I’m not telling you to quit your job, though that may be immediately what came to mind when you read this headline. Quitting your job might be the answer to the question, “How can I set myself free?” It might also be a terrible choice. Quitting in its many forms – your job, a relationship, moving from the city where you live – are deeply personal decisions and only you can make them because you have to live them.
MJ, a very loyal and resourceful reader of this blog whom I will have the chance to meet in person this weekend!, sent me a recent article from the Harvard Business Review on the idea of giving up by Nilofer Merchant. It is a raw and honest account of the very personal and professional nature of quitting. What it means, how it feels, and how to handle the opinions of others. It gave me the chills to read her personal story first and then her professional story about quitting. Two very different sets of circumstances, two very different outcomes.
I’ve seen friends of mine end up on both sides of the spectrum. They quit, and it was exactly the change they needed to spur growth. Others quit with disastrous consequences. I’ve never quit and regretted it. Never. And here’s why: I don’t quit until my body tells me I must. The mind will try to convince you of all sorts of arguments, pro and con. The mind will ping-pong back and forth in a merciless volley against itself. The body doesn’t. It knows when you’re done. When it’s time to pack your things and go. The mind is clever but the body is brilliant.
It’s always easier to listen to the mind. It’s louder. It nudges you, prods you for action one way or the other. The body’s language is a quiet confidence. We must consciously tune into it as we turn down the volume on the chattering mind. You have to sit with the wisdom of the body, sometimes straining to hear its low, though consistent, hum. It is worth the time and effort, I promise you. Take a seat, close your eyes, relax the muscles of the face, and pay attention. Follow brilliance, and you’ll know if quitting is for you in this moment.
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’m not telling you to quit your job, though that may be immediately what came to mind when you read this headline. Quitting your job might be the answer to the question, “How can I set myself free?” It might also be a terrible choice. Quitting in its many forms – your job, a relationship, moving from the city where you live – are deeply personal decisions and only you can make them because you have to live them.
You’re so kind! Sometimes I’m not good about listening to my body (maybe fallout from being a runner and having to override my body to improve – I can push too hard for too long sometimes). My mind can talk me into and out of things so easily. My body on the other hand, has a mind of its own so to speak about what’s good for me and not, will eventually whack me if i’m not listening. One past job, I knew it was time to go when I started getting chest pains from the particular stressors. In my current gig, I spent a year and a half banging my head against the wall w/ mgmt every day to get them to deal with a destructive and abusive manager. Toward the end of that period I realized I had to detach and step away from whether they did anything about the problem (quitting job not option) when I found I had multiple ulcers and other such problems, likely caused by stress. Skin rashes, sudden crying and nightmares have also been signs. Wow, that sounds bad, doesn’t it? Definitely don’t follow my example, but take Christa’s suggestion – sit, close your eyes, breathe and listen.
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You sure got that right!
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