Ep 101: Secrets, Lies, Nature and NYC with Christa Avampato

Written By Marina Psaros

Episode summary

Christa Avampato shares how she created Secrets and Lies, a storytelling game show that brings secret New York City history to life. After surviving cancer and COVID shutdowns, Christa relaunched her show at Climate Week NYC this year with a focus on nature in the city. In this conversation, we get into:

  • How Christa combined several loves into a sold-out live show (03:36)

  • The wisdom of taking random advice from strangers on LinkedIn (07:56)

  • Becoming your own hype person (18:21)

  • The cost of a passenger pigeon dinner in 1900 (24:16)

  • What happens when you almost die twice and how it transforms your relationship with creative risk (27:07)

Connect with Christa Avampato

Takeaways and try-its from this episode

1. Start before you're ready. Christa had never before created a live storytelling game show when she pitched Secrets and Lies. If you're waiting to feel "ready" or "qualified" before launching your project, stop that and just get started. You’ll figure it out along the way. 

2. Say yes to random mentors. Christa connected with someone outside her network on LinkedIn and their conversation eventually led her to relaunch the show at ClimateWeek. Staying open to unexpected connections helps you be, as Christa says, “prepared to be lucky”.

3. Place-based experiences are where it’s at. I love that Christa brings together storytelling, science, and history for a fun experience that connects people to the world around them. Let’s all have more of that!

Resources and fun stuff related to this episode

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Want to suggest a topic or guest?

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Marina Psaros
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Ep 102: Painting Nature’s Invisible Worlds with Sarah Kraning
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Ep 100: Trailer