How big moments of change are a chance to cultivate joy, with communications consultant Christina Monaco

07/11/22 • 26 min

Independent communications consultant Christina Monaco reflects on switching from a corporate career to self-employment in the midst of the pandemic.

Christina’s bio:

Christina Monaco is an independent consultant and communications specialist who collaborates with clients to develop executive messaging, company narrative, and employee engagement programs.

After her most recent corporate position was eliminated in the Fall of 2020 as a result of a company reorganization, Christina founded Christina Monaco Communications LLC in early 2021 and serves as Principal consultant. As part of her role leading a consultancy, she partners with leadership teams in a variety of sectors to support them with developing the communication needed in order to create connectivity throughout an organization, inspire employees, and inform audiences.

Christina has a wide range of experience that includes Communications, Event Marketing, and Public Relations roles at some of the world’s most recognized global brand organizations, including LVMH, Condé Nast, and Hearst. During her time at LVMH she worked within the Mot Hennessy North America portfolio of Wines & Spirits brands to create and deliver corporate programs and company messaging for internal colleagues and external stakeholders. Christina has led the Communications and Event Marketing strategy for champagne brands Veuve Clicquot, Dom Pérignon, and Moët & Chandon, as well as for Belvedere Vodka, Navan Cognac, and 10 Cane Rum. Throughout her 16 years working at Mot Hennessy North America she received awards for outstanding performance in Teamwork, Innovative Partnerships, Connection to Employees, and Best in Class Events. She was also an integral part of the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives where she co-led the Women @ MHUSA Employee Resource Group that offered inspiring programs to advance equity and equality in the workplace.

Christina has held creative services and promotional marketing positions at renowned consumer magazines including GQ, Harper’s BAZAAR, Talk, and BRIDE’s where she created initiatives for beauty, fashion, jewelry, and lifestyle advertising partners. In addition to developing multi-platform programs to increase revenue, Christina was a national magazine spokesperson where she commentated events, videos, and branded commercials to showcase advertising partners to consumer audiences.

Christina began her career at Chiat/Day Advertising in New York in the Media Buying Department.

Originally from Long Island, NY, Christina is an ongoing participant of memoir writing workshops and enjoys spending time with friends and taking walks with her dog.

Find Christina online at on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/christina-monaco-4a88201a/ or on Instagram at @christinamnyc

Notable quotes from the interview:

"At a certain point in my life, I realized that I can do whatever I set my mind to do, no matter what people either thought of me in terms of my entrepreneurial ability, or what expectations I have on myself."

"I was always told I didn't have a mind for business... So for me, one of the most joyful things was knowing I could start my own business."

“All it takes is one person, one new client, one job, and then you're on your way."

Independent communications consultant Christina Monaco reflects on switching from a corporate career to self-employment in the midst of the pandemic.

Christina’s bio:

Christina Monaco is an independent consultant and communications specialist who collaborates with clients to develop executive messaging, company narrative, and employee engagement programs.

Christina began her career at Chiat/Day Advertising in New York in the Media Buying Department.

Originally from Long Island, NY, Christina is an ongoing participant of memoir writing workshops and enjoys spending time with friends and taking walks with her dog.

Find Christina online at on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/christina-monaco-4a88201a/ or on Instagram at @christinamnyc

Notable quotes from the interview:

"I was always told I didn't have a mind for business... So for me, one of the most joyful things was knowing I could start my own business."

“All it takes is one person, one new client, one job, and then you're on your way."

Previous Episode

How to express the joy of your business and why selling is beautiful, with sales coach for creatives Ivy Malik

Stockholm-based sales coach for creatives Ivy Malik discusses how selling is not only beautiful but sexy, and offers advice on how to express the joy of your business.
Ivy’s bio: Ivy Malik is a Stockholm-based sales coach for creatives. She started her business career by owning a restaurant in East London, which she sold to start her own coaching business to help creatives learn to sell without being salesy.

Find Ivy on social at @ivymalikofficial and online at ivymalik.com

Notable quotes from our conversation:

“If you want to be showing up in your marketing and in your business in a way that's really true to you, then you have to start with your values.”

“We're always dealing with people. And if we're dealing with people, then we're only having conversations. We never have to sell. We never have to pitch.”

“I want people to really love selling because it's beautiful. Because when we sell something, we're really helping the other person.”

“When people come to me and talk to me about my money mindset, I feel the difference is the inherent belief that money exists. I believe that there is a client out there at any point that will want to work with me, and they will pay what I want to charge.”

“If we say, ‘I believe there are clients out there who are going to want to work with me,’ then I'm going to subconsciously speak in a way and show up in a manner which is so different from when I believe that nothing is going to happen.”

“If we don't sell, we're going to deprive others of our gift.”

Next Episode

Freedom! The joy of working as a digital nomad, with writer, speaker, and strategist Lauren Razavi

Digital nomad and future-of-work strategist Lauren Razavi talks about how she lives and travels, how she crafted a life that works just right for her, and what a "country on the Internet" would look like.
Lauren’s bio: Lauren Razavi is a writer, speaker and strategist working at the intersection of technology, business, policy, and human behaviour. She is author of the book Global Natives and writes the Counterflows newsletter about borderless living. Lauren was an early adopter of remote work and has lived as a digital nomad since 2013. Currently, she is executive director of Plumia, the mission to build an internet country for digital nomads, at the Y Combinator alumni company SafetyWing.
Choice quotes from the podcast:
"For me, it's never an ambition to make a separation between my work and the rest of my life. But instead, to make sure that those two things are very much in balance, in harmony, and I'm able to feel really fulfilled, whatever I'm doing."
"The rise of freelancing and self employment is really interesting, if you consider it in part as a response to traditional companies lack of flexibility around remote work."
"It's all about priorities. What do you want to spend your mental energy and time optimizing for?"