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.

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