Origins of Influence

This week's episode of Origins of Influence features Kellie Brown — the multi-hyphenate creator, tastemaker, and entrepreneur behind And I Get Dressed, a beloved digital destination for style, and Deeply Madly Modern, her design-focused platform celebrating interiors and creativity.Before becoming one of the internet’s most original voices, Kellie spent years working in fashion and entertainment PR, helping secure some of the earliest plus-size fashion placements in major magazines. In the early 2010s, she launched And I Get Dressed—a blog that evolved into a movement, amplifying stylish women who had long been left out of fashion’s narrative.In this conversation, Kellie reflects on her digital origin story and what it means to build a portfolio career before the term existed. She discusses how constraint shaped her taste, the realities of negotiating worth in the creator economy, and her transition from And I Get Dressed to Deeply Madly Modern—a shift that redefined her creative practice through design and interiors.The episode explores:The evolution of Kellie’s voice across fashion, media, and designBuilding a sustainable and diversified creative careerThe business of influence and the importance of setting boundariesThe role of representation and pay equity in shaping the industryHow joy, humor, and authenticity have guided Kellie’s creative decisionsFrom being one of the first influencers to speak publicly about pay disparity to redefining style through an inclusive lens, Kellie Brown continues to shape culture—proving that influence built on voice, integrity, and vision endures far beyond the algorithm.More from Kellie:Deeply Madly Modern on YouTubeKellie B. on SubstackShop Deeply Madly Modern

Before social media and algorithms, Alison Gary was already shaping the way real women thought about style, confidence, and community. A longtime blogger and digital pioneer, she launched Wardrobe Oxygen in 2005—creating one of the internet’s most enduring independent fashion and lifestyle platforms, built on honesty, accessibility, and radical transparency.In this episode of Origins of Influence, Alison joins host Dina Fierro to revisit her early days in the blogging world and trace the evolution of a career that’s spanned two decades of seismic change online. From retail manager to full-time creator, Alison shares the story behind her now-iconic blog name, the leap to self-employment, and what it takes to stay relevant—and grounded—when the rules of the internet keep shifting.Together, they discuss:How Wardrobe Oxygen began and why community remains at its heartThe leap from hobbyist blogger to full-time creatorWhy she’s radically transparent about influencer income and partnershipsNavigating the rise (and fall) of social platforms and shifting algorithmsSpeaking openly about politics and values onlineEmbracing midlife visibility What two decades of digital creativity have taught her about longevityFrom the early days of Blogspot to the ever-shifting present, Alison’s story is a reminder that lasting influence comes from consistency, conviction, and an unwavering sense of self.More from Alison:@wardrobe_oxygenWardrobeOxygen.comThe Laundry Pile on Substack

Before social media and algorithms, Tia Williams was already shaping the way we talked about beauty, culture, and women’s inner lives. A former magazine editor turned novelist, she built one of the earliest digital spaces dedicated to Black beauty and self-expression—Shake Your Beauty—while holding senior editorial roles at ELLE, Glamour, Lucky, and Essence.In this episode of Origins of Influence, Tia joins host Dina Fierro to revisit that groundbreaking moment in beauty media and to trace the evolution of her creative voice—from beauty journalist to blogger to bestselling author of The Perfect Find and Seven Days in June.Together, they discuss how Tia carved out space for authenticity long before it was industry language, what she’s learned about love and visibility through her novels, and how she’s navigated career reinvention across two decades of cultural change.Along the way, Tia shares her thoughts on:Why she launched Shake Your Beauty when beauty media still lacked inclusivityHow early blogging shaped her voice as a storyteller and authorThe discipline—and duality—of balancing brand work with creative writingThe cultural power of romance as a genreHow it felt seeing The Perfect Find adapted for NetflixWhat she’s learned about love, womanhood, and writing herself into the storyWhether you followed Tia’s early beauty blog or discovered her through her novels, this conversation is a reminder that influence isn’t about trends—it’s about the stories that stand the test of time.Browse Tia Williams’ books at a bookseller near you, at Bookshop.org or on Amazon.

In this episode of Origins of Influence, host Dina Fierro sits down with Karen Robinovitz—cultural bellwether, serial entrepreneur, and one of the original architects of the influencer economy. As co-founder of Digital Brand Architects (DBA), Karen helped professionalize influencer representation long before it became an industry standard, spotting the value of digital creators before the rest of the world caught on.Today, Karen is the founder of Sloomoo Institute, a multisensory experience centered on play, joy, and emotional wellness. In this conversation, Karen reflects on the throughline between her ventures—how reinvention has defined her career, why she’s stepped back from social media, and what it looks like to build something tactile, analog, and healing in a hyper-digital age.We discuss:Karen’s evolution from journalist and trend forecaster to co-founding DBAThe early days of influencer marketing and building infrastructure for creatorsNavigating visibility, advocacy, and polarization as a founderWhy she stepped back from social media—and what influence means to her nowThe grief that ultimately sparked the creation of Sloomoo InstituteHow Sloomoo blends analog joy with IP building, animation, and new technologiesRecommended by Karen:Kennedy Yanko (artist)Rachel Youn (artist)Marisa Thalberg (CMO, Catalyst Brands)

Before Instagram, before brand deals, before influencer was a job title—Yuli Ziv was building the business of digital influence. In this episode, Dina sits down with her longtime friend and fellow fashion blogosphere OG to trace the arc of Yuli’s remarkable career: from founding Style Coalition and shaping the earliest creator-brand partnerships, to exiting post-acquisition and walking away from hustle culture entirely.Today, Yuli is the founder of Heallist, a growth platform for holistic healers—and she believes we’re entering a new era of influence, one powered by energy, not algorithms. This conversation is a masterclass in reinvention, intuition, and creating on your own terms.In this episode, we explore:Yuli’s early days in the blogosphere and the launch of My It ThingsBuilding Style Coalition and pioneering data-driven brand campaignsDisrupting the fashion industry with community-driven influenceBurnout, boundaries, and why she chose a two-year career breakThe spiritual practices that led to her founding HeallistHer perspective on the “new influencers” and what the creator economy got right—and wrongHow she’s building a business rooted in balance, not burnoutExplore Heallist hereFollow Heallist on InstagramRecommended by Yuli:@MelRobbins@SimoneOliver

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 bloggerThe rapid evolution of the blogosphere and early InstagramBurnout, boundary erosion, and life after monetizationWhy she defines A Common Thread as an “anti-consumption” newsletterThe appeal of analog community and building a local business from scratchSmall steps for redefining your relationship to shopping, attention, and the internetRecommended by Jess: Totally RecommendHmm That's InterestingKate Baer

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 viralityWhy she still invests in blogging and newsletters in 2025How SEO changed the game for affiliate revenueThe power of overdelivering on brand partnershipsThe boundaries that keep her creative and groundedFind Meghan on Substack at The Noteworthy Edit  and Passport to Réverie Follow Meghan on Instagram: @meghandonoRecommended by Meghan: @SarahCrawford, @BlairEadie, @KrystalBick,

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 2000sLongevity as a creator: how Felicia has evolved across platformsSkin literacy, skincare education, and the story behind Phoebe SkinThe creator-to-brand-founder journey—and why she pivoted away from DTCEquity in the influencer economy: what’s changed, and what hasn’tBurnout, boundaries, and advice for the next generation of creatorsFollow Felicia on Instagram: @thisthatbeautyFollow Felicia on TikTok: @thisthatbeautyDiscover Your Glow Guide, Felicia’s interactive skincare workbook, here!Felicia’s recommended follows: @LaurenNapier, @tomiandrizzy (founder: @blackbeautyclub)