Two Careers, One Degree Programme: A Milpark MBA Story

The amount of time required as a result means that MBA students do not have as much free time as they may previously have enjoyed while they work towards their ambitious goal. Free time is spent either studying or, as Demi-lee puts it, “filling your cup” so that there is enough energy to keep up with life’s other daily demands.

In couples and families, this can cause tremendous strain, especially when students miss family gatherings and events, and the degree has earned the dubious nickname of the “Divorce Course”.

The MBA divorce degree myth is perpetuated when expectations aren’t managed from the start. Unfortunately, Estian and Demi-lee witnessed friends in the course lose close relationships in their family and friendship circles and even engagements that were broken.

The key issue, Estian notes, is that loved ones often do not have a reasonable understanding of the workload. Students should approach the MBA knowing that it requires buy-in from their partners and families. If they communicate the demands clearly and agree on plans and schedules that allow them the time to work, couples and families are better equipped to withstand the challenge as a team effort, especially when they know the result is a better future for the whole family. An MBA work-life balance is tricky, but possible.

Demi-lee actually started her MBA six months ahead of Estian. Completing her MBA had been a dream ever since her aunt, a key role model in Demi-lee’s life, had done the same in the mid-1990s.

During her initial six months of the programme, Estian barely saw her so it was much harder than when they were both enrolled in the course. Since completing his MBA had always been part of Estian’s plan, it made sense to do it together. “We both love learning,” says Demi-lee, so the decision of studying MBA as a couple was easy. “And there’s always friendly competition,” she adds.

Once Estian joined the programme, their dynamic as a couple shifted. From an academic perspective, living in and managing the same home as a fellow student offered both Demi-lee and Estian a sounding board that most students do not have. Through debate assignment answers, stubborn disagreements, and challenging each other’s answers, they had the benefit of learning from different professional spheres.

Demi-lee’s LLB (Honours) background in compliance and information governance and Estian’s BCom-adjacent background in investment may, at surface level, appear incongruous, but they soon realised that approaching a problem from different perspectives is not only possible, but necessary in academic terms and in interpersonal relationships.

There were many strong conversations when their approaches to the same problem differed, but the realisation that one problem can successfully be approached and solved in more than one way was a key part of learning. Demi-lee humorously notes that “it improved my emotional intelligence in terms of interacting with people at work, because I realised there are two different ways to do something. Not only my way.”

Working towards the same goal as a couple and lightheartedly remarking on their competitiveness, Estian and Demi-lee have been each other’s greatest supporters and are closer because the MBA strengthened their communication and understanding.

Demi-lee and Estian are people who do nothing in half measures, whether in their career or personal lives. During the two-and-a-half years in which they completed their MBA they got married, completed a half Ironman and moved house twice. If the MBA wasn’t enough to keep them busy, they certainly knew how to make things even more challenging. Yet, they have a stronger marriage as a result.

For Estian and Demi-lee, the solution was rooted in having repeatable systems in place, clear communication and defining and holding strong boundaries.

Maintaining their performance at work and keeping their household running while studying was non-negotiable. With two dogs to consider, in addition to their determination to keep building their marriage, practical systems were put in place to ensure that tasks were completed. Demi-lee and Estian ensured there was a clear division of household responsibilities. Lists of tasks and whomever was responsible kept them on track and proactive communication, especially when one or the other was travelling for work, meant that nothing slipped through the cracks.

This meant relying on the other to keep to their word and yet, when life required flexibility, picking up the slack for the other. This kind of attitude that accommodated for late nights or travel gave Estian and Demi-lee the chance to build even greater trust in their relationship because the MBA was a team effort and they had each other’s backs.

Shopping was delegated to delivery services. The delivery team became so familiar with Demi-lee and Estian that they delivered bags of groceries directly to the front door and texted their arrival rather than ringing the doorbell which would have interrupted valuable study time.

Setting boundaries around time and energy was also critical to their success. They were not always able to make family gatherings and found that being clear about this was kinder to everyone than promising to be somewhere and arrive too distracted or too tired to really connect. As Demi-lee remarks, “You’re ‘no’ should be your ‘no’.”

Turning down invitations was not left to chance, but rather planned and they attended only when they knew they could be fully present without compromising on their studies.

At times, the work became too much. Recovery rituals were paramount. Hiking and running with the dogs became moments of respite. Demi-lee recounts a time when Estian booked a farm stay so that they could break away from city life, work undistracted and recuperate.

“We would wake up at 02:00, have coffee, work and watch the sunrise over the corn fields together. That meant a lot to me.” Having time to recover after the intensity of assignment deadlines and before tackling the work week remains crucial to their overall well-being. Studying the MBA a couple has inadvertently helped them to keep their home and marriage intact.

The Immersive Online (IO) MBA design was another pivotal part of Estian and Demi-lee’s success. Working and studying full time required flexibility because both their jobs require a significant amount of travel, which meant that flexibility lay with their studies.

A programme with fixed, in-person contact sessions would have been unworkable. Instead, they were able to log in remotely, from wherever they found themselves and keep up with lectures and assignment cycles. The course is designed in such a way that participants never risk missing out on lectures or support. “I don't think we would have been as successful as we were if it was not for a fully online immersive program,” says Demi-lee.

For Demi-lee and Estian, relying heavily on discussion forums on Milpark’s student platform ensured they were connected with others in the course and could find support and enjoy camaraderie. They describe the lecturers as “incredibly supportive” and credit much of their success to the support structure built into the Milpark experience.

Estian and Demi-lee caution prospective MBA students to do a thorough check of their prospective learning institution and the course requirements. A close friend, they recall, was regularly forced to be away from his business for an unnecessarily long period of time in order to attend MBA lectures in a different city. While there is value in live lectures and in-person contact sessions, it simply would not have worked around Estian and Demi-lee’s work schedules.

They add to ensure that before embarking on an MBA, that the institution offering the course, like the Milpark MBA, is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA). Studying with an uncredited institution would have been “for nothing” as Demi-lee puts it. Estian adds that it is “very important” for a prospective student to "make sure the programme fits your lifestyle.”

Read More: Francois de Flamingh’s Journey from Engineering to an MBA

An MBA is so much more than an impressive certificate to hang on an office wall. Their studies had a direct impact on Estian and Demi-lee’s careers and both note an internal shift in confidence and self-belief, but also how they are perceived at work.

Demi-lee moved from compliance into regional sales leadership during the programme. She credits the MBA directly because it gave her the confidence to voice ideas she had already been carrying when she says, “It gives me the confidence to actually voice my opinion, to show that you actually have the knowledge to back what you're thinking or to back the solution. And all of a sudden you're hands up in a meeting.”

Estian, who completed his MBA with distinction, is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), but the Milpark MBA experience filled the gap around running a business including HR, operations, strategy. Now working in portfolio construction and advisory enablement, he can sit with a business owner in any industry and understand how they operate because the course provides a lot of scope to understanding the intricacies of entrepreneurship.

The Milpark MBA was not an endpoint for this couple: they are already planning their next possible challenges. While Demi-lee is interested in further study and completing a DBA, Estian is considering something in taxation.

Despite the myth of the “Divorce Course” and full-time work and a household to maintain, Estian and Debbie graduated in early 2026 because they put systems in place to support their studies and chose a highly acclaimed learning institution with a flexible MBA that suited their lifestyle. And they are ready to tackle the next adventure together.

If you are ready to start your life changing MBA, with a schedule that is manageable around your work commitments and a support network eager to help you succeed, explore the Milpark Education Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme page and apply here.