“We are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond.” ~ Gwendolyn Brooks
As the weather gets milder, I’m spending more time on my terrace. I stare up at all of those stars, and they remind me that the world has a lot of room for glowing. I really hate that term “top performers”, the idea that the world takes shape on a bell curve with us as nothing more than points on that path, grouped in standard deviations from the mediocre mean. Ridiculous. If the universe in its infinite wisdom thought that way about the galaxy, I would spend my nights gazing into a black, empty sky, with hardly any light.
Everyone has within them the opportunity to display extraordinary abilities. Our only real work consists of bringing out that glimmer in ourselves, and in those around us. We owe it equally to ourselves, to those with us now, to those who came before us, and those who will follow. I for one would rather leave a legacy of light than a legacy inscribed with the idea of “I did what was rational, safe, and standard.” I would rather believe that by changing expectations, I can change performance. I would rather spend my days chasing down my own unlikely dream than abiding by someone else’s rules and standards.
I invest in people before I invest in the stock market. When push comes to shove, I double down on my own efforts and I don’t bank on a better opportunity to magically appear. I have to build the better opportunity, for myself and for others as my responsibility, my privilege. After all, without one another, we don’t have much at all.
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
“We are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond.” ~ Gwendolyn Brooks
Christa:
Bell Curve. Now, now…what’s up with that, yo?
Truer words were never said. Top performers, indeed.
You just keep on shining like those stars in the sky. It also seems like you are one of those “people persons.” Oh, no.
Wish I had your people skills. I am too clumsy and frequently fall on my face due to accursed two left feet. The klutz, me. The fraidy cat, me. The holy man, me.
You are oriented towards others. Me too: I like to make people smile and laugh and my friends love me for it.
The ladies are another ballgame. They turn into Bruce Lee and belt me one whenever they ask me to dance.
Wrong move, ladies. I step on their toes while dancing, and fall on the waiter. On the other hand, it is rather hilarious. People have a good time at my expense.
Oh, well, you can’t win ’em all. Cheerio.
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Archan,
Every one of your comments reveal a bit more of your sense of humor. I love it! 🙂 There’s always dance lessons…
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Christa,
I feel so fortunate that my star got to glimmer next to your big bright glow for a while. I enjoy your perspective. It has gotten under my skin, and it’s starting to shape my own. See you Thursday night.
Rachel
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Hi Rachel! So glad you came to visit and left a comment. Woohoo! The yoga teacher training has been such a blessing, as have so many of the connections I’ve made, including ours. This is only the beginning 🙂
See you Thursday!
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Hi Christa, Love the message of interconnection. As the Ageless Wisdom adage goes, “Only as we all do well will each of us do well.”-Jan
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Jan, I love that quote! So gorgeous and so true!
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