Aftermath.com“Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” ~ H. Jackson Browne via Tiny Buddha
Our vibrancy as a nation is an unsung casualty in this latest economic downturn. I’ve seen too many people hiding their well-founded opinions, particularly if they aren’t “aligned” with senior management, for fear that they’ll be candidates for the pink slip and cardboard box line. I completely understand the fear. Over the past 3 years I’ve watched a lot of truly phenomenal friends and colleagues walk out the door, and not by their own choosing. Good people who put their hearts into their jobs and made enormous sacrifices of their own personal time for the sake of what was best for the companies that employed them. And then they had to suffer through the company talking about their release as a cost savings. It was de-humanizing to say the least, and I want us to productively use our anger over the situation to rise above our fear.
Are we becoming a nation full of people who keep their heads down? What an enormous step backwards. Take a trip over to Ellis Island and it’s easy to see (and feel!) that our nation was founded by some serious risk takers – people who came here with few possessions beyond the clothes on their backs and unable to speak the language. They had no employment, no place to live, and many of them didn’t know a single soul here. How frightening that must have been, and yet they persisted. I’m here because of that persistence. We all are.
To honor their legacy, the legacy of people who risked it all for our sake, we have to take up that same spirit. Start small. Take one tiny step out of your comfort zone. Attempt some audacious project that seems just a bit too big for you. Look around you for the most beautiful dream you can find, gather up your courage, and go out on that limb to get it. It’s waiting for you, and you’ll be better off for throwing the dice to see what happens. We all will be.
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
2 thoughts on “Beginning: Honor Your Ancestors, Pick Up Your Head, and Go Out On a Limb”
Christa,
Thank You. This is a great post, but I have a different take on this issue.
The fact is, the “social contract” is dead. In other words, you can be the “best” employee in your company. Yet, the next day, you may still receive a pink slip.
In other words, you are out of a job and have just joined the swelling ranks of the unemployed. This is now a reality for millions and millions of employees–and counting.
Cost cutting means it is no longer feasible for companies to pay an employee in dollars and other perks. They would rather “outsource” your job to a developing country. After all, a “local” there would be happy to work for that company at only a fraction of your salary and no benefits. And no perks.
Your company can still get the work done and pocket the difference. In terms of a cost-benefit analysis, this makes sense–but it has a human cost which is rather unfortunate. Imagine the impact on American families–over the years.
There is no job guarantee. You could also lose your job tomorrow. In that context, it makes more sense to start your own business and become an entrepreneur. You will follow in the footsteps of millions of people who have already taken the plunge. You will make a savvy entrepreneur. Cheers.
Hi Archan,
What’s been an amazing realization for me over these last few years is that starting my own company, while somewhat of a scary endeavor, is not nearly as scary as putting my future in someone else’s hands. Perspective is an awesome thing!
Christa,
Thank You. This is a great post, but I have a different take on this issue.
The fact is, the “social contract” is dead. In other words, you can be the “best” employee in your company. Yet, the next day, you may still receive a pink slip.
In other words, you are out of a job and have just joined the swelling ranks of the unemployed. This is now a reality for millions and millions of employees–and counting.
Cost cutting means it is no longer feasible for companies to pay an employee in dollars and other perks. They would rather “outsource” your job to a developing country. After all, a “local” there would be happy to work for that company at only a fraction of your salary and no benefits. And no perks.
Your company can still get the work done and pocket the difference. In terms of a cost-benefit analysis, this makes sense–but it has a human cost which is rather unfortunate. Imagine the impact on American families–over the years.
There is no job guarantee. You could also lose your job tomorrow. In that context, it makes more sense to start your own business and become an entrepreneur. You will follow in the footsteps of millions of people who have already taken the plunge. You will make a savvy entrepreneur. Cheers.
LikeLike
Hi Archan,
What’s been an amazing realization for me over these last few years is that starting my own company, while somewhat of a scary endeavor, is not nearly as scary as putting my future in someone else’s hands. Perspective is an awesome thing!
LikeLike