467. The Founder‘s Journey: Transforming Comedy with Innovation + Community - Steve Hofstetter

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Overview

Meet Steve. He’s a stand-up comedian, podcast host and founder. You’ve probably seen him on YouTube, where his videos have a whopping 215 million view🎤 He’s also the chairman and founder of Steel City Arts Foundation which provides mentorship, equipment, housing and workspace to comedians in Pittsburg. From starting with a $2,000 scholarship fund to pioneering an online comedy club that generated over $1.5 million for comedians during the early days of COVID-19, he's throwing out the old playbook about what philanthropy can look like. He was even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his philanthropic work within the comedy community. Get ready for this comedy-infused episode that's equal parts laughter and inspiration😆

💡Learn

Overview of the Steel City Arts Foundation
The power of community and collaboration
How to leverage microdonations to make a difference

Today’s Guest

Steve Hofstetter, President and Founder, Steel City Arts Foundation

“Comedy is a solo art form, but there’s no reason it can’t be a team sport.”

— Steve Hofstetter, President and Founder, Steel City Arts Foundation

Episode Transcript

Download Full Episode Transcript Here

Episode Highlights

Steve’s story and journey to where he is today (4:00)
Steel City Arts Foundation (10:00)
Why Pittsburgh (16:00)
Dreams + Vision for the Steel City Arts Foundation (18:00)
The Nobel Peace Prize nomination (27:00)
A powerful story of philanthropy in Steve’s life (39:00)
Steve’s One Good Thing: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” -Jackie Robinson (43:00)
How to connect (45:00)

POWERFUL QUOTES

“There were hundreds of charities by comedians, but at the time there was not a single charity for comedians.” -Steve

“This business is filled with predatory bookers, wrong turns and we want this generation of comics to be able to learn from other people’s mistakes and not have to make their own.” -Steve

“Comedy is a solo art form, but there's no reason it can't be a team sport.” -Steve

“There are some people who understand that very often the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And there are some people who think I'm not going to help anyone else because no one else helped me. And that's an unfortunate view. And for those who believe in the first part, you can do something like this anywhere and in any field, you can create a collective in any field.” -Steve

“Every comedian's path is different. One of the things we try hard to do is not steer someone in a direction just because that’s a direction we took.” -Steve

“Part of the success for each person is figuring out what their path is, and helping them along it. But the thing that I can try to teach everyone is that there's always something bigger.” -Steve

“Anything I do, I think to myself, have you considered anything bigger? -Steve

“This is truly a labor of love.” -Steve

“The key with this foundation is listening to suggestions.” -Steve

“Listening to what you got wrong is as important as knowing the right thing to do.” -Steve