I recently watched someone navigate a difficult situation with such grace and aplomb that I barely knew she was navigating at all. To be honest, I was irritated with her. She was allowing herself to be treated badly, piping up only occasionally when things really got out of hand. I didn’t get it. From my vantage point, she had cards to play and she just wouldn’t do it. And then something very interesting happening; she got exactly what she wanted. She had been maneuvering the entire time, behind-the-scenes and out of sight of anyone else. She played the long game, concerned more with winning the war and not the individual battles. She also knew well enough to let her opponents be their own demise. All she needed was patience.
Even now, I’m not sure how she did it. I don’t understand how she stayed quiet for so long. I don’t understand how she had such an unshakeable amount of faith in the process and karma. The funny thing is that if it had taken any longer, she would have continued to wait it out. She was in it for the long haul, as long as it took to let the path clear so that she could proceed.
I learned a lot by observing this situation from a distance. And I’ll admit that more than once I very directly questioned her decisions and motives. But looking back, I see now that she had been right to let the situation resolve itself. Yes, I certainly wish this outcome had arrived sooner, and I know that forcing an outcome often results in a disaster. Sometimes the waiting game is our only option. It’s not an option that’s comfortable, though many times it’s the best options we have if we want to change things over the long run.
I’m not sure that I would have pursued this exact path. I probably would have pushed for a swifter resolution. But now that this situation has unfolded as it has, I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next. Sometimes, the best things do come to those who wait.
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/
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