Meet Georgina Whalen | Influencer Marketing Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Georgina Whalen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Georgina, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I got my start in the influencer marketing industry in 2009 when it was all about writing/blogging, in-person events, and trips. I was often the only Black creator on the trip and was very aware that I was paid less than my white counterparts. I’d always toyed with the idea of building my own talent management agency to represent Black creators paired with campaign strategy for Black small businesses. When my good friend, successful influencer, and celebrity interior designer Alvin Wayne brought up the idea of me managing him to help negotiate better deals and take care of payment processes, that was all it took. I filed the paperwork for my company, enrolled in a Small Business Accelerator to learn about the finance and operations side of things, and spent nights and weekends building out my website & social presence, comparing business tools, and creating my budget and financial projections. I knew all of the years I spent learning and gaining experience led me to this and it was my calling.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I got my start as a creator/influencer (or “blogger” as we called ourselves back then!) I started an anonymous blog during a snow day in college as a creative distraction almost immediately following a dire medical diagnosis. I focused on writing about what I loved and what I wondered about, spending hours researching and composing thorough outlines, carefully selecting the right images, and optimizing the text. As a severe introvert, I pushed myself to begin attending local blogger events where I met hundreds of creators, and one day I posted a photo from one of those events. The response was astounding. Little did I know, people had been wondering who the person behind my blog was. After seeing the jump in traffic and engagement on that blog post, I decided to take a leap of faith, hire a designer to build a custom website, register a domain, and put my face and name behind my corner of the internet. Almost immediately I began receiving offers for paid partnerships including Google, Hilton, Mastercard, CapitalOne, and hundreds more.

During a year-long partnership with Verizon, I got my first taste of working brand side when supporting one of their agencies in sourcing hyper-local creators in the Boston area. I was hooked and knew I preferred to work behind the scenes and began architecting my career to gain knowledge from every vantage point of the industry.

First, it was an ad agency, the place I had heard was vital to learning the discipline and skills needed to be considered for employment by larger corporations. I then shifted to influencer tech, which provided me such a wide variety of industries to work with; my book of business included Reebok, P&G, Land Rover/Jaguar, Kraft, Nike, and many many more. I was promoted quite quickly and began managing a team, learning to grow as a leader, even having the chance to join a Harvard leadership program at no cost to myself.

Later I moved on to an international startup before shifting into media, and finally landing where I feel most at home; brand side at a company I greatly admire, on a supportive, wildly intelligent team. I worked tirelessly to get where I am without a formal marketing education and am pushed daily to find creative solutions while maintaining the values both I and One Medical/Amazon embody.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live about ten minutes from downtown right on the Beltline and we have so many wonderful places within walking distance. Here are some of my favorite spots organized into casual/every day, where to eat, and my favorite cocktail places & breweries.

3 Parks Wine Shop: one of the best places to pick up everything you need for a dinner party or the perfect bottle to gift a host
Grant Park Farmer’s Market to pick up local produce to prepare a great homecooked meal for our guests
Chrome Yellow Trading Co for coffee
Bomb Biscuits Atlanta for the best biscuits (she was just featured on the NYTimes!)
Alon’s Bakery: for bagels and pastries on Sunday

Muchacho: for drinks & bites before heading out for the night
Rumi’s Kitchen Colony Square for delectable Persian food and gorgeous ambiance
Lucian Books & Wine for an unforgettable night of upscale dishes, wine, and port
JenChan’s for creative and comforting Chinese-Italian
Bona Fide Deluxe for amazing sandwiches (I love to sit right at the bar)
Lunch at Argosy
Seafood at The Optimist
Kitty Dare: don’t sleep on the bread, dips, and pasta!
Brunch at Scout Oakhurst
Brunch at Saints + Council (love that they have a live violinist playing pop/r&b/rap hits)

The Social House Cocktail Lounge for drinks and live music after dinner
The James Room Speakeasy for after-dinner drinks
Elsewhere Brewing (preferably after the farmer’s market) – I love the decor
Tequila tasting at Agave
Late-night cocktails and live music at Parlor
Afternoon cocktails at Vesper
Monday Night Brewing for beer and wandering around a bit
Cocktails at Bar Margot inside The Four Seasons

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There were two books that were formative to how I approached my corporate career and how I was able to push through some of the toughest positions and situations as the only Black person in so many rooms and organizations. Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms by Shellye Archambeau was an incredible resource for me in learning how to excel in both my personal and professional life.
Shellye’s journey as a young Black woman all the way to her rise to CEO of IBM is startlingly relatable and her advice applies to real work situations. The book is full of practical approaches, strategies, and tools with easy-to-employ takeaways.

Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins got me through one of the toughest times in my life. A lot of people don’t talk about the extremely hard, messy, and unglamorous challenges they had to overcome to reach the point they’re at. I had so many experiences where I had to dig deep, remind myself why I started this journey, and overcome some serious mental barriers. I was surprised by just how much I identified with David, his traumatic childhood was all too familiar, the constant prejudice he faced, and so much more. David was able to train his mind to help transform himself and his life far beyond everyone else’s expectations (including his own), providing both inspiration and a guidebook on how to do the same for yourself.

Website: https://www.theinfluenceatelier.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georginaewhalen/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georginawhalen/

Image Credits
Shot by myself and/or my husband