As I finished unpacking the last of my boxes, I realized I haven’t had my own space in almost a year. My apartment building in New York was converted to condos so my lease expired on May 1, 2014. After that I went to a temporary sublet and then to Florida to spend some time with my family.
During this time I’ve felt like I was adrift at sea. As I did my first grocery shopping in D.C. today, I realized I was starting to get my land legs back. I didn’t understand how much energy it took to conform to someone else’s space until I moved into my new D.C. apartment last week. Now in my own space, I’ve got more energy, more peace, than ever.
In yoga, the root chakra is often associated with our home. It’s where we feel most comfortable. It’s our refuge and a fountain of strength because it’s the foundation for everything else. When all is well in the home, we have a greater chance of all being well in life. And so I’m finding this to be truer for me than ever before.
Constantly being in someone else’s space was certainly a challenging adventure. I didn’t know how much I missed the solid ground of my own space until I didn’t have it. For a year everything’s been shifting. Now the pieces of my life that have been freely floating are falling into lockstep with one another. I don’t regret the floating—the sublet and spending time with my family were the best options I knew of at the time. Now I’m glad to be setting my own rhythm, and I’ll never take it for granted again.
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 