6: Is It Time for You to Pivot?! with Deepica Mutyala

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Mh, Hot Happy Mess, Celebrate your magic in the middle
of life's messes. Hot Happy. I'm Zeri Hall, and this

(00:20):
is Hot Happy Meds. Shoot. What is up? I am
Zeri Hall and welcome to another episode of Hot Happy Mess. Y'all.
It's drawing to a close. We made it. We made it.
Look at God, won't he do it? Okay? So this
is the last episode of and we are quite a

(00:42):
few episodes into this Hot Happy Mess extravaganza that that
we are now enjoying. And as you know, my guests
and I have talked a lot about a hot moments
and the moments that made us realize, okay, it was
time to switch it up. It was time to do

(01:03):
something differently, to get something that we hadn't gotten before,
but that we wanted. And if you don't know, if
you don't know that, that's the thing that me and
my guests have talked about, I'm gonna need you to
binge the first few episodes. Okay, things all right, But anyways,
happy holidays, y'all. I personally am very much in the
Christmas spirit. In case you couldn't tell yet, which ins

(01:27):
I turned the up on Amazon like a maniac and
sent a crap ton of boxes to people's front doors.
Just kidding. I mean I did do that, but that
is definitely not the reason for the season. Okay, really
quick Christmas gift story. Um, I sent my dad along
with other people their gifts via Amazon, and this dude

(01:49):
tell me why I melted into his house. He got
the boxes. I texted him. I'm like, Okay, they're gonna
be two packages showing up at your door any other
human within this side of the universe and be like, okay,
like Christmas packages, or at least I assumed. Maybe I
assumed wrong. So he gets the packages. I guess yesterday

(02:10):
or I don't know, so a few days before Christmas
and then he texts me and he's like, oh my gosh,
I love my hammer. Oh my gosh, I love my shirt.
And I'm like, what are you talking about? And then
I was like, wait, did you open your Christmas gifts?
And he was like, yeah, you said I had two
packages at the door. And I'm like, dude, for Christmas
And he was like, well, you didn't tell me that

(02:30):
you two packages. So I opened him. So anyways, Christmas
came early for Joe, even though that is not the
way that I planned that going. I got to love him.
Merry Christmas, Dad, love you. I am filled up with
love and gratitude as we head into a much needed
new year, New year, new, emphasis on new. I have

(02:53):
never needed to hear the word new as in not
the old, as in not what it was. I've never
needed to hear it more than I need to hear
it today now in this chapter, twenty has obviously reminded
so many of us that life, you know, it really
goes as planned. It rarely goes as expected. We know that,

(03:13):
and we know that we've just got to roll with
the punches right and play the cards that were dealt,
whether we like them or not. And you know, New
Year's Eve is always an opportunity to pause and reflect.
So I know a lot of us will be doing
that in the coming days and even into the new year.
Remember on January one of when we all had vision

(03:37):
crystal clear future never looks so bright, etcetera, etcetera. Quote
quote quote, ain't nobody see this coming New year? Knew
me all of that? Psach sag sag psych Okay, if
we could all just get on the same page about
how we're approaching one if we could just kind of
tiptoe into the new year gently, with optimistic caution, you know,

(04:00):
just don't shake it up too much. Can't we just
not drink it because I can't. I just I can't.
I can't do it. I can't do it again. I can't.
I don't want to do it again. Um No, I'm kidding.
Just go hard, shake it off, manifest all the good
stuff for the new year, but also gentle, no sudden movements.
But in all seriousness, obviously, you know, had a ton

(04:23):
of heaviness, a lot of loss. We had so much
of the obvious stuff right the global pandemic that we've
all been going through due to COVID nineteen, people losing
loved ones. There were so so, so many painful moments
of you know, social injustice and terror straight up that
led to necessary social demand for overdue change and justice.

(04:43):
I personally lost two friends and a cousin this year,
two of them to just senseless gun violence. And yet
still in the middle of all of that, in the
midst of so much pain that we've all gone through,
there's still always something to be grateful for. I personally

(05:04):
had a lot to be grateful for. You know, amazing
things happened for me and to me and to my
loved ones in you know. Uh. One of my best
East Travasha, who you all know by now, had her
beautiful baby girl. Another friend of mine had a baby boy. Um.
I was lucky enough to still be able to do

(05:25):
another season of American Ninja Warrior for NBC. We were
I think, the first show of its kind back uh
in the middle of the pandemic, and and our amazing
team found a way to do it safely, to keep
all of the ninja safe and keep us safe and
get some feel good content on the air, on on
television because that's what we need roles in Nome. The

(05:48):
people need entertainment. So that was a blessing to to
be able to be a part of that this year
when so much was on sure and not much was promised,
and a lot of things we thought were gonna happen
didn't happen. All right, So what do you say we
lighten it up a bit as we talk about pivoting
this episode, But because that's what this is about, how
to pivot, how to know if you need to pivot,
I personally had a massive pivot, So I want to

(06:11):
open up to you, share my story about pivoting. What
does it mean to pivot? I mean, for me personally,
it just means taking a step back after warning signs
or red flags, or your your intuition or your gut,
or maybe the people around you or the circumstances around

(06:31):
you say Hey, this isn't working for you, This isn't
working for us anymore. And if you feel like you're
hitting a dead end or a wall constantly, no matter
how much you try, no matter how much you give,
what your best efforts are, it might be time to pivot.
It might be time to change direction. And I have

(06:53):
felt from personal experience, I've wondered, does this mean that
I've failed? Does this mean if I step away from
this thing that I said I wanted to do, that
I told people I wanted to do. If I step
away from who I am or who I used to be,
am I failing myself? Am I failing my old self,
my family, my my previous values, like it just can

(07:16):
equate to failure sometimes, which is not fair and not true.
So for me personally, UM, I love music. I I
love songwriting and fun. Fact in my past life, Um
I may or may not have been in a girl group.
I don't want to talk about it. I told you
all one of the group Chat girls, Veronica, was instaid

(07:36):
group with me. There may or may not have been
a lot of fingerless leather gloves, Carrie Hilson esque platinum
blonde hair streaks in the bayangs, and maybe a liquid
legging or two are involved. I don't know. I don't know,
I can't remember. It was a long time ago. Anyways,
in that time, this was like I was in college.
I went to the Ohio State University, Go Bucks, oh

(07:59):
ah baby, um. But I would spend my summer's interning,
you know, in the music industry, and I spent some
summers and some breaks going to New York City. Y'all,
I would bust it. I'm talking about straight up greyhound
bust from Ohio to New York because I was broke,
had no money, had hustle but no cash, and was
trying to get out there to chase my dreams. And

(08:20):
for the longest I thought, well, I won't say I
thought at that time one of my great dreams was music,
and I thought that that my purpose or that what
I wanted to do included performing in a musical way
like singing and songwriting. So I was singing, and I
mean I grew up singing. I'd been in vocal lessons
since I was probably like nine years old, nine or ten,

(08:43):
and um, I would perform in little local community spots
back home, and um, I just did it for years.
And I was a theater geek more than anything, so
acting was my true first love. But anyways, so I
was singing in whatever that evolved. By the time I
was eighteen or nineteen and two, you I met a
girl group. Okay, I guess we're doing this, bring on
the crop tops. But what I realized at one point

(09:06):
was I didn't love thinking. Not only did I not
love it, I kind of didn't even like it. It
was something that I could do, generally speaking, and um,
it was a means to an end for me. And
it took time for me to realize that what I
loved was performing. What I loved was creating. What I

(09:28):
loved was being in the studio writing music, writing lyrics.
More than anything, I love to write. And I should
have known then because that was happening more and more
through the years. Um, I was cool to write. I
didn't mind that I loved getting in the studio. Nothing
about that was bad pressure. But anytime I had to
sing for someone, I got this like impending sense of
dread and I just put that away. I ignored it

(09:51):
for the longest. I realized at one point that you
shouldn't have to go through all of that, the anxiety,
the dread, the weird or bad links for something that
you truly love. And what I realized was I craved
and loved performance. It was acting, no doubt, that was
one of my truest first loves. So it wasn't the
stage that scared me, because I have taken the stage

(10:12):
at this point in my career in front of thousands
of people, um and often. You know. I was an
m C for the NBA team in Indianapolis for the Pacers.
I m C the super Bowl village the year was
an Indianapolis for thousands. I've done concert hosting like you
name it, and I love it. It lights me up.
I love having a mic in my hand. I love
connecting with the audience, with the crowds. So that's not

(10:35):
what scared me. I realized it was the literal act
of singing that I didn't enjoy. But we can do
a thing for so long that we normalize the feelings
attached to it, even when they don't feel good anymore
or serve our bottom line. We just keep doing a
thing because it's the thing that we've always done. And
that is the pattern that I've fallen into. So by

(10:58):
the time I was twenty or onney one, um, you know,
I've been recording singing, trying to quote unquote make it
if you will, And I was doing what I had
been doing because, like I said, it's what I'd always done,
and it wasn't necessarily what I wanted anymore. And that
makes me wonder, you know, I want to ask the
question to you. Is there an area of your life

(11:20):
where you feel that right now? Maybe a relationship, your career,
Is it the way you treat yourself? Are there maybe
hobbies that you're doing still, organizations you're a part of,
but that you just don't enjoy anymore, Maybe a certain
friend group that you've outgrown. Realizing that you aren't who

(11:42):
you used to be can be very scary because it
makes you question everything. Who am I right? But at
a certain point I realized I don't I don't want
to do this anymore? So I had to get over
that feeling of am I a failure and my quitting music?
Does this mean that I lost at this thing? And no,

(12:03):
I didn't, because I met some amazing people. I created
some amazing a couple, a couple of really good songs,
and then there were some other songs. Um. But I
met some amazing people, developed amazing relationships. I enjoyed performing,
you know, and it's an amazing it's a fun, interesting
chapter in my story. But around the time that I

(12:25):
was about to graduate from college, I decided, you know what,
it's time to pivot. It's time to pivot, baby, We're
about to head in a different direction. And just trust
that what was for me was for me, and that
whatever that next step was supposed to be was gonna be.
But it was it was hard. After five to six
years of like really grinding it out musically, I would
even say seven and eight if you include high school,

(12:46):
and how seriously I was taking it, it was tough
to let go. But I realized through all of this
that sometimes you have got to get out of your
own way, and for me, that doesn't mean sitting on
my hands and waiting for great stuff to happen. In
It means doing what I can with what I've got
and then letting go and just awaiting the outcome. I
couldn't be so stuck on what I wanted to have

(13:09):
happened in my life that I couldn't see other opportunities
presenting themselves. So I had to await the outcome, and
should the outcome not be what I desire, should the
outcome not be what you desire, especially if that keeps happening.
I was learning that I had to check my ego
enough to stop trying to force a square peg into

(13:31):
a round hole. Is that the saying square peg around whatever?
Whatever the heck the saying is, y'all know what I'm
talking about. I ad to pivot. You shouldn't have to
force things. It is all about flow. There's this song
I love called let Go, and the version that I'm
obsessed with features p J. Morton Um and also Duane Woods,
who's the original singer artists who release a song. Here's

(13:53):
a little clip of it. So nice stuffed worthing are
in how the story I let go and God let
God head this way. That's when things start apple. When

(14:20):
I stop looking that back then, so I would recommend
that you guys give that a listen um, because no
matter what you believe, no matter how you identify spiritually
universal love and truths, to me are exactly that universal.
And for me, the very comforting truth is that certain
themes or ideas tend to rise to the top of

(14:43):
most major religions you know, and even non religious spiritual
ideas or beliefs, whether it's Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism.
The list goes on. But something that I think most
of us can get behind or find comfort and peace in,
is these universal and common themes like love for one another,
for our neighbors, treating others as we would want to

(15:05):
be treated, kindness, generosity, faith, perseverance. And I go on
that quick tangent just for context, so that you can
understand my perspective when combo steer in this spiritual direction,
as they will sometimes no doubt here on how happy
mess And that is a perspective that's inclusive and respectful
of beliefs and opinions that may sometimes differ from mine.

(15:26):
And that's okay, that's good. So take what you may
if you feel that it resonates with you. And also
don't when it doesn't. Whatever you believe, even if it
is just in yourself, if it helps give you the
faith and confidence to do and experience the things that
you're capable of doing and experiencing, then that's it. That's
what we want. That's what I hope you tap into,

(15:46):
especially when it comes to changing directions, taking an unknown path,
or starting over again, because that's real scary. That's scary.
So anyways, like I said, I was about to graduate.
I didn't know what was next for me. I knew,
I didn't. I knew. I no longer thought that it
was music in the way that I thought it would be.
What ended up happening was fate intervened and I was

(16:11):
working my work study position on campus. Have I told
this story in the podcast yet before? I don't know
if I have. I don't think I have. But I
was working my work study position UM at the front
desk as a receptionist on campus and I stumbled across
this posting that was like, do you want to be
the face of this local TV station? And I was like,

(16:32):
I don't even know what this is, but I want
to be the face of it, especially Expecion, especially especially
if it's paid. She was looking for a job, y'all.
So I had a really great boss. She was kind
enough to let me off of work. I think it
was like the next day, maybe the day after, I
can't remember. And I hopped in my ninety nine read

(16:54):
four tourists, um my cute little hoopie with the air
conditioning that did work, and drove from Columbus to Indianapolis
to audition to be the face of this local TV station.
Just on a wing and a prayer. Is that the
saying I'm really not good with these things? And also
why is it wing and a prayer like an angels
wing and a prayer? I don't know. Anyways, I drove

(17:18):
up there. It was hot as hell because it was,
you know, almost summer in Ohio, so it's hot, it's sticky,
it's the Midwest heat. And the air condition did not work,
so she was I was sweating. Um. So I got
to Indianapolis. Long story short, I auditioned along with maybe
a few hundred a couple hundred, few hundred other people.
It was purely baptism by fire, I mean, the the

(17:40):
obvious stuff of being the face was going to the
parades and interviewing local leaders. If there was an event
coming up that weekend or a concert, I might interview
the stars who were coming into town. I would do
filled packages, Oh we're going to the museum this week,
Like this is what you can do with your kids.
So it was just like fun fluff lifestyle pieces and
I really loved it. And it was purely baptism by

(18:03):
fire because I didn't know how to shoot content or
footage or how to edit, and they were like, okay,
so you're gonna have to know how to shoot and
produce and edit. And in hindsight, it was the biggest
blessing because it prepared me for for this amazing career
that has grown and snowballed over the years. And being

(18:23):
able to produce and do all of this behind the
scenes stuff has really been a blessing. And the craziest
part about all of this, even though I had just
decided to pivot, I had just decided to reroute, and
I wasn't sure where this was going to lead me,
things took off. I mean it took off. A career
path I'd never even seriously considered was suddenly carving itself

(18:44):
out for me. That's just how it felt and I
was loving it. I was loving the job. I enjoyed
what I was doing. I always say once I started
hosting television, it felt like if I took two steps forward,
God took me another ten. No effort from me. I
was giving my all. But if that two steps is
all I had, he was like, cool, I'm a quadruple

(19:05):
at let's go. It was momentum because I had finally
found my thing, the thing that I was actually meant
to do. And it's like, what is for you is
for you. No one can stop that, and what's not
for you is not for you, and you can't force
it or make it happen. So I just want to
encourage you to be brave, to be bold, and do

(19:26):
not ever be afraid to begin again. I love this
quote that I'm about to read, and it has been
such a touchstone for me throughout my adulthood. It's by f.
Scott Fitzgerald, and he said, for what it's worth, it's
never too late or in my case, too early, to
be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit,

(19:46):
start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same.
There are no rules to this thing. We can make
the best or the worst of it. I hope you
make the best of it. I hope you see things
that startle you. I hope you feel things you've never
felt before. I hope you meet people who have a
different point of view. I hope you live a life
you're proud of. And if you're not, I hope you

(20:09):
have the courage to start over again. Wow. I love it.
I love it. I love it. It's so true and
it's easier said than done, but it's so rewarding. On
the other end of of showing up for yourself and
being brave enough for yourself to do a new thing,
to try a new thing, Deciding to pivot does not
mean that you've failed. Um. Giving up is not the

(20:31):
same as moving on. You can be in a car
in Ohio driving for Georgia and then one day decides,
you know what, I think I'd rather head west. I'm
gonna do a little reroute. Does that mean that you quit,
that you ended your journey, that you failed at travel. No,
you change directions, but you're still on the road. Okay,

(20:54):
So we're gonna dig into that this episode. Stay tuned
until the end. For this week's party trick, we have
seven signs. It is time for you to do a
work life pivot. And it's the holiday season too, is
the season of giving, So I'm giving away something. I
got another giveaway for you all, okay, so hand tight,
it's coming at the end. In the meantime, it is

(21:15):
time for our special guest this episode. Deepka Moodyala is
the founder and CEO of Live Tinted and a renowned
South Asian American beauty entrepreneur. On a mission to champion
multicultural beauty through community conversation and products. She aims to
dismantle colorism with the collective voices and power of the
Live Tinted community. Deepaca rose to the forefront of the

(21:37):
beauty industry back in when her YouTube video depicting a
beauty hack to cover dark under eye circles using red
lipstick went viral and that video now boasts over ten
million views. And what I personally love most about Deepica,
who's been a friend of mine for a few years now,
is she is not only an ambitious alpha babe such

(21:59):
a boss who is killing it in her career. She
is a total girls girl who was all about cheering
on and supporting the women in her life. So, without
further ado, here's my combo with deep Aca. Deep A,
good girl, what's up? Thanks so much for having me.
Congrats on your new podcast, What Don't You Do? Thank
you God, Thank you sleep. I don't sleep, but I'm

(22:22):
sure that you can relate because you were a woman
of many talents. You've got so much going on, so
I appreciate you taking the time today. Thanks of course,
of course for everyone listening. Deepika and I go back
the first time. When's the first time we crossed paths?
It was quite a few years ago. It was quite
if I remember vaguely, we chatted really quickly at a party.
Was it a Golden Globes after party or something? It

(22:44):
was like how l A does that sound? Yeah, but
you're right, it was so. I remember I went up
to you. It was it was like the in style
Golden Globes after party, and I don't remember exactly what
I said to you. I remember saying like you're killing
it or something like that, and I knew you had
good vibes, good energy, and I could come up to
you at a party like that where people usually only
talk to people they know. Uh. Anyways, I hate those parties.

(23:07):
By the way, it's the worst, but for you it's
like legit, it was work for me too, but for
you it was like actually actually work, um and yeah,
like anyway, So I always like to go towards positive
vibes and energy at those things because you never know
who somebody gonna act like. But yeah, after that, I
remembering you on social I'm obsessed with you and your
man and and love everything you're doing. Thank you, thank you, same, same, same.

(23:33):
I remember the night of that party when you came
up and introduce yourself, like to your point, that's exactly
like I normally can't stand going to those parties unless
it's for work, just because it's very kind of like, oh,
who's who and do I know this person? And this
and that? And I was like, oh, that girl is
really cool, the fact that she would just walk up
and say what's up. And I think sometimes people assume

(23:54):
people don't want you to do that, but I am
very much the type of person who's like, Hi, let's
get to know each other and out a little bit.
So I was glad that you did it. And I
followed your career journey and your growth and evolution since then,
and it's just been so impressive and so inspirational. So
I just want you to tell it. I want you
to share it. UM, back up a little bit for

(24:16):
me too. I remember you hosting so you were doing.
You were in New York, right, You're on the East Coast.
I was in New York. I moved there straight out
of college. Um. Actually no, and this is a fun
fact because you're you're from Ohio, right. Yeah. Right after college,
I did a brief stint in Columbus, Ohio at Victoria's
Secret Corporate, which was limited brands at the time. Okay, yeah,

(24:39):
And then after that my goal was always to be
in the beauty industry, so working there was like a
foot into the fashion space, which was hopefully a foot
into the beauty space. And then after a quick nine months,
I made my way to New York and took a
bet on a beauty startup called Bridge Box, and Um,
while I was there, I always knew I was going
to start my own brand one day. A And while

(25:01):
I was working there, about three years in, I did
the video that you talked about where I used the
red lipstick under my eyes to mask dark circles. And
the day I got an email from the Today Show
to come on to do the segment on air. I
quit my job because I just had this moment of
I think I always watched on TV. I'm sure you
went through the same thing where I saw a very
specific kind of person doing hosting. So I never thought

(25:23):
I could do it. Like it was very you know,
blonde hair, blue eyes, and I remember the only person
I saw was like Khoda, Like she was the only
one that I saw and thought, Man, if she can
do this, maybe I could do um. And so when
I got that email, I kind of had this pit
in my stomach of this is the sign I needed
to literally quit my job and just go for it

(25:43):
to be a what I called at the time, because
it was really hard to swallow the word influencer. Now
I'm like, you know what, called me whatever the hell
you want, But at that time I called myself an
on air beauty expert because I was doing it for
the Today Show. Or you better be it on air
beauty I expert. You better you bet a drag that
title out and sticking up. First of all, that's what

(26:05):
you are, though, and that's what it is. Well, yeah,
but you know what, Like so at the time, my dad,
who's a very traditional South Asian father, like wanted his
daughter to be a doctor. And the fact that I
went to in the beauty industry working at a beauty
brand was like already crazy. But then to say, hey,
by the way, I quit my job at a beauty
brand to be a YouTuber was like two wild and amprehend.

(26:26):
But it was always for the end goal. I always
knew I was going to start my own beauty brand. Um,
it was just a matter of when right, And so yeah,
I did start with like the hosting world, and I
loved it so much. What I didn't love about it
was how, I mean, everything in this world is cut throat,
but I felt very like you're in one day, you're
out the next day, and and that was almost too much.

(26:48):
It was too much for me to handle, honestly. So
bravo to you for all the success you've had, because
they damn girl, it's been I needed every step of
that journey to get here. Hot Happy Mess is truly
the culmination of ten years of all of that everything
that you've mentioned, And yes it can be exhausting. I
do love it. I do feel like I'm walking in
my purpose and and so for that reason, it's worth

(27:11):
all the extra bs that sometimes comes with it. But
that's bs that we all deal with in various iterations
in our various you know, industries and career paths. You
know absolutely that's the that's the end goal. And you
you do have a very specific purpose. And I feel it.
And just like I felt with Hoda, They're a girl
watching you um on TV every day thinking I can
do this too, which is so dope. Thank you. I
appreciate that. And there are women everywhere, girls watching you

(27:34):
and saying, damn, let me go be a CEO. First
of all, I'm watching you and being like, damn, let
me go be a CEO? Do you because is killing it? Girl?
Nobody is wearing a pant suit like you. And these
in these boss photos that I see, Um, it is
not it is. It is ten eggs harder than I

(27:55):
ever ever thought it was gonna be. Like you know,
you you read about being a boss and being a CEO,
but it is. It is the hardest job at the company.
It is the most emotionally taxing job at the company.
Mentally taxing you Not only are trying to pursue your dreams,
you're trying to help other people's dreams come true to UM,

(28:15):
you know, whether it's employees or your customers, and it's
it just makes the pressure ten x harder. And I,
you know, I just care so deeply, So it's it's
so hard to handle. But I think you're right. It
is important for UM young girls to see young people,
to see more women as CEOs. Yeah, UM, talk to

(28:35):
me about that journey to CEO that this episode is
all about the art of the pivot. This is our
first series. I'm protecting our peace and our happiness. And UM,
I'm really excited to talk with you because there have
been a couple of moments where I was like, oh
my god, we need Deepica. You know, we'll get into
your story through Live tinted in that journey and where
you are now in the process. Your recent YouTube video

(28:57):
really just resonated with me on a personal and deep
level when you talk about your move back home to
Texas for a little while. UM, So before we get
to where you are now, UM in your life, talk
to me about starting the brand. This is something that
you dreamed about since you were a young girl. What was, um,
the turning point that made you say, you know what
now is the time. I'm moving to l A. I'm

(29:19):
doing whatever I gotta do, live tinted, let's go. I
think after five years in New York City, I did
everything I dreamt of doing there, Like I um, after
I quit my job in the video and viral, I
was so blessed too. And everyone told me when you
go on the Today Show and have one of those moments,
it's a cool moment in your life and you move on, like, girl,

(29:40):
that's not gonna be a full time job. I don't
know what you're thinking. Don't be crazy, stay stick to
your day job. And I didn't listen to that. I
just had this like pit in my stomach that was saying, like, no,
I was. I was meant to do something in my
mind greater. And so I quit my job and I
did it and it did turn into a regular spot.
And so I was doing on air beauty expert thing,

(30:01):
but simultaneously to pay my bills, I was doing the
influencer thing. And what was like keeping me going as
a quote unquote beauty influencer was I grew up in
a space where I never saw a girl who looked
like me, a South Asian woman, in any beauty campaigns
and so to be able to be in a Mac
Studio fixed campaign, a Laurel Paris hair commercial, Samsung ad

(30:24):
that air during the Academy Awards, like these are things
that like I can't even say to you without like
getting chills, because it's wild to think that there's somebody
watching seeing themselves represented. And I think that's what kept
me going. Even though as a businesswoman and someone who
graduate with a business degree, I always saw myself as um.
I never saw myself waking up taking selfies every day,

(30:46):
or like talking about something that feels so just unnatural,
like it shouldn't be natural, sitting there and being like,
hey guys, so today, so here's my face, Yeah, potto
toast and like and then I'm going to like blah
blah blah blah and like that to me was kind
of numbing to the point where I was trying to
pretend like I was happy doing it, because there were

(31:08):
things about it that made me happy, like the messages
I got from people saying like keep going, keep going.
What you're doing is meaningful and it makes me feel represented.
But I got to a point, I think it was
three years after doing it, um um I started in
two thousand fifteen when then video went viral, and then
at the very end of two thousand seventeen, I got
approached by a man who wanted to create a beauty

(31:30):
brand that kind of reflected South Asian people because um,
he has a daughter who's half half Indian and he
was amazing and super kind, but the business proposition just
wasn't what I had dreamt of when I was sixteen, Like,
I didn't want to be a face of a brand.
I wanted to build a brand, and I wanted to
run the brand, and I wanted to create it with

(31:51):
my vision, not just just be in a campaign for it.
That's that's what I'd been doing. So I think that
kind of lit the fire in me to say, like deeps,
like if you don't start now, somebody else is going
to do it, and they won't do it the way
that you know is the right way to do it. Um.
And so I did it, and I in January of
two thousand eighteen it started. What was also super important

(32:13):
to me was starting it as a community platform rather
than as a beauty brand. And that was something that
when I went to early investors to see if you
know again by the way, I had no clue what
I was doing, So I think, like, I think that's
important because all all these people who are like, oh, well,
how did you know how to navigate the investor space?
I didn't likedn't, I didn't literally didn't. Um, But I

(32:36):
think that's that was almost the beauty of it. Like
I was just creating my own path rather than following
a path that was sort of paved for me, and
that I guess just made it really hard but also
really special. Um So, anyways, I I started it as
a community platform because it was really important to me
after being in the beauty industry on the corporate level

(32:57):
as an influencer and now starting my own brand, and
that this brand wasn't about me, but it was a
compilation of everything I had experienced through the lens of
my eyes and creating a community larger than myself. Like
I have doodles now that I'm back in Texas, um
of like doodling deep Beauty. I always thought that, like
a young age, I was going to create a brand
called Deep Beauty. UM and then yeah, it's wild being

(33:21):
home and having these reflections now. But like, um, but
I think I'm so proud that it's Live Tinted, is
is lived. It is called Live Tinted like to me,
it is a lifestyle, it is a being. It is
part of who you are, and it's it's embracing every
aspect of yourself and it's true authentic form and starting
as a community platform. I got so much pushback from investors,

(33:44):
but I'm so happy I did it because that surprises
me to hear you say. Because when I hear wait,
she wants an inclusive platform that's celebrating um, women and men,
people of all different shades and complexions. I hear that
and I see like ding ding ding ding ding, Like,
who wouldn't want to be a part of that as
an investor? Take my money because there's no way. But no,

(34:07):
no one was trying to hear it. So now I
feel like it's it's, it's it's it's it's required. But
at that time, you or ahead of that curve though,
you know, like to me, and that's why one of
our merchant says, my skin is not a trend. It's like,
none of this should be a trend. It should just
be the future of the industry. And I think that

(34:28):
to me was something that people. Yeah, at the time,
they didn't get it. They were like, you already have
a platform, you already have a following. Why wouldn't you
just create a brand under you as like the face
of it. And I, of course have to push, and
I built a platform for the purposes of being able
to use that platform to build a larger community. But
I I, my gut and my heart and my soul

(34:49):
knew that there needed to be a space for so
many people who never saw themselves represented, not just not
just people who look like me. So anyways, I said
screw it, and I did it, and I ended up
being able to raise a very very tiny amount of
money from UM Strategic angel angel checks that believed in me,
and they kind of were just like, you know, what
do you I don't really I don't fully even get

(35:10):
the beauty industry, but I know whatever you're doing, you're
you're gonna kill it. And and I'm very fortunate. And
that also, by the way, and I know you know
about this is like it takes so much. It took
so that doesn't come easy. Like it's not like I
was privileged and walked into a network of people who
just were like, oh, of course, I'm an investor I've
known in my whole life. Like no, I lived in
New York City and I spent every afternoon, evening, morning, night, um,

(35:35):
hustling to meet people and make contacts and form really
genuine it's like not just business ones, they're genuine ones
right like and um, and it paid off because yeah,
that those were the people who invested me in my
early days of my of my brand, and we started
as this community form and I'm so proud of it
because it did turn into this collective hub of voices

(35:56):
and and and people and storytelling of things you didn't
seen before. And then eventually I was like, Okay, this
needs to be an actual profitable business for people to
care like and I need to I need to get
paid now. It's got to keep the lights on. While
that's exactly right, it's like even though like my passion
and I'll be totally honest, like my passion is less

(36:17):
about the physical physical product. I'm gonna make it incredible
because that to me is the like intuitive, obvious part.
But it doesn't like feel me and get me excited
every day, Like at the end of the day, there's
beauty products launching every single day. But what can we
do with our campaign efforts, with our board, with our
investor group, with our employees that really breathes inclusivity in

(36:39):
every layer. That to me makes me feel like we're
creating something that has a purpose behind it and leaving
a footprint in the sand for hopefully future generations, you know.
So that's what I'm trying to do. It's a legacy
right there. That's legacy, and that that's your wine, and
it's a beautiful one. I love, uh what you said
about sort of your why, the reason why you're you're

(37:01):
invested so invested personally and emotionally and live tinted um.
You mentioned the fact that you were hustling in New
York City, that you're grinding it out. It's so much
effort right to do anything and let alone to do
it well, and let alone to do it well in
a way that gets enough attention to garner success. Because
you can be really good at something and still not
get the success that you technically deserve. So it just

(37:23):
takes a lot of work, and sometimes being on that
grind can lead to losing your mind a little bit.
I talked about this a lot. I had my new
York years. I was there for probably three or four.
I felt like I was supposed to be the black
Harry brash On and it was just not it. I
was over. I was just like, why is this not
what Sex in the City told me was going to be.

(37:44):
I was miserable, I was exhausted, I was burnt out.
And that was the beginning of my journey to where
I am now. Sort of this this mindfulness, this presence,
this I'm just gonna find the magic right in the
middle of all of this, because if I keep waiting
for some yet to be determined date in the future,
who knows if I'll ever get there, and then I

(38:05):
will waste it my life grinding it out checking all
these amazing boxes and still being miserable. So I've started
to really make space and time for things that lighten
me up and served me just personally. So I want
to ask you, um, at what point, if there was one,
I would assume there was, because there are for most people.
Did you start to feel burnt out? Right? This can
be your passion, your purpose, your why, the career that

(38:27):
you've committed to, and yet still you have to check
in with yourself and say, okay, I'm doing what I'm
supposed to be doing, but am I doing it in
the most efficient, productive way that is also kind and
gentle to me? Deepica the person, the spirit, the woman.
So it's happened to me twice and both resulted in

(38:50):
a move um when I was in New York. The
first time it happened to me was after I was
there for five years and I had done what I
thought was my Indian care Bradshawn moment, and like I
was like living on Street was my address, right across
from the Sex in the City House. I was frolicking
New York City and my number one dream because again

(39:11):
growing up like the met Gala and things like you
know that I'm sure you felt the same way when
you did the hosting for it, that like those things
are just not things that girls from Texas get to
go to. Um and hyowei o Hiowe's exactly, and it's
like you actually feel like you have to be in
La or New York period, like that is the only
way you can make your dreams reality. And I M

(39:33):
remember I just was determined to get the Today Show
to get me to go cover that red carpet, and
I just it was like in my like checklist of
life dreams, and it happened and um in two thousand seventeen.
And after that happened, I went home that night and
I what I thought was my biggest dream of dreams,

(39:56):
and I just started to cry. And it wasn't happy tears.
It was genuinely like I didn't still feel fulfilled after
I had quote unquote achieved my biggest New York dream UM.
And the next day I told my parents I needed
to come home. And this was in May, right like
the first the first Monday of May is the met Gala,
and I moved home the next week and I lived

(40:18):
at home for a month in the same house i'm
in now and woke up every day and did UM
walks with my dad and just got a sense of
calm and realized that I was ready to move to
l A UM. And to me, what I thought l
a was going to represent was new beginnings, which it did.
It was new beginnings. It ignited this fuel and me
to start my company. I went from I I put

(40:40):
a little bit of a beat and arrest to the
beauty influencer stuff and really focused on building a brand UM.
And then what it also to me, what I thought
it was gonna be was my New York meets Texas.
Like I would get the career benefits of New York,
but I would get the calmness and stillness and zen
of Texas that I feel. Um. What I think I

(41:02):
realized once I moved to l A, which goes to
my second burnout phase. And I don't I would say
less burnout, but just like aha, moment that I'm not
truly happy, was that something's got to give, something's gotta give.
And I man, I had this moment during the I
think a lot of people during the pandemic. Um I moved.

(41:24):
I had just moved, by the way into a stupid
expensive l a penthouse corner unit. What I give the
details because I think it's important that. Like I thought
again that that would make me happy. I had this
beautiful view of the ocean and downtown and I was
proud of that. Oh wait, we had a waterfront property. Yes, girl,

(41:44):
it was must be nice. It was. It was fake life.
Like what I thought again, what I thought I wanted.
I had built this company and I was going into
our our office every day, coming home to this beautiful home,
and and I thought I was going to start dating
again and all these things, like, you know, I was
ready to create a new form of happiness for myself
outside of my career. And then the pandemic hit and

(42:08):
I was just sitting in this apartment and just like alone,
first of all, and I just had this moment of like,
what the hell is this all for? If you're just
gonna do it alone and being a one of the
loneliest jobs in the world, Like you're literally have to
be strong for everybody else and yourself, and it's just

(42:29):
it's a lot to handle. So I moved home, like
a lot of people did during the pandemic. And but
then instead of going back and continuing on with life,
I decided that my company could be remote and it
was the safest thing for us to be remote, and
I moved back. I went back to l A to
pack up my bags, and now I'm back in Texas,

(42:50):
And now you're back in Texas. Um, this brings me
to the YouTube video that you um sort of dove
into that experience class you guys should go to do
because you YouTube channel to watch it in its entirety,
because that is what really resonated with me there was
something you said that really stuck out in the video,
which was you know you were I think you were
in l A. And you take it because by all

(43:12):
means I did not want to butcher this, but you
were essentially saying you thought about how many people were
close enough friends to you here in l A would
care or not care, maybe but notice or truly miss
your presence if you left, And when you realize what
that number was, it was kind of like, why why stay?
Why not pivot and go back to where all of

(43:34):
the love is and all of your family, which, oh
my god, we have to talk about because they're awesome. Um,
we'll talk to us about that. What was that moment?
What were you explaining in the video there? I mean, yeah,
I realized that I could count on one hand how
many people's lives would actually be impacted. And I don't
mean that in a vain way. I just more mean that,

(43:55):
like the day to day interactions and emotional connections you
had with people beyond work, would actually care if I
was not in the city, And I could count it
on one hand, and that to me, and by the way,
even that one hand, I like I knew that it
would we would still be in connection. We would be fine.

(44:16):
But what I realized was I was fully living in
a city because of my job in my career, and
that to me no longer was okay. UM, And I
wanted to find a personal state of happiness that I
just didn't have. And I do believe there was a
period in time we're living in l A and New
York was required to make it in certain industries like beauty, entertainment, media, fashion.

(44:42):
UM didn't and so I think for me it was
the right move. And the other thing I like need
did tell myself was like, nothing is definite, like your
this whole idea of you have to hit you know.
Four thirty thirty was just released yesterday, and what I
think is it's so incredible and it is something that
I dreamt of being on my like for a very

(45:04):
long time. But it's like what a marker it's like.
But then it's like, why, because God forbid you move
past thirty as I have, as that we both have
and not have hit it. You know. There's just such
a pressure too to get to a thing in a
certain amount of time before you age out, and the
fact that anyone can age out of anything at thirty

(45:25):
when life just began for me. Truly, Wow, I feel
like I'm just starting the best years of my life,
in the most secure, confident years of my life, which
came through grinding it out in my twenties. It's so
I just really and listen, this is this is one
of those things that's like, it's it's incredible for people
who have made that list. And I don't want to
shoot on that by any means. I just think that

(45:47):
pressure of everything has to happen by a certain age.
It's a lot for people to handle, and um, as
ambitious people, you want to hit those milestones. And I
remember I was grinding so hard and building live tinted
I completely forgot about the deadline. I remember being twenty
nine and thinking I'm going to make this list, and
I the last thing on my mind was vain vanity

(46:10):
things like making a PR list like four thirty thirty,
because I was like in sweats, just like head down working,
actually doing the work, actually doing the work. And I
was so sad that I missed that deadline. But you know,
everything really happens the way it's supposed to be, because
I this past year made like this entrepreneur like, I
don't even know that it was some crazy title like

(46:31):
a hundred most powerful women thing, and I was just like,
damn if ever, that's a great I was like, you
know what, and that wasn't manufactured, that just it was
naturally it And I think that's I think that's the
like lesson I learned for myself is when you just
put your head down and do the work, the recognition
comes the way it's supposed to. And I'm gonna be

(46:53):
real with you, sometimes you need that recognition and like
to to stay motivated and to keep going. And whatever
that recognition is, whether it is a follower and a
customer or a family member telling you to keep going,
or if it is some sort of like marker in
your business hitting a sales goal or getting an award
like that from a publication, Um, you kind of need

(47:13):
those things to just keep you going and stay motivated.
And um, you you have an amazing family who seems
to keep you very motivated, and you guys are full
of so much off you share them on your Instagram accounts,
on your social media. So it seems like that's become
very much a part of understanding who Deepica is. And
I love that you share that part of yourself. UM,

(47:34):
can you just sort of talk to us a little
bit about that aspect of your life, Like we're talking
about the art of the pivot this episode, and especially
as ambitious people. UM, there was a time when I
had to pivot and it was like, Okay, this is
what my professional life looks like, and technically this should
be more than enough. Like most people I think would
be super excited about this, but I need to pivot

(47:56):
and infuse my professional life with some more of my
core values. I'm from Ohio. UM, my family is everything
to me. UM, My my parents, my brothers. I have
the same best friends that I've had for the one
who's you know, co producing this this podcast with me.
We've been best friends since we were, you know, thirteen,
fourteen years old. All my other best friends are truly

(48:18):
like ten years plus at this time, right, So, like,
people come into my life and they stay, and I'm
that's a testament to them too. I love that I
have been blessed with great people, UM, and I wanted
my professional life to reflect that. And it wasn't like
I wanted to feel good every day, and so I
wanted to talk about things like what we're talking about,
which is why I went out of my way to

(48:39):
commit to building hot, happy mess and creating community and
conversation around what my personal life feels like. And then
hopefully one day I could get paid to do it
um in a perfect role so that I didn't have to,
you know, cash checks that I didn't for things I
didn't necessarily believe in. UM. When it comes to pivoting
for you, was there any um any hesitation? What did

(49:03):
it feel like for you to say, you know what,
I'm moving back to Texas? Technically? What are people going
to think about this? Does this look like I'm giving
the white flag of surrender or throwing in the towel?
Does it look like I've failed? Um? What did that
feel like? Was there any hesitation or initial gut reaction
you had to quell because of your ambition? And I

(49:26):
hate that I felt this way, but I definitely had
this sense of like, will I lose relevancy? Like I
if I'm not there, will I still get invited to
the certain things that like keep people relevant and just
things that I even saying out loud makes me feel silly,
but it is how I felt. It's true I felt

(49:46):
the same way. Yeah, it's it's it's a real feeling
because you know, to stay so much of my success
I attribute to my network, and that network is primarily
in l A and New York. But I think two
things that made me feel a sense of calm was,
I do truly believe what the digital world we're in,
we can make anything happen the way we want to
make it happen. And also I thought about, like, you

(50:07):
know what, at the end of the day, like everything
is one flight away, not like right now with the pandemic,
we're trying to chill out. But I think we all
needed a little bit of this reset. So it's like
it's okay that I can't fly to l A all
the time. What it actually has allowed me to do
is sit down and strategize what is it that I
deeply go want for my long term career. Um, so
much of it the last few years has been around

(50:29):
live tinted, which is such a big part and truly
what I actually wake up caring about. But that said,
I think, and I'm sure I know you must feel
the same way. Is I'm capable of so much. Um,
I know I'm capable of doing so much. So it's
really hard to say that live Tinted is my only
baby and that's all I'm going to do. But there's
a there's a there's a time and place for everything

(50:51):
in life. So I think that sharing my family stuff
is so important for me on a personal level more
than anything, because I grew up being embarrassed of them,
Like I grew up my mom would like I didn't
have friends come over because the house smelled like chicken curry,
and I was embarrassed to have my dad come and

(51:11):
speak to other parents because of his accent and um,
just like I had this dual life where on the
weekends I would hang out with my Indian friends and
at school I would hang out with my white friends.
And I kept him separate because I wanted to be cool,
and I felt like staying in l A was a
version of me caring about the same thing, Like I
just wanted to fit in with the cool WHOA and

(51:35):
I didn't want to fit in with the cool I
want you just like this. That's really that's fascinating to me.
It's it's just so spot on the way that you
even describe that I've never thought about it that way,
and yet that is exactly how I felt at different
points where I'm like, well, if I ever left, Like
again to the point about relevancy, which is not a

(51:56):
thing that anybody wants to admit. It kind of feels
like if you like, you know, we're not supposed to
feel those things, but like that's the truth of it,
and it goes like right into code switching to right,
like I went to a very small, almost all white,
private independent school, but I grew up in the inner city.
All of my friends back home were black. I took
the little yellow school of us out and then I
came back and they were two separate worlds, and I

(52:17):
was the only bridge between those two things, and I
was so I don't know if afraid is the right word.
I was so hesitant for those two worlds to collide
because I knew how much it grated on me, and
how much it took from me to be able to
code switch and understand both spaces and exist in both.
I was afraid of what it would look like. What

(52:38):
if they, you know, combines like I, I didn't know
how to exist fully in either one, and yet I
couldn't give either one up. They were both a part
of my life and there and there was a lot
of personal I guess um, frustration and confusion that came
from that from trying to be something fully that you

(52:59):
weren't because you're a little bit of a lot of
different things. So where that's like just bread into your
career life because we really they're a good therapist help
me realize this. But I literally sat down and dive
dove into why is it that I care to stay
in l A when actually when I am there, I'm
not fulfilled? And it goes back to this rooted, deep

(53:21):
rooted thing of growing up where I just wanted to
be cool, I wanted to fit in, and I wanted
to belong. We all want to just belong, right like
we want a sense of community. And I think I'm
so grateful to have met people like you in my
life that are just like you know that we all
want to do something better for the world. And it's
like by sharing our truth is kind of that better.

(53:43):
And that is I think, um, a really hard thing
to kind of come to terms with. But the more
honest we can be with ourselves and with others, the
more we've I think we'll find true happiness. So that's
that's kind of journey I'm on right now. I'm not
I'm not like listen, I'm not fully there, like I'm
currently living at the like this comforter is from like
growing up in the eighth grade. It's like things like

(54:05):
that are really like uncomfortable for me, and I'm like, oh,
I just miss being in my l A place, Like
I get those moments, but I also realize again, like
there is truly a purpose and a reason that I'm
here right now. It really is giving me a sense
of mental clarity. I can totally make see myself back
in l A, maybe New York, maybe all the above, right, Like,

(54:26):
but I think just having like this beat to take
a step back and say, what is it that you
really want? Deepicau like, what is it that you want
for yourself and for the world. There's no way we
could have taken a second before this pandemic to even
think about that because we were busy going you know,
it's I kind of want to ask just straight up.
So we talked about the thirty under thirty list, right

(54:48):
and age age age age, like, especially as women, Um,
there's this unfair uh mark on us and at a
certain age, certain things just aren't applicable to us. We're
not as a try active Allegedly, according to you know,
traditional societal standards were not um employable at a certain
point because god forbid, they have babies or they're pregnant

(55:10):
or dealing with motherhood and we don't want to deal
with that in our in our office. Um, how do
you feel one about like talking about your age? I
really own it. And I had to grow into that
because it was cute when I was twenty five and
I was like, yes, I'm twenty five and I'm national
and that was my goal and blah blah blah whatever.

(55:30):
Because at thirty I started getting a little more quiet
about it. At thirty one, I was like, do I
don't want to post my age? You're on Instagram? And
then at now I'm thirty two, I'm like, you know what,
fuck this? Like, screw this every year that I get
as a blessing, and I am doing a disservice to
anyone who's following my journey by downplaying the fact that

(55:52):
I'm at a certain age and haven't done certain things
that I want to do yet. And I think by
being open and honest about my age even and when
sometimes I'm like, but I wanted this or that by now, um.
But being honest anyway, even through the discomfort of it,
is empowering. I hope to other women who are like, well,
I'm thirty or I'm thirty five or I'm forty, and

(56:14):
I haven't done this, this or this. I thought I
would be married by now. I thought I would have
knocked out all three to four l O L of
my children, um, and I would just be back to grinding.
And now I just get to keep hustling in my thirties.
I am not married, we're engaged, nowhere near having a
small child, um, And I'm happy. But my life doesn't
look exactly like what I thought it would look like.

(56:36):
So what is your perspective just on the age of
it all, especially as a woman, and especially when it
comes to balancing our personal lives and the markers we
thought we'd be at versus what we're actually doing. Yeah,
I think that's why I'm being so open about doing
my egg freezing and openly talking about it with the world,
because I, first of all, there's so much taboo around

(56:59):
that thought, especial lee, and I'm not within the South
Asian community. It's like really heavy that, like you don't
like I Literally my mom was like, don't talk. She
didn't want me to talk about it publicly. And it
was like a conversation I had to have with her
because yeah, like it. It's this idea of like to
complete Actually, an Indian uncle said this to me. He said,

(57:19):
to complete yourself in womanhood. You've done great things with
your career, but to complete yourself as a woman, you
need to get married and have children. Um. And this
was just during this was very recently, and I was
who I was cringing. I didn't in front of him,
it wasn't even worth it. But I had the conversation
with my parents and I was just like that really
bothered me that his definition of being of complete women

(57:42):
were those two things. First of all, there's plenty of
women who can't have children. There's plenty of women who
don't want to have children, and that is their prerogative
and that is so okay, and it's not okay that
society tells them otherwise. So for me, I do know
that I want to have children, but I also know
that I am nowhere close to that. I'm not in
my only uh, not engage. You're married. I'm single ass,

(58:04):
and I like, literally right, so I'm nowhere. Oh you guys,
send your eligible bachelors into Deep because d MS. This
was really just to find a boyfriend. Really is why
I'm on right now, just kidding all right now if
you have first of all, if you haven't seen Deep,
you need to go to Instagram and do yourself a favor.

(58:25):
She's stunning. She is clearly as you can tell now,
so intelligent, so bad ass. Like I have no idea
how she's single if she would like to be in
a relationship. So this is completely I've decided, like the
world is yours. This is just maybe we were about
to do an energy shift because there's no way I can.
I truly, this is not me gassing you up. This

(58:45):
is not like the I'm interviewing the person, so let
me just like sell him the dream. I do not
understand outside of your working a lot or maybe you're
not crossing paths with that that person, how you wouldn't
be because you're too stunning and successful and smart and
just interesting. I think there really is a reason why
things happen in chapters in life, because I don't think

(59:07):
I could have been a good partner before thirty one,
Like every year prior to prior to this point in
my life, I would not have prioritized anyone outside of
my family, and even my family, like on my thirtieth birthday,
I invited like all of my closest friends. It was
like a hundred people, but you know, I'm Indian, so
like we we had we had the gal But I

(59:29):
just like started to cry because I literally had this emotional,
visceral reaction where I was like thanking all of the
closest people in my life for being patient with me,
because I was very selfish in my twenties. I was
very focused on my career. And now I'm kind of
like I think, you know, and yeah, I'm sure right,
And it's like I wouldn't have been I was I
only I've only had two boyfriends, and I wasn't I know,

(59:50):
I wasn't a great girlfriend. And so I think I'm
now at a point in life where I want to,
you know, I'm actively looking to hire a president for
Live Tinted. I'm ready to you sort of just prioritize
different things in my life because again, like I said, like,
what is it all for if you don't look back
and feel happy. And for me, not to everybody, but
for me, I know that having a family is is

(01:00:13):
a massive part of my happiness and so everything. You know,
I used to think that way all the time. I've
texted you about this, like I'm sick of being single
and things like that. But like everything happens the way
it's supposed to, and I really want everyone to stop
thinking that. Like by x age and again like culturally
and also just being from Texas, you get married and

(01:00:33):
have kids by twenty five, and there's no way I
could have done that and achieved what I have achieved. Um,
if I if I didn't prioritize one or the other.
I just know myself. I'm I go a hundred and
fifty in anything I do. UM. So you know, everything
happens for a reason. But I think back to your
question about the age thing. It's it's I feel like

(01:00:53):
we're just getting started. You know, thirty is the new
thirty is like not even the new twenty. I feel
like thirties whatever you want it to be. So I
look thirties just lit. I am loving this this phase,
this chapter of my life. I'm happier than I've ever
been to your point, Yes, I feel like my twenties
I was selfish too. I look back at some things
and cringe. Some moments I missed and maybe didn't even

(01:01:16):
think too hard about having missed them, And that's just
how wrapped up in my own stuff I was at
that point. I love that that you have the piece
that comes with knowing that was then, this is now.
I'm ready for these things that I know I want.
If they'd come any sooner, I would have probably messed
them up. Yeah, exactly, good stuff, good stuff. Um, before

(01:01:39):
I let you go, just a couple more questions here.
But um, when it comes to where you are now
in your life, you've pivoted, You left l A when
you decided to know it just isn't serving my life
right now, you know. And that's not to say you
don't go back, or that you don't pack up and
go to New York or whatever it may be. Um,
what advice would you give to someone who is, you know,

(01:02:00):
owing the line and they're thinking about pivoting or making
the hard turn because they feel it in their spirit.
But maybe like you, like me, at different points in
my life, you're worried about what people will think, or
what is expected of you, or what this pivot might imply,
or how it might be misinterpreted. What would you say
that to the people listening who might be there. I

(01:02:20):
think what I did for myself was envisioned what I
wanted my life to be like when I had children
and it was all said and done, and I was
like in my sixties seventies, and I like took a
look at what life was going to look like, and
none of it mattered if I didn't feel a sense
of happiness. And when I think about like what footprint

(01:02:40):
I wanted to leave in the world, it really I
think about that all the time. It all stemmed from
things that weren't vain in any regard, and it wasn't
about what anyone thought in any regard. It was about
what I thought, how I felt with myself, and how
I want to wake up everyday feeling. And I think,
if somebody does that exercise where you just take a

(01:03:01):
step back and look at your life fifty years from now, um,
what do you want to feel about yourself? And when
when I did that, I was like, I want to
know that I spent every waking minute with my parents
that I could. I want to know that I took
care of my health. I wasn't doing that in l A.
I was just going UM And I want to know

(01:03:23):
that I left a mark on the world. And I
think all of those things were being distracted by external
factors in Los Angeles for me, um And so I
think if you're if you're hesitant about it, just take
a quick minute to think about that for yourself and
what really matters to you. Deepaka, this was amazing. Thank

(01:03:44):
you so much for taking the time. If people want
to follow you, if they want to follow the Live
Tinted journey, support the brand you guys. Um, can we
just shout out the hough stick and found first of
all because that's my favorite color, and then also the
Unity ball gloss is everything. It's just like tops to
out of on my face. It's like super cheer and
sexy and just like a little something extra. So those

(01:04:06):
are my two favorit products. So people want to to
support lift tinted or follow you, where can they find you?
So it's at Deepica on all social platforms, and then
at Live Tinted on lit tinted dot com and all
the things but mainly Live tinted dot com. Go there, Okay,
go there, and that's deeper at d E E P
I C A. I like to spell it out for

(01:04:27):
people just to just say that they get it right.
Um Deepica, thank you so much. I'm so excited to
share this conversation with the hot Happy mess gang, and
I'm gonna have to hop ont of Flights of Texas.
I told you I've still got a storage unit down
there from when I lived in Dallas, so next time.
That was hilarious. By the way, we need to separately
discuss that over text because l O L that you
still have a story. I have been paying on that

(01:04:49):
thing for literally eight years. I moved away from Dallas
eight years ago. I haven't even opened it. I've paid
more in storage costs than whatever the hell is even
in there is worth. There's like a couch covered in
cat hair that I got secondhand from a guy who
owned a cat like I don't even know. That is
so good. Yes, you're gonna come visit me. We're gonna
have those this with my parents and then it's getting
and then you're gonna help me find a man when

(01:05:10):
this pandemic. Yes, yes, you guys, don't forget y'all. We're
on a mission for Deepicco. Okay, so if y'all know
some cute eligible bachelors come on sliding. The d M s, well,
we'll have a follow up where we we match make you.
I love it, I love it, I love it. Thank
you so much for having me. Thank you, happy best

(01:05:31):
all right, Thank you again to Deepaca. Make sure you
guys follow her on Instagram. Keep up with Live Tinted.
It's an amazing beauty brand. I highly recommended. The housticks
are mug um um. And now we are moving into
our party trick. Seven signs that it is time for
you to do a work life pivot. This is an

(01:05:52):
article on inc dot com i n C dot com.
The author is Chris Hiveley and he's the co founder
of map Quest and an entrepreneur. So we're gonna link
the full article in the show notes to make sure
you check it out. He gives some really good insight,
But Chris says the number one sign, or the first
sign that you might be ready for a work life
pivot is waking up is a big chore, he continues, Yes,

(01:06:13):
Monday suck. He gets it, but do you wake up
every morning dreading the day in front of you. This
is a very clear sign, and he strongly encourages you
to find a way out of the gig. Number two.
If your work day is spent watching the clock. Lord
knows I have been there before. Um. He says, some
days do drag, obviously, but you should be in a

(01:06:35):
situation where you actually enjoy the job that you do.
This may seem foreign to some of you, but he
shares without hesitation that he has loved every job for
long periods of time. He's never watched the clock. Number three.
If you spend more brain time on your side project.
If you have that persistent feeling in the back of
your mind or deep down in your heart, and you've

(01:06:57):
been thinking about that side project, maybe birthing it for
a long time, or maybe you have it, but you
get more passionate and want to give more UM hours
to that than the main gig or to something else
that you might be doing. UM. It might be a
sign that you need to pivot, that it's time for
you to dedicate more of your brain time and your

(01:07:19):
billable hours to the side project. Number four. If you
have trouble sleeping, Chris says one of the more obvious signs.
But what he wants you to evaluate is when you're
not sleeping, but you're in your bed, what are you
thinking about. If it is the excitement or pressure of
your job, that's normal. If the thoughts are about your boss,
the company, or a general negative reaction to the current job,

(01:07:41):
you might want to uncover the source of that emotion.
Number five, you are barking at people you love. We've
all been there before where we're getting snappy, right, and
this again is just me personally talking zuri um. But
we were getting snappy or we're on edge because we're
just like frustrated and over it um in our everyday life.

(01:08:02):
And so it's starting to bleed into our personal life,
our day to day interactions. And that is a sign
that you know, something's got to give, because we don't
want to show up like that for the people that
we love. And six, Chris says, you feel professionally unsatisfied,
and then he continues, I mean really dissatisfied, as in

(01:08:22):
my skills, experience, and primary motivation to serve the job
is absent. He continues, life is too darne short to
live like this. It's time to make a change, and last,
but not least, his number seven tip for deciding you
might need a work life pivot if you are simply
doing it for the money. Wow. Chris continues, there are
a few who can operate like this every day, but

(01:08:44):
it's not him. He says, I like money as much
as the next guy. It's just not my long term
primary goal. So be honest with yourself and ask the
person in the mirror, why am I doing this job?
Really great tips, Like I said, we'll have the full
link in the show notes. You can check about the
entire article and morphous commentary there. Um. What I loved
about these seven tips is they apply not just to

(01:09:08):
work life or to work specific stuff that bleeds into
your personal life. You can take that and apply it
to your personal life too, right whether it's a relationship,
the same things could apply if waking up as a
big chore, if you're not into it, If you're spending
more brain time nodding a side project, your side chick,
somebody else that could be on the side, but that's

(01:09:29):
a problem. Maybe you shouldn't be in that relationship. If
you're having trouble sleeping or you're snapping in the relationship
all the time. Like all of those things still apply,
whether it's a friend group, whether it's you know, extracurricular,
or whatever it is. I think these these tips are
really good and can be easily applied to any portion
of your life. So I hope you enjoyed this week's

(01:09:50):
party trick. We are on our way out of this year,
out of one, and it is the season. Oh gosh,
it's just the season. What am I talking about? I'm
in the Christmas spirit. Okay, So I've got another giveaway.
I am giving away five copies of a book called
Power Moves, How Women can pivot, reboot, and build a

(01:10:11):
career of Purpose. The author is Lauren mcgodwin. She's the
founder of the influential website career Contessa. The book covers
what a power move is and why it matters, cutting
out comparison, shame and self loathing, how to abandon the
elusive quote unquote dream job, embracing your inner question or
your inner quester and your inner quitter, making money moves

(01:10:32):
and taking control of your financial future, and tuning out
noise and tuning into your voice. So if you like
a copy of the book, all you gotta do is
leave a quick five star rating and a written review
of this here hot happy mess. Okay, make sure you
leave your Instagram or Twitter handle in your reviews so
that we know who's d ms to slide into to

(01:10:54):
notify you if you're if you're the winner, okay, I
am going to personally buy and give away copy of
Power Moves to five lucky winners to giveaway. Closes on Sunday,
January t one. What oh that's we're out here talking
about twenty one now eleven fifty nine pm Eastern Standard time. Okay,

(01:11:16):
good luck, May the odds be ever in your favor.
And speaking of reviews, I want to give a shout
out to one of our most recent reviews, Alexia Plumber
said celebrating my hot messness. This is definitely the podcast
that I needed to help me celebrate my hot mess.
Instead of wallowing in what society tells me, z eloquently
expresses my thoughts and helps me move past my thoughts.

(01:11:37):
I love the latest episode self Love is Sexy a
f because I resonated heavily gave me the opportunity to
focus all on me, my self care, my self love,
and ultimately my hot mess, which I now celebrate. Thanks
c Alexia, thank you so much for such an awesome review.
I'm glad that you're enjoying the show. I hope you

(01:11:58):
continue to stay too wound. Celebrate that hot mess, girl,
celebrate it. I love it. Okay, guys, I love you.
Thank you for hanging out with me in this final
episode of twenty. So excited for all that's in store.
Um as we continue on this journey together. I'm wishing
you all a happy holiday season, sending you so much
love and so much light for a prosperous love Field,

(01:12:21):
joyful one. All Right, so I will talk to you
next Monday, and in the meantime, cheers,

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6: Is It Time for You to Pivot?! with Deepica Mutyala

Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club