“Find a job you like and you add five days to every week.” ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr., American author
I thought about this quote as I read the profile of Tim O’Reilly in Inc Magazine this month. Tim is known as the Oracle of Silicon Valley and for good reason. He has a way of seeing what’s coming next about 5 years before other really smart people begin to put the pieces together. His road has been unconventional. He’s not a trained businessman, nor is he a trained engineer or tech expert. Trend identification is his specialty. And so is happiness. He’s a keen people watcher and listener. And he’s got an important message for us: work should support what’s important to us in life, not be the axis around which we build every other moment of our days.
“Sure, sure,” we might say. “Get a job we like. Of course everyone wants to do that. But what if I can’t pay my bills by doing what I love? What then?” I’m not sure what Tim would say to that. Maybe he’d just smile. My response would be: “find something else you can really love. Don’t do something you don’t like just to make money. There’s too much fun stuff out there to learn to waste your time doing something you hate.”
I’m not telling you to go out and quit your job tomorrow. Maybe you should do that – actually, you should definitely do that if you absolutely loathe every waking moment at your current job. But if it’s bearable, find a way to make it useful. A project you can start or help out with, a contact who you can cultivate, a skill you can learn. Or switch roles within your company to something that’s of more interest. Or use that energy to actively seek out a new job, quickly.
Truly, I hated the last role I had at work. Starting around October of 2009, I woke up every morning and groaned; that’s when I knew I just couldn’t physically stay where I was. So it was either on to a new adventure in another role, or out into the world to a new company. And once I shared that sentiment with enough people, I found my way to a new role very quickly. Finding the new job wasn’t hard; deciding that it was time for me to get on with it was the tough part.
Once we admit to ourselves that we just can’t keep going down the road we’re on, there’s no turning back. And that can be scary. But if we’re willing to really seek out happiness and satisfaction in our careers, if we’re willing to say “I can do better than this”, then the world has a funny habit of opening the way forward.
The image above is not my own. It can be found here.
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
“Find a job you like and you add five days to every week.” ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr., American author 
Christa:
You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Yes, just like the song. OMG!
Kindly read..
“The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. You won’t regret it.
It is a book about finding you calling, not just doing a job.
Hence, it is right up your alley. A fascinating read, to be sure.
I want you to benefit from reading it, hence the recommendation.
For your reading pleasure. I stand in awe of Julia’ works.
Cheers!
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Hi Archan,
I did enjoy The Artist’s Way. I haven’t read it in many years and should leaf through it again. I also love The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp. I highly recommend it!
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Thanks Christa I came to a similar situation a year earlier. My path has been an interesting one and if you’re interested I invite you read a little about it here, Rebooting Your Job.
Enjoyed the read, thanks.
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Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for stopping by. Looking forward to checking out your blog and finding the similarities in our paths!
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Now I’ve been in that situation. Need to find the new way that I can do better than this. But I don’t know how I can find it 😦
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Weera, don’t give up. One thing that might be helpful is to think of something, anything, that gives you joy throughout the day, and then figure out how to do more of that one thing. It would be interesting to see where that leads you.
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I think this is a lesson we all eventually learn. If you groan when you wake up at the idea of work, then you need to change jobs. (Curiously enough, when I became my own boss, ie. opened an inn, I no longer felt that way. I was successful, but did not feel satisfied, because I am really a writer, pretending to be an innkeeper. Fortunately there are blogs as a creative outlet ….)
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It’s so true, Alexandra. We have this incredible technology which now makes it possible to share thoughts and ideas with others and not be limited by geography or the decisions of publishing house editors. We are so fortunate to have this creative outlet of blogging.
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I made a decision like this two times in the past three years, and each time it was quite difficult. The right choice was clear, but it was still difficult. It just felt risky. It still does. I’m out here writing and farming, not getting paid, and both times gave up solid pay to do what my heart told me was right. I’m so happy, although still unpaid but hopeful. I’d say, you’re right on. You’ve got to do something you love or find something to love in what you’re doing otherwise it’s poison. Thanks for a great post! I’m so glad I found your blog through the Blogathon.
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Hi Joan! Thanks so much for your comment. I agree that these changes do feel risky. I am going through something very similar right now and have had this happen a few times throughout my career. So happy we are connected through the blogathon. I am going to hop over to your site now and check it out!
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I agree with the Tim O’Reilly. Thanks for introducing him to me. I’ll be sure to read the profile to find out more about how he spots trends ahead of others.
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Sure thing, Jackie. I love Tim’s writing and advice. I hope you enjoy his work as much as I do!
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I had a job ten years ago that was really getting me down. I was personal assistant to a local, well-known writer. I had hoped to glean some insight into the publishing world, and I did to a certain extent, but working for this person was horribly depressing. This person was not “nice” to intimates. I would go home and bark at my husband. I finally realized and quit. I still have not achieved my goal of publishing a book, but I have my own successful business. If I had not been so unhappy in this job, I might not have had the courage to decide to create a B&B.
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Hi Alexandra. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I’ve had similar experiences and it is always so hard to see how we’re changing when we’re in the midst of a tough work situation. I am so glad you got out and that you started your own business! An inspiring story.
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