EDITOR
WRITER
SPEAKER
TRAVELLER
By way of introduction (and apology) …
John Cooney is an unrepentant baby-boomer – born shortly after the war and emerging naked, without his reading glasses.
He grew up totally unnoticed on the foggy streets of Hamilton, and achieved absolutely nothing at Hamilton Boys High School – aside from being the shortest kid in the third form.
He met Robyn in Woolworths one afternoon: he, a cute little guy with short-back-and-sides (plus pimples) … she, an angel in stiletto heels. And when it was revealed to John in a dream that he would die if they couldn’t be together forever, he knelt in the grass beside the Hamilton Lake and begged for her hand in marriage.
She, thankfully, said yes. And the rest (as they say) is history. He and Robyn are currently the weary, worried parents of three adult kids … and the youngest-looking grandparents in this part of the known universe.
In 1981 John Cooney and his colleagues launched Grapevine Magazine – to “give families a lift” ... and improve (at least in some small way) the quality of home-life in New Zealand. And the rest (as they already said) is history.
Today, John is known, famously, as Grapevine’s Founder, Editor, Managing Director and Big Cheese.
He has spoken over the years at a zillion family-related seminars and events, motivational functions and business conferences (well, quite a few)… was keynote speaker for six years in a row at the Auckland Mayoral Fathers Breakfast … and is a sometimes radio personality on NewstalkZB plus regular contributor of ‘Scrubcutter’ recordings for the ZB network.
John Cooney, in his own words, is having the time of his life. And as a hobby (in his spare time, after lunch), he and Robyn lead Kiwi tour groups on ‘Midlife Madness’ adventures to exotic parts of the world.
