With just over a week to go in LA, it’ll be back to life and back to reality very soon. Some of my old familiar fears are beginning to seep in: Am I on the right track? Am I going the right way? Are these sacrifices really worth the potential rewards? And if they are, and I don’t ever see those potential rewards, will I still think of this path as one worth taking?
Too often I’ve associated freedom with lack of fear. With a year out on my own under my belt, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that if I waited for the fear to subside before pursuing my dreams, I’d never pursue them at all. The road to freedom is paved with fears, and lots of ’em. I don’t banish my fears, but I use them like our bodies use carbohydrates, like cars use gas. I burn through them and part of that process means fully feeling them, looking them in the eye, and not flinching. I press on with those unrelenting fears at my back, and they only subside when I face them and live to tell about it.
And I don’t think that being afraid of something means that I should definitely do it. For me, it means that I should put a lot of thought and consideration into the decision. Facing fears is difficult work; it’s often painful, plagued by hardship, and there is no guarantee of success. All of those facets have to be weighed in totality. I have to ask myself, “Even if this path is difficult, do I still feel in my heart that it’s the best way to spend the precious little time I have?” If so, I use the fear for fuel. If not, I’m grateful for that realization and I pursue another dream. After all, I’ve got a list of dreams that never seems to have an end. If this one doesn’t work out, there will always be another.
Up tomorrow: An exciting announcement about my company
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
With just over a week to go in LA, it’ll be back to life and back to reality very soon. Some of my old familiar fears are beginning to seep in: Am I on the right track? Am I going the right way? Are these sacrifices really worth the potential rewards? And if they are, and I don’t ever see those potential rewards, will I still think of this path as one worth taking?
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