LA PLATICA Episode 215: How Desi Perkins Manifested Designing Sunglasses for Beyonce

Date: October 6, 2025 | Hosts: Josh Leyva & Sebastian Robles (“Sebas”), with guest co-host Stephen | Guest: Desi Perkins

Overview

In this lively and heartfelt episode, OG influencer and entrepreneur Desi Perkins sits down with her longtime friends and fellow internet pioneers, hosts Sebas and Josh, for an unfiltered conversation about origin stories, influencer culture, family, business, overcoming adversity, and how manifestation led to designing custom eyewear for Beyonce. The episode is filled with nostalgia, laughter, and real talk about the highs and lows of the social media industry—plus insights into motherhood, relationship longevity, and Desi’s business evolution. Longtime partner Stephen also joins, bringing extra warmth and behind-the-scenes takes.

Episode Structure & Key Segments

1. The Social Media OGs: Reflecting on a Changing Industry

[03:37 – 06:24]

• The hosts and Desi reminisce about meeting in the early days of YouTube and Instagram—before influencers were mainstream.
• Only a handful of creators populated the brand trip circuit, creating deep bonds:
  Desi: “At the time, it was just us... now there’s so many influencers, you can have 20 million followers and I've never heard of them."
• They contrast the early days (search-based, purposeful content) with today’s endless scroll and algorithm-driven discovery.
• Memorable quote:
  Desi, [06:09]: “At the time, people were searching for specific things. It wasn’t a time of scrolling.”

2. OG Bond: Friendship, Scheduling, and Mom Brain

[07:03 – 09:40]

• Desi discusses juggling being a mother, entrepreneur, and friend, joking about needing her assistant to keep her schedule straight ("mom brain").
• The hosts gush about Desi’s life accomplishments, and Desi jokes she’ll come on the show whenever she needs a self-esteem boost.
• Notable exchange:
  Stephen, [10:02]: “You’ve, like, built a legacy around yourself and these brands... you’re achieving it.”
  Desi, [10:20]: “I’m gonna come on this podcast all the time. Anytime I’m feeling some type of way...”

3. The Myth of “Balance” & Defining Priorities

[10:32 – 11:51]

• Desi candidly admits that "balance" is a myth; instead, she sets priorities that ebb and flow week to week—sometimes work, sometimes family.
• Desi, [10:32]: “I’ve learned to accept there’s no such thing as balance. There are things that will take priority.”
• The group discusses boundaries versus balance, and the pressure moms especially feel about expectations.

4. Centered & Grounded: Family & Roots

[13:19 – 18:22]

• Desi shares how motherhood and knowing her values have brought her contentment.
• Puerto Vallarta is a recurring theme—a source of grounding and multi-generational joy for her family:
  Desi, [14:17]: “That’s where we’re from. Every year we go... longer and longer. Pretty soon, I’m just going to stay there.”
• Heartwarming anecdotes of trips, her kids’ love for Mexico, and passing on cross-border traditions.

5. Standing Up For What’s Right

[19:26 – 23:03]

• Desi shares a story of confronting a rude partner at a L’Oreal event—standing up for a stranger, only to discover it was part of a social experiment/skit.
• Desi, [21:30]: “That girl is way too cute for you to be treating her like that. Don’t be a fucking asshole.”
• This and other stories illustrate her willingness to defend those who can’t defend themselves—and the signature “finger” gesture her daughter has picked up.

6. Love, Longevity & Relationship ‘Secrets’

[24:00 – 27:20]

• Desi and Stephen have been together 16 years, weathering all of life’s phases and growth together.
• Practical relationship advice: date night every Friday — no exceptions: Desi, [26:02]: “Stephen and I have date nights every Friday. No exceptions.”
• She reflects on loving Stephen more after having kids, because of what a great father he is.

7. Origin Story: From Cocktail Server to Makeup Mogul

[31:12 – 33:43]

• Desi’s journey into the beauty world began almost accidentally—doing SFX makeup on Stephen for a Halloween gig, then taking $50 makeup gigs, then lying her way onto a TV set.
• Breakthrough: Viral repost from makeup influencer Vegas Nay led to thousands of new followers overnight.
• Desi, [33:14]: “I still talk to her to this day, and I always bring her up because I’ll never forget that moment.”

8. OG Influencer Brand Trips: A Bygone Era

[37:41 – 44:53]

• The group reminisces about the golden age of influencer brand trips—tight-knit groups, DSLR cameras, wild vlogs, drone wars, candid moments with no fear of “cancellation.”
• Josh, [41:32]: “I remember one time we came back to our room… everybody got drones… 40 minutes after, all you hear is [drone noises] and the hotel came to our door like, ‘You guys can’t do that.’”
• “There will never, ever, ever, ever be a group like us.” — Josh, [37:54]

9. Building Desi Eyewear (& the Villain Origin Story)

[46:28 – 55:05]

• After a smash-hit collab with an eyewear company (that she helped scale and sell—with no ownership), Desi was dismissed in a boardroom by a new exec:
  • Exec: “That’s a lot of money for a little girl.”
  • Desi, [50:13]: “I was truly shocked… like, I really poured my whole life into this thinking that, like— as if it was my own, you know. And it wasn’t. It never was."
• The experience energized her to build her own brands: Desi Eyewear and Desi Skin.
• Manifesting for Beyonce:
  Desi consciously designs sunglasses for Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” album before any approach, journaling it months before her team is contacted.
  • Desi, [53:54]: “…We hopped on and we talked about it, and I sent them off. Obviously, there’s no guarantee… Every night she performed, I was, like, my eyes were waiting. Finally, I saw the pair and I was screaming. My whole team was screaming.”
  • Beyonce wore them for four tour performances.

10. Breaking Into Skincare: Vulnerability Goes Viral

[58:05 – 60:34]

• Desi discusses launching Desi Skin after openly sharing her struggles with acne on YouTube—breaking the “perfection” mold and resonating with viewers: Desi, [58:44]: "I think a lot of my best and most popular things come from vulnerable moments and vulnerability.”

11. Rapid-Fire & Fun Closing

[61:20 – End (~79:35)]

• A playful Q&A covers guilty pleasures (none!), best movie (Devil Wears Prada), Hot Cheeto consumption methodology (chopsticks, limón, no finger stains), and her fast-food order (In-N-Out #2, grilled onions, extra lettuce).
• Motherhood joys: “When you see their personalities and they’re funny… when they outsmart you.”
• Best advice she ever got: “Everything will go wrong. Your job is to learn to pivot and work with everything going wrong.”
• The episode wraps with mutual appreciation, love for the community, and an open invitation for future collaborations and family adventures.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "At the time, it was just us... now there’s so many influencers, you can have 20 million followers and I've never heard of them." — Desi, [04:47]
• "I’ve learned to accept there’s no such thing as balance. There are things that will take priority." — Desi, [10:32]
• "My soul is the happiest [in Puerto Vallarta]... Pretty soon, I’m just going to stay there." — Desi, [14:11]
• "That girl is way too cute for you to be treating her like that. Don’t be a fucking asshole." — Desi, [21:30]
• "Stephen and I have date nights every Friday. No exceptions." — Desi, [26:02]
• "[On the start] I was a cocktail server forever...suddenly I'm on an ABC show with Tim Gunn, doing makeup on set—I had no idea what I was doing!" — Desi, [32:16]
• "That’s a lot of money for a little girl." — Exec, [50:07]
• "I just now designed custom sunglasses for Beyonce for her Cowboy Carter tour. She wore four pairs!" — Desi, [52:41]
• "Everything will go wrong. Your job is to learn to pivot..." — Desi, [74:32]

Episode Highlights

• Nostalgia: OG YouTube/Instagram bonds, brand trip wildness, before “influencer” had a name.
• Manifestation: Journaling and vision-boarding directly led to Beyonce connection.
• Vulnerability: Desi’s openness about acne, motherhood, and setbacks forged a path for authenticity in influencer culture.
• Business Grit: Surviving backroom sexism, Desi turned exclusion into two thriving brands—Desi Eyewear & Desi Skin.
• Friendship-Centric: Decades-long partnership with Stephen, close connections with fellow West Coast creators.

Final Thoughts

The episode is a celebratory and deeply honest exploration of community, resilience, and reinvention. Desi Perkins’ journey offers inspiration for aspiring creators, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking to reclaim setbacks as stepping stones. Rooted in both the joy and messiness of real life, the conversation underscores the power of self-belief, prioritization, and keeping it real—both online and off.

This summary skips intro/outro and ad sections to focus on the rich and dynamic core conversation.