About me

Suzy Cooper, waving, while wearing a blue top with the word 'Merci' on it

Hi, I’m Suzy Cooper. I’m a communicator.

I devise unusual, effective ways to get messages about scientific, technical or tricky subjects into people’s heads so they know, feel and do something different.

my background

I started my career as a geologist with a keen interest in geographic information systems, before realising I was more interested in helping people solve problems than in hitting rocks with a hammer.

After sinking my teeth into roles as a business process analyst, trainer and technical writer for companies putting in the SAP computer system, I went out on my own.

Starting my own business as a communications consultant allowed me to expand my services into strategy, writing, editing, coaching, training and presenting. I also added image consultancy and sketching, because those are both powerful visual ways of communicating.

My voracious appetite for learning and an unremitting drive to make the world fairer led me to successfully run for election as an alderman with the City of Hobart. In order to run my own campaign, I studied graphic design and applied what I’d learned in decades of communications work to creating my own novel ways to reach my voters.

My book, Thank goodness you’re here!, lays out the cringe-free relationship-based campaign strategy I developed for my own campaign. You can apply the ideas in the book to all kinds of communications, not just getting elected.

I became an image consultant so I could help clients to be seen and heard, by developing a powerful yet comfortable personal presence and style.

my side projects

I’ve been performing stand-up comedy since 2007. I love incorporating different aspects of comedy writing and performing to communicate about serious subjects in a funny (when appropriate), pithy, memorable way. I also and coach others to improve their presentation skills.

Learning to type and transcribe Braille and volunteering as a phone counsellor for a crisis line gave me a keen awareness of the very different ways people take in information.

Serving as an alderman on the Hobart City council, and as a board-member with Sustainable Living Tasmania and the Ten Lives Cat Centre (yep, I’m a cat person) has honed my governance skills.

After learning to sketch so I could keep a travel journal, I began teaching sketching workshops to ‘non-drawers’. Drawing is a fast and powerful way to communicate, no matter your skill level.

Writing and self-publishing my own books has given me valuable skills I use when ghost-writing or coaching others to write in their own voice.