Tag: career

creativity

In the pause: Starting a new chapter today

Christa Avampato

“You can fail at what you don’t want so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.” ~Jim Carrey

Today I’m beginning a new full-time job. Success is never guaranteed to any of us though I fully believe that our odds of success increase dramatically when we do something we love. In that case, even if we fail, at least we have spent our time on something of value.

That’s how I feel about my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters. It’s also how I feel about my work as a journalist, product leader, and theater manager. My new job utilizes all of my experience in the arts and business, and I feel fortunate and blessed to have this opportunity.

I’m sure there will be many learnings in the coming months. Today, I’m enjoying the thrill of the new and the unknown, the excitement that comes from putting my whole heart into something that makes the world a better place.

 

creativity

In the pause: It’s time for happiness

Christa Avampato

“I stopped waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel and lit that bitch up myself.” ~Anonymous

“Stop waiting for Friday, for summer, for someone to fall in love with you, for life. Happiness is achieved when you stop waiting for it and make the most of the moment
you are in now.” ~Unknown

“Never have a job that makes you wish for Friday and dread Monday.” ~Doc (Charlie) Rodgers, my former cowoker at Rollins College

My friend, Ria, sent me this first quote. It first made me laugh out loud, which I sorely needed. Then it quickly gave me more energy to keep going on my path. Why do we wait, or worse, think we’re undeserving? Of happiness. Of love. Of our dreams. Of living the most magical life we can imagine? Why do we settle for less than we want? Why do we accept and strive for patience instead of progress?

Too many of us get stuck in the trap of thinking a job is a job and happiness is something different, something we do somewhere else. It’s not. We should be happy and proud of the way we spend our time everywhere that time is spent. I refuse to compromise on that ideal. Our time is far too precious to do anything but.

I hope that today your life and work are touched with love and light, and that you will be able to give that to those around you everywhere you go—at work and at home, in your neighborhood, in a store, and on the subway or bus. Just imagine what kind of world we would live in if that were our guiding principle every day. There would be so much light that our tunnels couldn’t even contain all of it.

creativity

In the pause: Find your door

Christa Avampato

“If it doesn’t open, it’s not your door.” ~Anonymous

Robert Spekman, my marketing professor at Darden, used to tell us that the only way you can feel better while beating your head against a wall is to stop.

Yes, you should absolutely work hard for what you want but if the joy goes out of what you’re doing, if you feel like it’s the battle of your life instead of the path of your life, then stop. At least for a moment. Sit back, close your eyes, and breathe. Is it worth it to keep going? Are you doing this out of obligation and habit, or passion and purpose? Sometimes the only way to find our door is to walk away from the one in front of us. We only have so much time. Let’s make every day, every action, count.

creativity

In the pause: More authenticity, less BS – what the world needs now

Christa Avampato

My unfailing honesty and integrity has cost me a lot of potential paychecks over the years, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Our world and our companies needs more authenticity, less BS. I’m doing my part during this interview process, not only for my benefit but for the benefit of these companies and organizations whose time and talent I respect and admire. The fit has to be mutual between a company and a candidate, and the only way to get there is through trust. We build that trust by being upfront and truthful from the very beginning of the interview process. Let’s drop the gloss, and get down to business with grace and dignity. The world needs all of us to be in the right roles and at the right companies that help us to live our best lives. Anything else is a waste of time.

creativity

In the pause: You don’t have to compromise your financial wellbeing to be an entrepreneur

Christa Avampato

My dear friend, Kelly, sent me an article about Alexandra Kenin, the Founder of Urban Hiker SF and Editor / Writer at WordSmithie. Urban Hiker SF is her side hustle and Wordsmithie is her full-time job. (She’s also a Penn alum, which of course I love!) The article is another example that we can piece together a meaningful life and career that encompasses all of our passions. It doesn’t have to be one-dimensional, and we don’t have to compromise our financial wellbeing to pursue our dreams. It’s just a matter of finding the right pieces that all hang together like one well-tuned masterpiece, and that’s what I’m trying to do.

creativity

In the pause: Who I am and what I’m looking for in my job search

Christa Avampato

A recruiter and career coach suggested that I put together a snapshot of who I am and what I’m looking for in my job search. It was a great exercise that helped me focus and communicate my search. Know someone I should talk to? Connect to me on LinkedIn. 

“I use business and storytelling skills to build a better world. After completing my undergradate studies at Penn, I managed Broadway shows and national theater tours. Then after getting my MBA at Darden, I spent 10 years in a variety of product and program leadership roles at for-profit companies, nonprofits, and startups while also building my writing portfolio as a freelance journalist at publications like The Washington Post.

A proud New Yorker, I want to bundle all of my business and writing experience to work for an organization creating social impact in education, access to the arts, and / or systems that serve as the bedrock of New York City.”

 

creativity

In the pause: My new approach to the job search

Christa Avampato

Whenever we start a job search, we often dive in looking at titles, areas of expertise, or industry. If like me you have worked in multiple industries with a wide variety of roles and responsibilities, then this method can take you in circles. Titles and job responsibilities are so different across companies. In my case, product management, product development, product marketing, operations, and communications don’t have clear and consistent definitions in the world of work and often roles have some responsibilities in a few of these categories.

So I’m trying something new. Because culture and mission are so important to me, I’ve decided to seek out companies that are interesting to me first and then dive into the different roles at those companies. My ideal is to find a place where I can learn and grow, meaning I would hold a number of different roles at the same company or organization over time. In this case, what really matters is the culture and environment. Roles and responsibilities can change on a dime; culture and mission are ideally consistent.

The job search can be a long and winding road. I’m hopeful that this new approach will make the destination a perfect fit.

creativity

In the pause: The point of life and work

Christa Avampato

“Isn’t that the point? To apply what we know and what we’ve done in new ways?”

This is what I said to a friend of mine over the weekend. She’s interviewing for a new job that leverages a lot of her skills and interests. It’s a brand new industry for her, and she was feeling nervous for the interview as a result. Look, friends, if we aren’t taking risks, trying new things, and learning, then what is the point? Adaptation is the cornerstone of life, literally and figuratively. The world is changing so fast—in 5-10 years we’ll likely be working in industries and roles that don’t even exist yet. The best we can do is work hard, learn, and be good to other people as we go. Truly. Don’t be afraid of applying your talents in new ways; just do it. It’s what we’re all going to have to do.

creativity

In the pause: The right opportunity will be yours

Christa Avampato

In the past few weeks, I’ve learned that a few opportunities I left on the table would have gone horribly awry if I had taken them. People I wanted to work with left their roles in short order. Products were pulled from the market. The leadership floundered. The role was never filled because they just couldn’t figure out what they wanted. Most of the time, I didn’t have a specific reason for turning down any of these roles except to say that they just didn’t feel like the right move for me. My gut was right.

If you’re searching for a new opportunity now, don’t be afraid to walk away from one that doesn’t match your criteria. You deserve better; you deserve to find exactly what you want. Keep looking.

creativity

In the pause: The surprising truth about pursuing our goals

Christa Avampato
My friend, Alex, sent this quote to me and it resonates with me so deeply. This idea is what prompted my move back to New York City and this change in career direction. I could have kept moving ahead on a corporate path. I could have continued to climb in title and compensation. Except that I really couldn’t do that and be true to myself. I have turned down jobs and projects not because I couldn’t do them but because they weren’t rooted in how I want to spend my time. This is a tough thing to do.
 
We tell ourselves all of the convenient reasons we need to keep doing what we’ve been doing even though it may not be what fires us up. It makes today easier at the expense of our tomorrows. What I’m doing is making my today more challenging because I want my tomorrows to be more fulfilling. It’s all a gamble. I don’t know how it’s going to go but here’s what I do know—if I didn’t follow this path I’m on now, I’d always wonder what might have been. And I didn’t want to wonder; I wanted to take my best shot and manage whatever happens next. It may not be the best choice for everyone, but it’s certainly the best choice for me.