How Meghan Donovan Built a 20-Year Brand as a Creator–Without Ever Chasing Virality

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, About Origins of InfluenceHosted 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.