Sunrise needed a guest expert. Their regular couldn't make it. Could I be there?
I said yes.
By that night, the reel I filmed afterwards had been seen by 345,000 people. 20,000 likes. 3,800 shares. 1,200 comments.
And within days, The Sunday Telegraph, a weekend magazine, and Women's Agenda had all come to me.
Here's what actually happened, and more importantly, why.
Boost Juice founder Janine Allis had posted something that cut through the noise after the Federal Budget landed on Tuesday night. She was calling out what the budget means for innovation, specifically the removal of the 50% capital gains tax discount and what that signals for Australia's startup culture.
It was the conversation small business owners were already having privately. Janine said it publicly. And it exploded.
I joined Nat Barr and Luke Bona on the Sunrise Hot Topics segment to talk about it.
Then I came home, opened my phone, and filmed a reel.
I want to be straight with you here, because this gets misread as luck all the time.
It was not luck.
Here is exactly what made it work:
It was timely. The budget had just dropped. Small business owners were fired up, emotionally raw, and searching for someone who could articulate what they were feeling. The window was open, and I walked through it.
It had credibility. I had just appeared on national breakfast television that same morning. That appearance gave everything I said afterwards a layer of authority and trust that a standalone reel wouldn't have had on its own.
It was relatable. I talked about the reality that small business owners actually live: borrowing against your home, skipping your super, paying everyone else before yourself, going years without a wage, all to build something worth something at the end. Not abstract policy. Real life.
It was emotional. People shared it because it said something they felt deeply but couldn't find the words for themselves. Your favourite local café. Your kids' swimming school. Your tradie. These are all people carrying enormous financial risk every single day, and most of them never say it out loud.
It tapped into a conversation already happening. The employees vs business owners debate was already running hot across social media after the budget. I didn't start that conversation. I gave it a voice and a face at exactly the right moment.
Here is the part that most people overlook when they hear this story.
After the reel took off, I didn't just sit back and enjoy the numbers.
I went back to Sunrise.
I showed them the stats. 345,000 views. 20,000 likes. 3,800 shares. Not as a brag, but as a strategic demonstration: my reach to their audience is an asset to them, not just to me.
Monday afternoon they called. They wanted my small business contacts to feature the very next day.
This is what most people don't understand about media relationships. It's not a one-way street. When you show up consistently, build your profile the right way, and demonstrate that your audience is engaged and real, the media doesn't just notice you. They need you.
You don't need a PR agency to get media coverage.
You don't need a perfect pitch or a polished press kit or years of media contacts already in your phone.
What you need is a story worth telling, the skills to recognise when your moment has arrived, and the confidence to say yes when the call comes.
The small business conversation is louder right now than it has been in years. Journalists are actively looking for real small business voices. Real founders. Real stakes. Real stories.
Your story matters. The question is whether you know how to tell it to the right people at the right time.
This is exactly what the Media Masters Academy Inner Circle is built for.
You don't need to have completed any prior program to join. It's open to any small business owner who is ready to start building their visibility, developing real media relationships, and getting their story in front of the people who can amplify it.
Inside you get:
Your 5am call might be closer than you think.
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