Year 10 and 11 students at Withernsea High School recently enjoyed a motivational speech from Adam Corbally, an entrepreneur and former finalist of hit TV programme ‘The Apprentice’.

After reaching the latter stages of the show’s eighth series in 2012, Adam narrowly missed out on securing a coveted partnership and £250,000 business investment from the formidable Lord Sugar who, despite firing him, clearly still valued Adam’s potential and requested that he ‘keep in touch’.

As Adam rose from his chair to leave the famous boardroom, he responded with confidence that should Lord Sugar ever require a salesman, he should give him a call.

For most people the experience of appearing on national TV, being put through their paces by one of the country’s most prominent and successful business magnates, in front of a weekly audience of almost 7.5 million people, would be enough on its own to fuel unlimited anecdotes, opportunities and topics of conversation.

For Adam, the experience of The Apprentice forms just one unique chapter in a complex life story that has paved the way for him becoming one of the most in-demand professional speakers on the school and college circuit.

So what makes Adam’s story worth hearing, and what lessons can be learned from his experiences? The Key Stage 4 students of Withernsea High School found out as Adam took them back to his teenage years when, at the age of 16, he moved out of the family home and left school with no qualifications.

In a pattern that’s all too familiar to many in similar circumstances, Adam soon strayed towards the wrong side of the law. An arrest and subsequent time spent in a youth offenders’ centre followed – a low-point that became the catalyst required to bring about positive change, with Adam determined to turn his life around.

This wake-up call paved the way for a return to education which ultimately saw Adam work hard to earn a Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice (CeMap) in the pursuit of stable employment.

Shortly afterwards, a minor detour away from the world of Mortgage Advice took place as Adam became an independent greengrocer. Between 1999 and 2013, he ran a successful business selling fruit and vegetables at his local market in Glossop, Derbyshire.

With an appetite for business success, and a desire to push himself further, Adam applied to appear on The Apprentice. A successful application led to an 11-week stint in series eight before being ironically fired for his poor public speaking skills.

As with all other challenges to face him in life, Adam took this as a golden opportunity to better himself by practising his public speaking and presentation skills. This ultimately led to him becoming a member of the Professional Speaking Association and the creation of his own motivational speaking business in 2012.

Since then, Adam has helped to inspire well over 100,000 people, including countless students at schools, colleges and universities around the country. Using the trials and tribulations of his early years as a starting point, his unique story of overcoming these setbacks to secure financial success and fulfilment in his own life is a story of inspiration that is perfectly suited to young people at an impressionable time in their lives.

Raising aspirations, building resilience through tough times and achieving goals are common themes in education - all of which are demonstrated through Adam’s life story, culminating in the importance of creating ‘the best version of yourself’. For this, Adam’s advice is simple: ‘Surround yourself with brilliant people and bring out the best in those around you as they bring out the best in you - enabling you to create and take the opportunities that you deserve.’

For 43-year old Adam, life remains full of excitement and new challenges. Alongside his career as a motivational speaker and facilitator of enterprise workshops, exploring what it takes to be an entrepreneur, he is also kept busy managing his own portfolio of properties. A part-time career in acting has also seen him appear in Coronation Street and Hollyoaks, with other media appearances on energetic gameshow ‘Total Wipeout’ and quiz show ‘Eggheads’ also on his CV.

The many different aspects of Adam’s life make for an extremely interesting and inspirational story, and one which was well-received by staff and students alike at Withernsea High.

Commenting on the impact of his visit, the school’s Careers Leader, Viki Foster, said: ‘Adam’s speech was fantastic. His message about the importance of school, the benefits of a positive mindset and surrounding yourself with the right people really resonated with our students.

The quality of having a can-do attitude was also a recurring theme throughout his speech, with the importance of putting yourself out there and creating opportunities by having the confidence to step forward and try new things also being a key message.

Learning about the many different avenues of Adam’s life and career also helped to highlight how a person’s career journey is rarely a straight path – a lesson which should bring reassurance to many students who are still thinking through their potential future options.’

Feedback from students was equally positive, with Year 10 student Katie MacKenzie-Hastings saying: “Adam wasn’t like any other typical motivational speaker, he was different and he helped us to understand more that life isn’t just a straight path. He made us think about our decisions and both the expected and unexpected challenges that can be around each bend on the pathway to success.”

Year 11 student Ellie Mai Lythe added: “I thought it was really inspiring to see how Adam went from being in such a poor situation to having his dream house and having a stable business behind him.”  

Commenting on his visit to the school, Adam said: “My visit to Withernsea High School was amazing from start to finish. I received a very warm welcome and really enjoyed working with Year 10 and 11 students on the themes of motivation, resilience, hard work and positive attitude. The students were a credit to themselves and to the school itself, and I can’t wait to come back again.”

ABOVE: Motivational speaker Adam Corbally with Withernsea High School’s Careers Leader, Viki Foster. 

ABOVE: Adam delivered an engaging and interactive talk, with room for audience participation. Year 11 student Freya Robinson is pictured taking part in order to win a prize by seizing the moment to grab a film poster. 

ABOVE: Year 11 students Bethany Cass and Katie MacKenzie-Hastings with Adam Corbally.