Category: career

adventure, business, career, community, creativity, work

Leap: My New Company – Chasing Down the Muse

Christa Avampato

I am so excited to announce the launch my new business, Chasing Down the Muse. I create products for companies on the leading edge of their industries and teach classes that help people build their own creative habit. To learn more about my services, click here.

Thank you so much for all of your support leading up to this big day. If you’re interested in this new business, here are a few ways to be involved with the company:

1.) Be an Inspired Instigator! As I craft products, services, and programs, I will be reaching out to a small group of people to get their feedback and advice prior to launch. I’d love to have you as part of the group! The time commitment is very small (mostly done in short 10-question surveys every other month), entirely optional, and fun. Plus, there will be prizes and plenty o’ recognition. Contact me if you’re interested in learning more.

2.) Keep me in mind for any projects you or your company have that match my experience and pass on the URL of Chasing Down the Muse to anyone you know who would be interested in learning more.

Thanks again for all of your energy and excitement around my leap into a freelance life. I’ll be sharing the journey with you every day right here and I hope you’ll share your journey with all of us, too!

career, time, work

Leap: Freelancing is a Remedy to the Sunday Night Blues

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

While waiting at the elevator with my dog, Phin, on Saturday afternoon I began to run through the list of things I needed to get done before heading to the office early on Monday morning. And that’s when it hit me. I’m not going to the office on Monday morning. In my newly started freelance life, I’m working at home on Monday morning and then heading to the yoga studio to teach a private session. I realized that I wouldn’t have the Sunday night blues that I’ve often experienced over the last few months. That chapter is over.

This realization felt like a dip in a cool pool on a hot day. I let this insight wash over me and sink deep into my skin. What’s more, it motivated me to work incredibly hard at building my own business because it was such a welcome feeling to know that my time is now my own.

Viva la independence!

career, change, courage, entrepreneurship

Leap: Today I’m Trading My Corporate Job for a Freelance Life

Christa Avampato
Thanks to my friend, Trish, for sending me this photo this week!

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~ Anaïs Nin

Today is that day for me. After many months of thinking about taking the leap into full-time entrepreneurship, I’m ready to go. My desk is clear, my email inbox is empty, my to-do list is done, and I’ve said all of my good-byes (which are really more see-you-laters.) Now there is nothing left to do except leap. June 15th will be forever etched in my mind as the day when I chose to be free, the day I chose to take the leap and build my wings on the way down.

I had an incredible run during the toughest economy we’ve ever faced. For 4 years I had a front row seat to the economic crisis – its unraveling and its knitting back together, albeit more loosely and in a different form. I met some of the very best people I’ve ever encountered, and some of the worst. I learned from all of them and will be forever grateful to each for helping me to find this new path, my path. I leave my corporate job with a lot of heart for the company and the people, and even more gratitude.

As Milan Kundera so brilliantly wrote, I now understand what it means to experience the unbearable lightness of being. That is exactly how I feel – as if I don’t even need wings, as if the wind will just rise up and allow me to float to the other side. It’s so empowering to take my future into my own hands. I feel like I could just tear my dreams right out of the sky and plant them here on Earth. Like Adele, I could set fire to the rain. Freedom feels that good.

And to all of you, I owe an enormous thank you. Ever since I started this blog 5 years ago, ever since I set the New Year’s resolution 6 months ago to make this leap, you have been cheering me on and offering up your own stories – through comments, emails, tweets, texts, and conversations online and off. I wish there was a way to adequately say thank you. There isn’t. The best I can do is make the most out of this new road and take you all right along with me.

Take my hand. 1, 2, 3, jump…

career, change, entrepreneurship

Leap: Stop Waiting For The Other Shoe to Drop; It Won’t

Christa Avampato

Perhaps I have a serious case of rose colored-glasses but I actually think I look younger since giving my notice at work.

Tomorrow will be my last day at my job before jumping off the cliff to work for myself. I keep waiting to bolt upright out of bed in a total panic. A funny thing keeps happening: the closer I get to the goal, the more solid I feel in the decision. I’ve never felt so sure of my path and I have to admit that there is a lightness creeping into my being. I’m walking taller; my mind and heart are opening in ways I never thought possible.

After so many years of looking around for the perfect job, I finally understand that creating that job is up to me. It’s empowering to be firmly in the driver’s seat and to have an unexplainable trust in the wisdom of the Universe to work out the details. All I had to do was commit, show up, and be prepared to take the journey. Come along with me – I can’t wait to see what lies on the other side.

business, career, entrepreneurship, technology

Leap: Got a Technology-based Startup Idea? LaunchHouse Wants to Hear It!

Christa Avampato

The world just got a little brighter for tech entrepreneurs who are looking for a combination of funding and support to launch their ideas out into the world.

Introducing LaunchHouse: an Ohio-based seed capital investment fund, like Y Combinator or Tech Stars, will invest $25,000 in 10 technology-based entrepreneurial teams from around the world. And the best news is that you still have time to grab your shot at being one of the 10 brilliant teams to receive funding.

What is LaunchHouse looking for?
New startup technology-based companies with 2-3 cofounders, 1 of whom must be a programmer
Willingness to relocate to Cleveland, Ohio for a 12-week, full-time commitment to the LaunchHouse program

What kinds of applicants is LaunchHouse looking for?
High school graduates to baby boomers, LaunchHouse is looking for the 10 best ideas for new startups from around the world. Period.

When is the application due?
July 1st

What happens once all of the applications are submitted?
In July, there will be an “un-conference” where the 30 top teams will be invited to Cleveland to compete in a pitch session to clinch one of the 10 final spots in the program. Then the top 10 teams roll up their sleeves and get to work for 12 weeks building their dream companies.

What’s the goal of LaunchHouse?
Identify 10 promising teams of entrepreneurs and work with them over 12 weeks to launch their new companies and set them up to either raise follow-on funding and secure their first paying customers.

Your dream of entrepreneurship could be just an application away. Stop waiting. Start doing. Apply here.

career, change, creativity, work

Leap: Here Comes the Sun

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest member http://pinterest.com/phabegger/

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” ~ Arundhati Roy via Daily Good

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of change whispering in your ear and it’s not taking no for an answer.

One unexpected consequence of taking a leap into the new future of a career by my own design is that I now want to take everyone I know right along with me. Since giving my notice at work, the overwhelming number of responses have fallen into the following 2 categories:

1.) “I wish I could do that.”
2.) “I want to do that, too. Can you help me figure out how? I need some inspiration.”

My answer to #1 is, you can. My answer to #2 is, yes of course I’ll help you. I’ve also been so pleased to hear that so many others are planning their own leaps and are on the path to launch in the not-too-distant future. I couldn’t be happier for them because I know what awaits and while that carries its own risks and stresses, it’s pretty damn amazing to feel the flood of creativity that follows the leap.

The new world of how to merge our greatest passions with how we earn a living has been around for a long time but she is gaining steam now thanks to technology and our own evolution. She’s heading your way. Be ready. (HINT: Chris Guillebeau‘s new book $100 Startup will help you prepare for this brave new world of work. Review coming soon…)

career, courage, creativity, dreams

Leap: My New Year’s Resolution Is Complete – I Took the Leap

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“I am not afraid. I was born to do this.” ~ Joan of Arc

On January 1st, I started down the path that would culminate in a leap from my current job. I thought it would be December by the time I actually made the leap but yesterday I gave my notice and my last day at my job will be June 15th. My co-workers are sad and disappointed as much as they are proud and excited to see me give my dream a real shot at coming true. I am so grateful for the lessons I’ve learned there and excited for the next chapter.

For the past 4 years I have been working full-time as a product developer for a financial services company and now I will turn utilize my experience toward teaching, writing, and creative product development projects, particularly (but not exclusively) focusing on technology in the healthcare and education spaces.

When I graduated from business school 5 years ago, I never imagined that I would contemplate working for myself. I made excuses: I’m too young; I don’t have enough experience; I’ll never make enough money to support myself. They are all valid fears, but there was one fear that was greater than all of these combined. What if I never devote my time to the projects that really light me up? How would I reflect on my life knowing that I didn’t do everything I could to merge my work with my passions?

And then the answer became simple – I have to at least try and that means letting go of what seems stable and secure for the sake of following the path that is most authentic. In actuality, the latter is the safest road. When we put ourselves in charge of our futures, we find renewed energy, strength, and creativity. We understand the true value of our time. We find our greatest worth.

So now as this chapter comes to a close, a bright, shiny, new one begins. Thank you so much for sharing this journey with me, for all of your support and encouragement, for believing that we can all be exactly the people we are meant to be, living the lives we are meant to live. We’re on our way. We’re building our wings.

business, career, corporation, job, time

Leap: Corporate Recruiting, We Have a Problem

Christa Avampato
http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/corporate-slang-flashcards

There’s an executive recruiter who’s been calling me for a few months. Every time we talk and we like each other less and less. She asks a lot of questions, never listens to my very honest answers, and then is annoyed that I’m not interested in the jobs she’s trying to staff (which are in direct contradiction to all of the answers I’ve given to her never-ending list of questions.)

I don’t understand why she keeps calling me, on my office phone number no less. And then on Thursday afternoon, I finally realized that I needed to explain to her exactly why she’s having trouble getting people like me (and everyone I know) to take these postings seriously: they don’t pass the BS test.

She was totally annoyed by my advice. I found a more professional way to explain the BS test but the general sentiment is the same – don’t give me some high-brow job description filled with jargon. Tell me what’s amazing about the company and the team and why I want to be part of it. Don’t try to dazzle me with buzz words like “high-level strategy”, “high-visibility”, “senior-level exposure”. Tell me what a day in my life could be like there and what I’m going to learn. And please don’t tell me what my skills can do for a company. I already know that. Instead, relate to what I care so deeply and passionately about – developing products and services that make people’s lives better.

Corporate HR and executive recruiters need to really push their clients, meaning the hiring leaders. Really push them to accurately represent the jobs they’re looking to fill and exactly what those job descriptions are in plain English. Then they need to tap into their other customer base, the people they’re trying to recruit, and listen, really listen, to exactly what it is those candidates want to do and why. Any other path is just an extraordinary waste of time – for recruiters, for companies, and would-be team members.

career, creativity, time, work

Leap: What I’m Doing With My Time After I Take the Plunge

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest member http://pinterest.com/jaquelynroc/

“You’re leaving? What are you going to do?” (Said with an exotic mix of terror, awe, and confusion with a hint of frustration and a healthy handful of ‘I’ll-believe-it-when-I-see-it’.)

This is a fairly common response I’m getting as I begin to make my plans for Leap Day known. To be fair, I also have a tremendous number of wonderful people in my life who couldn’t be happier with my decision, and who think it’s about time I finally did this! The questions of what I’m going to do with myself post-leap is entirely valid and it’s high time I answered exactly what I will and won’t be doing in this newly designed life o’ mine.

Things I will be doing:

  • Finishing my advanced teacher training at ISHTA Yoga to complete my 500-hour teacher certification. There will be a celebration when it’s all wrapped up this summer!
  • Working on Compass Yoga, the nonprofit I founded a year ago to focus on improving the health of all people by teaching the therapeutic benefits of yoga and meditation through free and low-cost classes and workshops. Given the demand and need in New York City, the programming requiress more of my attention. We’re also eagerly awaiting the approval of our 501(c)3 status to begin fundraising efforts.
  • Working on my freelance writing and a few personal writing projects like The Geronimo Project. (Know someone who took a leap of faith in their career and wants to share the story? Send them my way!)
  • Consulting with  Sesame Workshop. I have been tremendously lucky to be a consultant this year with the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, the education research arm of the Sesame Workshop, as they set-up their second annual National STEM Video Game Challenge. I’ll be continuing that work this summer and also looking to pick up some additional consulting work if possible. Someone’s got to make sure my pup, Phineas, has a warm bed and a full belly!
  • Running a pilot of Innovation Station. About 2 years ago I started working on a new product development curriculum for middle and high school students that I named Innovation Station. After a number of iterations, I finally found a format that is worthy of a pilot program. Now that I’ll have time during the school day, I’m going in search of a partner school. (I’m taking suggestions!)
  • Learning to code. Thanks to Codecademy, I’m fully indulging my inner nerd to learn the basics of coding as a way to grow my skill set while I stretch my mind. “Why does a yoga teacher need to learn how to code?” you ask. With the way our world is going, a knowledge of coding will be as necessary basic computer skills in the coming years.

Things I won’t be doing:

  • Sitting around eating Pop Tarts and watching TV. Well, that’s not entirely true. I enjoy a good Pop Tart now and then, and I do love TV. My consumption of both will be kept under control.
  • Doing tedious, menial work that doesn’t take advantage of my full set of interests and skills. (Enough of that!)
  • Wallowing in regret over the risk I’m taking.
  • Spending a lot of money. I don’t spend that much money now, but I’ll be making adjustments to do more with less. I’m actually really excited about living in an even thriftier fashion.

It’s going to be exciting to see what comes of this mix. Rest assured it will all be shared here.

adventure, career, courage

Leap: Don’t Hesitate

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest member http://pinterest.com/peterclemens/

“To the timid and hesitating everything is impossible because it seems so.” ~ Sir Walter Scott, Writer

Why do we hesitate? Why do we look away at the very moment when our focus is most needed to find what we’ve been looking for? For me, that moment of hesitation arises from fear, fear that what I’m about to do is the wrong thing or fear that I’m not up to the challenge. I imagine everything going wrong 6 ways to Sunday, and my imagination is vivid. So I step back, hoping to get the courage to try again.

And here’s what I’ve learned in a very real way over these last few months as I’ve prepared to take a very large leap of faith to reconcile my career and the greatest dreams of my life: hesitation only delays the inevitable. Anaïs Nin said so beautifully, “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

That day is coming, for you, for me, for everyone who does something worthwhile with their days. Eventually, we won’t be able to stop ourselves from living the life we imagine. And it will never be less risky. We will never be less afraid. Jumping in and of itself is a scary proposition. Always.

Do yourself a favor. Do the world a favor. Make today the day when you blossom, or set a deadline and say something like, “On June 15th, I will start to live my life on my terms.” Circle it in red on your calendar and mark it with an “L” for Leap Day.

Scared? Me, too. And it’s okay. It should be scary because it’s worth doing. Let’s leap together and trust that we will find a net or grow wings.