Category: job

career, friendship, job

Build your own road

Christa Avampato

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it. ~ Alan Kay” 

My friend, Amy, has taken an adventure to Switzerland to work for the UN on a 6-month assignment. Amy is one of those people whom I met and immediately knew we’d be friends forever. She’s one of the people in my life who is endlessly supportive and positive. She helps me keep my head on straight no matter what’s happening. 

During a conversation several years ago, we talked about the different talents it takes to build your own road versus allowing other people, an employer, a university, etc. o build one for you. “What path are you on?” “What bucket do you fall into?” “What’s the career track for that kind of profession?” All common questions, and ones that I never have an answer for. 
Only recently have I found that I have stopped looking for an answer – I’m not on one path, one track, and  don’t want to be. I like that in my career I’ve been able to carve my own way. It’s tough for sure, and some people get a bit dizzy when I explain the choices I made, changed industries, geographies, job responsibilities. My one goal was simple: I wanted to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible.   
In these uncertain times – politically, economically, socially – I’ve been doing my best to remain as calm and level-headed as possible. It’s easy to fall into the trap of planning every move, taking strategy to the extreme. I’m fortunate in that at the moment the only person I need to take care of is me, and I treasure the freedom that my current situation creates. “Where are you going with this experience?” My answer: anywhere I want. 
art, career, job, writer, writing

A life in pictures

Christa Avampato

I’ve been impressed with The New Yorker’s Cartoonist of the month blog. February chronicled the journey of Michael Maslin as he made his way as a cartoonist. After pouring through his favorite publications, The New Yorker in particular, he would submit idea after idea and would be rejected continuously. 

Early on he was offered a weekly gig with The Soho Weekly, and when he asked a mentor for advice, he said he’s be crazy not to take it. Mr. Maslin politely turned them down. He was saving himself for the publication he truly coveted, The New Yorker. 
When your career’s success requires someone else to accept your work, it may be tempting to take the first thing that comes along that carries any kind of paycheck. Especially in fields like art that are so competitive, there’s a sense that you should be grateful if anyone takes a second look. Though just as it’s important for consumer products makers to consider what channels they want to sell through, it’s also important for artists to consider the best showcases for their work. There’s something to be said for the old adage “you are whom you associate with.” 
For Michael Maslin’s full journey, visit http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/cartoonists 
job, love, work, writing

Writing for Life

Christa Avampato

“Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.”
—Gloria Steinem,American journalist

This quote warms my heart. Countless times I am in the process of doing something and thinking about doing 5 other things that maybe I should be doing instead. I used to believe that this was a neurotic impulse, that my multi-tasking has crossed over from a necessity of high productivity to a bonafide illness. Now I know that’s not true – it’s just that I preferred to be writing.

For some people a looming paper brings stress and discomfort. For me, it’s always generated a sense of calm and well-being. It makes me feel productive and alive. It makes me feel that “all of this” is worth it once I can put it into my writing or into a story. And it shows me the importance of doing something you love, and how that activity can rewire your behavior and thought patterns.

I’ve heard some people say that making a job out of doing what you love ruins that love. I disagree – I can’t imagine how anyone gets though the work day doing something they dislike or “don’t really mind” when all the while they’d prefer to be doing something else. What more in life could you ask for than to spend your time doing what you love best?

career, creativity, job, school, teaching

Marshmallows and spaghetti

Christa Avampato

I began teaching today – my first class in what I hope will be a long series of workshops geared toward igniting creativity and infusing work with fun. We started with Peter Skillman’s game to build the tallest free-standing structure with spaghetti, string, and tape that supports the weight of a marshmallow. And with this seemingly simple activity, the laughter began, and the eyes lit up.

One of the participants said at the start of the activity, “I’m at a complete loss of what to do.” It was the greatest way to start our discussion. Innovation, along with creativity and design, begins with this simple statement. We are confronted with a problem, and the only thing we have to help us move forward is our own imagination. This is where the fun begins.
The best thing I fond about beginning with a game, and laughter, is that it opens people up. We flew through the two subsequent powerpoint presentations and got to the good stuff – the questions and exchange of ideas on how to further fold new thinking into an old company. The group taught me as much, if no more than, I had taught them. It’s the best thing about being a teacher – with the right questions it puts you in the position of being a student as well.
career, job, networking

Contributions

Christa Avampato

“If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.” ~ Anita Roddick

What I lack in height I try to make up for in personality – small and mighty. For the first time in my life I am working a full-time job at a large corporate headquarters office. Though I work in a small, close-knit team with a supportive boss, there are plenty of times that I feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of people I don’t know in the hallways. I’m used to knowing everyone where I work. 
A large number of people in a company can cause us to feel helpless at times, passed over, or insignificant. While there is strength in numbers, there is also anonymity, and with anonymity can come frustration or the feeling of being fully replaceable. I was having one of these moments recently and then read this quote by Anita Roddick. 
So how do we have an impact being a very small fish in a very large pond? We carve out our own piece of that pond. Though there may be 1500 people in my office building, they are all individuals and we make personal connections one person at a time. Before we know it Cindy introduces us to Jane who introduces us to John and so on. The web starts to build and with a little effort and a little patience, that place where we felt we had no impact becomes a place we can influence, one person at a time.    
career, choices, job

They’re all choices

Christa Avampato

“I was part of that strange race of people aptly described as spending their lives doing things they detest to make money they don’t want to buy things they don’t need to impress people they dislike.” ~ Emile Henry Gavreau


It’s review time at the office in many companies. The sales have been tallied for the fiscal year, the plans for the coming year have been set. Now the moment of truth – did all your hard work pay off? And what is it you’d like to do in the coming year? My boss and I began to informally talk about my review. I’ve been at my job for just over 7 months, just enough “to be dangerous” as my boss likes to say. 

The beginning of our discussion about my review led us to a deeper conversation about the choices that the review process necessitates – not in terms of bonuses or promotions, but in terms of the choices individuals need to make about their lives going forward. Too often people see their hands as tied by an employer. “My job requires me to work X number of (very long) hours.” “I have to do X or Y even if I don’t agree with it because my boss says I have to.” My boss and I came to the conclusion that in fact no one has to do anything. Sure, there will be consequences for any action, good or bad, but ultimately the choice of what to do with one’s career and in one’s job is that person’s decision. You are the only one who has to live with you. As my favorite Native American poem asks, “in the empty moments, do you like the company you keep?”

Too often we do things to keep up, show off, puff out our chests, and strut around with a badge of honor for some great sacrifice we’ve made on our employer’s behalf. And sadly, too often that sacrifice is our health or our loved ones or worst of all, our happiness. The truth of the matter is that whether or not we work for that employer, we have to be genuinely proud of who we are and the choices we make at every moment. Companies fall away, people move on, the ink on contracts fades. And no matter who signs my paycheck, the only person I see in the mirror every morning is me. Defining ourselves on our own terms, on our own turf, is the most important work we will ever do because who we choose to become travels with us wherever we go.
dreams, frog design, job, sleep, work

The road to creativity is paved with sleep

Christa Avampato

In recent weeks, the news has been covered with new scientific research on sleep and how we are not getting enough of it. We use our jobs, families, and personal interests as reasons to deny ourselves rest.

NPR recently ran a report on sleep. Though geniuses like da Vinci professed not to need more than several hours of sleep, what he didn’t mention was he didn’t need more than several hours of sleep at a time. In many ancient history and renaissance era books, writers often describe first and second sleep, each about 4 hours in length, with 1 to 3 hours of waking in between. This sandwiched time had a magical quality, often bringing to light a person’s most creative thinking. Sleeping, quite literally, is necessary for dreaming – it is a bridge to enlightenment and to the magic of innovative thinking.

This week on Frog Design’s blog, Tim Leberecht explores the possibility that we may not be as passionate about work as we purport to be. Maybe we’re just working scared….

To read Tim’s post, visit http://www.frogdesign.com/frogblog/are-you-a-passionate-worker.html

career, entrepreneurship, gaming, job, social work, Steve Baer, technology, The Game Agency

The Game Agency

Christa Avampato

My good friend, Steve Baer, is a co-founder of The Game Agency, a company that seeks to improve the marketing and brand efforts of its clients by tapping the gaming community through original content. Steve is one of the most creative and hard-working people I know. He’s my go-to guy when I have a knew idea that needs an honest smell test. I am extraordinarily lucky to have him in my life, and feel honored that he was willing to have me interview him for this guest blog about how he started his own business. Drumroll please…

1.) Could you talk a bit about what motivated you and gave you the confidence to start your own company so soon out of business school?

It takes a fire in your belly to start a business and this is something I have been talking about doing ever since college. So, while I am only four years out of business school, my desire to build my own business has been 10+ years in the making. I come from a family who couldn’t work for other people. I don’t mean that in a negative way, it’s just that my parents and grandparents were entrepreneurs… from regional pharmacies, to national grocery chains to consulting firms to law firms. While it often easier to get a job with a company than to start your own business most people who strike out on their own have a direct example of a parent to look to and that definitely is the case within my family. Sometimes the motivation to start a new venture comes from having reached the top of the pile where you are, looking around, and saying, “What’s next?” The drive to build something new can also come from deciding that you’re stuck in the middle instead of at the top. Fear of stagnation can be a powerful motivator, especially if you have an idea for something that could be at least more interesting and potentially more lucrative. This was my situation. I am passionate about my business model and I tried to execute it for my former employer but they simply weren’t able to look beyond the way they did business for the past 30 years. So I said “it’s finally time to open up my own shop”.

2.) Of all of the industries out there, why did you choose to build your business around gaming?

In 2007 the U.S. video game industry experienced over 40% growth and achieved a record-shattering $17.94 billion in revenue. As the music industry declines and the movie industry stays stagnant the video game industry is growing leaps and bounds.

If you don’t know much about video games you might be thinking “how many games can men 18-34 really play?” Well, there’s definitely a limit but that’s not the only demo playing video games any more. The average gamer is 33 but gamers come in all shapes and sizes. 31% are under 18 years old, 44% are 18-49 years and 25% are 50+ years old. Interestingly enough, the fastest growing demographic of gamers is women 50+. If that’s not surprising maybe some of the facts and figures will be.

– 31% of children under 3 are already using a computer
– 78.1% of 6-11 year olds report they play online games – by far the largest percentage performing any online activity
– 8-10 year olds play interactive games for an average of 1½ hours per day- 9 out of the 10 most popular websites for boys 9–10 years, and 6 out of the 10 most popular websites for boys 11–12 years feature advergames
– Teens spend 7.4 hours per week playing games
– 62% of teenagers play games at least one hour a week and 34% play over 6 hours per week- Playing games is the number 1 computer activity for 8-18 year old, beating out IM and e-mail
– More than 25% of teens do more gaming than homework- 19% of men play games more than they watch television
– 50% of males play games more than they read books
– Women make up 50.4% of the online game market
– 41% of adult women are daily gamers, using it to relieve stress, increase skills and inspire social interaction
– Women over 40 spend more time gaming online than any other demographic –averaging 9.1 hrs / week – 35% of Senior Execs Play Casual Video games at Work

In short, every demographic is gaming and my company is focused on reaching each and every gamer with content that they would find interesting. Whether creating new intellectual property, developing branded games or increasing the reach of existing content our goal is to expand the footprint of the video game industry.

3.) Could you talk a bit about raising capital – how you went about it, what sources you looked into, why you decided to go the path you’ve gone when considering all of the capital raising options?

Starting a business is tough. You have to a write a business plan, build a client base, hire employees, find office space, etc. There are plenty of challenges, but the one that many entrepreneurs find most daunting is raising start-up capital. Fund raising has been one of the more educational steps over the past year. My partner and I have spoken with Banks, VCs, corporations, high net worth individuals, family, friends co-workers, etc about funding us. We received a few offers but non of them seemed quite right. Raising capital is a catch 22. Funding insures security but it reduces one’s equity. We’ve been told over and over again, our most tangible asset is our equity. So for the time being we have dug deep into our own pockets, hunkered down and started the battle to start up and stay alive.

4.) There’s a lot of talk about developing a business plan with any one of the cookie cutter models out there and having all of the answers before starting a business. For you, how important was it to have a solid business plan – a mission statement, a value prop, etc. – and to have all of the answers before diving in?

There’s no question that writing a business plan is a key step to starting a company. There are all sorts of models out there. My partner and I started off by buying a software program and typing away. In our first 6 months our plan changed 7 or 8 times. In retrospect it changed based on the desires of our prospective funders. Ultimately we returned to our original plan. While this was definitely a journey it showed that our initial concept, industry insights and mission statement were on target.

5.) There’s a lot of fear among entrepreneurship – figuring out taxes, building a client base, generating cash flow, leaving a job and a steady paycheck. Did you have any fear in starting your business and if so how did you overcome it?

Starting your own business is definitely a roller coaster ride but since taking the leap of faith I followed a few key steps.

No. 1 – Market and Sell – The more potential customers/clients you can find and sign up, the more money you will make. And more importantly, the more bills you can pay. You have to market and sell every way otherwise you will fail. Remember, nothing else in business matters except customers – paying customers. Not the best mouse-trap, not the best technology, not the smartest guys in the room, not intellectual property, only customers.

No. 2 – Have A Sense Of Urgency – Treat every day and every dime like it is your last, right at day one of opening your doors.

No. 3 – Take Nothing For Granted – Never take a potential sale for granted. When a potential customer or client says; “Let’s do the deal.” Don’t get overly excited right away.Don’t go out on a spending spree, start immediately paying bills, thinking that the check will soon be forthcoming. Only get excited after you receive the check.

No. 4 – Exercise Every Day – Starting and building a company from scratch takes a lot of energy. Entrepreneurs need to build some form of exercise, no matter how small every day.This is especially helpful when facing a problem. Some of my best solutions to problems came during short jogs around the neighborhood.

No. 5 – Stay Away From Negative People – Time is precious for new entrepreneurs. Don’t be around people who are negative and will try to bring you down. You still need to stay positive and optimistic.

No. 6 – Have A Daily Business Plan – In business, you have to know what you are doing and then do it. Having and executing your daily business plan will be your road map to success. It will force you to understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. Time is very precious for entrepreneurs.

No. 7 – Visualize Success – Entrepreneurs need to visualize success at all times, not failure. Your mind needs to know that although there will be many ups and downs, a light does exist at the end of the tunnel and it is bright. By visualizing success, your actions will become more confident. And increased confidence breeds success.

No. 8 – Remember The Alternative – You need to keep telling your mind, especially during the down times, why you are doing this in the first place. Remember, you are trying to create a better future for you and your family.

No. 9 – Maker sure your family is on board – Without the support of my partner’s and my wives we wouldn’t be doing this. It takes everyone’s encouragement. When you can’t be up the person next to you needs to be. Luckily my wife encourages me to follow my passions.

No. 10 – See No. 1 Again! – Starting a business from scratch, totally on a shoestring, is not for the faint of heart. Buckle in and get ready for one heck of an emotional roller coaster ride.

6.) Did you or do you encounter any naysayers when you talk about your business to others? If so, how do you deal with them?

Yes, Yes and Yes… It’s easy to find flaws and thank goodness for everyone that people have pointed out. Sometimes they are valid, sometimes they are way off but each piece of feedback helps us think and rethink our approach. I am open to any and all feedback.

career, creativity, IDEO, job, work

A Room of My Own (sort of)

Christa Avampato

Two people at work have recently been promoted to a level that requires them to be seated closer to our company president. Both of these people have assistants that will be coming along with them so it was time for me to relinquish my front row seat watching how a company seeks to re-invent itself. Or so I thought.

Bob, my boss, is a mast-negotiator. He would never admit that; he is far too humble to ever toot his own horn. No matter – I’m happy to sing his praises as loudly and as often as I can. He deserves it. He hates the idea of ever being separated from his team at work and so he politely offered to have all three of us move to another area of the building. Nope, his boss wasn’t having that. Bob’s not going anywhere. So this week I moved across the hall with the third member of our team into a lovely office.

I hadn’t ever considered the possibility of getting an office at my company. I knew they were reserved for people at a much higher level than me. No one else thought it would be possible either. Bob took the two of us downstairs to the cafe this past week to have a coffee and celebrate our new digs. “Place profoundly effects progress,” he said. And he’s right – already I feel myself moving more swiftly in almost every area of my life and I think the space is the catalyst.

In addition to moving into a new space, Bob also encouraged us to make new name tags to hang outside our office. It had never occurred to me to replace the boring grey placard that stated my name, rank, and coded space. “Operations Support” was my job description according to the tag, despite the fact that I have nothing to do with operations. I’m not sure where they come up with this stuff. I couldn’t think of a less inspiring, or more inaccurate, job description if I tried.

A few weeks ago Bob sent me a job post from IDEO, a company we both greatly admire. I thought for sure this was the beginning of the end for me – I was being outplaced before I even hit the 6 month mark. In actuality, Bob was just trying to give me some structure and creative language to describe what it is we actually do in our very ambiguous jobs: we are nothing short of Human Factors Specialists. I proudly wrote that on my new office tag, and included a picture and poem by Brian Andreas, one of my favorite artists.

So what is a Human Factors Specialist you ask? It’s a fairly simple concept: we develop and foster opportunities to create joy through design. On IDEO’s website, they describe their human factors specialists as those who “apply their knowledge from psychology, anthropology, biomechanics, and related fields to enhance people’s experience through design. As interdisciplinary design team members, they employ a range of observational and empathic techniques to understand the issues people face. They use this knowledge to frame design opportunities and to create scenarios and “experiential prototypes” to explore, test, and refine opportunities in context.”

I don’t know that our HR folks will go for this fancy language, and that’s okay. While they may sequester me to a formal job description like “Operations Support”, I’m working hard to make make sure my imagination doesn’t fail me.

The above photo can be found at http://www.davlinswoods.com/Pictures/SPP0105.jpg

career, creativity, cubicle, job, office space, social work

Improving officespace: death to cubicles

Christa Avampato

How the color taupe ever made its way into U.S. offices I will never know. I am so sick of this color I could scream. My friend, Alex, and I talk about this regularly. Humans love and crave color; so how did corporations miss that? There is nothing inspiring about taupe and if I can’t be inspired then I can’t work.

I’ve been thinking about the subject a lot lately as I am in the process of moving into a new space at work. Originally, the facilities people were trying to figure out how to cube it up as I am sharing the office with another person. I fought my urge to roll my eyes and gag. Cube up this beautiful office? What??

If I had my way I’d paint it some fabulous color, put down Tatami mats, create a “Beautiful Mind” wall, and leave that space as open as possible – no walls thank you. I’m getting my way, partially. No fabulous paint color (white is all that’s “allowed”), no Tatami mats. I am going to have a beautiful mind wall and though the space won’t be totally open, it will have bookcases and a credenza in a cherry finish as a “wall” as opposed to taupe cubicle walls. It’s a start.

The progress has been driven by my boss and to the members of the facilities team who took us downstairs into the depths of our corporate building to the warehouse where they hide the cool furniture. We’re hoping to have the place set up and be moved in by the end of the month. And here’s the kicker: the maintenance team is excited to do the project. It’s something new and different for them. Finally, a creative outlet for them! They hate the taupe, too.

I came across a post on the website http://www.coolhunter.net/ that addresses the problem of boring office space with outrageous ideas. And given the rut that corporate office design is stuck in, I think being outrageous may be the only way to wake us up from our cubicle-induced coma. Enjoy these wild officescape photos and I hope they inspire you to buck the taupe.

http://www.thecoolhunter.net/design/CREATIVE-WORK-ENVIRONMENTS—Do-you-work-in-one-/