‘My team and I are truly humbled to have won Silver in video production, especially since this is the first time we were nominated,’ said award-winner Bill Corcoran Jr., seen here. ‘Until now, OnTheStacks has been viewed as ‘just a podcast,’ but we’re so much more than that now; I think this award reflect our vision and growth,’ Corcoran said.
Photo by Darren Elias
They took home an award for video production in this year’s Times Leader Best of the Best Awards
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Bill Corcoran Jr. summarized himself succinctly during a conversation last summer: “I’m a major move kind of guy.”
The discussion was for a story about how his #OnTheStacks podcast was moving into a new home on Schuyler Avenue in Kingston.
And it was just the latest major move for an energetic and engaging young man whose interviewing and team-building skills have launched #OnThe Stacks from photos to audio to video, drawing in a range of guests from diverse backgrounds, each with a unique story to tell.
It’s fair to say that Corcoran and his #OnTheStacks team are among the best: They took home an award for video production in this year’s Times Leader Best of the Best Awards.
“My team and I are truly humbled to have won Silver in video production, especially since this is the first time we were nominated. Until now, OnTheStacks has been viewed as ‘just a podcast,’ but we’re so much more than that now; I think this award reflects our vision and growth,” Corcoran said.
And there’s more to come.
Corcoran said the team currently is working on launching two new podcasts under the OTS family of shows — both of which will be full video, available on YouTube, Times Leader website, and an audio version as well on all major podcast platforms.
Details will be announced in the near future.
How it started
For those who don’t know the story:
In February 2019, Corcoran posted a photo of himself sitting on a pallet of thousands of envelopes.
“To be honest, it was just a silly behind the scenes photo on the production floor at my family business, Corcoran Printing,” he said.
But it struck a chord, generating much buzz and engagement on social media.
“The next week I posted another similar photo of myself sitting on a pallet of 19,000 booklets. I also did a slow-motion video of me running and jumping up onto the pallet,” Corcoran recalled.
Again, it proved popular, “and multiple people were commenting saying they wanted to come ‘do that,’” he said.
Then, lightning struck: Mark Harris, a sales manager Corcoran had worked with at a previous job, sent a lighthearted message asking “can I come jump on dem stacks with you?”
That led to yet another popular photo, and now a name.
“I took Mark’s words and came up with the name #OnTheStacks and I put a hashtag in front of it, thinking that anybody that ever clicked on or searched the hashtag on social media would be able to find any and all content I ever posted,” he said. “Anyone that asked to come get a photo, I basically told them yes.”
Corcoran’s plan was to have one person per week come have their photo taken, and he would post the photo together with a few lines about who they are and what they do.
“I would often end the wording of the post with, ‘Who’s up next?!’ And naturally it got more people to become interested and wondering who was next,” he said.
It was the question people kept asking him, online and in person.
“I would tell them, ‘you’ll have to check my social media next week to find out.’”
Interest in his posts on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn grew.’
“In a few short weeks, I had a list of easily 50+ people — mostly business/entrepreneur/community leader-type people, which when you do the math, that’s one year’s worth of guests,” he said.
Interest in being featured expanded rapidly, including Mark Gullett, a former Vice President of Marketing for the Philadelphia 76ers, asking how he could get his photo #OnTheStacks.
That is when professional photographer Darren Elias, whose photos are seen with this article, got involved.
“In a casual conversation with Darren, I mentioned that Mark was coming up from New Jersey and Darren suggested that he take the photos and volunteered to do a couple shoots for free, and if it (#OnTheStacks) ever goes somewhere more, we would discuss payment,” Corcoran said.
“Of course I said yes.”
After posting Elias’ professional photos, “the floodgates opened in terms of people reaching out to be part of it,” Corcoran said.
A year passed, and Corcoran was still posting photos.
His audience wanted more.
“Multiple followers suggested an audio podcast or YouTube video show interviewing these people so they can learn more about them other than the few sentences I would throw up the social media post,” he said.
He decided to launch a podcast, buying some mics and recording equipment. Within a few weeks he had recorded the first four episodes.
The first episode launched on March 3, 2020. On March 9, 2022, he added full video to the show starting with the 100th episode. He now has over 150 episodes under his belt.
The show is now available in two formats: audio only on all major podcast platforms and full video on YouTube — and since last summer at timesleader.com/onthestacks.
Again, audience feedback was critical to the podcast’s growth and evolution.
“I also listened and constantly asked my listeners how it can be better,” Corcoran said. “I took any and all feedback from anyone that was willing to give me any, and I would tweak the content along the way — and I still do this.”
It’s also about presenting meaningful stories, Corcoran explained.
“My idea was to build something much larger than myself. Everybody wants to feel like they’re part of ‘something.’ Something that they can relate and connect to,” Corcoran said. “So that’s what I set out to do with the brand: build a community of like minded individuals who feel like they’re connected to something bigger than themselves. To learn, grow, and follow your passions and purpose in life.”
That theme runs throughout the interviews.
“The podcast is not about somebody’s business or organization. It’s about authentic people. Nobody cares or wants to hear a commercial for your business. People want to hear why you do what you do, how you do it, and everything in between. That’s the content I’m after.”
For that reason, Corcoran says he doesn’t focus on analytics, but on creating valuable content.
“I’ve had several people tell me that my podcast literally changed their life. I never thought I could have that type of impact and up until this point in my life, I don’t think anyone has ever told me that I changed their life,” he said. “When people ask me why I do this podcast, that’s why.”
Corcoran also stresses that the podcasts aren’t about him — “nothing about me, it’s all about the guest” — and that the endeavor has been anything but a solo effort.
“It takes a team to run this ship,” he said. “I’m grateful for their hard work, expertise, guidance, and most importantly, patience with me.”
That team includes Executive Producer and advisor Jimmy T. Martin, Director of Production Eric Curtis, and Photographer Darren Elias.
“We proudly accept this award from the Times Leader, and thank our fans for recognizing the quality of work that the OnTheStacks team produces each and every week to ‘edutain’ our listeners all throughout the world,” Corcoran said.