5 Influential Women Bloggers Who Inspired Us (Where Are They Now?)
There are many influential women bloggers on the web, and a few of them shaped how the early blogosphere wrote, earned and connected. On International Women’s Day in March 2008, I saluted five women bloggers who inspired me when this blog started. Here they are again, with notes on where their work stands today.
Quick answer: My five picks were Gina Trapani (founding editor of Lifehacker), Lorelle VanFossen (Lorelle on WordPress), Jennifer Slegg (JenSense, on contextual advertising), Liz Strauss (Successful Blog) and Emily Chang (eHub). Each one taught me something different about blogging in the 2000s, from WordPress skills to AdSense policy to building a community.
Table of Contents
5 influential women bloggers who inspired QuickOnlineTips
Here they are, in no particular order.
1. Gina Trapani
Gina Trapani was the founding editor of Lifehacker, one of the first blogs I started reading in its early days. She pushed it to become one of the most popular blogs ever, with a daily dose of everything from life hacks to geeky adventures. She later co-founded ThinkUp and was CEO of the digital agency Postlight, and today describes herself as a writer and programmer.
2. Lorelle VanFossen
When I switched from Blogger to WordPress, one blog consistently guided me through my newbie WordPress steps: Lorelle on WordPress. Lorelle VanFossen, the queen of WordPress tips, also wrote for the Blog Herald. She is a speaker, trainer and author of the book Blogging Tips, and her site remains a treasure of WordPress advice.
3. Jennifer Slegg
Jennifer Slegg blogged infrequently on JenSense, but when she did, it was the most authoritative analysis of contextual text advertising anywhere. Whenever Google AdSense or the Yahoo Publisher Network changed a policy, I waited for her take on it. I was never disappointed and learned a lot about the finer clauses.
4. Liz Strauss
Liz Strauss wrote the Successful Blog and recognised SOBs (Successful and Outstanding Bloggers). She was possibly the most influential relational blogger of her time, with a big fan following, and she also ran the SOBCon blogging conferences. When this blog was taking its early stumbling steps, she inspired me to be worthy of the SOB award. Successful Blog is still online as an archive of her writing.
5. Emily Chang
To know what was happening in Web 2.0, you just had to follow Emily Chang’s eHub. For years it was an amazing, regularly updated resource of new web tools and services, and if you followed it you never missed a new launch.
Why these women bloggers still matter
Blogging has changed a lot since 2008. Many personal blogs turned into newsletters, podcasts and media brands. But the lessons these influential women bloggers taught still apply:
- Be useful every day: Lifehacker showed how practical tips build a huge audience.
- Teach your tools: Lorelle proved that patient, detailed tutorials earn lasting trust.
- Know the rules: Jennifer Slegg showed that careful policy analysis is valuable to every publisher.
- Build community: Liz Strauss showed that celebrating other bloggers grows your own blog.
- Curate well: eHub showed that good curation saves readers time.
I know there are hundreds of wonderful women bloggers, and many more influence us now. For a current list, see top women bloggers to follow in 2026, our big list of top women bloggers, and the best mom blogs.
FAQ
Who founded Lifehacker?
Gina Trapani was Lifehacker’s founding editor.
What is Lorelle on WordPress?
It is Lorelle VanFossen’s long-running blog of WordPress and blogging tips, still online on WordPress.com.
What was JenSense?
JenSense was Jennifer Slegg’s blog analysing contextual advertising programs such as Google AdSense.
What did SOB mean on Successful Blog?
Liz Strauss used SOB to mean Successful and Outstanding Blogger, an award she gave to recognise good bloggers.
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Sumesh – they are listed in no particular order, all are equally great. Please note that this list enlists those women that.
Wendy is a superb addition, but I did not know her then, and she is a definite add to another list that I am planning.
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women
Wendy is a superb addition.
Sumesh – they are listed in no particular order, all are equally great. Please note that this list enlists those women that “influenced us in early years when this blog started” 3 years ago and continue to guide us.
I would also love to wish all the women bloggers, a happy women’s day. Good list you have got there.
Added a few photos…
Sumesh – they are listed in no particular order, all are equally great. Please note that this list enlists those women that “influenced us in early years when this blog started” 3 years ago and continue to guide us.
Wendy is a superb addition, but I did not know her then, and she is a definite add to another list that I am planning.
It has been so wonderful to watch your growth. You are to be honored, too, but we have to find the right date for you. :D
In the early days, you were all over the map, but writing great content. It’s been so fascinating and inspiring to watch you grow into your content and really turn out consistent quality content that serves so many in the blogging world. Thank you!
I hope this list is not ordered in descending order of best-worst. Primarily because they are extraordinary, hardworking women.
You might want to add Wendy @ emomsathome too – another great add.
Happy Women’s Day to all the women’s out there
DJ Hassoo
Great. Nice to remember them and appreciate them.http://www.marinebuzz.com/2008/03/08/women-seafarersinternational-womens-day/
I would also love to wish all the women bloggers, a happy women’s day. Good list you have got there.
Hi!
What a great way to start the day — to find you’ve short listed me in this fabulous group! I know that we all do what we do with so much thought and heart.
Thank you for the love. You’ve always been an outstanding blogger. I hope to meet you on day to tell you so.