People are funny.
Yesterday someone asked me how I was enjoying my life of leisure. Someone else asked me how it feels to have all this free time now that I am unemployed. I was equally confused by both of them and set them straight (quickly):
A.) I am hardly living a life of leisure. I’m working a lot more now for myself than I was a few weeks ago when I was working for someone else. The difference is that now I work on projects that light me up and that I decided were worth my time rather than having someone else dictate work that I felt was largely pointless given its lack of usefulness to just about anyone.
B.) I’m not unemployed; I work for myself and not out of necessity. I chose this path.
Here’s the lay of the land in my new world of work:
When you work for someone else, you set aside a (big) portion of your day in exchange for a stable salary. Usually that time is blocked off on a regular schedule and you get into a routine: getting ready for work, the rhythm of the work day, and then traveling back from work into your personal life. When you work for yourself, the boundaries are a lot less clear. You need to set up your schedule with discipline and you work far more hours for yourself than you do when you work for someone else. Luckily, your passion for the work makes the longer hours worthwhile.
Working for yourself is a huge time commitment. Remember, you’re doing everything yourself – from the mundane administrative work to the big picture strategic thinking. It’s rewarding, but it’s not leisure. It’s work and it takes time.
You keep your current clients happy, you pitch new business, and you research for new leads. That cycle of work has to be maintained to keep the business going. The freedom and the passion you feel for your work provides a tremendous amount of satisfaction with opportunities to constantly learn and grow. It’s a ball and a half but it needs near-constant attention, especially at the start.
This life isn’t for everyone, but it is most certainly for me. I’ve never felt better about my career and life, present and future. There’s so much opportunity all around us and I’m grateful for the time to make the most of it. We only get one crack at this life in this form; every second counts!
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
groan (to the comments). ok if I borrow your response as my auto reply to these questions? 🙂
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Borrow away! 🙂
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