YOUNG BLOOD BOLD VISION: The Stationery Studio

I first met Kyle a few years ago at a local entrepreneur networking event, where he was serving as the facilitator. From the moment he spoke, I remember thinking, this young entrepreneur has the X factor. I could not quite put my finger on it then, but his passion was electric, impossible to ignore. He had a presence that was both intriguing and magnetic, the kind of energy every interviewer hopes to find.

Since then, I have followed the team on social media, consistently impressed by the bold, fresh expertise they bring to an industry that often prefers to stay behind the scenes. In a space that typically values conformity, they have managed to stand out, mixing things up and getting people to take notice.

It felt like the right time to shine a light on this dynamic group. I expected a typical conversation about stationery, strategy, and a few entrepreneurial insights. But Kyle surprised me with calm confidence and a spark of mischief in his words. I knew immediately this was not going to be an ordinary interview.

“We are not broken,” he said early in our conversation. “We are just building something they have never seen before.”

He was not talking about stationery, not really. He was talking about mindset. About youth. About forging a path on your own terms, one notebook, one handmade gift, one heartfelt moment at a time.

That mindset became The Stationery Studio, a proudly South African brand rooted in resilience, crafted with care, and powered by a family’s unshakable bond.

The seed of Kyle’s business was planted in 2014, but it did not sprout in soft soil.

“Our first stationery venture failed,” he told me, not with shame but with calm reflection. “It was not dramatic. Just a quiet erosion, mostly due to internal theft. It hurt. But it did not break us.”

Instead of dusting off the old plans, Kyle decided to redraw the blueprint. “We did not want to rebuild what was lost. We wanted to build something entirely new, with sharper instincts, deeper roots, and a clearer purpose.”

That is when The Stationery Studio was born. Not from profit projections or retail trends, but from a desire to make stationery feel like storytelling again.

A Family in Business, A Business Built on Family

At the heart of this venture stands not just Kyle, but his family. His mother, Riane, and his sister Bianca, his quiet compass.

“My mom is the most dynamic, hardworking person I know,” Kyle said, the respect unmistakable in his tone. “Every time I work late or feel overwhelmed, I remind myself, she did this too. She put in the same hours, the same grind. I just keep asking, how would she handle this?”

His sister is a crucial  part of the team. She is a steadying voice, the one who tells him when his ideas are brilliant and when they are better left on the brainstorming board.

“It is a blessing,” he said. “Having them in the business, they are not just colleagues. They are the people who believe in me the most.”

Leading with Heart, Not Ego

Kyle does not fit the stereotype of a young boss barking orders from behind a laptop. In fact, he calls himself a servant leader.

“I believe in showing, not telling,” he explained. “If my team sees how much care I put into every detail, the packaging, the displays, the customer relationships, they mirror that.”

There is no room for ego here. Only effort. “You have to pour into your team constantly,” he said. “But you cannot pour from an empty cup.”

Self-care is part of the formula. Sleep. Faith. Reflection. All things he has learned to prioritise in order to keep showing up.

“It is lonely sometimes,” he admitted. “You are often the last light burning in the shop. But when a customer walks in and says, this place just feels different, that is the pat on the back I need.

Vision Rooted in South Africa

Running a business in South Africa is not for the faint-hearted.

“You have to go deeper here,” Kyle said. “Superficial products do not survive. People see through it. You need real connection.”

That is what The Stationery Studio is about, offering products that carry meaning. Gifts that speak. Notebooks that reflect personality. Wrapping that feels like a love letter.

And it works. Not because it is trendy, but because it is true.

Youth: Not a Handicap, But a Superpower

There is a misconception that young people are not ready for leadership. Kyle disagrees.

“Being young is my greatest strength,” he said. “I am fast, I am curious, I question everything, and I have not been jaded by how it has always been done.”

“He recalls being elected as a prefect in both primary and high school, even after switching schools amid intense peer pressure that expected him, as a self-proclaimed individualist, to conform to mainstream norms. ‘That experience taught me something crucial,’ he said. ‘You don’t have to pretend or fit in. Who you are is enough. The right people will see it.’ He added with a flourish, ‘Only dead fish follow the stream.'”

When Last Did You Hear of a Customer Walking Into a Stationery Shop and Leaving Inspired?

I reached out to a long-time friend and loyal customer for perspective. Her words stayed with me:

“At 26, I was still figuring life out. Kyle? He was already building one. A whole business, with a heartbeat. He is more than a shop owner. He is a visionary, a leader with charm and grit. When my son met him years ago, he turned to me and asked, is Kyle part of our family? That is how he made us feel. Like home.”

The Wisdom He Shares

Before we wrapped up our chat, I asked Kyle what advice he would give to young entrepreneurs just starting out.

“You do not need a perfect plan,” he said, without skipping a beat. “You do not need to be liked by everyone. But you do need clarity, conviction, and the courage to do it your way, even if no one has walked that path before.”

And One Final Reminder

“The seed you plant today is not the fruit you eat tomorrow. But tend to your garden, consistently and wholeheartedly, and the harvest will come. Nothing comes from nothing.”

Kyle is not just building a brand. He is building a movement, grounded in soul, wrapped in care, and carried by family. And in doing so, he reminds us that retail can still feel personal. Business can still be human. And leadership, at its best, begins with heart.