Before she was producing, starring in major films, and building her media empire, Tika Sumpter was a girl from Queens with a dream but no roadmap. In this raw and inspiring conversation, she shares how grit, hustle, and self-belief took her from waiting tables in New York to making it in Hollywood. From a chance encounter that led to her first agent to the game-changing roles that finally put her on the map, Tika gets real about the double standards in the industry, creating her own opportunities, and why betting on yourself is everything.

• Growing up in Queens and why the borough breeds some of the hardest-working people in the world
• The hustle of breaking into acting, from cold auditions to booking One Life to Live
• The Hollywood realities no one talks about race, casting biases, and what it really takes to “make it”
• Why Tyler Perry saw something in her that others didn’t and how he’s changed the industry
• Learning to bet on herself and take control of her career through producing, writing, and launching her own projects
• Motherhood and personal growth, how raising her daughter, Ella, helped her reparent herself
• Her latest creative ventures, including her children’s podcast and new book, I Got It from My Mama
• The biggest risk she’s ever taken, and why every woman should experience love and adventure in another country at least once

This conversation is about trusting your instincts, pushing past rejection, and never waiting for permission.

Follow Tika on Instagram here.

Grab a copy of he new book I Got It From My Mama here.