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.
art, creative, creativity, Cubby Bernstein, theatre

Cubby Bernstein is waiting for Tony

Christa Avampato

I can’t believe it – I am actually going to have to watch the Tony Awards this year. My friend, Trevin, who has every Tony show since the dawn of time on video in pristine condition, will be thrilled that I am finally joining him in watching the broadcast. Now the show is guaranteed at least two television viewers.


Despite the fact that I love theatre and used to make my living in company management for Broadway shows and national tours, I have never liked the Tony Awards. I blame that on the fact that there is rarely a surprise award and that the critics seem to run everything. It has none of the elegance found at the Oscars and none of the fun found at shows like the CMAs. And despite the fact that the industry is built around live entertainment, the staging is awful for a televised audience, through no fault of the Broadway companies that put so much effort into the performances. 


However, I am so enjoying the Cubby Bernstein webisodes at http://www.cubbybernstein.com that I am routing for Xanadu to deliver on its promise of “Yes it can”. And therefore, I need to watch to see what happens, and because I want to see what the Xanadu producers have in store for Tony night. 


There’s something decidedly unique and inspiring about a little show that the public and critics laughed at when first announced, and has now been open a year, coming from behind and taking the top prize. Instead of the usual Broadway materials, actors, and producers who win over and over again, more for their reputations built on achievement from shows gone by rather than their current work, it’s refreshing to see a whole new crew take on an industry that is in desperate need of reinvention.  


Just announced, Patti LuPone and Cynthia Nixon will give Cubby a hand on the latest YouTube webisodes to promote the show. See the full announcement at: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/118490.html. (Thanks to my friend Dan for sending this link to me.) Nathan Lane also recently made an appearance. My only regret is I didn’t get to purchase a Cub-cake to support the company, and I missed my chance to meet Cubby at the promo event. Even if the show doesn’t win the Tony, the producers have breathed life into the stale Broadway marketing business. And in that cause, Xanadu moved from “Yes it can” to “Yes it has”. Congratulations Cubby, you did it!

career, friendship, job, relationships

The tough truth about honesty

Christa Avampato

Getting what you want is tough. Figuring out what you want is even tougher. A seemingly simple sentence like “follow you bliss” or “do what you love” becomes exceedingly complicated when closely examined. Whether you’re trying to get what you want or what will make you happy, not always the same thing, in a job, a relationship, a friendship, or the city you live in, getting what you want requires honesty. Sometimes brutal honesty. And to be honest you have to get real and dig out the truth, even if you don’t really want to see it.

A year after graduating with our MBAs, some of my friends are at that one year mark when they’re trying to decide whether or not to move forward in their current jobs. They’re confronting some disappointments – a few have a different boss than they started with a year ago, a few have been shuffled into completely different responsibilities, and a few realize that they fell hook, line, and sinker for all that wining and dining companies did during recruiting season.

This last group I don’t feel quite so bad for. If you couldn’t see that wining and dining for what it really was, then you needed to learn the lesson the hard way. The two former groups I have enormous sympathy for. They signed up for a specific journey, to do what they truly wanted to do, and they spent a long time considering many different factors that are the ingredients to happiness. And then without warning, the picture changed and all of a sudden they ended up doing something they don’t really like at all, despite their best efforts.

Disappointment is tough to deal with. Doing something about that disappointment it tougher. A heart to heart with yourself or the person causing the disappointment can help. Some times the differences can be resolved and you can get what you want by taking action. So while summoning the courage to be honest can be a Herculean task, if in the end you are happier, it’s worth the effort.

The true difficulty comes into play when you make ever effort to get what you want, realize your situation is not going to improve, and then you either have to tough it out, unhappy, or walk. And there’s often no right answer in this instance that is immediately apparent. Unhappiness makes it tough to get up in the morning, and it pervades every facet of your life. Walking away into the unknown is sometimes not even possible, or at the very least it’s frightening. Sometimes it is easier to deal with the devil we know rather than the one we don’t.

I put my best foot forward to get what I want. I have the hard conversations. I take a lot of time (and I am lucky that I have the luxury of time) to reflect and consider my happiness. I am patient for a considerable amount of time. For reasons that are too long to list here, I am obsessive about being happy – I just cannot imagine being content for a moment in another state. When I’m in a funk I’ll do what it takes, even if it’s uncomfortable, to get back to happy. When it comes to getting what you want, having non-negotiables helps.

art, books, creative, creativity

The Creative Habit

Christa Avampato

I have started reading Twlya Tharp’s book, The Creative Habit. A celebrated choreographer, I am struck by her honesty and candor as she describes her deeply personal commitment to the art of dance while also revealing a very personal side of herself that she often protects from public opinion. 

The book reads like part memoir and part workbook. It’s useful for people who want to jumpstart their creative nature, and for those who are still searching for the activity that sparks their long-buried sense of creativity. Tharp has clearly done her homework on a number of celebrated artists, getting under the hood and finding out what makes them tick.

Tharp is also unafraid to deny some long held public “truths” about creativity. My favorite example is Mozart. While we honor him as a boy genius that basically came out of the womb composing symphonies, Tharp reveals that with his father’s strong guidance Mozart developed his natural talent for music through obsessive study and practice. His dedication to music was at the very least equal to his innate gift. So while we often tell ourselves that we can’t draw, or have two left feet, or can’t read music, in truth our creative ability in a discipline is largely a matter of choice. 

To be sure, we are all inclined toward certain disciplines. Tharp isn’t denying that. What she wants to emphasize is that creative mastery can only become just that through habitual practice and commitment.   

My friend, Dan, recently did some work with Bebe Neuwirth. She is a strong supporter of dance and dancers. In a recent speech, she recounted the many times she’s been approached by fans that have said to her, “I’d give anything to dance like you.” And every time this happens, she thinks, “Actually, dancers do give everything to dance like they do.” Tharp would agree, and she’d encourage all of us to find that creative pursuit that so inspires us that its practice is a welcome habit.   

career, employment, job, New York Times, work

Me, Inc. brand promise

Christa Avampato

After the articles in the New York Times yesterday and today regarding an all-time high in the increase of month-over-month unemployment, I am thanking my lucky stars that I have a good job. I also feel for my friends who are just graduating from school with large loans and a smaller number of job prospects than graduates had just one year ago. And I think of my friends who want to move on from where they are, and are frustrated with the lack of openings to move to. 

In my career, I have changed jobs fairly often, mostly because the industries I was in demanded it. In theatre and in nonprofit, you often have to move on to move up. I recently met two people with the completely opposite type of resume. One has been at his job for 8 years and the other for 24 years. In years past, that kind of dedication would be relished by companies. Today, many companies wonder why anyone would stay one place for so long, and they wonder why I have changed jobs as often as I have. It seems that we are in a time when all career moves, regardless of tenure at a company must be justified.  

What if we could turn the paradigm of job hunting on its head? What if we, and possible employers, looked at every employee as their own CEO of their own brand, “Me, Inc.” and evaluated what all of those “Me, Inc.”s could do for the company? My friend and mentor, Richard, is a perfect example of this kind of outlook. His personal brand promise is that he realigns companies, or specific departments within companies, especially those that are in turmoil, and gets them going in the right direction again. Once finished with the alignment, he leaves a competent team in place and moves on. He doesn’t enjoy keeping the boat going on course once it knows its destination. He prefers the messy of business of turning it around rather than maintaining smooth sailing.

What if we could all do that – what if we could drop into an organization, do work that plays to our strengths and what we enjoy, and then pass it on to someone for the next step necessary, and the step that that next person happens to be good at and enjoys? Why does it need to be about stick-to-it-iveness? Why can’t it be about doing what we love, in the areas in which we are talented, for as long as that lasts? ‘d like to believe that the answer is that we can, and should do that, and eventually the working world will catch on.  

The photo above can be found at http://www.logoblog.org/wp-images/logo-branding.jpg 

animals, creativity, environment, green, Josh Klein, sustainability, TED

Crows: Man’s Best Friend? Possibly

Christa Avampato

Joshua Klein is a Principle at frogDesign, an incredible design and idea house based in New York City. I read their blog, frogBlog, religiously and everyday find new ideas and POV that give me new perspective. Klein recently spoke at TED about crow and corvid behavior, his unusual passion for the last 10 years. 


Klein explains that we seem intent on a handful of things when it comes to wildlife. We are very concerned with endangered species, particularly those that are endangered because of human destruction of habitat and hunting of the animals. On the flip side, we show disdain for those animals who have learned how to thrive in spite of a human desire to crush their species – rats and cockroaches are examples.


The most remarkable specimen of a species that seems to thrive on human existence are crows. They always live within a 5km of humans, on every continent except Antarctica. Like chimpanzees, crows use tools, reason, and logic, and then teach these skills to their young and flock. They have memories, particularly of physical human descriptions, better than most humans. They have trained themselves o understand human systems like traffic lights, and then use these systems to their own benefit. They adapt to challenges quickly and can even be taught to use vending machines. Unbelievable you say? Watch the video. You’ll be blown away. 


Great observations, Josh Klein. So what? Who cares if crows are smarter than we give them credit for? What can crows do for us? Klein is asking these profound questions and he’s wondering how crows and humans can form symbiotic, mutually-beneficial relationships. It turns out that crows could be trained to do a lot for us, if only we apply a snippet of creativity. Collect trash? Participate in search and rescue? Salvage valuable items from a landfill? After all, crows have proven one thing to us that we cannot refute – they thrive on human interaction and they aren’t going away from us any time soon. And as long as they’re here and willing to be a part of human society, then we might as well make them as useful as possible. 


The photo above can be found here. 


Take a peek at Josh’s website: http://www.wireless.is/

art, crayola, creative, creative process, creativity

Crayola – elevating creativity to art

Christa Avampato

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. ~ Scott Adams”


I loved my visit to Crayola. The town is charming, residents friendly, the Crayola team beyond gracious, and the natural setting in the stunning Lehigh Valley. Somehow Crayola has absorbed all of this into its culture. I understand now why people stay for so long. 

My boss and I went out there to discuss innovation and the process Crayola has gone through – it has been a long and winding road. What struck me most poignantly is that about 5 years ago, Crayola was not an innovative company. They made crayons. And some washable markers and outdoor chalk. And they thought that way – with blinder on – and operated that way – in silos. 

Today, the story there is radically different. They are a company that had been on the right of peak on the trend curve and made the difficult and arduous journey to reinvent who they are and what they do. In three words, they are a company that “inspires limitless creativity.” To have a mission and reason for being that concise and powerful has such far reaching effects on product, on customers, on culture. 

At the crux of their reinvention was a commitment by their extraordinary CEO, Mark Scwab, and his ability to give team members permission to try new things, take risks, and then, even more incredible, permission to cut their losses on an idea that didn’t work in its current form. They have the support to try and fail, and because of that support, they have succeeded in not only limitless creativity, but limitless art.   

friendship, New York

Be proud of yourself because sometimes you’re all you’ve got. ~ Denis the Menace

Christa Avampato

On Tuesday I was exhausted from a very late flight from Nashville last night, followed by a long day at work, combined with a tough commute in each direction. But still I had to drag myself out of my apartment at 11pm. Trevin, one of my very close friends, is leaving NYC in a few days and Tuesday was my only chance to see him before he leaves. 

Whenever Trevin introduces me to a friend of his, the friend invariably asks how we met. Trevin always replies, in a very distinct voice, “Christa was my BOSS.” Emphasis on the boss. And I smile, and I say, “Yeah” with a very distinct accent.  Truthfully, I don’t think Trevin nor I could have done our jobs without one another. He’s someone who’s so comfortable in his own weirdness that he makes everyone else around him comfortable in theirs. He is committed to one thing – to being who he is. His authenticity is undeniable. We should all be so lucky to be so proud of who we are and what we stand for. 

So it is with sadness that I said good-bye to Trevin after sharing a couple of chocolate milkshakes with him at the City Diner. Trevin and I moved here about the same time last summer and we would sometimes talk about how we’d be sharing chicken noodle soup at the Edison Hotel Cafe when we were two old-timers. We’d be swapping stories that started with, “Remember back in 2007…” And maybe we’ll still be that way, though for now Trevin’s adventures are taking him to other cities. 

Even though New York City won’t be his home, at least not for now, he knows he’ll always have a place to stay as long as I make my home here. It’s one of the great things about friendship – it can help you make a home in any place your friends happen to be, even if you travel many miles from it.     

art, business, producer, theatre

Cubby Bernstein

Christa Avampato

You’ve got to hand it to those wacky producers over at Xanadu. They’re young and fearless, and finally they are starting to crack the crusty old wheels of Broadway and the marketing of Broadway shows. My friend, Dan, pointed me to Cubby Bernstein, a fictional character who makes his bones by getting people Tony Awards. Cubby’s about 10 years old though he behaves like a grown theatre promoter with an attitude problem. (Sorry – was that redundant?) While antics like his are often deplored in adults, when Cubby behaves this way, it makes for good comedy in that very Doris Roberts sort of way.

What I love about Cubby is how completely unconventional and creative the entire campaign is, and how little money it cost to produce. I follow him on Twitter, and you can friend him on Facebook. On Broadway, the use of social media is practically unheard of so to step out like this is a big change for the industry. From the creation of Cubby’s character to the episodic nature of his YouTube segments, he is a little man with a plan in a class by himself. And maybe that goes for the brave producers of Xanadu as well. They may prove that being a little bit wacky can get you everywhere.

I haven’t seen the show, and I haven’t heard glowing reviews either, but this campaign has so piqued my interest from a business perspective, that I may just walk myself down to the Helen Hayes. After all, if I’m interested in having the theatre industry do more innovative work , I need to support new thinking. And maybe I’ll get a chance to meet Cubby.

adventure, art, journey

Traveling like Paulo Coelho

Christa Avampato

I’m hoping that the breezy days of summer have finally arrived. Though I don’t like the heat, the summer does bring with it a sense of dreaming and imaging our lives in new places. In many ways, it’s more of a renewal than spring – graduations, weddings, vacations. I find that a lot of my happiest memories happened during this season, and many of them happened when I traveled on my own.

Paulo Coelho wrote one of my favorite books, The Alchemist, and I love its celebration of the journey. Coelho seems to prize travel as the most valuable way to spend our time. It’s the best way to learn, about ourselves and the world around us. In addition to his many books on the subject, he now writes several blogs: WordPress (http://paulocoelhoblog.com), Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/paulocoelho) & Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paulo-Coelho/11777366210). He is equally present in media sharing sites such as Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=paulabraconnot) and Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulo_coelho/sets). He shares his thoughts with us, as well as his images.

On Amazon.com, he wrote recently wrote a post with some travel advice, giving us an idea of how he conducts the details of his travels. He avoids museums and hangs out in bars. He doesn’t buy material things, and he invests in the people around him, knowing that he understands them and they understand him, just by virtue of being human. In his quintessential Coelho style, he remains open to the magic that happens when we travel, when we get outside any sense of a comfort zone, and just allow life to happen. More than good advice about how to travel, he provides us with good advice on how to live.

love, memory, Nashville, travel

What, and who, used to be in Nashville

Christa Avampato

During my long weekend in Nashville, my friend, Dan, and I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express close to downtown. It took me a day to realize that the hotel was across the street from the Union Station Hotel, where I stayed back in 2000 during my first trip to Nashville. It was early on in my first theatre tour – a production of Sunset Boulevard. 

Dan I took a stroll over there yesterday afternoon. In the Union Station, I had my first of many meals that I would have with Petula Clark, the star of the tour. I was seated down in the lobby having breakfast and she asked if she could join me. And of course I said yes. To this day, she’s the greatest person I’ve ever worked with. The magnificent stained glass ceiling is the same, as are the rooms around the atrium, but the breakfast bar is gone. Even though I can clearly remember that breakfast with Petula as if it happened yesterday.

Next door to Union Station is a restaurant called the Flying Saucer. In that space, I met Susan Schulman, the director of the Sunset tour, and the first well-known director I had ever met up to that point. It was also the place where I first talked to a man that I would eventually fall in love with and be involved with, off and on, for several years. 5 years ago, that man was in a motorcycle accident that would cause him to become a quadriplegic, though in truth he was lucky to survive at all. And that first conversation with him is so vivid to me that it could have just happened.  

It’s a funny thing about places – they serve as the backdrop of the events that comprise our lives and yet they often don’t retain any of the physical evidence that we were there or that anything significant happened to us in their walls. What’s amazing about Nashville is that every place seems to house a story, or many stories. That city lives, and breathes, and of course, sings.