“A vine, well-exercised, produces an intense wine.” ~ Anthony Bourdain
Yesterday I was at my mom’s house watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. I recently finished his book, Kitchen Confidential, and love his bits of life wisdom garnered through his life in food. On yesterday’s episode he was meandering through Provence and all of the incredible cuisine that area of the world has to offer. He went to visit a restored winery and met with the owner to learn about the gifts of strong heat and rocky soil that make for incredible, intense wine. Because the vines struggle a bit through the rocky soil (and it is a delicate balance asking them to struggle enough to become strong, but not so much that it ruins the vines entirely), the flavor in the grapes is pungent and focused.
Yesterday morning I was struggling with a bit of a problem. I have been doing a lot of pitching for my out-of-school education program, Innovation Station. I’ve gotten many positive reactions to it, and people who are interested in producing it once a pilot is complete and the results are in. Trouble is that I’m not having much luck reeling in a school willing to let me run a small pilot. I have known from the beginning that a pilot it crucial as part of a larger sell-in and that a pilot created and run by someone outside of education would be a tough sell. As much talk as there is about public education wanting more innovative ideas, it is an incredibly insular world. (Consider the criticism of Cathie Black, a seasoned, respected, accomplished professional as the new chancellor of NYC public schools.) Risk is not something that public education is accustomed to.
Like good wine making, a sprinkle of struggle in a project’s life cycle can create a better product. It could be that now is just not the right time for this program. Maybe I need to focus my energy in other areas at the moment like my yoga and my writing. It could be that the schools I’ve been speaking to are not the right ones for this program and I need to keep looking for a better match. Whatever the reason, Anthony Bourdain’s analogy of a grapevine helped me feel more comfortable with a bit of struggle and frustration in my own life today. I could use a healthy dose of focus in 2011, and the order that comes with it.
The image above can be found at nyhabitat.com
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.
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“A vine, well-exercised, produces an intense wine.” ~ Anthony Bourdain
Christa Avampato 