I’ve had Phineas for one week today and every day he’s teaching me something new. I just finished Cesar Milan’s book, Cesar’s Way, and have been using his advice as I train Phinny. It’s working like a charm and it’s helped me get to know Phineas as a dog, something I’ve not done with previous pets. I treated our other dogs like furry little people. I projected my human-ness onto them rather than learning from and loving their doginess.
Here are the 10 biggest lessons I’ve learned from Phineas and Cesar to-date:
1.) There is no greater joy than this moment.
2.) Dwelling on the past, good, bad, or indifferent, prevents us from celebrating all the beauty we have in our midst right now.
3.) Structure and discipline are powerful tools for healthy living.
4.) Exercise is the best remedy for pent up energy, and pent up energy must be released regardless of its source.
5.) Relationships with our pack are the most important possessions we have.
6.) Getting the life we want has much more to do with vision and determination than it does with circumstances.
7.) Calm-assertive energy is the best aura to have in any situation.
8.) A stable leader is the only leader worth following.
9.) Exploration of the world around us is one of the most worthy activities we can do.
10.) We all take in the world in a different way; empathy is about appreciating those differences and learning from them.
What lessons have your pets taught you about the best way to live your life?
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
I’ve had Phineas for one week today and every day he’s teaching me something new. I just finished Cesar Milan’s book, Cesar’s Way, and have been using his advice as I train Phinny. It’s working like a charm and it’s helped me get to know Phineas as a dog, something I’ve not done with previous pets. I treated our other dogs like furry little people. I projected my human-ness onto them rather than learning from and loving their doginess. 
