In this episode of Origins of Influence, host Dina Fierro sits down with Jess Kirby—former fashion influencer, writer, and founder of the best-selling Substack newsletter A Common Thread. Jess was among the early creators who helped define the blog-to-Instagram era, building a platform rooted in personal style, relatability, and lifestyle storytelling. But over time, she began to question the values and trade-offs inherent in the influencer economy—and made the rare decision to walk away.

In this conversation, Dina and Jess explore what it means to realign your online presence with your offline values, the mental toll of always-on performance, and the boundaries we’re still learning to rebuild in a hyper-digital world. Jess also shares her experience launching Green Bunny, a local cold-pressed juice business in Vermont, and reflects on what it looks like to build something slower, smaller, and more rooted in real life.

We discuss:

• Jess’s transition from corporate consultant to full-time fashion blogger
• The rapid evolution of the blogosphere and early Instagram
• Burnout, boundary erosion, and life after monetization
• Why she defines A Common Thread as an “anti-consumption” newsletter
• The appeal of analog community and building a local business from scratch
• Small steps for redefining your relationship to shopping, attention, and the internet

Recommended by Jess:

• Totally Recommend
• Hmm That's Interesting
• Kate Baer

About Origins of Influence

Hosted by longtime fashion and beauty marketer Dina Fierro, Origins of Influence is a limited series exploring the past, present and future of the creator economy through intimate conversations with pioneering influencers, creators and founders. Find show notes and exclusive content on Substack. Subscribe on YouTube and follow Origins of Influence on Instagram and TikTok for clips, full-length episodes, BTS and more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Origins of Influence, Dina sits down with Meghan Donovan—creator of Wit & Whimsy and founder, En Route to Rêverie. Meghan launched her blog in 2006, becoming one of the earliest voices in what would become the burgeoning influencer economy. Nearly two decades later, she’s built a sustainable, multi-revenue stream business rooted in trust, taste, and thoughtful storytelling. From long-form blog posts and Substack newsletters to high-touch travel planning, Meghan has evolved her business while staying true to herself—and her work resonates all the more because of it.

In this conversation, she shares why consistency has mattered more than virality, how prioritizing SEO fundamentally shifted her revenue, and how she draws firm lines around what she shares online (and where). Meghan also breaks down how a flood of DMs during a birthday trip to Paris led to the launch of her boutique travel business, En Route to Rêverie.

We discuss:

• Building long-term influence through consistency, not virality
• Why she still invests in blogging and newsletters in 2025
• How SEO changed the game for affiliate revenue
• The power of overdelivering on brand partnerships
• The boundaries that keep her creative and grounded

Find Meghan on Substack at The Noteworthy Edit and Passport to Réverie

Follow Meghan on Instagram: @meghandono

Recommended by Meghan: @SarahCrawford, @BlairEadie, @KrystalBick,

About Origins of Influence

Hosted by longtime fashion and beauty marketer Dina Fierro, Origins of Influence is a limited series exploring the past, present and future of the creator economy through intimate conversations with pioneering influencers, creators and founders. Find show notes and exclusive content on Substack. Subscribe on YouTube and follow Origins of Influence on Instagram and TikTok for clips, full-length episodes, BTS and more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Felicia Walker—digital beauty OG, skincare educator, and founder of Phoebe Skin—joins Origins of Influence to reflect on two decades in the content game. Felicia, found online at ThisThatBeauty, launched her blog in the early 2000s and became a trusted voice in beauty, long before the creator economy had a name.

In this episode, we talk about the early days of the blogosphere, the highs and lows of life as a longtime content creator, and how Felicia's passion for skincare literacy powers everything from her book and brand to her soon-to-launch podcast. We also unpack the realities of inequity in the creator space—and the power of building community, advocating for yourself, and staying grounded in what really matters.

We discuss:

• The scrappy, unfiltered roots of beauty blogging in the early 2000s
• Longevity as a creator: how Felicia has evolved across platforms
• Skin literacy, skincare education, and the story behind Phoebe Skin
• The creator-to-brand-founder journey—and why she pivoted away from DTC
• Equity in the influencer economy: what’s changed, and what hasn’t
• Burnout, boundaries, and advice for the next generation of creators

Follow Felicia on Instagram: @thisthatbeauty

Follow Felicia on TikTok: @thisthatbeauty

Discover Your Glow Guide, Felicia’s interactive skincare workbook, here!

Felicia’s recommended follows: @LaurenNapier, @tomiandrizzy (founder: @blackbeautyclub)

About Origins of Influence

Hosted by longtime fashion and beauty marketer Dina Fierro, Origins of Influence is a limited series exploring the past, present and future of the creator economy through intimate conversations with pioneering influencers, creators and founders. Find show notes and exclusive content on Substack. Subscribe on YouTube and follow Origins of Influence on Instagram and TikTok for clips, full-length episodes, BTS and more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.