Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, Karl Hofstetter began working with the Small Box team in January of 2008. After graduating with a BA in Religious Studies from Butler University in May of 2008, Karl began his full-time work with Small Box as a Project Manager, SEO Consultant, and the man behind day-to-day operations of our in-house music archiving project MusicalFamilyTree.net and the corresponding MFT Records.

In addition to his Small Box specialties of Project Management and SEO, Karl is a music entrepreneur. Fresh out of high school, Karl started Joyful Noise Recordings, a record label now home to a growing roster of critically-acclaimed bands, spanning two continents. In 2007 he also started Soapbox Promotion, a company which promotes indie bands to press and radio. When he is not working at Small Box or running Joyful Noise and Soapbox, Karl is usually playing drums with his bands Abner Trio, Lafcadio, and sometimes with his all-drum group Pope Whiter.

Karl lives in the heart of Broad Ripple, and enjoys not being effected by the gas crisis during his 5 minute walk to the office.

Karl’s Top 5 Strengths in StrengthsFinder 2.0

Command: People who are especially talented in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions. Command leads Karl to take charge. Karl is not frightened by confrontation; rather, Karl knows that confrontation is the first step toward resolution. Whereas others may avoid facing up to life’s unpleasantness, Karl feels compelled to present the facts or the truth, no matter how unpleasant it may be. Karl likes things to be clear between people and to challenge them to be clear-eyed and honest. Karl pushes people to take risks.

Achiever: People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive. Karl’s Achiever theme helps explain his drive. Achiever describes a constant need for achievement. It brings him the energy he needs to work long hours without burning out. It is the jolt Karl can always count on to get started on new tasks, new challenges. It is the power supply that causes him to set the pace and define the levels of productivity for his work group. It is the theme that keeps him moving.

Ideation: People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena. What is an idea? An idea is a concept, the best explanation of the most events. Karl is delighted when he discovers beneath the complex surface an elegantly simple concept to explain why things are the way they are. An idea is a connection. Karl’s is the kind of mind that is always looking for connections, and so he is intrigued when seemingly disparate phenomena can be linked by an obscure connection. An idea is a new perspective on familiar challenges. Karl revel in taking the world we all know and turning it around so we can view it from a strange but strangely enlightening angle. Karl loves all these ideas because they are profound, because they are novel, because they are clarifying, because they are contrary, because they are bizarre.

Maximizer: People who are especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb. Excellence, not average, is Karl’s measure. Like a diver after pearls, Karl searches out the strengths of others. A glimpse of untutored excellence, rapid learning, a skill mastered without recourse to steps—all these are clues that a strength may be in play. And having found a strength, Karl feels compelled to nurture it, refine it, and stretch it toward excellence.

Connectedness: People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason. This feeling of Connectedness implies certain responsibilities. If we are all part of a larger picture, then we must not harm others because we will be harming ourselves. We must not exploit because we will be exploiting ourselves. Karl’s awareness of these responsibilities creates his value system. Karl is considerate, caring, and accepting.