How Henley helped shape 20-year old investor-backed Marko Stavrou’s career

The age-old questions, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ or ‘What are your plans after University?’ have taken on a new level of complexity. In a world of rapid technological advancement, AI-disrupting industries, and a constantly shifting job market, the uncertainty around career paths can feel overwhelming. As a 20-year-old investor-backed entrepreneur, professional speaker, and the youngest person to be accepted into Henley Business School Africa at age 17, I've had my own share of grappling with these uncomfortable questions. Here are seven lessons I’ve learned along the way.

1. Get real about who you are

Aristotle famously said, ‘Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom,’ and while it might seem cliché and cringe, this self-awareness is truly the cornerstone of any young person's journey towards finding their purpose and ‘superpower’.

Research published in Harvard Business Review suggests that when we see ourselves clearly, we are more confident and more creative. We make sounder decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively. This means you need to make the space in your life for introspection, helping you identify your strengths, passions, and values as well as understand how other people view you. Using tools like the Enneagram Lumina Learning can help you make informed decisions about your education, career, and personal life.

2. Find your own rhythm

It’s so easy to get caught following our parents’, school’s, or society’s desires for our life based on outdated one-dimensional measurements such as our academic results. South Africa still holds a strongly traditional view of education, with university degrees often seen as the gold standard for success. However, the internet and globalisation have ushered in an era of self-learning, where platforms like YouTube, podcasts, and online courses offer accessible and affordable education. If you are motivated enough, you can learn anything at a similar level for a tenth of the price and at twice the speed. As a business owner, I consciously decided against attending a full-time university, understanding that I couldn’t afford to focus solely on academics while wanting to drastically scale my business and career.

I signed up instead for a series of one-year, part-time, accredited management development programmes with Henley Business School Africa. Henley offers a full ladder of learning, starting with the post-matric Higher Certificate in Management Practice (called the Work Readiness Programme) at NQF Level 5 and all the way up to MBA and DBA level. So now it’s possible to go straight from school to business school if you want!

For me, this choice gave me the freedom to build my business full-time while still gaining invaluable theoretical knowledge, relationships, and credibility from Henley’s teaching and networks. I will also graduate in the end with something on the same level as a three-year undergraduate qualification from a university, so I can still go on to study further if I want to (maybe an MBA, for instance).

3. Step outside of your bubble

Unlike the somewhat insulated environment of high school and even some traditional universities, it’s dangerous in this day and age to learn only theory. You have to learn independently, critically analyse information, and apply knowledge in different contexts. In short, you are truly judged and grow the most when you apply yourself to real-world problems.

After spending time reverse mentoring and consulting listed companies and successful entrepreneurs, a big problem that always gets highlighted is the lack of ‘soft skills’ like public speaking, negotiation, and conflict management skills in the future workforce. So, how can you get these? I think you have to seek out human experiences, such as internships, sports, cultural activities and different industry events. Interacting and learning through people rather than theoretical information gives you insight and practical skills that are essential for success beyond the classroom. For example, over the past four years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting more than 200 strangers for coffee, individuals I had never known prior to our meetings.

As an entrepreneur, I had plenty of this real-world exposure. But if you don’t have your own business, then make sure you find opportunities to try out what you are learning in the classroom. Increasingly, academic institutions are introducing this kind of element into their teaching. For some, like Henley, it has long been a hallmark of how they teach. The hidden benefit of this exposure is that it also highlights the importance of skills often overlooked in traditional education, such as personal finance, health management, technological literacy, and emotional intelligence.

4. Find your voice and shift from the background to a commanding presence

Research by the National Institutes of Mental Health in the US shows that 75% of people experience fear of public speaking, but overcoming this fear is crucial for success in your career and life. As Jon Vlismas, a comedian and academic, says, these are skills that can be learned and acquired. ‘There’s more to it than just picturing the audience naked…’

I forced myself to step outside my comfort zone every day by attending events where I was the only person under the age of 30, entering conversations where I had no expert knowledge and sharing my ideas to the world while receiving major backlash. The phrases, ‘you’re too young,’ ‘why would they ever listen to you’, and ‘you need more experience’ became a weekly encounter. I learned to overcome the fear of others' opinions and remained persistent, eventually earning people's belief in what I had to offer

5. It’s not just what you know but who you know and who knows how you can help them

If you were to ask me for the secret to my success or one piece of advice, it would undoubtedly be to invest in building authentic relationships. I really don’t like the word ‘networking’, as it implies a very transactional relationship, often led by an agenda. Instead, I’ve always focused on becoming an interesting person who is curious about others' lives and always leads with the question, ‘What is your biggest need, and how can I help you solve it?

While you’re studying or working, be intentional about meeting new people constantly and not always sticking with your normal friend group or activities. In my studies at Henley, I’ve met so many people – all of them a lot older than me and working in industries that are vastly different – they’ve broadened my perspectives and challenged my assumptions. Another game-changing tool to use is Linkedin, through which I’ve been able to accumulate a community of over 11,000 raving fans which range from high school students to Olympic gold medalists and Fortune 500 CEOs.

6. Future-proof yourself, one skill at a time

The latest World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report predicts that about 40% of all employees will need reskilling by 2030 due to the changing world of work. Really, the only way to make friends with this alarming statistic is to embrace the idea of continuous learning and pursuing your unique interests. Every day starts the same for me, with Brainstorm Magazine and coffee leading me to learn one new thing I didn't know before. Yes, you can always find things to learn and study, but another great way to keep sharp is to surround yourself with people in the know who can teach you new things. Learn through people, not only projects.

7. Your path is yours, own it

 Your path to success is your own. Your family, friends, institutions and the world will often pressure you to pursue the safest, most socially acceptable and often biggest short-term gain path. Do not give in. And at the end of the day, you have to be the one to get out of bed and have the hunger and resilience to build your own life and professional career. Every minute you spend worrying about what people are doing is a wasted minute.

At the same time, I find that people, specifically young people, do not like asking for help. I get it, it's not always easy to do. However, you will find successful people love giving it when you do it in the right way. This means doing your research, making it as convenient and easy for them to say yes, and starting with your existing warm relationships. It’s been so valuable and has opened doors for me in ways that I could not have expected. For example, it took me two years of asking every month to convince one of my now investors, Shayne Mann, to meet with me. That meeting would change my life and business forever.

Marko Stavrou, known as the GenZ Guy is the founder of Genlink

For more info on Henley Busines School’s undergraduate programmes, visit Management Programmes - Henley Business School SA.

The next intake for the school’s Work Readiness Programme is on 9 June 2025. For more information: https://www.henleysa.ac.za/work-readiness-programme