9th December, 2013

When one conference session finished and it was time for Apprentice finalist Adam Corbally to take to the stage, I wasn’t entirely sure I’d be staying. Nothing personal, just not a fan of the kind of chest-beating, toe-curlingly embarrassing displays the show is sometimes associated with. But, I was sat with colleagues, and I guess I was curious, so I stayed….and I stayed….and I waited.

Finally, thirty minutes later he turned up after some confusion over timings. No problem I thought – these things happen. Then the visuals didn’t work. Then the visuals did work – but the sound didn’t. Amid much shuffling of feet, I was starting to regret my decision to stay.

But after a while the issues were fixed and he got going, and instantly I knew it was going to be worth it. Far from spouting empty banalities, Adam radiated charm, humour, drive and likability. Though even when in full swing, events continued to conspire against him as hotel staff noisily started collecting glass bottles from the tables where we were sitting. To his credit, he only paused momentarily amid the clatter to laugh and say “Oh come on mate, give me a break!”

Adam left school at 16 with no qualifications – a self-confessed class clown. Finding himself in a council flat with limited opportunities, he managed to find work first as a hod carrier, then later at a furnace. When an accident at work left a friend’s face burnt after being hit by molten metal, he decided that life wasn’t for him. He wanted to set up his own business. After having several funding windows closed to him - from the Prince’s Trust to the banks - friends and family encouraged him to go back to the furnace.

Then on a trip to his local market he noticed that there wasn’t a fruit and veg stall. Against all advice to the contrary, he opened one of his own. But he wanted to do it differently. He opened earlier, he stayed later. Things were looking good. And then winter came..Those who’d advised against the move looked on as business dwindled. But, not to be put off, Adam bought a van and decided to sell wholesale to local restaurants and businesses. Then he added to the business, selling plants and flowers, ignoring those who said “but you know nothing about that”. But as he says “It’s not about what you do, but how you do it.”

The same dogged determination served him well when noticing the town’s Christmas decorations were increasingly sparse. He persuaded shopkeepers to buy 130 trees and drove the town’s “light up” event. And he didn’t stop there. No point having an event if people don’t come. And the best way to make people come? Get someone famous to open it. So.. on the 8^th attempt of trying, boxing legend Ricky Hatton agreed to come and the event was a huge success.

In the meantime he auditioned for a place on Total Wipeout – making sure he’d stand out from the crowd by dressing as Bananaman! Although he won a place, in the end, he didn’t win – narrowly missing out in the final – but Adam’s a firm believer in “life’s all about trying.”

An attitude which stood him in good stead as he entered his next challenge – The Apprentice. A favourite to win, Adam found his face on the front cover of the Radio Times, even if the subheading painted him in a less than favourable light (something he only discovered after he’d distributed it to everyone he knew..). But, not to be dispirited, Adam contacted the editor, struck up a friendship and became a contributor. Unfortunately, Adam fell at the final hurdle on The Apprentice, choking on his presentation – overwhelmed by nerves and the sense of occasion.

Although it cost him investment from Alan Sugar, not one to be put off from a challenge - it spurred him on to get better at public speaking, and ultimately led to him becoming a motivational speaker. Something which he became so good at, he was asked to host the National Motivation Day. Another chance to shine came his way a little later when he was nominated for the Best TV reality personality of the Year, which sadly – he didn’t win. But his string of “almost wins” ended when they were looking for the favourite Apprentice candidate of all the series, and he was voted the overall winner.

Adam’s mantra is be determined, don’t listen to people who say you can’t do something and to try your hardest at whatever you choose to do, and do it better than anyone else.

Just a shame it doesn’t come in bottle form!