Author: Christa Avampato

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.
community, teaching, yoga

Beautiful: The Power of a Small Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens

Christa Avampato

8932358bdef464c26569664a77fa7917Two years ago this week Compass Yoga began offering free classes through the New York Public Library. This is some of the best feel-good work around and it happens because a small group of people huddle together, committed to helping the people in our community live happier, healthier lives. We give what we have to people who need it. It’s really that simple. And that powerful.

Thanks to so many of you have shared this journey with us and cheered us on right from the start. We’ll keep going until every person has the ability to access the benefits of this beautiful practice.

A huge thank you to our friend and supporter, Rebecca Donsky, who two years ago saw the good we could do at the Bloomingdale Library. Then she helped us expand to new branches so that we could bring the healing of yoga and meditation to more people. In that time, we’ve grown to a dozen weekly classes at partner sites that help over 200 people every week. Our incredible teachers make it possible. Namaste to all of them!

exercise, health, time

Beautiful: Make Time for Exercise

Christa Avampato

131448882843704062_b1U90uKY_bI saw this poster a few months ago, and its message rings inside my mind every time I consider not lacing up my running shoes or not unrolling my yoga mat. I’m never sorry I’ve done either; it’s just that overcoming inertia can some times be difficult. That and I’d be perfectly happy to settle in and watch the Big Bang Theory while munching on frozen thin mint Girls Scout cookies.

I pinned this image up at my desk. It reminds me to close my laptop, back away from the desk slowly, and make time to move. Yes, we’ve got problems with our food supply, air quality, and sleep cycles. But what’s killing us is sitting. We sit for too long too often. Active sitting, meditation, is one thing. Sitting at a computer, in front of the TV, or even just reading for too much of the day is quite another scenario.

And then there is the issue of time. We have too much work, too many responsibilities at home, and then there’s that little matter of wanting a social life, too. But we need to carve out the time our schedules to get up and go. Take the stairs. Have a walking date instead of a coffee date (but you’re welcome to take the coffee with you!) Lift some hand weights while you’re watching your favorite TV shows. Or really go for it and make the time to exercise without doing anything else as a diversion to the work at hand.

Age is coming for us whether we like it or not. Sickness is a part of life. But we should at least give ourselves the best possible chance of staying as fit and as young as we can for as long as we can. To do that, we need to move.

adventure, beauty, risk

Beautiful: The Treasure Trove Outside Our Comfort Zone

Christa Avampato

f814d9128ac6fdcab3af3031120cb10bStaying in our comfort zone feels so good. We know where everything is and we know how it all works. We have every confidence that we can succeed in our comfort zone and it doesn’t take that much effort.

But it won’t help us know how far we can go. It won’t give us a sense of our edge, nor of our potential. In our comfort zone we’ll never know just how much we can love and we’ll never know all of the beauty that lies within us.

The journey into the unknown, guided only by our intuition, is not easy. We get confused and lost. We sometimes feel unsteady and unsure. But what we learn is self-reliance and strength and courage. We find out what we’re really made of and what matters most. Out there, we have the opportunity to impact the lives of so many others. In that wonderfully complex and diverse world, we discover what’s possible. Go have an adventure!

creative, creative process, creativity, story, writing

Beautiful: Storytelling the Pixar Way

Christa Avampato

I am a huge fan of Pixar’s storytelling and their 2 word business plan – “quality rules.” I found this illustration of their storytelling rules and had to share it with all of you. My favorite is #4 because it so elegantly and simply gives us a way forward in telling and understanding the framework of any story. I hope you find this list as helpful as I do!

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success, work

Beautiful: Be Your Own Champion

Christa Avampato

e41933d7b503e2a2cc784c583e68a214“You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” ~ Lucille Ball

You said it, Lucy. You have to be your own best advocate. Every. Single. Day. There is no end to the number of people who will tell you that you can’t do something. They’re also fond of telling you what you should do and how much you should make to do the things they want you to do. I experience it as a freelancer every day. And every day I need to reiterate my boundaries, to myself and others. Then I need to enforce them, constantly.

I make the lion’s share of my income advising nonprofit organizations and then executing my advice in the form of programs, content, fundraising strategies, and marketing campaigns. I never intended to be a consultant but in this first phase of life in the freelance wild west, that’s how the chips have fallen. What I need to do to move into the next phase is be my own best consultant, coach, and fan. I need to look at my goals, look at my actions, formulate any and all needed adjustments, take my own advice, and go for it. Whatever “it” is.

It’s a tough job to be your own biggest fan. It’s even harder to be your own counsel but there’s no one better for the job.

time, work

Beautiful: I’m Officially Declaring 3/9/13 as Stop Day

Christa Avampato

aac725539ccd7b76ef4bda3631d3dd64“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” ~ Eddie Cantor

Did you know there are people in the world who spend at least one day a week goofing off? Just flat-out not doing a damn thing that has anything to do with work of any kind. I know. I’m shocked, too. And by shocked, I mean envious.

We wear our work schedule on our sleeves as a source of pride. And certainly dedication and determination are prized qualities of character. I’d go so far as to call them skills. But lately I’ve been thinking a lot about an article I read on CNN.com that discusses the idea of a Stop Day, as in hold everything, stop the presses, close up shop, and spend the day loafing around with your pooch. Or going for a run. Or seeing friends. Anything that is the opposite of what work means for you. I’m rather in love with the concept. It makes me giggle like a school girl.

For thousands of years, the world continued to turn while every week most of the planet’s population took one day to rest and rejuvenate. No. Work. Allowed. Violations of Stop Day were punishable by death. Okay, not really but seriously, there was no way you were getting to Heaven if you violated Stop Day. Don’t even bother showing up at the Pearly Gates. Workaholics need not apply and Saint Peter is the bouncer. You don’t want to mess with him.

Somewhere along the way, we shunned organized religion. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but folks we threw the baby out with the bath water. On days when people went to their Church, Temple, Mosque, or holy coffee shop to reflect and pray for sunnier days ahead, they took time off. For one day, their minds stopped racing and they just spent time in the company of loved ones. Or no one. They did what they wanted to do. They thought about their time – past, present, and future – and how it had been and should be used going forward.

Being someone who loves to be busy and who honestly loves work, the idea of a Stop Day made me sit straight-up, crinkle my nose, and, as I’m wont to do, ask “who the hell has time for Stop Day”? And that’s the point. I do. We all do. It’s a matter of priorities. And if our priority is to be the very best version of ourselves, then we better make time to take time lest we spend our days exhausted, worn out, and bitter.

I’m not sure if I can take a day every single week to completely stop work of any kind. I’m building a business, running a nonprofit, and working on several personal projects. But, despite my better judgement, perhaps a day off a week is just what I need to make a break-thru. Maybe all the running around, the constant pursuit, is doing more harm than good.

Look, I’m not saying that now I’ve seen the light and I will forever hold one day every week for the rest of my life as Stop Day. But I’ll commit to giving it a try to see how I feel once I experience it. I’m a little worried that this will quickly become an addiction, much like my undying love for frozen thin mint cookies. But, what the hell. You only live once.

Next Saturday, March 9th, I’m taking a break from it all. Everything that looks, feels, and smells like work will just have to hold its horses and wait this one out. Want to join me and give yourself a break, too? You deserve it.

grateful, gratitude, kindness, thankful

Beautiful: The Best Way to Say Thank You is to Share What You Have

Christa Avampato

fabc9fa30d6a4ae0026940317887819d“How do you say “thank you” for sunshine or health…for clear days or gentle rains…for happiness, joy or love? You say it by sharing what you have. You say it by making the world a better place in which to live.” ~ Thomas D. Willhite

Sure you could say thank you a thousand times over. I recommend it. People need to know that they are appreciated. They need to hear thank you much more often than they do. If someone does something nice for you and you don’t acknowledge that kindness with a “thank you”, then you’re essentially flipping them off, but worse – you’re flipping them off with a passive aggressive air of nonchalance. It’s as if you would flip them off, if only it were worth the time. Ick. Say thank you – loud, proud, and often.

“Thank you” is a lovely sentiment. Simple, direct, and classy. And there’s something even better. Say thank you and then turn around and pay it forward. Sure you could turn around in the line in Starbucks and pay for your neighbors expensive caffeinated beverage. You could also extend your kindness to everyone you meet. For a day, just make it a point to smile, say thank you, look everyone in the eye, and mean it. It’s that simple. And it’s so powerful.

At the end of most of my yoga classes, I let students know that it’s my honor to be there with them, that the light that is in me honors the light that is in each one of them. And that isn’t just some gratuitous sentiment. I mean it. I feel it. I want each one of them to know that. They matter and I’m glad that I had the chance to spend some time with them. I hope the classes are helpful to them. They certainly are for me.

Life is all about exchange. Everyone shows up with what they have. It’s a mental pot luck and everyone’s invited. Share what you have and rest assured that it is enough.

office space, technology, time, work

Beautiful: Marissa Mayer’s “No Telecommuting” Policy and the Quest to Make Time in the Office Meaningful

Christa Avampato

-1“Hmmmm…” I thought as I heard about Marissa Mayer’s decision to end telecommuting at Yahoo! As someone who loves to work from home, I had a hard time understanding this decision. In my efforts to be as open-minded as possible about opinions not my own (and believe me this ain’t easy, folks), I tried to understand Ms. Mayer’s point-of-view. Personally, I don’t believe Yahoo! can be saved by anyone, but is getting everyone around the same physical table the only way to give the company its best shot at survival? Is there any truth to the media soundbite “you can’t build a culture via email”?

I reflected on my own office experiences. Some of them were a blast. I made some of my very best friends of my life working side-by-side with them in the same office every single day. Many of them are still some of my nearest and dearest. Others made me want to curl up in a ball under my bed. A lot of them made me quit my job in search of greener pastures.

I don’t think Ms. Mayer’s motivation is a bad one – she wants to build a collaborative culture where innovation is a common, every day practice. The trouble is that she thinks mandating time in the office will provide that. I know there’s this old wives’ tale about innovative ideas happening around the proverbial water cooler in large corporate towers. It doesn’t happen. Offices grease the gossip mill; they don’t foster creativity.

And I have proof – Harvard said so, and therefore it must be true! Being a Penn and UVA grad, I am logically suspicious of anything Harvard says. However, I read an article that the Harvard Business Review ran in September that gave me a jolt of shock. “A study of 6,000 people conducted by the NeuroLeadership Group in collaboration with a large healthcare firm asked respondents questions about where, when, and how people did their best thinking. Only 10 percent said it happened at work.”

10 percent!? That’s Marissa Mayer’s worst nightmare. And while some may think that we need to then alter the office environment to improve that, my question is why not dump the office altogether? Why put money, time, and effort into improving something that feels beyond repair? After all, if a company’s product or service only met 10% of its revenue or profit targets, companies would bury it deep into the ground and make it the Lord Voldemort of their product line.

The HBR article goes on to explain how to increase our chances of doing our best thinking. One is to distract ourselves, giving our brains even just a short break from our problems so that the unconscious can provide a fresh perspective. Another involves planning out three goals we want to accomplish and giving yourself 4 hours of uninterrupted time every day to work on those goals. The other involves structuring our time to do our most challenging work during a time of day when our minds are most clear. None of them involve getting people into the office more often.

I’m a fan of togetherness. I like to be with people, but forced togetherness isn’t fun for anyone. It’s miserable. I’m all for bringing people together so that they can get to know one another, so that they can use one another as a resource for a challenge they are tackling. There are lots of ways to do that, some of them involve bringing people together in-person and some of them involve bringing people together through virtual networks. I’ve found the best way to foster collaboration is a combo of in-person and virtual time. Bringing people together, in-person, is something sacred. Make is purposeful. Make it matter. Do something with that time that people cannot do virtually. That’s the way to win.

intelligence, nature

Beautiful: Make Time for Earthy Intelligence

Christa Avampato

542e8a91384a5311fba35b71ca8a7a06“If we surrendered to earth’s intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

I love to work hard. I enjoy a good solid rest, too, but if I don’t put forward my best effort every day, I lose a little bit of that tingle of being alive. Some people feel rejuvenated after spending a day in their PJs. I never do. I need to move to feel connected. I need to move before I can feel grounded.

I prefer to move outside of the creature comforts of my home. That’s not to say I never exercise at home – I try to do at least a little yoga and meditation every day as soon as I wake up. Then I need to get out there – to breathe fresh air, to experience the wind at my back, to feel the sun on my face. I always find a lot of solace out in the natural world. There’s a lot of truth in it, and a lot of mystery that keeps me constantly curious. It’s a delicate, perfect balance.

After a walk or a run outside, I trust the process of life a little bit more. I feel its wisdom and its support. Life’s a little less scary once we get out there, once we give ourselves over to the rhythm of its cycles. By surrendering to what it has to teach us, we become stronger, more capable of handling whatever it is that it throws our way. It never gives us the work without the lessons to we need to get it done.

change, creativity, dreams, make, time

Beautiful: You Have All the Magic You Need

Christa Avampato

6bb36dc4b3039aefdcf450f15558431b“We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already.” ~ J.K. Rowling

When it comes to the matter of pursuing dreams, we don’t need to hope for miracles or luck. Our own effort is a source of magic in and of itself. We have the power to make our dreams with our heart and our own two hands. Every moment, we make choices that affect the world around us. It’s up to us to decide what that effect will be.

So if you find yourself walking through your day and taking note of things that need fixing, recognize that you can fix them. With enough care, concern, and time, we can repair and renew almost anything. Nothing is ever set in stone; everything can be transformed. We have the ability to choose how and when that transformation happens.