friendship, SXSW, yoga

Leap: It Took a Generous Village to Get Me to SXSW 2012

Christa Avampato

“My friends are my estate.” ~ Emily Dickinson

I had a blast as a presenter at SXSW Interactive 2011. Because of the financial and time costs of my big trip to India this year, I decided not to attend SXSW 2012.  However, the Universe had other plans to get me my cake and a giant fork to eat it, too.

It took a fantastically generous group of people to get the job done, but it happened. Next month, I’m heading back to Austin to teach yoga, to extol its incredible benefits to the tech community I love being a part of, and of course to keep it weird.

The incredible Ari Stiles, founder of the SXSW yoga movement, didn’t give a hoot about my plans to not attend SXSW Interactive this year. She invited me to teach with her and secured my badge for the event. I told her I just didn’t know if I’d be able to attend but I’d think about it and get back to her as the event’s date drew closer. She sent me an email with a smiley face. I think that was her very Austin way of saying, “See you in March.”

A few weeks alter, during a pep talk with my friend, Poornima, I was offered the next sign on my SXSW 2012 journey. “Christa, don’t count out SXSW yet. It’s a great place for you to network for Compass. What better place is there to find partners and supporters?” She had a point. The light started to break through the clouds.

A few days later, I had dinner with another supportive friend about my long-shot possibility of going to SXSW 2012. Like Ari, she gave me a wide smile and offered to help in a big way. She saw to it that I would have a great place to stay that was conveniently located near the Convention Center where SXSW takes place. No car, shuttle, or bike required.

And then there’s Rob, one of my extraordinarily gifted partners in crime at Compass Yoga, who, when I explained Ari and Col’s generosity along with Poornima’s advice, said in a very matter-of-fact manner, “Let’s see if we can get you there for free. I’ll take care of your plane ticket as my contribution to Compass.” I about fell on the floor.

The Universe won – I had run out of excuses. There must be something waiting in Austin for me, just around the bend. A message I need to hear, a person I need to meet, an idea I need to take up in pursuit of my own dream to transform healthcare as we know it into a humane, socially conscious, and efficient system that believes that the surest way to better health is through personal empowerment. Austin, I’ll be seeing you next month thanks to the efforts of these 4 wonderful people whom I’m so blessed to know, and beyond blessed to call my friends.

I’ll find a way to pay forward all this generosity. In the meantime, if you’re at SXSW, stop by and get your yoga on:

Friday, March 9th from 2:00pm – 3:00pm – core conversation composed of mini private sessions tailored to you
March 9th – March 13th, 9:30am – 10:30am – group classes

Connect to me on SXSocial – click here.

Unknown's avatar

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.

2 thoughts on “Leap: It Took a Generous Village to Get Me to SXSW 2012”

I'd love to know what you think of this post! Please leave a reply and I'll get back to you in a jiffy! ~ CRA

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.