A successful swimwear designer has been criticised for likening running a business she started 10 years ago to raising a pre-pubescent child after admitting she’s ‘genuinely not interested’ in having kids with her fiancée.
Businesswoman Karina Irby, 31, matched with her partner Ryan Jones, 34, on Tinder on May 25, 2014, 10 minutes after downloading the app for the first time ever.
In the seven years since, the couple have become business partners, managing Karina’s brand Moana Bikini together, got engaged and bought two adorable dogs into their luxurious Gold Coast home.
On Monday Karina sparked a conversation on her Instagram page after receiving a number of comments from concerned parents about her equating a business to a baby in a post from July.
Businesswoman Karina Irby , 31, matched with her partner Ryan Jones, 34, on Tinder on May 25, 2014, 10 minutes after downloading the app for the first time ever
On Monday Karina sparked a conversation on her Instagram page after receiving a number of comments from concerned parents about her equating a business to a baby in previous posts
‘Addressing these types of comments because I got a lot of them… firstly, children and business are not the same thing. I’d like to address that I do have a deeper understanding of this,’ she said.
‘My original post about Ryan and I not wanting to have children was not a comparing competition. I was simply expressing that running a busy company (along with a lot of other factors) fulfils us.
‘My business IS my 10-year-old child. And, no disrespect to any parents out there, but she has been an absolute handful to say the very least. Sleep? Don’t even get me started.
‘Safety? Absolutely your company needs to be safe in the world. Incredibly important! Even more-so when you have employees relying on their jobs and you. Weekends? Holidays? Down time? Non-existent as well.
‘Addressing these types of comments because I got a lot of them… firstly, children and business are not the same thing. I’d like to address that I do have a deeper understanding of this,’ she said
The young and fashion-forward mogul admitted that parenthood looks different for everyone – whether it be raising humans, pets or companies
‘You’re non-stop working, planning or just thinking and worrying 24/7. You cannot replace a business if it fails. You literally start over… from the beginning.’
The young and fashion-forward mogul admitted that parenthood looks different for everyone – whether it be raising humans, pets or companies.
‘All involve huge responsibilities and commitments. I have all of the love and respect for parents. Your job must be one of the hardest, yet most fulfilling jobs on the planet,’ she said.
‘A few of my closest friends have all just become mums and I’m in awe of them every single day.
But I never diminished your journey. I merely expressed my feelings and desires. So don’t diminish mine.’
In July Karina explained how there was a combination of factors contributing to her desire to remain child-less including being too ‘selfish’ to relinquish the freedom to do whatever she wants and being ‘busy and obsessed’ with her business.
In July Karina explained how there was a combination of factors contributing to her desire to remain child-less including being too ‘selfish’ to relinquish the freedom to do whatever she wants and being ‘busy and obsessed’ with her business
‘The truth is that Ryan and I love kids! But as for having our own, we are genuinely not interested,’ she began
Karina also admitted she is scared by the thought of bringing a child into the world at a time of unprecedented chaos due to the pandemic, conflict and climate change.
‘The truth is that Ryan and I love kids! But as for having our own, we are genuinely not interested,’ she began.
‘First things first. We’re selfish. We LOVE our lives together and having the freedom to do whatever we want, when we want. Our love and the company of one another is enough for us.’
Karina went on to say that her successful brand is almost like having a child already – a comment that saw her forced to address it some five months later.
‘We are busy and obsessed with our work. Running a company is like having a child. You never rest, you’re always on and your love for it continues to grow every day,’ she wrote.
Karina went on to say that her successful brand is almost like having a child already – a comment that saw her forced to address it some five months later
She also aired her fears about the state of the world in 2021, saying: ‘The thought of putting another human on this planet scares me right now.
‘Humanity is single-handedly destroying the planet. Climate change. War. Sickness. Divisive politics. Some days I feel the world is coming to an end, and sooner than we think.’
Karina asked her followers why she should want to put another person on the planet to clean up the mess created by previous generations.
She said while she was raised to believe that having children was ‘the right thing to do’, her mindset has changed as she’s grown older.