Hello, my name is Karl Kauffman and I am the creator and host of Circle Stories, the podcast.

I am talking to you from Asheville, NC nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains where I live with my wife Karma, my dog Bailey and my cat India.

This is the pilot episode where I will give you a brief overview of what i hope to accomplish with Circle Stories.
I wanted to start this podcast to highlight the incredible richness, wealth and depth of the stories in my community.

The idea behind Circle Stories began over a year ago and really grew out of my experience of attending a local monthly event called 5-3-1. This gathering was created by my good friends Gareth Higgins and Brian Ammons. What I experienced at 5-3-1 (5 stories, 3 songs, 1 community) was transformational. And I don't say that lightly as I am not prone to hyperbole.

The stories were sometimes rough, sometimes polished, often unfiltered, powerful, well crafted, and poignant glimpses into the tellers life experience. But most importantly, always authentic. Most of us have at least some functional B.S. detector and can sense disingenuousness. So to deliver a story at 5-3-1 is to tell a story that comes from within often resulting in vulnerability and openness that oozes authenticity. As a listener and a teller my emotions have run the gamut. My hope for the podcast is to bring a version of that experience to you. That is why I started Circle Stories.

The podcast will not be limited to stories but will also include conversations between myself and members of my circles and conversations between members of my community. You see, each of us are members of any number of circles that make up our lives: family, friends, spiritual, work, professional, teams, clubs, hobbies, and other communities.

Finally, and integral to my life and journey, a word about my faith community, Circle of Mercy. This group of believers, skeptics, and non-believers alike deserve credit for offering myself and many others love, hope, service, support, and replenishment of the spiritual nourishment I/we crave. It's steadfast commitment to each other, the local community, and the wider world seems boundless to me. At the risk of sounding tribal in a world already too divided, these are my people. Our motto: seeking justice, pursuing peace, following Jesus.

Circle Stories will touch on all these and more of the circles in my life. May you be as enlightened and enriched as I am when you listen in.