Introducing Suzy Michael

Suzy Michael is a highly respected media specialist with a career spanning over 26 years. As a television host and executive producer, she has produced a wide range of genres, including lifestyle, news, biographies, and entertainment.

Known as “the voice Australians trust”, Suzy has a unique talent for storytelling that captivates audiences and leaves a lasting impact. Her ability to bring out the heart of a story has earned her a reputation as a compelling TV presenter and producer. Her stories are current, inspiring, and life-changing, with a raw and authentic journalistic style that puts interviewees at ease and encourages honest and meaningful conversations.

Suzy's passion and integrity are evident in her broad portfolio of work, which includes producing, speaking, writing, news anchoring, television presenting, and editing. Her expertise in these areas has led to her being in high demand, and she has worked with major media outlets across the globe. She has come a long way since being nominated for the Young Australian of the Year Award in 2000 and her star power is still rising.

Tell us about your life in media?

As with any media role, I have the opportunity to meet a lot of fascinating people, not just in Australia, but from around the globe. In the studio and on the field, it’s a tough gig sometimes, but I absolutely love it.

Some adrenaline-pumping moments I recall quite well are, the time a viewer called for an on-air discussion, only to drop a few “f” bombs while the show was live; when a presenter’s earpiece glitches 15 minutes into a show; dealing with guests running late for a live show; the camera operator thinks his camera is on standby, but it’s actually streaming live and recording on the field, with some quirky bystanders in the background who decided to “moon” the camera!

I not only learn a great deal from my journey and productions, but I’m also in awe of the qualities and unbelievable stories some people have endured. I have worked, and continue to work, with all kinds of professionals and amateurs.

My first taste was being a volunteer with a pay-TV channel. My role was the presenter of the morning show, reporter, entertainment correspondent, editor and scriptwriter. I also worked in radio as a talk-back host and announcer, an interpreter, scriptwriter and producer for an SBS documentary, in conjunction with the Breast Cancer Institute of NSW; freelance writing; Deputy Editor of four national magazine titles; Executive Producer, Presenter and Director for an international digital channel, where I was responsible for the production of Australian content worldwide; my current journey is launching my own global show.

What makes you a unique stand-out in a saturated media market?

Other media professionals have said I have qualities that bring the screens alive.

"Suzy Michael is a compelling TV presenter and producer whom people trust...she has the innate ability to bring the guts out of a story. Her stories are current, inspiring and life-changing."

Sharon Lynne, Director of TV Pro Global.

It’s an absolute privilege to be recognised as “compelling”, “trustworthy”, “inspiring” and “life-changing”.

I am simply being myself and immersing my love for the media in the productions and shows I produce and present.

Why did you create your global show, Suzy TV?

To bring a raw, fearless, captivating talk-back show to the screens. A show that has a purpose: to inspire, entertain, engage and compel. A show that delves into the human lives of celebrities and the non-famous. A show that brings hope, tears, joy, drama and charm in one program. In a phrase: entertaining and wholesome television.

I want to bring to the screens a production with substance, integrity and unscripted exchanges. I want to fill people’s lives with meaning and purpose, by showcasing other’s lives with their stories of success, failure, growth and inspiration. We are all human beings, brought to this earth to live together, unite, support and uplift. Animals have innate qualities to nurture and build their own species, so why don’t humans? Oprah did this. She is an iconic human that will be remembered in history for her unique quality to serve and bring humans together. She is an exemplary role model whom every human being can learn from. I hope, one day, to be a fraction of what Oprah is, and bring that spark and energy back to the screens and into people’s lives. That is my ultimate vision and goal.

How did being nominated for the Young Australian of the Year Award impact your success mindset?

This is actually an atypical story! One of my university lecturers nominated me for the 2000 Young Australian of the Year Award. I signed the papers, thinking, “oh, you’re very thoughtful, but there’s no way I would ever be considered for this award, it’s too prestigious for me, and I honestly feel I haven’t contributed that much to society”.

I felt that people like me didn’t get recognised for their achievements – after all, I was ‘just’ a university student, helping out at media organisations, on campus and on the weekends at local community groups. As it turned out, I was on the shortlist, and I was invited to attend the Young publicly commended me and recognised this young, naive 21-year-old.

Australian of the Year Award Ceremony. So this meant I was a contender, and could possibly win! Pinch me now!

This experience provided me the inspiration, passion and drive to keep going - to “be the change I want to see in the world” (Ghandi).

This nomination completely influenced my mindset. As with most humanitarian workers, I wasn’t expecting any recognition for the work I was doing. This nomination gave me the confidence, resilience and realisation that a single person can change the world. It’s absolutely possible to have an impact so powerful that it changes lives. Growing up, I was always loud, keen to help, and the first to try something new – it’s always been part of my character.

At a young, impressionable age, I learned the importance of harnessing the attitude of “I absolutely can”, “I definitely will” and “I am capable,” and I implemented this attitude without any boundaries. I had a “limitless grandeur” mindset. The award nomination solidified what I believed, and inspired me to keep going.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in the media?

My biggest challenge was my culture.

That comment from Mr Howard taught me about the importance of continuing to give back, and continuing humanitarian work. I was brought up in a family that emphasised philanthropic and charitable efforts, and ‘paying it forward’ was something native to me. However, this moment was on a larger scale, and the Prime Minister of Australia acknowledged my humanitarian efforts,

Culturally, I was seen as a failure, regarding education, because as you know, middle eastern people value education as the most important aspect of a person’s life. Culturally, your career defines who you are. So, I had a lot of educational pressure from the Egyptian community, not my parents, to be categorised in particular industries.

So why would I be seen as a failure? Simply put, Egyptians had certain careers ingrained in their minds, and if you were not in one of these careers you were a failure. These careers were: doctors, dentists, pharmacists, engineers and lawyers. As I didn’t fit these categories, I seemed to be a disappointment to the Egyptian community at the time. This was the biggest challenge I faced, and at such a young age.

Let me highlight that my parents and family always encouraged me to follow my dreams, and they supported my passion and decision to pursue a career in media. However, I needed to re-educate the rest of the Egyptian community about the true definition of being successful.

With a career in television, radio, print and media spanning more than 25 years, you started at the age of 18. What mindset shifts did you tap into, to bring you where you are today?

Well, I need to take you back to my childhood. My parents are my rock. They instilled in me the mindset that I can do anything and be anything I want to be. They knew I wanted to be a TV presenter and news reporter – I had been proudly announcing it since I was 12 years old.

In my early teenage years, I recall my dad’s wise piece of advice, “Suzy, do whatever you want to do, as long as it meets these three criteria: Number one, is it illegal? Number two, would God disapprove? Number three, does it harm you or others? If the answer is “yes” to any of these, don’t do it! If not, go for your life, and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks of you. You’re not doing anything shameful or wrong”.

This is a small piece of powerful and influential acumen that I was very lucky to be exposed to growing up. My dad is a very intelligent man, and my mother is a very nurturing woman, so between the two of them, I had the best support mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

To summarise, my parents implanted a mindset of limitless potential, and this is what has cultivated and encouraged me from a young age to pursue my aspirations of working in media and being a TV presenter.

Do you have a success hack that most wouldn’t think of?

I’m not sure if it’s a ‘hack’ but I always kept myself working in the media, in some way. I was married at 21 years old and had my first child at 23 years old. I continued to have children between the age of 23 years old to 28 years old, and I had four children in those five years.

During my golden years, I was having children!

However, I asked myself, “what is a woman in her mid-twenties with a growing family and mother-responsibilities going to do with her career?”

I had been nominated for the Young Australian of the Year Award, my parents had infused a limitless potential mindset, so was I simply going to stop and give it all up? Yes, my children are precious and yes, my husband is the love of my life, but where does that leave Suzy and her future?

I was determined to make it work. I didn't stop working in the media, in some aspects. I worked as a freelance journalist, a video editor, a magazine contributor, a scriptwriter and a documentary producer. Whilst these roles sound amazing, they were freelance or one-off roles. At the time, you were hired for how cheap you were as a freelancer, not for how experienced you were. So to pay the bills and contribute to the running of the household, I found parttime jobs to keep me busy and keep me in the media. I found it very hard to get back into media full-time and worked in industries indirectly related to my role in media. For example, I worked in finance, education and corporate performing various tasks semi-related to media. So my ‘hack’ would be to source jobs that always tie you back to your career so you’re not completely out of the workforce if you need to raise kids or take extended time off for any reason. suzymichael.com.au

Keep your skills, as well as your education, at the forefront of your mind, and don't lose yourself – you are just as important as your family, and your wellbeing and career are imperative to your future, and your family’s future success.