I attended a presentation at SXSW that showcased one of Amazon.com’s first homepages. Look how far they’ve come!
I admire Amazon.com for so many reasons, one of which is that they will try to delight customers at every turn. And if they don’t get it quite right, they’ll just try again. The point is they try with what they’ve got, listen, and give it another go. They experiment, tinker, and explore. We should follow their example.
As I’ve continued to speak with new start-ups, I’m reminded of one simple-to-say and sometimes difficult-to-execute idea: get work out into the world. Now. Don’t wait for perfect. Perfect’s not coming, but opportunity is. Welcome the guest at the door and the lessons they bring.
Show the world what you’ve got – it’s the only way to know if it’s worth having.
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
4 thoughts on “Leap: Pull an Amazon and Get Your Work Out Into the World”
I actually wrote down when I found amazon.com in my day planner at the job I had back then, I still remember it (kept that planner page for a long time!). I was sooooo excited. (BOOKS!) I really wish they’d bring back the Eyes feature so you could sign up to know when your favorite authors had new books out. They’ve made other changes or added things that I (and others no doubt) requested. And they do continue to delight, and give me things I hadn’t realized I wanted!
I actually wrote down when I found amazon.com in my day planner at the job I had back then, I still remember it (kept that planner page for a long time!). I was sooooo excited. (BOOKS!) I really wish they’d bring back the Eyes feature so you could sign up to know when your favorite authors had new books out. They’ve made other changes or added things that I (and others no doubt) requested. And they do continue to delight, and give me things I hadn’t realized I wanted!
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That is so cool – this is why we’re friends 🙂
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Just what I needed, Christa. Sometimes the reach for good enough, gets in the way of putting myself out there.
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Get yourself out there, Adela. Don’t let anything hold you back!
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