Yesterday, Brian and I had a discussion about anxiety and what causes it. Lately, I’ve been having some very vivid dreams about choices I’m making and how those choices will affect other areas of my life. I love to think about ripple effects, taking an idea as far down the road as I can to see how it may play out in the short-, medium-, and long-term. Of late, I’ve also been experimenting with working backwards, considering where I’d like to be and then working back to see what I should do now to get there.
I asked Brian for some other tools like the working backwards strategy that may help me with the current decisions on my plate. He suggested the idea of building a list of non-negotiables. I am a fan of pro-con lists, though the trouble with pro-con lists is that they are interminable. By contrast, a list of non-negotiables is finite and non-negotiables quickly help us get to our core values.
We can develop a list of non-negotiables for every area of our lives: career, relationships, where we live, our diet. And the genius of this type of list is that it prevents us from settling. There are certain things that are just unacceptable, and if we take each of the options before us and match it up against our non-negotiable list, we can more easily discern which options could work and which ones need to go to the trash.
I’m working away on my lists for different areas of my life. Here’s one for how I schedule my writing commitments:
1.) I must retain the rights to my work
2.) I receive credit for the work and am able to list my website’s URL at the beginning or end of the piece
3.) The piece must be about a topic that personally interests me
4.) The publication must broaden my reach to a new audience
That’s it. Now of course there are other things I’d like to have, though these 4 points are the must-haves. If an opportunity violates any of my non-negotiables, no matter how great the opportunity is, I know I will eventually be unhappy with it. Knowing our non-negotiables provides us with our greatest chance at happiness, ensures our authenticity, and presents the most efficient and fulfilling use of our time and effort. Who could argue with that?
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/
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