Krystal Tupi: Building a Business Amid the Chaos of Motherhood

Tell us a little about your family.

I’m a 43-year-old married mum of three boys, aged 15, 13 and 12, and the founder of baby carrier brand Chekoh.

What was your biggest adjustment when becoming a mum?

The pace, I had three under three so I never really found my feet as a first-time mum, then a mum of two and again three. There were a lot of adjustments, mentally, physically with three back-to-back pregnancies and births and then also the changes to our family economics, with three more mouths to feed, extended maternity leave, etc.

How do you manage the juggle of trying to do it all?

I definitely don’t accept help from others too well, I wish I did because I have a great ‘village’ but I’m hyper independent. I think I can do it all so will grit my teeth and basically throw my body on the line before I’d ask anyone for any help. My mother is an angel, she learnt early on to ignore my ‘I’m fine’s’ and ‘I got this’.

What’s the best thing about being a mum?

Travel, showing my boys the world, and just watching them soak in all of life. Sharing with them all the things I love and watching them honestly be the best human beings I know on this earth. I am so proud of the young men they all are. All three are completely different, I have one high-achieving athlete, one who has inherited his strong entrepreneurial skills from his mum and has confidence by the bucket load, and then my youngest who is a shy, sensitive, Stranger Things-obsessed little weirdo, but gosh I love him.

What has been your biggest challenge in motherhood?

The mental load, the worry – am I doing enough, are they ok, should we be doing more, is he happy. It never ends. Also I think having 3 children just increases that mental load, each child is their own unique being and so has their own unique quirks and complexities, they all need you in different ways, disciplining in different ways, love and comforting in different ways etc.

What surprised you most about becoming a mum?

The complete responsibility of human life. One minute it’s just you (and your partner) and now you have to keep alive this tiny little baby, and then a toddler, and then another little baby and another and so on. The huge responsibility that is bestowed upon mothers (and fathers, but to be honest… mothers).

What do you wish you’d known before becoming a mum?

I honestly don’t think I needed to know anything before really, I also don’t think there is any way you can prepare for motherhood.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself?

Embrace the chaos.

So many times the little old ladies would stop me in the shops and tell me ‘Oh darl, you have your handful. But you know what, I wish I could go back and do it all again with my children’. I used to think, oh yeah sure, what a load of bs, but I get that now, those early years are a bit of a blur for me even now but my gosh it was so incredibly chaotic and so incredibly beautiful.

I wish I could go back and never wish a moment away while they were so young.

Who is in your village?

My Mum, my best mates, I’m lucky to have a few and they are my sisters! 3 of my besties live either interstate or overseas and the unhinged voice memos and out of hours phone calls we’ve had, I absolutely savour. We also are sure to schedule in a few random date nights and weekends away when we can, I’m thankful they’re all a little yolo like me.

The five things Krystal never leaves home without.

1. Water bottle: With my Caruso’s magnesium/l-theanine/creatine complex.
2. Phone: My phone (unfortunately – not necessarily for work but for my 2nd job as an Uber driver for my boys sporting commitments).
3. Reading glasses: Another unfortunate addition. Midlife health woes are in full swing.
4. Apple Watch: I’m currently on a step counting fixation, which is really a positive for me.
5. Zara perfume: A Zara perfume, I have three on constant rotation, one normally lives in my bag, there is also one in the side of my car door, one at work etc… they’re so affordable and I always have people commenting on how lovely I smell.

What’s your favourite holiday destination and why?

We’re a pretty well-travelled family, I’m lucky (or not so lucky really) to have a few of my best friends residing overseas both Bali and Fiji so either of these for international picks and either of these because well, my besties are there! If I were completely honest though my favourite holiday growing up and even with my own family now is holidays to Moreton Island, it’s just across the bay from where we live in Redcliffe and it has the most crystal clear water, wildlife and no roads so it’s four-wheel driving and camping etc and the best place to make amazing memories.

What makes this destination so special to you?

It’s back to basics, and quite nostalgic for me, brings back beautiful childhood memories. And of course, it’s just a stunning national park.

Where is next on your travel wish list?

We have our carriers produced in India, I travelled here and visited our partners just before COVID-19 in early 2019 and I’m overdue for another visit and really want to introduce my husband and my boys to our business partner Kumar and see what a difference Chekoh has made for him, his family and community in Coimbatore.

What is your favourite fashion brand and why?

Hyper obsessed with all things VRG GRL, all the prints and pieces are so different to what I see with other fashion brands. I love their socials, their brand direction, just everything about them.

What trend are you loving right now?

Camo and long live the oversized shirts!

What does a healthy lifestyle mean to you?

Balance, I’m not great at balancing but I try.

What do you do to keep your body moving?

Steps, I’m on a 10k a day app with a few of my friends which is keeping me motivated.

What are your top five tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle?

I’m honestly the worst person to ask for any healthy lifestyle tips. Be kind to yourself. Do your best. Rest when you can. Touch grass. Drink lots of water, oh and magnesium!

What are your health and wellness non-negotiables?

Moisturiser before bed. Two layers at a minimum and a gua sha in the morning.

What does balance mean to you?

At this stage of my life it means, do my best. I certainly don’t keep balance very well, I have 3 active teenage boys with very active social, work and sporting lives so our house is highly chaotic at the best of times so really balance is just doing the best I can with the time I have.

What inspired you to start Chekoh?

My product. I knew this was a product that worked.

A carrier was literally my lifesaver with 3 babies under 3 and I knew other mums needed this too.

What’s the best thing about running your own business?

Now, 10+ years on… my time.

I can work my own schedule around my family (99%) of the time. I don’t have to apply for any annual leave and have full creative freedom of both my business and my life.

What has been your biggest business challenge?

The start-up phase, it was at the same time as my boys were all babies so just the juggle of building a business and raising children. My business isn’t as demanding now, thankfully I have an extremely talented team I can rely on which allows me now time to focus on my family.

Is there anything exciting in the pipeline you can share with us?

We have two new sibling products that are still related to our carrier range but something that hasn’t hit the market anywhere yet (that we know of), and everyone who has a carrier is going to want at least one of them! We’ve been working on this custom design for nearly a year now and it’s very exciting, we can’t wait to share more.

What advice would you give someone wanting to start their own business?

Be prepared to hustle. Be prepared for this to take over your life for a few years. Like honestly I just don’t think anyone who hasn’t had their own business knows just how hard you have to hustle to make it work – and keep it working to be honest.

Discover Chekoh here.