Paul Corcoran has led the team at Liverpool- and Manchester-based Agent since founding the brand and communications agency in 2006.
Since then he’s overseen the success and growth of the agency, launching social enterprise sister company Agent Academy in 2014 in response to a lack of opportunities for young people to enter creative and digital.
Corcoran is an experienced and enthusiastic marketer and was named Outstanding Contributor to the North at the 2021 Prolific North Champions Awards. He’s deputy chair of the Liverpool City Region LEP, and co-chairs the city region’s creative and digital board.
We found out the lessons Paul has learnt.
Which single daily habit or practice could you not do without?
Other than my must-have morning caffeine hit or two, it would probably be our daily leadership team meetings, which we introduced at the start of the pandemic.
These quick-paced sessions provide an opportunity for us to get together and address head-on the opportunities and obstacles we face. They’re all about keeping us all connected, working together and getting stuff done.
Each day has a different focus; people, sales and marketing, operations, etc., and have become a daily practise that we have all truly value.
What’s been your luckiest break?
My luckiest break was actually starting Agent in the first place. At the time, I had no savings behind me, no real network to speak of, and no confirmed work contracts to get going with. Add to that the credit crunch and a global recession as a financial backdrop and the odds really were stacked against Agent.
However what I did have was the ambition to get stuck in, a strong work ethic, and the desire do what I could to make the business work. I don’t give up easily.
The incredible people I’ve met along the way have been lucky breaks in many ways, too. I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with and been mentored and supported by brilliant people who truly make good stuff happen in and out of business.
What’s your best failure?
My best failure was when I took full ownership of the agency over a decade ago. Not all business partnerships work out, but the decision provided me with the opportunity to lead Agent the way I felt best, growing it into the agency it is today.
What is the best investment you’ve ever made, either financial or time?
Time. The best use of my time has always involved volunteering, mentoring others, and sitting on or leading boards for organisations I am passionate about, such as BITC, The Prince’s Trust, School for Social Entrepreneurs, the Everyman and Playhouse, among many others.
I have learnt so much from these experiences and been incredibly inspired by some sensational people – plus it feels good to make a difference, no matter how small.
Which book would you recommend others to read and why?
If you want your heart to be ripped from your chest, kicked around and then stamped on, then definitely ‘A Little Life’ by Hanya Yangihara. Brace yourself.
If you fancy meeting a brand-new bunch of fabulous friends, you need to read ‘Tales of the City’ by Armistead Maupin.
Or if you want to walk in different shoes, see life from a new perspective and be more appreciative and understanding of the value of difference and equality, then read ‘Girl, Woman, Other’ by Bernardine Evaristo.
What one piece of advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
You deserve a place around the table, too. Even when you don’t think you’ll be able to achieve something, or you think it’s not meant for people like you, it is. Doing well, working hard and truly enjoying your work is not just for certain people, it’s for everyone. You have a place there.
Who or what has had the single biggest influence on your working life?
My dad. He has run a business for a long time, and has always run it with real integrity – he isn’t afraid to roll his sleeves up and get stuck in.
He cares deeply about the job he does and the people he works with. He stands up for things he believes in and does the work to achieve his goals. He is rich in values, and as a result he is loved by people that are around him in every part of his life.
For him, it’s not about a work life and a personal life, it’s just a life – and with that, everywhere he goes and every room he walks into, he’s loved because he does it properly. He is kind with his time and committed to everything that he does. He’s always first to get the pints in, too. I love that.
Tell us something about you that would surprise people.
In 2008, following the Icelandic volcanic eruption, I, Zoe – Agent Academy’s Director – and our two friends got stranded in Mumbai. Several bizarre events and social media posts from our friends back home later, we were invited to be the guests of honour at the opening of a new Sayers in Liverpool where we cut the ribbon.
We became known as the Mumbai Four and the event was celebrated with school children singing, my mum dressed to the nines, a sausage-roll photocall – it’s a long story…
How will the COVID crisis change work for the better?
It has made us truly understand and respect the value of ‘together,’ and how important our working culture is to us all.
The pandemic has also brought into even sharper focus the importance of investing in, and actually doing the work around diversity, inclusion, our physical and mental health, workplace wellbeing – there’s been so much development with even more to come. Watch this space – we have big things planned!
What does success look like to you?
Success for me is rooted in feelings of contentment and gratitude; being proud of where you have got to and appreciating those who have been by your side along the way.
