President and Michelle Obama often talk about how they start their conversations at the dinner table with their girls – Roses and Thorns. They each talk about the roses and thorns of their day, the good and the bad. For the past few days I’ve been thinking about this idea, and started using my little black book to record these experiences.
Over the past few days, this practice is helping me to find the bright spots and celebrate all of the smalls wins, even on days when it feels like I’m finding mostly thorns. When I look closely, I am amazed by how the universe will guide us down one path rather than another with the use of roses and thorns. The thorns are keeping me from getting complacent, constantly encouraging me to stretch my wings, and fly to new experiences and opportunities. They are protecting me from losing sight of my dreams. The roses point the way to my best future.
I’m a firm believer in the idea that nothing is as good as it seems or as bad as it seems. That balance, that ying and yang, in every day keeps our feet on the ground and our eyes on the stars. Roses and thorns is about reminding ourselves of the positive circumstances that are all around us (even on days that don’t seem so bright), while also showing us that there are always ways for us to improve ourselves and our circumstances. Who knew we could learn so much from a flower? Another example of biomimicry at work in the highest order.
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
President and Michelle Obama often talk about how they start their conversations at the dinner table with their girls – Roses and Thorns. They each talk about the roses and thorns of their day, the good and the bad. For the past few days I’ve been thinking about this idea, and started using my little black book to record these experiences. 
Lovely!
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Thanks, Trish!!
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I saw the interview by Matt Lauer with Michele Obama and heard her talk about this. Touching that the most powerful man in the world remembers and makes time for his wife and girls, and that their conversations are so significant and personally interactive. We all learn from each other, and the sharing, and recording, of roses and thorns helps keep things in perspective. And with a dash of humor, levels the playing field to keep the thorns at bay, turning them into positive protectors of the beautiful roses they surround. There’s always a ray of sunshine behind every rainy day – always a bright spot.
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Agreed, Mom. Those bright spots are so critical to recognize and celebrate.
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