In this episode, Layla and I each talk about the latest projects we've been working on in the business we've built together.

I imagine part of the reason our family turns heads is that we’re multiracial—I’m white, my partner is Black, and my children, in their own words, are “peanut butter.” Not only is there an “exotic” factor, but studies have shown that mixed-race people, like my children, are generally perceived as more attractive.

The Changing Landscape of Entertainment

Doron: So Pernais, Jamaica’s a pretty small country, right?

Pernais: It is. Doron: What's the population? Not exactly—just give me a rough estimate.

Pernais: 2.7 million

Doron: Okay, that’s pretty small. Do you have a problem with people leaving—like to go to college or to find better jobs in other countries?

Pernais: Yes, a lot of people leave, but I don’t know if it’s really such a problem because Jamaicans have been migrating for decades now. A lot of people don’t realize that half of the Jamaican population actually lives outside of Jamaica.

Doron: Half? Pernais: Yes.

Doron: So that means there are about 5.4 million Jamaicans?

Pernais: Yes. Doron: And only half of them live in Jamaica?

Pernais: Yes. Possibly. Doron: Where do they usually go?

Pernais: Most Jamaicans who emigrate go to America.

Doron: “Because it’s so close.” Pernais: “Yes. And because they have family members there. Maybe. And other people go to Canada and the U.K., for example.”

Doron: Do you have a lot of immigration? Do many people move to Jamaica from other places to live there?

Pernais: Recently, there’s been an increase in that. People come from other Caribbean islands, especially given the current economic situation in Haiti. A lot of Haitians actually come to Jamaica to find work, and, you know, to… just to have a better life, really.

Doron: Is it very close?

Pernais: It's very close. It's quite close.

Doron: How do they usually get to Jamaica?

Pernais: By boat.

Doron: So…

Pernais: Which is quite dangerous, but…

Doron: Yeah, I’ve heard a lot about the “boat people” in history over the last couple of decades, right? But you don’t often hear about Haitian boat people. Usually, people get on boats and try to get to the U.S., right?

Pernais: Yes. But I guess Jamaica is closer, so they choose Jamaica.

Doron: Yeah. What kinds of jobs do people look for when they get to Jamaica?

Pernais: Well, a lot of them end up working in bars and restaurants, and… yeah, just jobs like that.

Doron: I guess there are a lot of tourists in Jamaica?

Pernais: There are quite a lot of tourists.

Doron: So there must be a lot of jobs in the tourism industry.

Pernais: Yes. Always.