Chris told ‘you’re fired’

ON Monday night’s episode of The Apprentice, Bill Cullen said “you’re fired” to Shannon’s Chris Harold, thus ending his chance of getting a €200,000 investment in his business.
The Shannon man spoke to The Clare Champion about the highs and lows of the programme and how life really was behind the scenes. Even though he was fired, Chris said the experience was “well worth it”.
“It’s hard to be negative about something that I got so much out of. I think to be able to see your weaknesses and strengths from outside yourself, that’s how you work on things,” he explained.
Going into the process, Chris said he had two goals, “I wasn’t going to lie and I wasn’t going to screw anyone over”.
Chris sat in the final boardroom on four previous occasions, only to be fired on Monday’s show but he said he learned to pick himself back up very early on and fight his own corner.
“I was rubbing people up the wrong way. I was in the boardroom for the first two weeks. It was so scary but you have to be positive. You realise you’re on your own and you can’t lean on friendships. While other people were building alliances and friendships, I was getting the job done and getting it done well,” he said.
He felt the reason he was being brought in time and again “was obvious”.
“I was brought back because people thought, ‘he can’t survive another one’ and when I was on a losing team, it was clear the project manager was going in, I was going in guaranteed and then someone else. I don’t think the reason I survived until now was because I was invincible, it was because Bill didn’t want to fire me,” Chris said.
After Bill pointed the finger firmly at Chris and Sandra for the failure of the task this week, Chris said, in hindsight, he should have brought Sandra into the boardroom but believes even if he had, he would still have been the one to go.
“We were the ones who made a mess of it so yes, she should’ve been brought back in but I don’t think she would have gone, not a hope. It was my time to go definitely. I’d been in there a number of times, it had to be me,” he said.
Filming concluded on the show in August and so Chris said it was difficult to watch himself back on television initially but what surprised him more so was the “secret walks and talks”.
“There are definitely people that I was a bit shocked at. There are a few personality clashes but I’d say something and give my spoke as it was happening, rather than going for secret walks. I was honest and confident but it was easy to be confident when you know you’re not going to get caught out. The only thing I regret is when myself and Sandra had attacks with one another. Other than that I’m happy with it,” he said.
“I loved the experience. The downside was the cameras. For me, it was Disneyland for professionals. You’re doing different tasks every day. It was everything and more than I expected to be. I definitely would do something like this again,” he said.
The end goal of ensuring an investment for his business idea was always driving him forward, he admitted.
His idea is a social media initiative to stimulate local economies, while celebrating the good work people do in their communities.
“I can’t give too much away but I’m always open to potential investors who can find me on Linkedin. I believe in the idea and that it could spark a turnaround and that’s what drove me in the show,” he said.
Asked who he thinks is the best apprentice for the job, Chris said, “I think Joanne has done enough to win and I think she’s the best candidate in there. She’s played an honest game, is not involved in secret societies and she has the creativity and drive to do it,” he concluded.
Chris still lives in Shannon and is currently head of marketing for the Ennis-based software company CADPO.