yvonnedevilliers.com“Aim above morality. Be not simply good. Be good for something.” ~ Henry David Thoreau via Tiny Buddha
This week I’ve been preoccupied with and writing about a mission-driven life and the power of making our own personal missions the center of our work. A fulfilling, meaningful life requires a cause, a passion, a center. It’s important to be a good person – to be kind and generous and grateful. It’s equally as important to do something powerful with that goodness – to be helpful and inspiring and gracious.
I was on an elevator recently and someone gave my yoga mat bag a funny look. “Is that a weapon?” the man asked me. “Yes,” I replied. “It’s a weapon for goodness.” And it is.
The goal of my teaching is to help everyone I ever come in contact with, on and off the mat, to become the very best version of who they are. I’m at my best when I’m teaching yoga. There’s a certain ease and gladness that fills me up when I have the opportunity to pass on a gift that has been passed on to me by many patient and loving hearts. The very least I can do, in their honor, is to offer up the same gift to those who need it most.
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
6 thoughts on “Beginning: The Secret to a Happy Life is to Be Good And Do Good”
Mine is finding affordable housing for the poor and homeless
Yeah, Christa, it is importan to have a personal mission statement. It provides guidance to your life; helps you get out of any stalemate.
It is equally important to share what you know with other people. I think that yoga is your special gift to our world and you should teach it. You are meant to teach it, so fulfill your destiny. People will thank you for it.
We have millions and millions of people in this world who lack the proper instruction. They can be helped if there are people like you around. You are going to make such a profound difference to their lives. You will play such a pivotal role. I think you are on the right track, so go for it.
Best wishes on your fab journey. Never give up and never give in.
I like that idea – to never give up but never give in either. We always hear the first but rarely the second. It’s about standing our ground and going confidently in the direction of our dreams. Thanks for the reminder, Archan!
Mine is finding affordable housing for the poor and homeless
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We are so lucky to have people who do the work that you do. Every day you are making a difference is such a profound way!
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special post with special ideas…thank you…. and today, as most days, my inspiration is kindness….
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I love that inspiration. I love the Dalai Lama’s line – my religion is very simple, my religion is kindness.
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Yeah, Christa, it is importan to have a personal mission statement. It provides guidance to your life; helps you get out of any stalemate.
It is equally important to share what you know with other people. I think that yoga is your special gift to our world and you should teach it. You are meant to teach it, so fulfill your destiny. People will thank you for it.
We have millions and millions of people in this world who lack the proper instruction. They can be helped if there are people like you around. You are going to make such a profound difference to their lives. You will play such a pivotal role. I think you are on the right track, so go for it.
Best wishes on your fab journey. Never give up and never give in.
Cheers.
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I like that idea – to never give up but never give in either. We always hear the first but rarely the second. It’s about standing our ground and going confidently in the direction of our dreams. Thanks for the reminder, Archan!
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