After a 3 hour flight delay, I finally arrived in Florida to spend some vacation time with my sister, brother-in-law, and 2-year-old niece, Lorelei. I love how kids get so focused on a topic that they can’t think about anything else. My niece can’t get enough of her favorite flicks. The Princess and the Frog currently rules her movie world. She sings the songs spontaneously, in and out of context. She does a heart-felt rendition of “Blue Skies and Sunshine”.
The Princess and the Frog centers on a female would-be entrepreneur in New Orleans who wants to carry on her family’s dream of opening a restaurant. She diligently saves her money, places a down payment on a space, and then, of course, runs into a lot of trouble along the way. She meets a cast of hilarious, sensitive characters, as well as a vilian, and overcomes great odds to realize her dream. A wonderful example of courage, faith, and good business sense for my niece.
As we sang the songs from The Princess and the Frog yesterday, in public spaces and at home, my niece never paid any mind to our surroundings. We twirled around in our sun dresses, gave ourselves numerous rounds of spontaneous applause, and clapped along to our self-made beat. Every space we found became a place where she made herself comfortable. Even her neighborhood Target store. Everywhere we went became a place a joy because we had our songs, and our dancing, and each other. We created those blue skies and sunshine in every corner of our day. Two year olds have a lot to teach us.
Image above is from The Princess and the Frog, courtesy of Disney.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
After a 3 hour flight delay, I finally arrived in Florida to spend some vacation time with my sister, brother-in-law, and 2-year-old niece, Lorelei. I love how kids get so focused on a topic that they can’t think about anything else. My niece can’t get enough of her favorite flicks. The Princess and the Frog currently rules her movie world. She sings the songs spontaneously, in and out of context. She does a heart-felt rendition of “Blue Skies and Sunshine”.
Christa Avampato 
Agreed!
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