I Came Back to Jamaica to Run My Family’s Business—The Reality Shocked Me

What happens when you leave Jamaica, build a life in America, and then return home to take over your family’s business? In Part 2 of this conversation, Dijon Powell opens up about leaving Miami’s fast-money service industry and returning to Negril, Jamaica, to become the youngest person in charge of her family’s restaurant and beach bar. She shares the reality behind the decision: the pressure of carrying on her family’s legacy, adjusting to life back home, managing staff, dealing with cultural expectations, and learning that running a business is far more demanding than it looks from the outside. Dijon also speaks honestly about her time working in Miami restaurants, becoming addicted to fast money, questioning the traditional path, and realizing that a job does not define who you are. From a disastrous Mother’s Day service to the deeper question of whether Jamaicans abroad should return home and help build new opportunities, this episode explores identity, ambition, family, sacrifice, and what it truly means to come back to Jamaica. ### Chapters - **00:00:00** The unexpected job opportunity - **00:02:26** Working at a Black-owned restaurant in Miami - **00:04:33** Becoming addicted to fast money - **00:05:39** Why a job does not define who you are - **00:07:42** Choosing the lifestyle you really want - **00:10:03** Three years in the service industry - **00:11:25** When the money started changing - **00:14:05** The family business enters the conversation - **00:17:35** Why Dijon decided to move back to Jamaica - **00:23:41** Family, distance, and the fear of coming home - **00:28:57** Her friends visit Jamaica - **00:31:27** Becoming the youngest boss in charge - **00:34:05** Was the move meant to be permanent? - **00:37:11** “I don’t believe in coincidences” - **00:40:08** The pressure of running the family business - **00:41:20** The restaurant disaster that changed everything - **00:44:22** Mother’s Day 2024: The ultimate operational nightmare - **00:51:18** The cultural differences in hospitality - **00:55:29** Should more Jamaicans return home? Watch until the end and share your thoughts in the comments: Would you leave the United States to return home and run your family business? Subscribe to A Life Elsewhere for more conversations about migration, identity, home, ambition, and starting again somewhere new. #ALifeElsewhere #Jamaica #JamaicanDiaspora #ReturnToJamaica #NegrilJamaica #FamilyBusiness #Entrepreneurship #CaribbeanDiaspora #LifeInJamaica #MovingBackHome #BlackEntrepreneurs #WomenInBusiness #RestaurantBusiness #DiasporaStories #JamaicanStories