When Sienna Jovcevski posted a meme on Instagram, she wasn't trying to get media coverage.

She was just a 17-year-old business owner, reacting to the Federal Budget the same way the rest of us were: with a mix of disbelief and dark humour.

But what happened next is one of the most powerful examples of earned media I've seen in my entire career as a journalist and media trainer. And it has everything to teach small business owners about the power of a well-timed story.

Who Is Sienna Jovcevski?

Sienna Jovcevski is the founder of Tweeny Skin, a skincare brand she launched at just 12 years old after she couldn't find products formulated for her age group. She's now 17, she's been running her business for five years, and earlier this year, she and her mum completed the Media Masters Academy as part of our 2025 cohort.

She is, in every sense, exactly the kind of founder journalists love: young, articulate, solving a real problem, with a story that writes itself.

The Meme That Chang...

Friday started with a phone call at 5am.

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.

What the Segment Was About

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 f...