Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Hansberry
Hi Greg, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The writing was on the wall. I had seen the slow disintegration of the entire media industry for years. Who still subscribed to newspapers? YouTube had all but eliminated the need for TV. Radio would never recover from the blows dealt by Spotify and podcasting.
But for me, it all became clear on December 9, 2023, when I knew I had to make a career change—or risk being left behind. My best friend took me to see U2 at the Vegas Sphere for my 40th birthday. Yes, the concert was amazing, but the robots in the lobby, the speakers in the seats, and the 300-foot screen were all mind-blowing. I cannot overstate how impressive the experience was. I also left the building knowing it was only a matter of time before a robot could—and would—do anything I could do professionally. My days in radio broadcast were officially numbered.
Up until then, I was lucky to be part of a broadcast team that had built years of trust and equity in the Columbus community: Sunny This Morning with Stacy McKay and Dino Tripodis. At every station event, I met someone who would tell me they grew up listening to the iconic duo—and now they were listening in the car with their own kids. The show’s goal was to connect with every soccer mom, late-for-work dad, and third-shift worker on their way home. The team taught me that this connection was the only thing separating us from the on-demand content commuters accessed on their iPhones.
“Corporate” canceled the show in April 2024.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but the move provided me with the liberation I desperately needed. It gave me the opportunity to dive headfirst into my own passions. I could write my own narrative. For the first time, I was finally able to be myself—not what a 65-year-old conservative boomer thought I should be.
When June came around, my two kids and I took a ten-day road trip to New Orleans and back. We stopped at as many “dark tourism” locations as we could along the way: Colonel Sanders’ grave, a cave where a 200-year-old witch lived, and the real home of Mardi Gras—Mobile, Alabama. I lost count of how many cemeteries we explored.
When we returned home to Columbus, I began the launch of The Empty Coffin Podcast.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Looking back over the past five years, I was my own worst enemy. I was waiting for “the next thing” to happen. Complacency took hold of me and never let go. What I didn’t realize at the time was that the safety of my comfort zone was actually holding me back. Once I had the freedom to be myself and pursue my passions, I thrived. Yes, it’s challenging, but I am growing creatively and professionally every day.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Although nerve-racking at first, professional independence gave me the freedom to fully express my creativity. No matter the medium, the theme remained the same—spooky stuff.
The Empty Coffin Podcast became my outlet to tell the stories I wanted, exactly how I wanted to tell them:
New Orleans Vampires.
English ghost stories.
True Crime.
Parapsychology.
Dark Tourism.
The eerie tales and odd interviews I had collected finally had a home. From this, I launched my own production company, where I continue to craft immersive audio experiences.
Beyond The Empty Coffin, I also produce and co-host Whiskey Business, a Columbus-based comedy podcast that showcases local artists and creators.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
(included in previous answers)
Pricing:
- www.patreon.com/TheEmptyCoffin
Contact Info:
- Website: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/the-empty-coffin
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/HalloweenHansberry
- Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheEmptyCoffin
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5y0oSWUIzh4Lghx6MvEnVA
- Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-empty-coffin/id1772338356
