Is Aristotle still hiring?

Contrary to popular belief, this is not how I spend most of my time

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (famously quoted on the internet)

In late 2011, I was finishing up a teaching licensure program by student teaching at an Indianapolis public high school. A few years earlier, I had grown hungry to find a "meaningful" career, so I'd been working as a substitute and special education assistant until I decided to pursue a full-time position as an English teacher.

Why did I decide not to teach?

Anyone who thinks teaching isn't difficult has probably never really tried teaching. I expected a serious challenge. What I didn't expect was that I would start feeling deeply unhappy and unfulfilled as quickly as I did. Besides the salary (which I know is considered small, but would have been a lot for me), the rewards of teaching can be small and rare: a smile from a young person, a friendly word from a co-worker, a pat on the back from a superior. I quickly realized that in order to be a truly great teacher, at least in a public school, you have to have a passion for working with young people. The kids themselves are the reward for many teachers, because teachers are supposed to love being around kids.

Eventually, I realized I wanted to teach English because I love literature, film, music, and the study of human culture - and that is definitely not the same as loving to work with kids. Frequently, I felt like my hard-earned knowledge about the subject I taught mattered a lot less than my ability to control a room full of rowdy teenagers every day. I also felt like I was constantly "pretending" to be an adult or an authority figure. Not that I lack maturity or professionalism, but I often felt like I was fighting against my own personality and attitudes in order to come across as more "teacherly," whatever that actually means. Which is fine, that's the job. I probably would have powered through and gotten used to it - if I hadn't run headfirst into a golden opportunity, a job that fit my personality and passions like a glove...

Musical Family Tree

I've always been passionate about music, especially the DIY, local-centric, underground variety. I've been playing in Everything, Now! since before I enrolled in college, and I've gotten to know hundreds of great musicians and music fans as a result. 

Last fall, while I was student teaching, Jeb Banner invited me to a small gathering for vinyl record enthusiasts, where he mentioned wanting someone to create new blog content for his Musical Family Tree website. Taking this as an offer to get paid for writing about something I loved anyway (past and present local music), I gladly accepted the challenge to write a couple blog posts a week for MFT. As the semester progressed, I felt my personal passions returning, blazing stronger than ever, mostly due to this opportunity to explore something I truly loved.

I quickly decided this could be my dream job, and I proposed to Jeb that he let me run the site for a year, after which we could discuss future steps. So throughout 2012, I became the official director for the site, a full-time blogger, occasional event-planner, administrator, overseer for a website rebuild, etc., etc. MFT solidified its mission as a non-profit organization whose purpose is spreading Indiana music, and I am now devoted to doing whatever I can to create a sustainable, world-renowned music scene in Indiana.

SmallBox

SmallBox is Jeb Banner's web/design/marketing company, which he started with developer Joe Downey in 2006. I've had a lot of friends work for this company, and it's known for being the proverbial "cool kid" in the local tech/business scene. MFT began as a pet project for Jeb and Joe, before SmallBox was even a business, so it made sense that they were willing to preserve MFT by having me come on as director. Jeb has also told me that he hires people more for who they are than for which position he needs filled. Each employee at SmallBox possesses the ability to craft their ideal role at the company.

Throughout this year, I've learned how the skills I've acquired running MFT can also be useful to SmallBox. I also love the fact that I feel like I can be 100% myself at work. I've realized I am passionate about culture, community-building, event planning, and improving Indianapolis as a whole (also helping Indiana as a whole achieve a better reputation - there's good stuff here!). So right now, I'm transitioning into a new role at SmallBox where I will use those skills in a productive and hopefully profitable way. Running/growing MFT is still my main job, and I'm dedicated to helping that organization realize its full potential, but I'm also excited to get more involved with SmallBox in coming months.