I spent the weekend with my friends Ken, Tom, and Amber in Bucks County, PA, just outside of Philadelphia. Ken and Tom recently purchased a home there that put me so at ease I thought of asking to become their live-in housekeeper / dog walker / cook. Some day soon, I’m sure they’ll be appearing on the House Proud segment of the Nate Berkus Show. The house is that beautiful.
I loved my time there so much that on the way home I wondered if a small home in Bucks County might some day be my reality. I went to school in Philadelphia and have long thought that my life may loop back in that direction some day. Looking out of the window of the train, I day dreamed about a place to get away from it all, to write, and to teach yoga and meditation. I began to wonder again about a possible move.
And then I remembered a small piece of art that was in the room where I was sleeping at Ken and Tom’s house. It said simply, “Grow where you’re planted.” Though I may be daydreaming of Bucks County, I realize that there is still so much for me to learn right here in New York, in my tiny studio way up above the bustle of the streets. This leg of the journey is not yet over; there’s still so much to do exactly where I am.
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.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
2 thoughts on “Leap: Grow Where You’re Planted”
A lovely picture and a good thought. Thank you for posting and reminding us to look at what we have already.
Christa Avampato 
A lovely picture and a good thought. Thank you for posting and reminding us to look at what we have already.
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You’re welcome! We always have resources than we think we do.
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