Inspired by her mother’s values of empowering women and communities, and paying homage to her Fijian roots, a Launceston entrepreneur just keeps on creating.

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Mila Kisuma (image: Alivia Rose Photography)

You live and work in northern Tasmania. Has this part of the world always been home?

My family moved from Fiji to Beauty Point in north east Tasmania when I was five years old, and I spent my entire school life here. After I finished school, I worked and studied in Perth, London and Brisbane, before returning to Tasmania in 2019, to settle in Launceston and start a family.

As the Founder and Creative Director at Club Coco, what can you tell us about your business?

Club Coco was the name of my mum’s business - a boutique locally-made handicrafts store - back on the remote island in Fiji where we used to live. Mum would visit the women in the villages, and teach them how to use their amazing creative skills to make products that tourists would want to buy - creating income for themselves and their families. She was a huge advocate for supporting community and women. Sadly, her business ended when we moved to Tasmania in 1999.

Twenty years on, I reinvented Club Coco into a creative design business, specialising in branding for small businesses. The values remain the same - empowering and supporting business owners to put their best foot forward, and building a strong community around them to help them achieve their goals.

What about your recently launched boutique co-working space, The Club Room?

Opening The Club Room felt like the next step in the Club Coco business journey. I identified a lack of inspiring spaces for business owners, creatives and remote workers here in Launceston, and felt like there was something missing in their support structure. Working from home or being self-employed can be so isolating, especially in times of stress, and studies have shown that sharing our stress with a supportive community completely changes its psychological impact. I wanted to create a beautifully designed flexible space that was aesthetic and functional, so that people felt at home when creating, working or connecting.

The Club Room (image: Alivia Rose Photography)

What’s next for you and Club Coco?

I’m highly creative, and need different outlets to feed my entrepreneurial side. Love, Coco - my wedding and events stationery brand - is the newest part of the Club Coco franchise.

Having worked with more than 20 wedding vendors on how to rebrand their wedding business, it felt natural for me to want to be a part of that! My love for the wedding industry grew when I was asked to join Hitch & Hustle - a Tasmanian wedding business community project designed to connect vendors to collaborate and share their experiences, as well as come together on industry standards, and empower each other to improve their brands. I'm looking forward to working closely with couples, and being a part of such a glorious and heartfelt industry!

What are three must-dos for every visitor to Launceston/northern Tasmania?

Visit Cataract Gorge for a walk and a dip, spend an afternoon at a local winery (there’s too many to choose just one!), and pick your own berries at Hillwood.

Where are your favourite local haunts for eats and drinks?

At the moment, LeKoh is my favourite - everything is so delicious and aesthetic. For drinks, Havilah does the best margaritas!

Where do you get away to for a Tassie staycation?

My favourite please to visit is Stanley, with a stay at the beautiful Ship Inn.

Can you describe your perfect Sunday (or other day off!) in lutruwita?

Because my work life is fast-paced, I love a slow morning at home, a visit to the Harvest Market for pastries and coffee, then back home to curl up with a family movie together.

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Q&A: Mila Kisuma