“It is only in sorrow bad weather masters us; in joy we face the storm and defy it.” ~ Amelia Barr, British novelist
The clouds will gather. The storms will come and they will go. We can’t control them. They are bigger than us. Bigger than all of us banded together. But what we can control is the amount of joy in our lives. We can choose happiness. We can choose, in this and every moment, to be grateful, to love, to be kind, to be strong, to pay attention.
Too often we have come to think of joy as a luxury. We think we should thank our lucky stars for the opportunity to be joyful when in fact joy should be the default state. We weren’t born to trudge through our existence with a heavy load bearing down on us, constantly downtrodden and agitated.
We are made for joy. I completely reject the idea that, “It’s called a job for a reason, and not because it’s fun.” Who decided that work couldn’t be joyful? Who decided that we couldn’t find enjoyment in our efforts?
What if we made that path a non-negotiable? What would come of us if we decided that joy had to be an integral part of everything we do? And going a step further, what if we refused to do things in which we couldn’t find any joy or purpose? What would our world be like then?
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 