community, community service, hunger, poverty, volunteer

Blog Action Day

Christa Avampato

It’s arrived – Blog Action Day 2008 when thousands of bloggers band together to talk about a single issue. This year, the issue is poverty. I do a lot of community service and one of my favorite places to serve, literally and figuratively, is the University Soup Kitchen. 


Started in New York City by professors at NYU, the University Soup Kitchen is on the Lower East Side and serves a hot meal with dignity and grace to anyone and everyone who comes in the door. It is an incredible effort and facility run entirely by volunteers, every Saturday of the year. In addition, donated groceries are bagged up for guests to take with them as they leave. 

Anyone can volunteer. And everyone in NYC who has the means and desire to volunteer to help nourish and support people who are in such dire need, should spend a Saturday afternoon with the incredible volunteers at the University Soup Kitchen. It’s easy work, a great place to meet and work alongside other young people, and most importantly, it means the world to the people who look forward to that meal all week.  

Find out more information and sign up:  http://www.streetproject.org/projectdisplay.php?pid=10


apple, curiosity, education, ipod, itunes, Steve Jobs

Knowledge for free – courtesy of Apple

Christa Avampato

I might be a little late to the party on this one, though I am so excited I finally showed up. To iTunes U, that is. My friend, Janet, has made fun of me more than once about my addiction to school. I’m one of those people who takes notes at a museum exhibit – my friend, Steve, was glad to point out how completely weird this behavior is when we were at The Whitney several months ago. It’s true. I am an education addict (read: nerd). I’ve always been this way and truly, I’ve learned to embrace my nerdiness with wild abandon. 


The economy is having a tough time and formal education isn’t getting any cheaper. I was planning on taking some Spanish classes this winter, though at many colleges the cost is prohibitive, or at least I’d have to give up a substantial amount of money somewhere else in my budget to make those classes happen. In this economy, I’m a little worried about doing that. So what’s a nerdy girl to do? Head over to iTunes U….

Now, you won’t get a degree, the choice of schools is limited (for example, University of Virginia – my graduate school alma mater – does not participate. I am going to get to work on this right away, rest assured…my undergrad alma mater, UPenn, is on the list and I highly recommend it), and the class offerings are somewhat limited as well. However, every lecture, from every participating school, on every subject offered, is free. Yes, absolutely 100% FREE – no string attached. Click the “get” button right next to the lecture that interests you, and you’ll be downloading like there’s no tomorrow. A nerd’s dream come true. 

I’m so excited about this that I’m now up 20 minutes past my bedtime….but with so much to learn, who has time to sleep? I’m so thrilled with Apple that I could hug Steve Jobs right this moment…let’s hear it for endless curiosity!  
calm, economy, meditation, stress, yoga

Getting quiet

Christa Avampato

I am a long-time subscriber to Yoga Journal. I read it cover to cover every month. One of my favorite sections is the 10 pose sequence that has a specific focus. This month, the focus is “Inviting Quiet”. What can I say? I like a challenge.


I am a talker, a chatty Cathy in some circumstances. On the Myers-Briggs test, a couple of things stand out as truly odd. I am OFF THE CHARTS on extroversion and ambiguity. Give me a situation that is mired in ambiguity and deals with boatloads of people, and I’m as happy as a mouse in a cheese shop. 

I like engaging with people about 95% of my waking hours. And then in the other 5%, I hide away from the world. It’s important to note that without that 5% of hiding away from all humanity, that other 95% of the time with them is far less enjoyable. So while this introspection is small in quantity, the quality is critical. Yoga generates this necessary high quality.

I think about this need for quiet, even in the loudest lives, as I make my way to work each morning. There is a very short walk from my office building to my subway line. It’s not pretty, but I use it to center myself at the start and end of my day. It’s my gateway between my working life and my personal life. It is especially important in this churning economy to spend some time getting quiet, calming down our nerves, and turning inward to remind ourselves of what’s important. Getting quiet, at least for a short time, may be our only avenue through the noise all around us.   
Africa, New York City, nonprofit, volunteer

Ice Cream and a Helping Hand for Rwanda

Christa Avampato

The fabulous folks at Blue Marble Ice Cream have started up a non profit, Blue Marble Dreams. They are building an ice cream shop in Rwanda as a safe community gathering place. To make this dream come to life, they need our help. Here is the pitch posted on Daily Candy:


” All funds raised by October 19 will be matched (they’re shooting for $20 grand). They also need research/development interns, consultants, and volunteers.

It’s not about saving the world. It’s not even about ice cream. It’s about hope. With a cherry on top.

Blue Marble, 420 Atlantic Avenue, between Bond and Nevins Streets, Boerum Hill (718-858-1100 orbluemarbleicecream.com); 186 Underhill Avenue, at Sterling Place, Prospect Heights (718-399-6926). Donate online at bluemarbledreams.org.“
business, education, innovation, writing

Where to place our efforts

Christa Avampato

While in business school, I participated in the Innovation Challenge – a program that asks teams of business school students all over the world to solves a set of business challenges put forward by a handful of sponsor organizations. This year I was invited to be a judge in the competition and just completed the first round of judging. 


Someday, when I am old and wise (or at least old), I’d like to teach a class at a business school for one very simple reason. While I think our business schools may be teaching the fundamentals of how to value a bond and manage a P&L, they aren’t teaching a skill that is so crucial to success that many assumed it was an ability that everyone has – being able to write clearly and concisely. This afternoon, I would have settled for written proposals for the Innovation Challenge that were at least free of typos, used correct grammar, and exhibited a grasp of basic English vocabulary. 

Of the 11 proposals I was asked to judge, 2 of them were well-done. The ideas and solutions put forward by 2 teams were innovative and creative with sound success metrics and a long-term vision. Beyond those feats, they were also well-written. The other 9 were awful. Truly awful. Forget about the solutions not being feasible or short-sighted. Several were so badly written that I could barely read them. Those 9 badly-written proposals have nothing to do with talent or education level. It has everything to do with care and concern, or lack thereof. 2 teams put together the best case they possibly could. 9 of them slapped together some sentences in record time and handed it in.  

I considered writing a long set of notes for each team, and then I considered that that wouldn’t be fair to the 2 teams that put in so much of their own effort. So I wrote a paragraph for the 9 who didn’t care about the project, and saved my lengthy responses and comments for those 2 teams who got their act together.

After I completed my evaluations, I thought about my work experience and my own business school education. No matter what company or set of circumstances are in place, there are always a few people in the pack who shine because they are concerned about the quality of their work and how their work reflects on them. As business leaders, or teachers or judges of a case competition, our role is not to dwell on the ones who don’t put in the time or care or concern. That is a road to nowhere. It’s important to place the emphasis on the ones who want to do well and will take the time to put together the best they have to offer. That best won’t always be perfect – sometimes it won’t even be any good. I’m happy to spend time helping those who want to help themselves rather than spending it on people who don’t even care enough to run the spell check on their writing before they hand it in. 
career, friendship, relationships

Searching within, and weeding

Christa Avampato

I just returned from a lovely dinner with my friend, Brooke. We were talking about work, relationships, politics, the economy, Tina Fey’s recent work – all the topics that are top of mind. And we talked about gardening, of sorts. 


I haven’t had a garden in many years, though I still remember the back-breaking work of constant weeding. And despite the discomfort, that weeding is critical. Or lives are the same way. Weeding out pieces that don’t support us being the best we can be, allowing those pieces that do support that cause to rise to the top. The weeding takes careful consideration, and a discerning eye. We need the proper tools and the will to repeat the job as often as necessary. It’s a way of managing short-term situations for the good of the long-term goal. 

The weeding can be painful, arduous, and time-consuming though there is no other way to move upward and onward. Some times, we have to weed out the unnecessary and get smaller in order to flourish in the days to come. The key is to not get overwhelmed, to breathe deeply, and to commit to seeing the task through to completion. And above all, be patient.  

career, creative process, creativity, GEL conference, innovation, job, travel, work

Arizona

Christa Avampato

I’m in Arizona for the ATM, Debit, and Prepaid Conference. Please contain your excitement. There is actually some good information on offer. It’s just packaged up by boring people in boring conference rooms. I’ve been a bit spoiled by innovation conferences like GEL where there are rooms full of fascinating characters. Weird, but fascinating, which is exactly just the right kind of fascinating for me. 


But enough about the conference. I’m really struck by Arizona. And not because it’s “maverick-y” as Tina Fey (or is it Sarah Palin?) would say. As I was driving from the airport, I was reminded of the book Women Who Run with the Wolves. In the introduction, Clarissa Pinkola-Estes talks about how the life in the dessert seems small on the surface and yet is huge underneath. There are intricate root systems and creatures of dazzling diversity that live below ground. There is a whole ecosystem that survives and thrives away from the watch of the human eye. Pinkola-Estes talks about how many people, women in particular, have these huge wells of emotion and thought and concern that exist beyond any other person’s grasp or understanding. 

The beauty of Arizona is stark. It’s another world here, like nothing I have seen or experienced anywhere else. Here, everything feels and looks foreign. My boss was commenting today how the food, the art, the culture, the history, and the landscape are unlike those in any other state. And you might think that sounds a bit odd to be some place so foreign in our own country. Somehow though, in it’s foreign-ness, it’s opened me up to new possibilities, to new ways of seeing everything in a different light than I saw it just yesterday. My stress from the last few days is gone. Anxiety vanished. How did that happen?

I believe in that saying, “So often what’s needed is a change of self and not a change of scene.” But for me, a change of scene provokes a change in me that I desperately need and can’t always ignite in my everyday living patterns. On occasion, our systems need a little shock and travel can do that for us, particularly to a place wholly unfamiliar. I needed to expand my mind to take in the new possibilities that my current tasks are providing. And I needed to get away from my computer screen, even for a little while, and not troll though my usual set of tasks. I guess the universe gave me exactly what I needed exactly at the time I needed it – Arizona.  

career, creativity, job, product, productivity, work

Moving forward from where you are

Christa Avampato

I’ve been really frustrated as of late by a project I just took over from a colleague. I have been dwelling on the phrase “At the beginning, we should have…” And you know what? It’s not productive. It’s actually counter-productive and it’s wearing me down. I’m sick of hearing myself talk about how frustrated I am. Imagine how my friends and family feel?


I woke up a little yesterday after an email from my mom. My best friend from childhood just lost her 27 year old cousin to cancer. My very dear friend, Ken, just had to put his mom into hospice. I have friends that are losing their jobs thanks to this financial crisis we’re now in, and they don’t know when they’ll be seeing a paycheck again. And I’m whining, literally whining, from my comfy couch in my comfy apartment after a day of work at a great company with a great brand. At the moment, I can’t stand myself. As my friend Kelly says, “I need to give myself a “cut it out.” “

By being so stuck on what other people should have done or should have considered,etc., I’m not moving forward. I’m treading water and quite frankly doing a lousy job of it. Now ,to be fair to myself, as my mother would ask me to be, I want to make sure these learnings are captured and put to good use in the very-near future. Yep, there were definitely mistakes that were made at the start of this project 6 months ago. And we’re paying a big price tag, literally and figuratively. No doubt about it. But I can’t change those mistakes. They’ve been made and we have to go from where we are. I’ve got the project now and no matter what the earlier decisions, I need to keep driving forward, eyes on the prize – which is straight ahead, not in the rearview mirror. 

I find an area that needs improvement, I jot it down, and I keep moving. I have to keep moving. My whining and internal negativity is weighing me down, in a time when I cannot afford the extra mental pounds. I need to get this project out the door so I can move on to other projects where I will be able to start from the beginning and draw on the learnings from this current project. 

We all learn by doing, and in the doing, we screw up now and then. It happens to all of us, regardless of intelligence or experience or motivation. It’s all part of the process, and if you don’t let the process play out, you are doomed to remain in it like a hamster in a wheel. And who wants to keep treading the same ground again and again when there are so many places to see?! 

art, calm, career, encouragement, job, meditation, peace, work

Keep Calm and Carry On

Christa Avampato

My friend, Monika, graciously hosts group dinners at her home; a small group of us are hoping to make this a regular event with each of us taking turns with the hosting duties. Yesterday, I went over to Monika’s and we were taking turns trading stories about work when I noticed a poster she just had framed. It’s reprint of a WWII British propaganda poster that reads “Keep Calm and Carry On”. I figured if the British could keep their cool during such tumultuous times, I could certainly do the same. 


At the moment I am feel a fair amount of anxiety, more than I have felt in a long time. A lot to do and not enough time to do it. All day today I’ve been working, getting things in order, and I have been concentrating on my anxiety trying to figure out how to get it to dissipate. It really is like this knot in the very pit of my stomach, and it’s casing my muscles to ache, especially in my shoulders and neck. So I sat for a few minutes on my couch, and concentrated on just breathing, just being. And remarkably I felt better despite that I hadn’t gotten any further along than I was 5 minutes before.      

I realized how much time and energy I was spending being frustrated and irritated. How much effort I was putting into my disappointment. And it was clouding my ability to see this tremendous opportunity for growth and change that was being laid at my feet. Challenging situation, yes. Impossible to get through, of course not. It’s a moment when I am rising to my potential and then some. And that is something to be grateful for, if only I can remember to “Keep Calm and Carry On”. I just ordered my poster. Get yours at:  http://www.barterbooks.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=32036    
business, career, economy, finance, financing, investing, job, loans, personal finance, politics

Worried about the economy? Here are some quick answers to common questions

Christa Avampato

I was going to post about myself, my life, and my observations about the world around me today. However, I’m hearing so many people say that they don’t understand how this current economic crisis is going to hit them personally, that I wanted to do my part to try to get the word out about 4 common questions that many people have asked me over the past few weeks:


1.) “Do I need to pull my money out of my savings and checking accounts and put it in my mattress?”

No. Please don’t do that. If it gets stolen or you have some disaster like a house fire, you’ll lose it all. Also, as long as your money is in a bank that is FDIC-insured, your money is safe up to $100,000. If you have more than $100,000 with the same bank, then take out the balance above $100,000 and move it to an entirely different bank, not just into another account at the same bank. The $100,000 insurance is per depositor, not per account! Don’t know if your bank is FDIC-insured? Call them, stop into a branch, or visit their website.

2.) “I think I am going to stop investing in my retirement fund because the market is so bad. Is that a good idea.”

No. No, no, no, no! Please don’t do this. Please. Economies go in cycles. You need the compounding on your retirement savings to make retirement plans work. If you pull out your money or stop investing, you will lose the compounding factor you need. And you’ll pay hefty penalties on the withdrawal plus lock in the loss. What you can and absolutely need to do is make sure that your portfolio is balanced. Many retirement plans have a “set it and forget” plan. That’s what I have. You plug in the number of years you have until retirement, and the plan automatically calibrates different investments to get you to your retirement goals. Still unsure? Make an appointment with an advisor at the institution that manages your retirement accounts – it’s free and it’s their job to explain your options to you. And if you don’t know how to make an appointment with them, contact your HR department. 

3.) “This job market is so crazy that I’ve decided to get out of the job market. Is that a good idea?” 

AH!!!!!!!!!! No – no no no. Don’t do that. If you retire now, you essentially lock in all the loses your retirement fund has just been hit with because you begin to draw on those funds yo worked so hard to save. This is bad – really, really bad. You worked hard all these years, and you’re not getting the full benefit of that hard work. If you’re quitting your job with nothing else to go to, you need to reconsider immediately. And change your mind – do no leave your job without another place to go. There will likely be nothing for you to go to. Now, I do think you should be networking and watching out for new employment opportunities that sound interesting. Actually, I think you should ALWAYS do this, even if you are 100% in love with your job. You need to cover your bases and in this day and age, getting a job interview (and probably getting your dream job or even just your next job) has much more to do with who you know rather than what you know.   

4.) “I don’t think Wall Street zillionaires should get a bailout so I’m against the Government’s $700 billion plan.”

I don’t blame you for being confused on the bailout – I blame politicians who don’t understand economics (inexcusable) and make this a partisan issue (also inexcusable). This is not about bailing out Wall Street. I’m really upset with the person who coined this plan as a “bailout” – it’s not. This money will make the Federal Government a bank that will loan money to banks like Citi or Bank of America to make it easier for those banks to responsibly loan money to average consumers (you and me). There will be plenty of Government oversight to make sure that money is loaned responsibly. And when the market recovers, those banks will pay back the Government, who will pay back the tax payers.   

If we don’t have this plan, here’s what will happen:
Access to credit will plummet, making it hard for all Americans and all American businesses to have any access to credit. All free markets need access to credit to function properly. This los of access to credit is not good – you won’t be able to get car loans, schools loans, mortgages, or any other kind of consumer loan. Credit card companies will cut your limit. All businesses, whether it’s your local pizzeria or GE, will not be able to get the loans, short-term and long-term, big and small, that they have to have to do business and to get us the goods and services we need to survive. Bankruptcies and home foreclosures will skyrocket, and as a result, unemployment will also skyrocket. We’ll be in a downward spiral.

So here’s the choice: a) pay some more taxes now and get that money back in the fairly near-future so our economy can get going again. b) pay a whole lot more now with people losing their homes and companies going out of business, causing unemployment to rise rapidly, and pay even more later as we struggle to deal with the fall out. And we will ALL deal with the fall-out, especially those in lower and middle income brackets. The recovery from option b) will be slow and painful. a) will be less painful and shorter. I’m going with a). I don’t like that we’re in this situation, but here we are.

This might be the only idea that George Bush and I will agree on, and I took some convincing. I read A LOT about this, talked and listened to a lot of people very knowledgeable in finance. At this late date, the horse is out of the economic barn and the only way to corral him back inside and under control is through a rescue plan. There simply is no other better option.