Starting your own business from the ground up can be a very daunting task, but with the right tools, skills and connections, that task can be incredibly rewarding, something that Will Ravlich '01 can attest to. His education at Auckland Grammar School gave him the courage and knowledge to pursue his goal.

"Grammar was great grounding for the realities of the real world. You know where you stand against your peers and this motivated me to work harder and get better. The competitive nature of the School does set you up for the realities of the business work, and I believe that doing that work and remaining persistent are the key ingredients for success in any field.

With more than 15 years' experience working with advertising agencies in Australia and the United Kingdom, Will returned to New Zealand and founded Twenty4, a creative brand experience agency based in the heart of Auckland City. Their tagline states: We believe in creating experiences. To entertain, not just interrupt. To captivate, not just capture. We create value in the moment and value in the moments to come.

Focusing on brand experience, trade activation, product engagement and sponsorship, the company was established in 2022 right after the global COVID-19 pandemic, as Will saw a gap in the market. "Coming out of COVID, we saw the opportunity to set-up a specialist agency in this space, as many of the more established agencies had pivoted into other types of work. My business partners supported the start of Twenty4 and continue to be a driving force in our business development today."

Being a Kiwi-owned company certainly has its benefits, as Will is discovering. "As an industry, clients are moving away from the larger internationally-owned agencies to kiwi-owned and director-operated businesses, so there is plenty of opportunity for us to take advantage of over the next few years."

With the company still in its infancy, Will is excited about his long-term plans for the company. "We are only two years old so there is plenty of growth to come. We do have plans to expand our services and offering, but for now we are continuing to build on our early momentum." For now, that means juggling multiple projects and responsibilities at the same time. "Currently, my role involves everything from running our larger projects through to team, financial, client management and business development. As a small business owner, in a service industry wearing many hats is critical to moving things forward and keeping all the balls in the air - but the variety is good fun!"

Startups can really be a 'make or break' moment for some, but not for Will - he is relishing in this new phase of his career. "The business ownership and getting to a point where I can control my own destiny has been both my greatest professional challenge, and achievement. Working in advertising can be pretty tough in terms of time invested and managing different personalities, so it is really satisfying to be writing our own narrative. Helping my teams grow in ability and character over the years has been super rewarding."

Staying in touch with his friends from Grammar has also helped expand his clientele. "From a network perspective, I have crossed paths with Old Boys as colleagues and clients with our common backgrounds providing a good foundation for these relationships to grow."

Will reiterated that maintaining connections from your schooling days throughout your life would keep you in good stead, especially for those people who are keen to branch out on their own and found their own company. "Build up your skill-set, credentials and network while you are on someone else's payroll. But more importantly than that – make sure you have the right business partners and people around you in your corner, supporting you every step of the way."