She Went to Sleep a Newlywed and Woke Up a Viral Sensation

In this raw and wildly inspiring episode, Yaela Raber sits down with Jony Lee, creative strategist, content powerhouse, and storyteller at The Attention Seeker whose life changed overnight after a deeply personal act of love went viral.

At just 20 years old, Jony shaved her head during her wedding to honor her terminally ill mother. She went to bed a newlywed and woke up with 100,000 followers and the internet’s brutal spotlight. What followed was a crash course in grief, identity, and the strange duality of social media fame.

Now one of New Zealand’s most magnetic voices in digital storytelling, Jony shares how she turned pain into purpose, learned to “speak from scars, not wounds,” and built a career helping brands tell human-centered stories that actually matter.

This episode is for every creative, founder, and woman who’s ever wondered what it means to be seen and what it costs.

In This Episode We Discuss:

00:00 - Episode trailer

01:45 - The wedding day that changed everything

05:10 - Shaving her head for her dying mother

08:30 - Grief, humor, and love colliding in one unforgettable moment

12:20 - Going viral overnight 100,000 followers in a single night

17:00 - Dealing with internet hate and reclaiming her own story

21:45 - The birth of The Attention Seeker and finding her creative calling

26:20 - How storytelling became her healing process

31:00 - “Speak from a scar, not a wound” how to share authentically online

35:45 - The dark side of parasocial fame and finding real connection

39:20 - The human truth behind every viral moment

43:00 - Why vulnerability isn’t a performance

46:30 - Breaking the fear of judgment and posting anyway

50:10 - From content to sales: redefining success on her own terms

55:20 - Storytelling as the heart of every powerful brand

01:00:30 - Owning your story and why that’s your obligation, not an option

Episode Resources:

Guest Website: https://www.theattentionseeker.com/

Guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonymlee/

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jony-lee-the-attention-seeker/

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