s perfect or well-balanced or someone we aspire to be. She isn’t any of those things. We love her because she is who we are, warts and all.

30 Rock is proof that we can do something original in an over-crowded field. It just requires that we put aside our egos, stop looking to others for “copy-and-paste” ideas, and just be exactly who we are and say exactly what we think, funny, nice, meaningful, or not. And for goodness sake, we need to learn to laugh at ourselves and those around us.