My house is full of lists – things to do, places to go – far and near, people to contact, things to buy, things to look into. You name the task, and I bet I have a list for it.
Over the past few months as I’ve started my journey to make The Leap into entrepreneurship and a new way to live my working life, I’ve been kicking around an idea that began to take root yesterday, appropriately enough on Leap Day. The timing couldn’t have been more synchronous. Introducing The Geronimo Project, a community of people who took The Leap and share their stories to inspire others.
Back in 2009, I started a column on entrepreneurship for Examiner.com to showcase inspiring entrepreneurs. The column did very well and I wrote a free e-book (please download and share!) to highlight the interviews that were most meaningful to me in my quest to get inside the entrepreneurial mindset. I’ve missed conducting and writing those interviews and since closing out the column in 2010 I’ve wanted to find a way to continue that journey to celebrate the brave people who took a chance to realize their dreams. Also, I’ve become increasingly interested in finding a way to begin doing more video and podcast work. Wrap all that up with my love of teaching (yoga, meditation, personal finance, personal action plans) and it becomes The Geronimo Project.
The site and Twitter feed are incredibly bare bones as I work behind the scenes to bring it all to life. And here’s where I can use your help!
Have you taken The Leap from a stale day job into a career that you love? Do you know someone who did? Did you read an interesting article or see a news clip that highlighted someone who took The Leap? Have you got links to resources, ideas, and advice that you think would be valuable to someone considering the Leap? Do you know someone I should connect with? Send all your ideas on over via email or Twitter – your choice. The more the merrier.
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
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