Origins of Influence

Kellie Brown on Creating Space—in Style, Design, and Culture

This week's episode of Origins of Influence features Kellie Brown [https://www.instagram.com/itsmekellieb/?hl=en] — the multi-hyphenate creator, tastemaker, and entrepreneur behind And I Get Dressed [https://andigetdressed.com], a beloved digital destination for style, and Deeply Madly Modern [https://deeplymadlymodern.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafzDxSoF8l_nCU_ks-BbZULVlLRj_qHM_Mo4N6FeUkO2lBl0-TJ1YOOtudneQ_aem_5KKNL8SS7V6bVLBovHOn4A], 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 design * Building a sustainable and diversified creative career * The business of influence and the importance of setting boundaries * The role of representation and pay equity in shaping the industry * How joy, humor, and authenticity have guided Kellie’s creative decisions From 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 YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@deeplymadlymodern] * Kellie B. on Substack [https://deeplymadly.substack.com] * Shop Deeply Madly Modern [https://deeplymadlymodern.recleague.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafDETLkHzElFKEyo-GWvoQH68-HpGY6cA39ZnxAgSrEoE_KBeeSsIvotxjO4g_aem_ZmftUBlN_YmS1kAHDmXGeA] 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 [https://originsofinfluence.substack.com]. Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@originsofinfluencepodcast] and follow Origins of Influence on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/originsofinfluence/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@dina.fierro] for clips, full-length episodes, BTS and more. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Wardrobe Oxygen’s Alison Gary on Blogging Before the Algorithm—and Thriving After It

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 [https://www.wardrobeoxygen.com/] 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 heart * The leap from hobbyist blogger to full-time creator * Why she’s radically transparent about influencer income and partnerships * Navigating the rise (and fall) of social platforms and shifting algorithms * Speaking openly about politics and values online * Embracing midlife visibility  * What two decades of digital creativity have taught her about longevity From 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_oxygen [https://www.instagram.com/wardrobe_oxygen/] * WardrobeOxygen.com [http://wardrobeoxygen.com/] * The Laundry Pile on Substack [https://alisongary.substack.com/] 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 [https://originsofinfluence.substack.com]. Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@originsofinfluencepodcast] and follow Origins of Influence on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/originsofinfluence/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@dina.fierro] for clips, full-length episodes, BTS and more. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Tia Williams on Blogging, Beauty, and Becoming a Bestselling Author

Before social media and algorithms, Tia Williams [https://www.instagram.com/tiawilliamswrites/] 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 [https://www.instagram.com/dina.fierro/?hl=en] 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 inclusivity * How early blogging shaped her voice as a storyteller and author * The discipline—and duality—of balancing brand work with creative writing * The cultural power of romance as a genre * How it felt seeing The Perfect Find adapted for Netflix [https://www.netflix.com/title/81030422] * What she’s learned about love, womanhood, and writing herself into the story Whether 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 [https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=Tia+Williams] or on Amazon [https://amzn.to/46XKrlf]. 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 [https://originsofinfluence.substack.com]. Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@originsofinfluencepodcast] and follow Origins of Influence on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/originsofinfluence/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@dina.fierro] for clips, full-length episodes, BTS and more. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Karen Robinovitz on Shaping the Creator Economy–and What Came Next

In this episode of Origins of Influence, host Dina Fierro sits down with Karen Robinovitz [https://www.instagram.com/karenrobinovitz/?hl=en]—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 [https://sloomooinstitute.com/pages/new-york-2-0?utm_source=sloomooinstitute.com&utm_medium=referral], 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 DBA * The early days of influencer marketing and building infrastructure for creators * Navigating visibility, advocacy, and polarization as a founder * Why she stepped back from social media—and what influence means to her now * The grief that ultimately sparked the creation of Sloomoo Institute * How Sloomoo blends analog joy with IP building, animation, and new technologies Recommended by Karen: * Kennedy Yanko [https://www.instagram.com/kennedyyanko/] (artist) * Rachel Youn [https://www.instagram.com/rachelyoun/] (artist) * Marisa Thalberg [https://www.instagram.com/marisathalberg/?hl=en] (CMO, Catalyst Brands) 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 [https://originsofinfluence.substack.com]. Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@originsofinfluencepodcast] and follow Origins of Influence on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/originsofinfluence/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@dina.fierro] for clips, full-length episodes, BTS and more. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Yuli Ziv on Building the Business of Influence—and Letting It Go

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 [https://www.heallist.com/], 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 Things * Building Style Coalition and pioneering data-driven brand campaigns * Disrupting the fashion industry with community-driven influence * Burnout, boundaries, and why she chose a two-year career break * The spiritual practices that led to her founding Heallist * Her perspective on the “new influencers” and what the creator economy got right—and wrong * How she’s building a business rooted in balance, not burnout Explore Heallist here [https://www.heallist.com] Follow Heallist on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/heal_list] Recommended by Yuli: * @MelRobbins [https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/] * @SimoneOliver [https://www.instagram.com/simonesoliver/?hl=en] 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 [https://originsofinfluence.substack.com]. Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@originsofinfluencepodcast] and follow Origins of Influence on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/originsofinfluence/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@dina.fierro] for clips, full-length episodes, BTS and more. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.