Karina Murray, Founder and CEO of AUNUA Global
I’m an Ambassador, Advocate, and Innovator. I am honoured to play many important roles with great success. However, being a mother is undoubtedly the unbounded badge that I wear best.
I am the proud CEO and matriarch of AUNUA Global/Academy, Heroes, and Africa. I am extremely grateful and privileged to be in a position to be working with the most incredible people that are aligned with my vision.
My inspiration to create a community for AUNUA has been inspired by so many others that have allowed me to see through their eyes what’s possible when we bridge worlds together and connect hearts and minds, thus enabling us to be the global community of game-changers.
The formation of AUNUA was inspired by fears for my own children’s future and influenced by my passion for promoting personal growth and development.
In 2017, I laid the foundations for what has become an online global platform designed to enrich, embolden and embody the child experience around the world.
This was the culmination of a lifetime’s worth of experience squeezed into forty-something years, highlights of which include:
Presenter and media personality, having hosted my own weekly AUNUA show on Together FM. -Qualified and accredited NLP practitioner.
Scholarship winner and attendee at The Entrepreneurs’ Institute in Bali -Founding Genius School member affiliated with Roger James Hamilton’s movement aiming to ‘Ignite the Genius in Every Child’.
Trained creative and artisan, I spent three formative years studying art, fashion and design.
Ambassador with Belouga, a social learning platform that has been featured in Forbes and the BBC. A natural communicator and networker, my recent years have been dedicated to bringing together the best and the brightest.
What do you like about your current role?
My role varies each day as I literally get to decide what I want to focus on, which is an amazing way to work and live. It allows me to be a creative thinker with the ability to enhance and expand my mind in thinking about unlimited possibilities.
I thrive on new ideas and finding solutions. I love nothing better than working with others, helping and encouraging them to act on their dreams. I consider it a true blessing and honour to listen to their passionate stories and innovative projects.
My day can start with an idea and can transform into a full-fledged action plan, as very often I only have to share how this could work within my team, and then the magic starts to play out a start coming to life.
I’m working with so many incredibly gifted volunteers that all share the vision for AUNUA Global, and working with them is an absolute joy, especially when they are given the creative freedom and encouragement to go for it.
This quote is one I live by and encourage others to work towards achieving. If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.
What are your favourite books?
THE SECRET by Rhonda Byrne and OUT of OUR MINDS by the wonderful Ken Robinson.
These books have helped me understand the world better and showed me another perspective that has inspired me in many different ways.
Who do you most admire and why?
My grandmother was one of the most admirable women I have ever known, as her story was one that taught me so much about resilience and the unbounded love of a mother for her children.
My grandmother lived in the north of Ireland and married my grandfather, who sadly became a gambler, alcoholic and narcissistic husband who controlled her as a mother until she had enough and managed to escape for her the sake of her children; however, there was a sacrifice in order for her to keep one child, my mom he came and took her son away and my mom’s little brother, which was a sacrifice like no other and one that eventually she went back for the sake of her son.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
When I started out on my journey with AUNUA, I was given some advice that I found difficult to take; however, it helped prepare me for the road I chose to take. I met with someone who ran a nonprofit organization over coffee. His advice haunted me for some time as he challenged me to seriously consider what I wanted to achieve with AUNUA.
As a mother and a wife, he told me to prepare to make great sacrifices. He said people would turn against me because my vision was too big for people to grasp, and those closest to me would distance themselves and be prepared to lose them. All of this was a daunting thought, but it definitely was the best advice I needed to hear then, as it helped me understand and manage better.
I remember walking away that day feeling my heart sink as I realized then that the biggest sacrifice I would have to make was with my marriage, as I knew we weren’t strong enough to sustain the pressure that lay ahead. So I had to start processing and preparing myself for this time as I knew it was coming.
I started AUNUA because I was looking for A New me, and so I had to be prepared to face the old me and what held me back. The years I spent at home with my children were the best; however, I felt unimportant and lonely in my marriage. Discovering a new and more meaningful life required me to confront my old ways in order for me to push through and discover new ones.
My biggest inspiration in everything I do has always come from my grounding roots as a mother to my 2 most amazing children. I knew in order to become a great example to my children. I had to become the best version of myself. Living my life with the freedom to make my own choices and mistakes without any judgement was so much easier for me to manage alone without the accountability of anyone, and this was how when my confidence grew, and my ability to navigate and make choices became easier.
What motivates or inspires you?
I’m passionate about children and all young people as I’m a mother and know what it means to be a mom and its importance. It takes a village to raise a child, which is so true! We have so many young people struggling right under our noses, and yet they feel alone and afraid, so I only wish I could cast a net of love and security for each one of them, but I know we can all play our part in making a difference as my own mother instilled the importance of this as a child I could see how she opened up the doors and her arms for every child that needed the comfort of a mom and the glimpse of what this meant leaves a lasting impression and its one we all can do.
I am inspired by the people that give up their lives to help support the children within their communities, and I see this so often with our African nations in particular as there is so much despair and displaced children that need help, and so this reinforces and resources my faith in what we are willing to do and helps inspire me to contribute however I possibly can.
What would you like to highlight and share with our audience?
We live in a world that is rapidly changing and evolving exponentially, and yet we have been dictated by the government that is trying to keep us within the restraints of a controlled environment.
If I had one thing to highlight, it would be to look beyond what we are hearing and please listen intensively to our children and be open to new possibilities, especially when it comes to the value we put on the current curriculum as it is outdated and is failing to prepare them for the future that they face.
The most important education we can give them is to allow them to live an authentic life and not feel threatened by an outdated system that dims the light in their natural ability to shine.