Deepica Mutyala: ON Entrepreneurship and How To Quit Your Job To Pursue Your Dreams

TL;DR

Start before you feel fully prepared, because overthinking and perfectionism can keep a meaningful idea from becoming real. Deepica Mutyala built her path by combining an early passion for beauty with corporate learning, her immigrant parents’ work ethic, and a desire to create broader representation for people who did not see themselves reflected in conventional beauty standards.

Transcript

when you take those layers back of all the excuses right because that to me is the biggest reason that so many people including myself at points in life right didn't just start something and for me the biggest thing is you just have to start with my youtube channel i didn't know anything but i just started and it was it didn't matter and it worked ... Read More

Key Insights

• Starting is the essential first step because excuses and overthinking can prevent an idea from ever being tested. Mutyala began her YouTube channel without knowing everything she thought she might need, and taking action allowed the project to work and develop.
• Beauty is a vehicle for self-expression when people do not see themselves represented in their surroundings. Growing up in Texas among narrow beauty standards, Mutyala used makeup, colored contacts, and blonde streaks as ways to navigate identity and fit in.
• Mutyala’s entrepreneurial ambition began early, when she told her father at age 16 that she wanted to create a beauty brand. Although the path unfolded differently than she expected, that early conviction gave her a long-term direction within the beauty industry.
• Her original career plan was to learn the corporate side of beauty, attend Harvard Business School to satisfy her father’s expectations, and then launch a company. Life did not follow that sequence, showing that a clear goal can remain useful even when the planned route changes.
• Immigrant parents’ work ethic can become entrepreneurial fuel even when their preferred career path differs from their child’s ambitions. Mutyala saw her father’s journey from picking weeds in an Indian village to supporting his family as a powerful standard for effort.
• Live Tinted is intended to connect beauty, culture, and a multicultural community. Its public recognition, including a New York Times announcement and a Times Square billboard, made years of uncertain and emotionally demanding work feel tangible to Mutyala.
• Representation matters because dominant media images can influence how young people judge their appearance and identity. Mutyala grew up surrounded by blonde hair and blue eyes as the visible standard, which shaped both her personal beauty choices and her eventual business purpose.
• Gratitude for family sacrifice can develop with maturity. Mutyala felt embarrassed as a child by cultural markers such as her mother’s clothing and the smell of chicken curry, but later recognized her parents as her strongest supporters and respected what they gave up.
• Related book: Think Like a Monk

Questions & Answers

Q: How can you quit your job and begin pursuing a dream?

The conversation emphasizes starting before every detail is solved. Mutyala’s experience with YouTube showed her that she could begin without knowing everything and improve through action. A practical path is to remove excuses, use off-hours to apply disciplined effort, and avoid letting perfectionism delay the first meaningful step toward the work you want to pursue.

Q: Why is starting more important than having a perfect plan?

Starting creates experience that planning alone cannot provide. Mutyala says she knew little when she launched her YouTube channel, but the decision to begin allowed it to work. Her broader career also departed from the sequence she originally imagined. These experiences suggest that a useful direction matters, but overthinking the route can prevent any real progress.

Q: How did Deepica Mutyala become interested in beauty entrepreneurship?

Mutyala became fascinated with beauty while growing up in Texas, where few people around her looked like her and media promoted a narrow appearance standard. Makeup gave her a way to express herself and connect with others. At age 16, she told her father that she wanted to create a beauty brand, establishing the ambition that later shaped her career.

Q: How did immigrant parents influence Deepica Mutyala’s career?

Mutyala’s parents taught her the value of education, respect, sacrifice, and persistent work. They imagined the American dream through established professional success, and her father hoped she would become a doctor. Although she chose beauty entrepreneurship, she adopted their intense work ethic and used their sacrifices as motivation to work harder while pursuing a different vision.

Q: Why did Deepica Mutyala create Live Tinted?

Live Tinted grew from Mutyala’s desire to build a beauty brand connected to multicultural representation, beauty, and culture. She had grown up without seeing many people who looked like her reflected in prevailing beauty standards. The brand therefore represents both a long-held entrepreneurial ambition and an effort to help create the visibility she lacked when she was younger.

Q: How can perfectionism interfere with entrepreneurship?

Perfectionism can turn uncertainty into an excuse for delaying action. Mutyala identifies overthinking as a major reason people, including herself at certain points, fail to start. Her YouTube experience demonstrated the alternative: begin without complete knowledge, accept that the first attempt will not contain every answer, and allow practical experience to guide later decisions.

Q: What did Deepica Mutyala learn from her father’s work ethic?

Mutyala learned that meaningful progress may require extraordinary effort, especially for immigrants and women of color seeking respect and opportunity. Her father described moving from picking weeds in an Indian village to creating a better life for his family. His example became a source of fuel, giving her a standard of persistence for building her own company.

Q: How did growing up in Texas shape Deepica Mutyala’s view of beauty?

Growing up in Texas exposed Mutyala to a beauty standard centered on blonde hair and blue eyes. Because few people around her looked like her, she used colored contacts, blonde streaks, and makeup to resemble what she saw in school and media. That experience showed her how representation affects identity and later informed her approach to beauty and community.

Summary

In this video, Deepika Mutyala, CEO and Founder of Live Tinted, shares her remarkable journey of starting her own beauty brand and changing the way we think about beauty. She discusses the importance of taking risks, overcoming excuses, and the impact of representation in the beauty industry.

Questions & Answers

Q: What was the catalyst for Deepika starting her YouTube channel?

Deepika started her YouTube channel because she wanted to share beauty tips with her friends who frequently asked her for advice. She didn't overthink it and just took action by using her iPhone to create content.

Q: How did Deepika's second YouTube video go viral?

Deepika's second video about using red lipstick to mask dark circles went viral after it was picked up by Buzzfeed. It received millions of views and led to opportunities and recognition in the beauty industry.

Q: How did Deepika's background as an immigrant influence her career aspirations?

Deepika's parents had a specific vision of the American dream, which focused on education and careers in medicine. Deepika, however, wanted to do something different and saw beauty as a vehicle for self-expression and paving the path for others.

Q: How did Deepika's parents react when she quit her job to pursue her dream?

Deepika's parents were initially concerned when they found out she had quit her job without telling them. However, when Deepika's father discovered her passion and commitment, he gave her a check as an investment in her business, showing his belief in her.

Q: What advice does Deepika have for someone who wants to pursue their goals and dreams?

Deepika advises cutting out excuses and taking the first step towards your goals. She emphasizes the importance of starting, even if you don't have all the resources or knowledge, and using each step as a building block towards your ultimate vision.

Q: How did Deepika's experience in the beauty industry contribute to her success as a beauty influencer?

Deepika's ten years of experience in the beauty industry provided her with knowledge, skills, and a network in the field. This foundation allowed her to confidently transition from her corporate job to becoming a beauty influencer.

Q: How did Deepika's transition from being a beauty influencer to starting her own brand come about?

Deepika always had a desire to create something bigger than herself and change representation in the beauty industry. She wanted to build a brand that showcased a range of women and fostered inclusivity and diversity. Live Tinted became a movement to challenge beauty standards and make representation the norm.

Q: What is the ultimate goal of Live Tinted as a beauty brand?

The ultimate goal of Live Tinted is to change the faces seen in the beauty industry and challenge the idea of beauty. It's about creating a community and celebrating individuality and authenticity. The brand strives to make people feel good about themselves and provide a platform for diverse voices and experiences.

Q: Why did Live Tinted start with the issue of dark circles?

Live Tinted engaged with its community to determine the first beauty product to create and discovered that dark circles were a common concern shared by many. This brought Deepika's journey full circle as it connected back to her early red lipstick video and her personal experience with dark circles.

Q: What sets Live Tinted apart from other beauty brands?

Live Tinted sets itself apart by being more than just a beauty brand; it's a movement. The brand advocates for self-acceptance, celebrates diversity, and challenges unrealistic beauty standards. Live Tinted strives to be a platform where people can be themselves, with the product being secondary to the overall message.

Takeaways

Deepika Mutyala's journey from starting a YouTube channel to becoming the CEO of Live Tinted serves as a powerful example of taking risks and pursuing one's passion. Her story emphasizes the importance of starting, cutting out excuses, and continuously learning and adapting along the way. Additionally, she highlights the need for representation and diversity in the beauty industry and aims to redefine beauty standards through Live Tinted.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Deepica Mutyala says progress begins when people strip away excuses and start before knowing everything. Her YouTube channel grew from that approach. She did not wait for perfect knowledge or certainty, and the experience taught her that overthinking can be a greater obstacle than an imperfect first attempt.

• Growing up in Texas, Mutyala rarely saw people who looked like her represented in the beauty standards surrounding her. Beauty became a form of self-expression and adaptation. Her early fascination with makeup eventually developed into a goal of building a beauty brand that could represent a more multicultural community.

• Mutyala’s immigrant parents associated the American dream with education, professional respect, and extraordinary effort. Although her career differed from the medical path her father preferred, she carried their work ethic into entrepreneurship. She now views their sacrifices with gratitude and hopes younger people recognize what immigrant parents give their families.