Tonya Mosley

Those are huge shifts.

Is there a particular moment that first year in boarding school, a time in school in general where you really learned that lesson of like, oh, I'm trying to be this thing, but I just need to be myself?

Your mother, Charmaine DaCosta, she was in the girl group Whirl a Girl.

They were a reggae group that did the Jamaica bobsled chant for the movie Cool Runnings, which came out in 1993.

And I actually want to play a little bit of it because I think that everybody kind of knows this once they hear it.

Let's listen to a little bit.

That was the reggae group Whirl a Girl singing the Jamaica bobsled chant, which was written and performed by my guest today's mother, Charmaine DaCosta.

You had to be around three or four when that came out.

So fun.

I love it so much.

Your mom, she's a powerhouse in her own right.

She's also been a gospel singer.

She has a juice business.

How did watching her navigate all these different chapters shape or help you think about your own career?

You know, I've been wondering, your mom says to you, the world is your oyster, but yet you didn't grow up with a lot of money.

Your mom went into a lot of debt to send you to these really great schools.

And so there are these two things that exist together, like follow your dreams, but there wasn't like just this clear road to success.

So how did you hold those two things together as a young person?

When she worked at 30 Rock, did you ever visit or have a chance to visit?

Nia DaCosta, this has been such a pleasure to talk with you.