To follow 20-something Jillian Meehan on Instagram is to instantly feel as though you’ve reconnected with a longtime friend. Superbly down-to-earth, yet wildly in-the-know about all things undiscovered, Jillian’s the ideal blend of cool, smart, and approachable. If I were living within the buzzing, concrete walls of New York City, I like to think she’d be the friend I’d check in with regularly, not only because she likes to do a lot of the same activities that I do — buy Glossier, read books, eat snacks — but because she’d gladly fill me in on all the new things she’s loving and not let me leave her apartment until I’ve tried them all. She’s creative, but collaborative and she’s making big moves building apps with a start-up tech company and managing multiple side hustles on the side (one of which is all about donating to a slew of non-profits). This goes without saying, but I’ll do it anyway. Today, all eyes are on Jillian Meehan, and it’s because she’s insanely cool.
Instagram handle/s: @jilliangmeehan and @snaxreport
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Originally from: Philadelphia.
Occupation: “For a little over a year, I’ve been doing operations and marketing at an eight-person iOS studio called Lickability — hit me up if you need an app built.”
Tell us a bit about yourself: “A year and a half ago I graduated college, moved to New York, and started an internship that turned into a full-time job at Lickability. I never planned on working in tech (I have a journalism degree!) but now that I do, it feels so right for me.”
Favorite thing about living in NYC? “Living down the street from Milk Bar — kidding! My favorite ritual since I’ve moved here is going to yoga at Sky Ting Domino on a weeknight after work. Either before or after class, I like to walk over to the waterfront and just enjoy the view. It keeps me calm.”
What’s one trend you’re currently loving and wish would stay for the long-haul? “Sustainability. It makes me so happy to see more and more brands (Reformation, Everlane, and Girlfriend are my favorites) use recycled materials and minimal packaging. Everyone should be doing that, full stop.”
Signature look/uniform? “Jeans, t-shirt, a leather jacket, and at least two bags at once (I carry around too much stuff).”
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Favorite local shop? “McNally Jackson for books, Sprout Home for plants, and Northside Pharmacy for beauty. That’s all I need.”
Fave online shop? “I have to confess that I’ve never actually purchased anything from them, but I look longingly at the Lisa Says Gah Instagram account every day. Someday!”
Favorite small brands discovered on IG? “I find everything on Instagram, so this is tough. By Humankind, which makes reusable natural deodorant canisters that I love. Pop Up Grocer, which is a super cute pop-up grocery store in NYC that I went to the first week they opened. Keap Candles, which is a sustainable, LGBTQ+ owned candle subscription service.”
Favorite designers? “I don’t have a ton of designer stuff, but I did just get my first bag from Susan Alexandra after wanting one for ages, and it’s literally my favorite thing I’ve ever owned. I need more.”
What was the last thing you purchased: “An AirTrain ticket on my way home from JFK.”
What’s on your want list? “A Cold Picnic rug for my bedroom. Literally anything from Orseund Iris. A huge stack of white Hanes t-shirts to wear every day. Round metal Ray-Bans.”
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Favorite local boozy drink of choice? “A bottle of natural wine from UVA Wines.”
Favorite local cafe and menu item of choice. “I don’t drink coffee, but I love Tea Bar in Williamsburg. It’s a really good place to meet a friend and drink an entire pot of tea together, if that’s your thing. They have a gigantic menu, so I never get the same thing every time, but I can say that I lean more toward spicy or floral teas than anything super fruity.”
Go-to dinner party recipe? “I’m not much of a cook, so my signature dish is this no-knead bread recipe from The Kitchn. It’s extremely easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser.”
What’s always in your fridge? “Blackberries, Oatly, and probably some leftover dumplings from Vanessa’s.”
Your must-have beauty products? “Bioderma micellar water, Glossier Cloud Paint, and purple shampoo. I’m currently using Amika’s Bust Your Brass line.”
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Tell us about what you do! “My day-to-day involves a lot of emails, meetings, and making sure our office is running smoothly — which, for someone who’s really into planning and making to-do lists, is a dream. Outside of my day job, I have a million side projects including a zine-in-progress about all things snacks, a newsletter full of recommendations, an astrology website, and a platform connecting shoppers with brand reps who donate their commission to organizations we care about.”
Favorite project to date? “I have a lot of fun putting together my newsletter, Letters to Summer. Every two weeks, my best friend Summer and I send out a couple recommendations for things we’ve been watching, reading, listening to, or doing.”
Fave late-night snack? “I love all snacks equally, but right now my favorites are chocolate covered pretzels and Cheez-Its.”
Tell us more about your work with nonprofits such as the Trevor Project, and beyond. “Almost a year ago, I started donating my commission from brands like Glossier and Mejuri to a different organization every month. A few months ago, I turned that idea into Give With Us: a platform for other brand reps to do the same. We’ve grown to five donors, and I am so, so proud of what we’ve done so far. Last month, we donated a collective $100 to the Yellowhammer Fund, and this month, I’m donating my commission to The Trevor Project.
Currently listening to? “I listen to so many podcasts! I really need to cut back. Right now, a few of my favorites are: Who? Weekly, The Cut on Tuesdays, Call Your Girlfriend, and Do By Friday.”
Currently reading? “Jia Tolentino’s book of essays, Trick Mirror, is blowing my mind. It comes out this summer and everyone needs to read it.”
Favorite book of all time? “Literally Show Me a Healthy Person by Darcie Wilder. I pick it up to reread my favorite bits every few weeks and it’s always perfect. Also, Kendall Jenner read it???”
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Literally Show Me A Healthy Person
$11, Darcie Wilder
Trick Mirror: Reflections On Self-Delusion
$16, Jia Tolentino
Pu’erh Tea
$16, Bon Temps
Thé Noir 29
$189, Le Labo
Who? Weekly
Who? Weekly
The Cut On Tuesdays
Gimlet Media
Call Your Girlfriend
Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow
Do By Friday
Merlin Mann, Alex Cox, and Max Temkin
The Social Network
$4, Amazon
The Bold Type
Hulu
Youper
Youper, Inc.
Calm
Calm.com
Streaks
Crunchy Bagel
Instapaper
Instapaper Holdings, Inc.
Stardew Valley
$15, Steam
What’s your sign? “Scorpio sun, Virgo rising, Pisces moon.”
Signature scent? “Thé Noir 29 from Le Labo.”
What’s a recent movement (political, economic, social) that you think everyone should be supporting and why? “Uh, so many things. There’s a lot of stuff going on, and it can be really overwhelming to digest it all. Some days, the thing I’m the most anxious about is climate change, some days it’s LGBTQ+ youth, some days it’s abortion rights, etc. I’m just one small, human person, so I know there’s not a lot I can do as an individual to change the things I’m angry about. But, doing a little bit is better than doing nothing — that’s why I donate to a different organization every month.”
Favorite apps you use on the reg? “Youper for mood tracking, Calm for meditation, Streaks for habit-building, and Instapaper for saving articles to read later.”
Favorite movie? “The Social Network.”
Any morning rituals? “I like to sleep in, so I don’t have time for any caffeine until I get to my office. Before I even sit down at my desk, I make some tea — Bon Temps Pu’erh with oat milk is my go-to right now — and then promptly forget to drink it for an hour.”
Evening rituals? “This doesn’t necessarily happen right before I go to bed, but at some point before the end of every day, I try to take some time to meditate and think about how I’m feeling. I start by thinking about how I feel and writing down the things making me feel anxious, and then I meditate for 10 – 20 minutes. It helps me disconnect from work and relax for the night.”
Guilty pleasure / necessary indulgence? “Eating snacks in bed. Buying too many candles. Watching Keeping Up with The Kardashians. Starting new side projects when I haven’t finished the old ones.”
Night in or night out? How do you spend it? “I love my bed. I’d almost always rather stay in and watch TV or play video games. Right now, my night-in favorites are The Bold Type and Stardew Valley.”
Any cool spots in NYC worth mentioning for out of towners to check out? “My favorite weeknight date with my boyfriend is going to Brindle Room for a burger, and then heading to Ruffian for a glass of wine.”
You have a free day all to yourself. What do you do with it? “Sounds fake, but okay! I’d like to say that I spend my free time reading in the park and eating strawberries or something, but if we’re being realistic, I’d probably be binge-watching The Bachelorette and doing my laundry.”
What’s on the horizon for you? “This summer, I’ll be wearing lots of SPF, working on my zine about snacks, going to Portland for XOXO, and trying to convince more of my friends to move to NYC.”
