“If you’re serious about innovation, you have to get serious … and systematic … about forgetting. PERIOD.”
~ Tom Peters
Tom Peters projects the exact message I need to hear, exactly when I need to hear it. I subscribe to his daily emails and each one gives me a little jolt. Sometimes he times them particularly well, allowing me to share his wisdom with another soul in need of a good talking to.
Today a friend of mine called me to talk about her job. Bright, enthusiastic, and innovative, she toils away on stop-start projects in a very gray cubicle. Today, her CEO gave a rousing speech about innovation and the forward path of the company. “He just gave the speech to the wrong company,” she said to me. “We cut innovative, game-changing projects right and left here, and then complain about being beat out by our competition. I felt like I was living the book The Emperor’s New Clothes. I think he was trying to convince himself of his plan more than he was trying to convince us.”
Despite a very tough economy, she started looking for a new job today. For a few minutes after the CEO’s speech, she said she felt disappointed, let down. Just a few months ago, she felt so excited and inspired by her company. Last week, collective fear about innovation set in around the office, some champions of innovation were let go, the remaining leadership pulled funding for new product development, and she found herself twiddling her thumbs.
I know senior leaders at companies have a lot of pressure on them to produce bottom-line results. In their angst some forget that when they pull the plug on innovation, their most innovative team members, the ones they really need in this tough economy, don’t stick around for things to improve. They look for other opportunities, find them, and take off. Like it or not, CEOs, you can’t keep innovative people down for long. They need appreciation for their efforts, and if you show your appreciation by cutting funding for innovation, you lose their loyalty.
As my friend told me about her story, I listened patiently, and then read this Tom Peters quote to her. She worked hard in her role at this company, and they didn’t recognize the value of her contributions. Now she needs to forget them and start looking for greener pastures. If I put on my yogi hat, I remember that this latest turn of events must mean another place needs her right now. So, she’s setting off on the road toward greener pastures.
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
“If you’re serious about innovation, you have to get serious … and systematic … about forgetting. PERIOD.”
