Ep 55 | Desi Perkins

Written By Yasmin Nouri
Desi.png

From Cocktail Server to Viral YouTube Star & Entrepreneur

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Desi Perkins is a digital content creator and Founder/CEO of her eyewear brand, Dezi, and skincare line, Dezi Skin.

Before becoming a mega beauty influencer with over 4 million Instagram followers and over 3 million Youtube subscribers, Desi was working as a cocktail waitress looking to make a change in her life but wasn’t sure which step she was going to take.

It all started with a last-minute Halloween costume that went viral in 2012. She used her background in art and what she learned on YouTube with special effects make-up to help make her husband’s skeleton costume come to life. This costume served as publicity for her skills and little did she know, would jumpstart her career in beauty and lead her to become the serial entrepreneur she is today.

In this episode, we talk about taking chances and why you should always, even if only in a small way, do what lights your heart up because you never know where it could lead you. Desi also shares her biggest mistakes and lessons she’s learned in business, advice on dealing with negative comments online, how she’s balancing new motherhood with running her company, and even starting a second one, and so much more.

Show Notes:

  • What Desi’s upbringing was like and the massive influence her mom had on her. [2:39] 

  • The biggest lessons Desi gained from her time in the service industry and working as a cocktail waitress. [4:51] 

  • When Desi decided to transition out of the service industry and pursue something more aligned with what she wanted to do. [6:18] 

  • How Desi capitalized on the attention she got from doing Steven’s Halloween makeup in 2012. [7:55] 

  • The power of taking chances, even when you don’t know how things will work out. [8:47] 

  • The first YouTube video Desi made and how she overcame her nerves around putting herself out there. [10:20] 

  • There is so much room to grow with your audiences on social media platforms. [11:12] 

  • All you have to do sometimes is start because there’s no harm trying something. [11:48] 

  • How Desi deals with negative comments online. [12:50] 

  • There are double standards in the way men and women who succeed are treated. [13:49] 

  • You have to let yourself feel what you are feeling. [15:39] 

  • Desi’s top tips for women who are looking to create content and community online. [15:41] 

  • The biggest lessons Desi learned from starting her own business. [17:14] 

  • Fears Desi had around starting her business and how she managed to move past them. [20:42] 

  • Why Desi, who has a range of interests, decided to start an eyewear business. [23:45] 

  • How Desi handled becoming a new mother while starting a new business. [0:25:39] 

  • The change Desi has experienced in her identity becoming a mother. [29:11] 

  • Desi’s decision to share her fertility journey online and how it was received. [30:48] 

  • The gratitude Desi feels getting to spend so much time with her family while also doing her dream work. [32:59] 

  • How Desi manages to stay creative as a content creator. [34:26]

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Yasmin Nouri
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Ep 54 | Aishwarya Iyer