Apprentice contestant and 'bath bomb bad boy' Harry Mahmood all set to impress Lord Sugar
The Apprentice contestant Harry Mahmood is counting his blessings after being picked to showcase his business skills in front of Lord Alan Sugar.
The popular award-winning pharmacy manager worked at Darlaston's Well Pharmacy during the height of the coronavirus pandemic and will now appear in the BBC series alongside 15 rival entrepreneurs. They will attempt to impress the judges to be in with a chance to scoop £250,000 worth of investment for their business ideas.
Mr Mahmood, 35, who was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in last year's Queen's New Year's Honours List for services to the community in the West Midlands, says he hopes his appearance on the show will be an example to others that they should "never give up on life and their dreams".
Returning to visit colleagues at the Pinfold Street chemists', he has also set his sights on becoming one of the “bad boys of the bath bomb world” and has described himself as the “Asian version of Lord Sugar”.
"I've been honoured to be in The Apprentice process. Taking part in the show is not just for me, but all the people who have walked the journey of life with me.
"I hope to inspire lots of positivity, inspire people towards employment and I hope to inspire others to the realisation that we are very blessed to be here, especially with what's been happening with the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I'm hoping that I can project that positivity and that people will see that in me.
"Many have had issues with mental health and mindfulness, but I'd like to encourage people to never give up no matter how tough life gets. Try as much as possible to move from a negativity to a positive mindset.
"One of the ways to do that is to take the time to relax and breathe, which in turn will help you to think a bit more clearly which may in turn help to bring your blood pressure levels down," Mr Mahmood says.
"We're now in 2022, a new year, let's celebrate that by bringing back that community support that Walsall and the rest of the Midlands is so well known for. That includes working hard and being resourceful, and when we achieve our goals, to share it with those around us. I believe your success is dictated by your support network and those who've been walking with us."
When the pandemic hit and the national lockdown was imposed, Mr Mahmood ensured that all those who were unable to leave their homes received their prescriptions. He made deliveries in his off hours, before and after work, and during his lunch break – alongside his 40-hour working week at the pharmacy. He worked round the clock to ensure people in Darlaston got their prescriptions when the pandemic broke out with the help of his team.
While working as a manager at the pharmacy he won a raft of industry awards including the Citizen Award for Services to Healthcare in 2018 for after setting up a community health network.
In 2017 he scooped a hat-trick of community pharmacy industry accolades for going the extra mile the Recognition of Excellence Awards. He won the Spotlight Award for being the overall support staff member of the year, along with the Care Award and Outstanding Contribution Award.
The Apprentice kicks off on Thursday at 9pm on BBC One.