I’m doing a little experiment: spend a week jotting down the names of everyone you speak to and divide them up into two groups – people who get it and people who don’t. And by “it” I mean whatever you’re passionate about. Bookies, movies, innovation, a new idea for a project at work, a vacation destination. “It” means anything that you want others to listen to, believe, and embrace as their own. “It” is something you want others to buy into.
I found that I spend a solid 50% of my time talking to people who don’t get it, and won’t get it, no matter how much I try to convince them. That is sunk energy. I am spending 50% of my time with people stating my case and I’d have just as much luck with a brick wall as I do with them. I have been wasting too much time on people who don’t get it, and who don’t get me.
Today I went to an Innovator’s Network meeting – a group of people dedicated to talking openly and honestly, looking for silver linings amidst some very dark and gathering clouds. These were my people. Or at least some of them were my people.
It took me a while to find them, a lot of time and effort shouting from the hilltops, and chasing a lot of roads that culminated in dead ends. I spent a lot of time feeling lonely and left out, and out of place. And then I walked into this room today and saw all of these people, gathered together, as if they had been waiting for my arrival. I took my seat among them and smiled. It felt good to be among like minds.
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
I’m doing a little experiment: spend a week jotting down the names of everyone you speak to and divide them up into two groups – people who get it and people who don’t. And by “it” I mean whatever you’re passionate about. Bookies, movies, innovation, a new idea for a project at work, a vacation destination. “It” means anything that you want others to listen to, believe, and embrace as their own. “It” is something you want others to buy into.
Good luck
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What an interesting post. Even as a teenager, my dad and I used to talk about the difference between people who “get it” and people who don’t get “it”, whatever “it” is. I will tell you though – the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized that you gotta have a healthy dose of people who don’t get “it” sprinkled throughout your week. Why? Because their lack of getting “it” makes you really THINK – in ways that like-minded people DON’T. In other words – in a strange kind of way – those that don’t get “it” help you think creatively, in a way. Who knew? Anyway, LOVE your thought-provoking posts…Phyllis R. Neill, http://www.shementor.com
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Hi Phyllis! Thanks so much for your comment. I totally understand what you mean – those people who don’t get it, push us further and make us even more innovative. We just need to make sure that they don’t sap our energy while we’re innovating and creating! :)Cheers,Christa
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