A seed that I found in the spice forest when I visited Munnar, India earlier this year.
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“I don’t try to guess someone’s ceiling.” ~ Marcus Samuelsson, Yes, Chef
It’s easy to look at something, project our own experiences and opinions, and pass judgement on how it will unfold. We look at students and employees that way. We think we have the ability to determine someone else’s potential, that we can somehow determine how far they can go and what they can do. There’s a danger in that. The human brain is a wondrous piece of machinery, but it is a horrible fortune-teller.
Take a look at an acorn or any kind of seed the next time you’re out walking in the woods, planting in the garden, or strolling through the park. The seed is a humble looking entity and yet there are worlds buried inside it just waiting for a bit of Earth, a sprinkle of rain, and a few rays of sunshine to cast their gaze in its direction.
We are seeds, too. We cannot look at others, we can’t even look at ourselves, and know exactly what we are capable of being. Get some wilder dreams. Aspire to something beyond your own comprehension. Imagine that you have no boundaries, that there are no limits. Chase down that vision, confident in the knowledge that you have everything you need within you right now to bring it to life. If the acorn can do it, so can we.
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.
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Christa Avampato 