Episode 404: Entrepreneurship & Relocation: Building a Sustainable Lifestyle in Jamaica with Tiffany Grant

Tiffany Grant 0:02

Here, school is a privilege. It's a privilege to go to school. Here. School is expensive. You know, it's the stuff that we take for granted in the state, like transportation. I have to pay for my son to go to school every day. I have to pay for food, I have to pay for the books, I have to pay for all of these things in order for him to go to school, and so quite naturally, that puts more value on schooling.

Jamila Souffrant 0:27

Welcome to the journey. To launch podcast with your host Jamila Souffrant as a money expert who walks her talk she helps brave journeys like you, get out of debt, save, invest and build real wealth. Join her on the journey to launch to financial freedom. 54321,

if you want the episode show notes for this episode, go to journey, to launch.com or click the description of wherever you're listening to this episode in the show notes, you'll get the transcribed version of the conversation, the links that we mentioned, and so much more also, whether you are an OG journeyer or brand new to the podcast, I've created a free jump start guide to help you on your financial freedom journey. It includes the top episodes to listen to, stages to go through, to reach financial freedom, resources and so much more. You can go to journey to launch.com/jump start to get your guide right now. Okay, let's hop into the episode. Hey, hey, hey, journeyers, welcome to the journey to launch podcast I have on someone who I was actually really excited to talk to today to dig more into her story. Her name is Tiffany grant, and you'll hear more about her, but let me just read her bio. Tiffany grant is an accredited financial counselor and award winning personal finance blogger, podcaster, coach, educator and owner of money talk with Tiff. She's been featured on Yahoo, finance, CNBC, business, insider, essence, you name it. And now journey to launch, and she's an expert on side hustles, business and money. She's helped so many people become more in tune with their money, and she does it in a relatable way. And I can't wait to dig into her story, which involves her moving and relocating from the United States to Jamaica, my home island. So we're gonna get into all of that. But welcome that. But welcome to the podcast, Tiffany.

Tiffany Grant 2:24

Hey, thank you so much for having me. I'm happy to be here.

Jamila Souffrant 2:27

Yes, yes, no, I'm not kidding. Because, you know, sometimes like doing the podcast for so long. You know, there's going to be interviews I have to do, and I love everyone I interview, but there's a certain things I'm more excited to talk about. And so when I was like, wait, I think we were kind of DMing, and I'm running the reggae marathon. I'm not sure if this is going to air by then. We probably will have it air by then, but it's in early December, and I don't know how it came up, but you were like, Oh, I live in Jamaica now, so let me know, like, when you're going to be out here. And I'm like, Oh, really, we got to talk about this on the podcast, Tiffany, because I knew that you lived in the United States, you're in the personal finance field as a creator and entrepreneur, and so I would definitely want to dig into that, and we'll get there. But I want to kind of start from the beginning a bit about just your background and how you got into this space.

Tiffany Grant 3:15

Oh, that is a loaded question. I'm like, How long do we have? But I will say so money talk with Tiff started in 2017 and it started as a result of people kept coming to me, asking me questions. And so I was like, if one person has this question, there's probably 1000s of others that has the same question. So let me just create a blog. And so it started with just blogging, social media, things like that. And then in 2019 is when I started the podcast. And I started the podcast because I was like, you know, the blog is fine, but that's a monolog. That's just my perspectives, my what I know. I'm like, there's a lot of stuff I don't know. So let me interview people that do other things with their money as well. And so that's how the podcast started. So my belief is that the way out of poverty is ideas. And so I'm like, the more ideas that I can spread, the better I feel people can be. And my focus is on underserved communities, namely black and brown communities, because I feel like that representation matters, and I keep things relatable. Oh, I

Jamila Souffrant 4:21

love that. Okay. I gotta take it back farther, though, because I want to know how you became confident and an expert in the space. I know a lot of people who start blogs and start to share what they learn and are learning it comes from starting with their own finances. So take me back a little bit to what you were able to accomplish, maybe some starting points on what did you go to school for? Because there are a lot of people listening where they want to do that they maybe or just want to transform their finances, but they also feel like, okay, I have something to share too. So how did you get to that point?

Tiffany Grant 4:50

All right, let's start with being little, right? So I've always had a love of entrepreneurship, so I remember. As young as, like five, and having my own quote, unquote business. But from then on, I always had something going on, right? And so that naturally made me interested about money, you know. And so I started reading Kiplinger, personal finance, Money Magazine, you know, when things, when magazines used to exist, listening to podcasts, reading other blogs and things of that nature. And then when I was 17, I became pregnant with my first son. And then that's when I realized, okay, Tiffany, you really got to get your life together like, you know, it's showtime now, all the stuff that you kind of learned along the way. And so I went on this journey, and one of the catalysts to when I got serious about debt payoff and taking the serious, not only my son, but when I realized that you had to have credit in order to have credit, because I was terrified of credit, just because how I was raised. My family is big spenders, and so I saw what credit card debt could do, and so I wanted to stay far away from that. And so I was it was actually financial trauma for a while. And then I went to I said, Okay, Tiffany, you got to get over this fear. You got to get some credit, you know, so you can get them some things done. And I went to the bank, bank I had been with since I was 16. And I was like, Oh, it should be easy. And they denied me. And the reason they denied me was because they said medical bills on my credit report, which I was told didn't matter at that time, it did, and then also I wasn't making enough, and so that kind of just started this trajectory of me taking my credit series, getting on budgeting, really heavy, all of this stuff. And my original goal was to be debt free by 30 I did not make it, which is important to point out. Now I say debt free by 35 and there's, you know, a myriad of reasons why. But I also tell that story to give people grace, because I'm like, I do this for a living, and everybody falls off track. So you know, it's okay. If that happens to you, you can just change it. Whose timeline are you on?

Jamila Souffrant 7:10

Right? So you were 17 with your first son. So I think for a lot of people who have children young, or are having children, you don't have to be young. You could be married and and it's still expensive, it's still hard. So can you just talk me through a bit of like that time frame? But did you go back to school? How did you incur the debt that you did have? Because I'm impressed that you know, as a young mom, you still were able to stay focused, because I just know that it's so hard to do that with children and at that age.

Tiffany Grant 7:39

Yeah, it was very difficult, I'm not gonna lie, and I'm so grateful that I had a good support system when it came to my family. So I was in college. I went straight from high school into college, and I did two years at community college, and then I transferred to a four year university. And the funny story behind that is right before I found that I was pregnant, so maybe, like, a week before I was accepted in the Johnson and Wales, I always wanted to be a chef. Okay, so from when I was little, I went to be a chef, and I got accepted, but that would have put me an hour and a half away from my support system. And so I was like, Well, let me go with my second love business, and by that time, it was too late to apply, of course. And so I went to community college, which ended up being a great decision, but that's kind of how I started on that whole trajectory. And so I was raising my son, doing classes, all mostly online, is how I got it done. And so whenever he would sleep, I would be doing my work, and I was practically a homebody. I'm gonna be honest. Still am, but, you know, that's just how I did it. And then I went from there. I graduated with my bachelor's in business, with a concentration in management. Then I went on like, a year or so after that, and went for my master's, and I graduated with my MBA in 2018 and I was actually just in a PhD program. Now, I have three kids, by the way, but I was just in a PhD program at the beginning of this year, before I moved, and I decided to leave so that way I can move.

Jamila Souffrant 9:15

Okay, all right. Well, definitely get more into that decision, that process. So like I read in your bio, you are an accredited financial counselor. So at what point did you switch from, like, what was your goal when you were in school? Did you think even though you have the entrepreneurial spirit, did at one point you think you wanted to get a job be in corporate America, or was the plan always to have your own business? And how did you get into, like, the personal finance field as a career? Yeah,

Tiffany Grant 9:41

so I was in corporate America up until 2019 and I was in HR, which I love, don't get me wrong, but I realized that I enjoyed talking about finance more, so I started money talk while I was employed. And so it took me about two years to build. Money talk up in a way where I could do it full time, but I was in corporate America. I enjoyed it for the most part. Of course, you deal with a lot of people, and especially in my field, I used to call all employees my kids, because everybody had an issue. Everybody had something going on. But I did enjoy corporate but I realized that America is set up for businesses, honestly. And so I was like, you know, and if it's something I enjoy, I might as well do it. So that's why I decided to do it full time. You're

going to work full time, assuming you probably had most two or three of the kids already, maybe all the kids by then, right? So back then I had two of the kids, so I was a single mom of two boys, right? So that's juggling that, and then now you're running the business on the side. How did you build up the business to earn money to one day quit, because now you have mouths to feed, like you're thinking about changing from this sustainable check to now entrepreneurship. So what did that look like? What was your strategy? How were you earning money through your business at

that point? Yeah. So the funny story is, I've actually quit corporate twice. So I quit corporate once back in 2018 and then I had to go back because I wasn't quite prepared. I wasn't prepared as much as I thought I was. So back in 2018 I had saved up, you know, maybe a month or two. And I'm skipping a lot of parts here, because I've always had a bunch of side hustles and stuff going at the same time. And when I made that decision at that time, it was because, you know, of course, I've been budgeting for a while. I knew that it only took a certain amount of money for me to survive every month. And I'm like, Oh, for that, I could just go Uber Lyft, you know, even if money talk doesn't work out, I can go make it, you know, I know what that number is. And so that was the first time, and that's why I tell people, entrepreneurship is not a game. It's not comfortable. And you have to have that drive, you know, because you're not clocking in, you're not punching a clock or what have you. And so people think, oh, I want to be entrepreneur so I could have all this time on my hands. And that's what I thought now, when rubber started meeting the road. I said, Oh, actually, it would be great if I could go back to work. So it just so happened that my previous job, before the last job I quit, was looking for someone to come in because somebody was going to maternity leave. They just so happened to catch word that I was out on the market again, and so they invited me back, and I stayed there for about eight months or so, until I got everything in order, and then I finally quit for

Jamila Souffrant 12:50

good. Okay, now we gotta dig more into that, because I think this is a great story and lesson for a lot of people, and I love that you said, because it's true, sometimes we do not like the confines of a job and the structure of one, but in reality, a lot of us need structure because left to our own devices, a schedule that's open and we could do whatever we want. Like in your head, you may feel like, oh, I want that, but you have to really know yourself. And maybe you don't know yourself until you're faced and put in that situation. But I can definitely also tell you, from my own experience, that, yes, I always felt like I was born to be more free, like I could have been a cubicle, but there were a lot of benefits to that. Like someone telling me, like, here's what we're gonna do for the day. Here is what's happening. So it was just easier to execute and do, and life was more simple back then. So I love it. I want to, kind of like, just talk about that just for a little bit, because I know there's so many people who are like, I just want to do that. I do my own thing. And it's like, it's real when you get out here and you have to eat what you kill. So if you don't kill that day, then what are you going to eat?

Tiffany Grant 14:00

Right? And it's, and it's honestly like, feast or famine, like, you will be doing really good one month, and then the next month it's like, oh, like, I didn't know it was gonna hit like that. And so I tell people, you know, sometimes, and this is what I realized when I was, you know, in my story, you have to pull yourself back in order to go further. So I could have stayed out there and just struggled through and see how I could do it, or what have you. But I would say I could use other people's money to fund my passion. So let me go ahead and do that, make sure that I am sustainable, you know, in a way that makes sense, and then do it. So I feel like that piece also is important for people to realize, like, there's a lot of entrepreneurs out here, or people that want to be entrepreneurs, and it's okay to work a nine to five for now, in the meantime, in between time and even forever, like sometimes full time entrepreneurship is. Just not, you know, you don't have to do that, but you still get the benefits of it while still working a nine to five. So anyway, I can go off on tangents with

Jamila Souffrant 15:10

that. But, yeah, no, that was good. So then what changed? So how did you know that second time you're ready to quit again? Yeah. So

Tiffany Grant 15:16

that time I had saved up way more. That was my issue. The first time I did not save up enough, I think I saved up like maybe a month because I was a little too overly confident. That's another lesson there. Y'all, I was a little overly confident. And the second time, I saved up more, and I also had more of a stream when it came to my business as well. So I feel like being aware of that, and knowing, you know, if something's working, something's not and to not be so attached, you know, I could have been so attached to to the idea of entrepreneurship that I'm like, Oh no, I gotta cut this out, you know, I gotta do whatever. But when you get into business for real, you realize that the business is not your baby. It's a business, and so you have to treat it as such. And I feel like that was in 2019 was when I realized that, and I was ready.

Jamila Souffrant 16:12

And what were the ways in which you were making money, or how did you secure the income stream that was more sustainable?

Tiffany Grant 16:18

Yeah, so at that point, I had way more traffic. So, you know, the block was making, making a little more. But also speaking. Speaking had picked up quite a bit in 2019 like 2020, was supposed to be my year to travel. Like I had trips booked. I had speaking engagements in different states. I was supposed to go to Thailand, like all types of stuff. And, of course, COVID 19 happened, you know, and everything, but everything was picking up at that point. And I can also talk about how I kind of, during 2020 put money talk a little on the back burner, because the speaking and stuff kind of dried up, since nobody was having events and stuff. Then I started other businesses that were essential businesses that I knew would have to run, and so I still was doing money talk, however, the bulk of my income and stuff. So I say that to say knowing the pivot as well. What were those businesses? Yeah, so the main one was a logistics business. So logistics never ends like all throughout COVID, we had the little sheets of paper where, you know, if the cops pulled us over, we could show them that we're essential business or what have you. And so we were running all throughout the pandemic. So that was the main one. Wait, sorry,

Jamila Souffrant 17:36

what's a logistics business?

Tiffany Grant 17:38

Yes, so Okay, pretty much I was running Sprinter vans and box trucks and doing long haul. So all over the country, at our peak, we had maybe 10 vehicles under us, under our authority. And in 2021 which is the last year that I was in it, we had made over 500,000 in revenue. So it was a really, a really profitable business for that time. So you were renting out these trucks to other people, no, so we owned three so this is when I was married. That's why I'm like we. So we owned three vehicles ourselves, and then we had owner operators that ran under us. So they would bring their own vehicle, but use our authority, and we would find them loads and things like that and keep them running. And this is delivering

Jamila Souffrant 18:30

things to people like packages. Well, it

Tiffany Grant 18:35

was more expediting. So expediting is a section within transportation and logistics, where it's delivering stuff faster than the big trucks. So with Sprinter vans, you can go across the country faster than you can with the big truck. And so that's kind of what we were doing. It's called expediting.

Jamila Souffrant 18:55

Got it you see like this. It's so funny, because when you said the word logistics, I know that there's a bunch of people who know what that means, and there's a whole like business and world and model that like understands that, and then people like me, who've heard it in one way, but never heard it in that way, and that's what I mean about there's so many businesses and niches out there that people are earning money in that you just may not be aware of, but your skill sets may be suited for it, and your interest may be suited for it, and it's Just a matter of knowing that it exists and knowing that that's a possibility. So just, you know, we don't have to go too much into that business. But how did you get involved, and how did you know about that? How did you get started in something like that?

Tiffany Grant 19:31

Yeah, so honestly, it was my ex husband. He was the one that was like, oh, you know, we should try. You know, first we started with just delivering office supplies locally. He was like, oh, we should try this. And then as we started learning more about the business, then we're like, Let's do long haul, let's do over the road, you know, that type of thing. And we realized that that was more profitable, and it kind of snowballed from there. Now there's a plenty of lessons I learned from that business. We don't have to get into today, but it was very helpful during the pandemic. Time

Jamila Souffrant 20:06

Got it, got it Okay, so you took a little break, or you fell back a bit just because of the pandemic and opportunities, but you had side hustles and other businesses that were helping you. How did you get to the point now? Because you're currently living in Jamaica, but before you were living in the States, talk about the ramp up to making the decision to move, why you moved, and we can kind of get into those conversations now.

Tiffany Grant 20:30

Yeah, so in 2022 that was the first time I had been to Jamaica. So I'm a full time entrepreneur since 2019 so I was already running my business and stuff, you know, being self sufficient with that. And when I came in 2022 I stayed for like, a month, and I realized that I could work from here as well. And so that's when I was like, you know, let me like, I would love to be here. I fell in love with the island. I fell in love with the people and everything about it. And then at that time, I was pregnant with my third child. So I was pregnant with my daughter when I came the first time. So of course, I had to have her, you know, do all of that stuff. But by the beginning of this year, February 2024 I was itching to get back to Jamaica. So that is when I came to visit again, and I said, you know, I can start seeing how this could be a possibility. And from February to April, because I moved in May, I came down maybe, like, three or four times, just getting things in order. And, you know, all of that. And then by May 29 that was my Emancipation Day. I came. I came down here.

Jamila Souffrant 21:45

Oh my goodness. Okay, so first time you went to Jamaica was 2022, but you do have a connection already to Jamaica. You said your father is Jamila,

Tiffany Grant 21:53

correct. So my father is Jamaican. However, I had never been to the island. I don't know, I didn't know any of my family and stuff here, it wasn't until I bow guarded my way onto my aunt's trip in 2022 and that's when, you know, she took me around and, you know, let me meet family and stuff like that. But that's that is my connection to the island. So you do have family there, or where you are, I do, but I don't know them. I've only met one or two people so far, and so I would love to learn more, but they're kind of far from where I live now.

Jamila Souffrant 22:30

So there's a difference between visiting somewhere as like a tourist or someone going for the first time, and like living living there, and really it becoming a routine. And so I'd love to understand for you, the first time you went, were you staying at like a hotel or resort, or were you staying like in, you know, an area that is a community, so you got the real taste of it, because you said, you I think you stayed for a month that first time. Because I do find that people see, like, okay, the beaches, that the everything that's nice, and of course, Jamaica is nice, but there's like, it's real life. People will go to work, to and from every day. There's, there's all that happening. So how did you fall in love or know that it was supposed to be a place you actually lived?

Tiffany Grant 23:09

Okay? So when I came the first time in a stay for a month, we stayed like a week in OCHA Rios. We stayed like a week in Montego Bay, like we were all over. But we stayed the most in the grill, which is where I live now. So we stayed here for like two weeks. Every time we stayed somewhere, we stayed in an Airbnb, or when we got here, we stayed with people my aunt knew here, and so, like, I've always stayed within communities. Like I've never, ever stepped foot on a resort here. I have stayed in a couple of hotels for like, a day or so, you know. But other than that, I usually stay in Airbnbs. And so as a result of that, you know, you're able to meet more people. You're able to, you know, walk around, see what's going on. And so that's kind of how I was able to get acclimated to Jamaica, and also build an extended family here. So I call them my family. They're not really family, it's more like friends, but they're like my extended family, and they were the ones. They are the ones that are instrumental in not only helping me navigate, but just like I found the place where I live, because of one of the friends that I met in 2022

Jamila Souffrant 24:24

right? Okay, so and then you were coming back, it sounds like earlier in the year, to straighten things out, are your kids also? Did they also relocate with you full time?

Tiffany Grant 24:35

So two of my kids, so my oldest son, who's 15, he stayed in the States. He's in high school. He might as well finish up. But my two youngest so I have a 10 and a one year old.

Jamila Souffrant 24:47

Hi Jamila here, host of this podcast and author of the book, your journey to financial freedom, a step by step guide to achieving wealth and happiness. Just a few years ago, I was in a job I didn't like. With a long commute, feeling stuck, I knew there had to be a different, better way. Then I found the pathway to financial freedom and financial independence. Today, I have more money options and freedom than I ever thought was possible. And in my book, Your journey to financial freedom, I'll show you how you can achieve that too. You'll learn how to spend and save responsibly, all while enjoying that spicy Margarita and exercise of guacamole, determine where you are on the journey and evaluate your spending and saving goals accordingly, quit your job, retire early or reach financial independence. My Book your journey to financial freedom, a step by step guide to achieving wealth and happiness, is out now and available on Amazon bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble and more. You can leave and listen to the audiobook narrated by me. Go to your journey to financial freedom.com. To get a free bonus when you order the book and see all the places to buy it once again, go to your journey to financial freedom.com. This decision making, like when you deciding where to live, because there's many places that you could have lived in Jamaica. Why'd you pick the place you live? And I'm asking this from a perspective of someone who is now and doesn't have to be Jamaica, but you know, they visit somewhere, or they have family there, and they're now thinking, what if this could work for me? So what are some of the things that were important for you, especially that you have kids that were deciding factors on where you should go and it was going to be somewhere that was sustainable for you to live. Yeah. So

Tiffany Grant 26:30

after I stayed the two weeks, the first time, this was always the place that I came. And so I just built up that support system here that I felt like I would be missing in the States, so like I have a friend whose, you know, girlfriend watches my daughter, you know. So it built up that support system. So for me, it made the choice easy as to where I wanted to live, because it just naturally transitioned that way. However, when people are starting to think about this, and this is what I tell people, make sure that you go and you stay an extended amount of time, because, to your point, it's very different than coming to vacation. Like, it's cool that I'm close to the beach. I don't go to the beach that often now, like life just looks different when you're actually living somewhere. So I tell people all the time, like, make sure that you stay at least an extended period, at least two to three weeks. And every time I came, even at the beginning of the year, I stayed like a couple of weeks at least. So that way you can really get ingrained if you're coming for like a weekend or a week, you're not really getting the real experience, like you're still in Taurus mode. But being able to do that, I think, is really instrumental. Now, when it came to the kids, my middle son, he was really struggling in school there. He was diagnosed with ADHD the year before last, and so it was starting to become a struggle with the school system in the US or his school, great school, don't get me wrong, my oldest went through that school, so you know, it's just some things work for some kids and some things don't. And so what I realized here is that the kids are super smart, like the kids are very intelligent here, and it cemented what I felt even more once he started going to school and realizing that they're learning in a way like we used to, like it's not they're not in front of tablets and computers all day, every day. So I've noticed that his handwriting has improved, his ADHD has improved, which I'm even questioning that now, like, was it really just because of the screens, you know, and all of that stuff, and then also, you know, he's fitting right in. He has friends and all that stuff. So I feel like it's been better outcomes. He was just telling me the other day, he's like, Mommy, I've gotten 100 on all this felon tests I've had so far. And I just feel like, that's awesome. So I do feel like certain things work for certain kids, and to be aware of that, I think, is important to

Jamila Souffrant 29:18

you. Yeah, it's so interesting, because my perception of Jamaican and any Caribbean school system, but I speak to Jamaica, just because my mom just always tells me just how cow different it is in Jamaica and most kids, like, if they come from the islands, like their education is, like top notch, like they don't play.

Tiffany Grant 29:35

Let me talk about that. Because here school is a privilege. It's a privilege to go to school. Here. School is expensive. You know, it's the stuff that we take for granted in the state, like transportation. I have to pay for my son to go to school every day. I have to pay for food, I have to pay for the books, I have to pay for all of these things in order for him to go to school. And so quite naturally, that puts more value on school. Link now, even to the point where they almost did not admit him at the school that he's going to because of his grades from back home, because his last report card wasn't too good. And so here, school is taken way more seriously than in the States, for sure.

Jamila Souffrant 30:16

And it feels counterintuitive, because I would assume, because I do think they're more strict, like they're more about their business, like the education system there, that they would be less tolerant. Like, if your kid is coming in and maybe they do have some behavioral issues or they're not conforming, then it might be harder for a kid to like, survive in an environment like that. But it's almost seems like maybe the structure is helpful, like it's not allowing them to do whatever they want, just because, like, oh, it's kind of like, here's what we're doing, and you're going to do it this way. But Eddie, he seems to be thriving. That's amazing,

Tiffany Grant 30:48

yeah. And also, I'll add too, just everything's different. So even the books, right? It's all black faces. In the class, it's all black faces. You know, it's not feeling the type of pressure that you feel in the States as a black and brown child, and so I feel like that helps as well. And then, for instance, lunch, right? They get a full hour. Like in the States, they get like, 30 minutes. You gotta hurry up. You gotta eat real quick, play real quick, and then go back to the classroom, but here they have time to breathe. They get out of school early on Fridays. It's more laid back, which is what island life is like. Yeah, yeah, I

Jamila Souffrant 31:33

love hearing that. And what about health care and other considerations?

Tiffany Grant 31:38

So it's funny you mentioned that, because I tell people that is one of the myths. Oh my gosh, that is one of the myths, um, about, you know, places like this, versus the US. And true story. There was a diagnosis that a doctor caught here for me, which I had just left the US a week prior, and they said they put in my chart that it was not this thing. I came here and she said, Oh, this is exactly what it is. So that just goes to show that there's good doctors everywhere. It's just a matter of finding them. There's bad doctors everywhere. But I will say that the health care here, I have gotten better results out of than in the States. And then also the health factor. People aren't really sick like that here, just from what I've observed. And they believe in traditional medicine. They believe in, you know, herbs and things of that nature. Like I've been learning so much since I've been here, but it's just a generally more healthy culture, I feel. And so the need for doctors isn't as great. Like when I told my friends I was going to the doctor, they were like, What you going to the doctor for? Like, what's going on? You know, that type of thing. But when you do have to go to the doctor, there are good doctors here as well,

Jamila Souffrant 33:01

and what about safety and feeling kind of comfortable in environment? Because, you know, even though the Jamaican say we speak English, but it's a broken English, you could definitely tell when someone is not Jamaican. When I go to Jamaica with my family, they're just like, don't speak because, and maybe because we're in the touristy areas, and they're selling to tourists, so they're just like, they're gonna charge you more. Just don't let us speak for you. I know that's a different issue safety versus being comfortable and feeling at home. But how are you feeling with that? Have you adjusted with any of that?

Tiffany Grant 33:31

So what you just said is real. I call it, you know, the American tax or the foreign tax, because if you talk and they know that you're not from here, then you will get charged more. Now, this is why I said having a good support system and friends and stuff is important, because usually my friends are the ones that are navigating that space for me some, most of the time. Now, safety for me, that's another myth that we're being told, you know, in the state, and I can only speak for where I live. So I live in the groom it's very safe here, like I feel more comfortable here than I did in the States. And another true story, I had went out, I had went to the States to visit back in July, and went out and somebody ended up getting killed at one of the nightclubs you know, that I was supposed to go to, and I just felt this environmental stress with being up there. And there's like just stuff happening all the time here. I went to a local bar. Two dudes got into an argument. I was with my American mindset. I'm over here, like, Oh, let me find somewhere to duck. Let me find, you know, where do I need to go? Just in case things pop off and they just, there were a couple punches. Everybody's buying drinks after and it was good. Like, I'm like, I can live with this. Uh. And I walk, you know, my street, like my lane, my street, all the time, and I don't feel a concern with safety for me anyway, it's even been days when my I've forgotten to lock my door, and it was fine.

Jamila Souffrant 35:16

So I think your experience speaks to, I want to talk to also the financial considerations, like there's, you know, you're working you're able to work remotely, and so we can talk about that, but I there's just something to be said about having a certain financial stability and ability to live the way you're living in Jamaica, right? And that that is like a privilege that all of us have, I think, coming from the States, because I know a lot, just because I have family, I have people there where it's like, they don't, they wouldn't want to stay in Jamaica. Their goal would be, and that has always been, not always, but that has been primarily a lot of the goals for especially past generations of coming to the states, for better opportunity, for more to make and earn more money, for more structure a different kind of place, right? And so I guess we, I think we should probably just talk a little bit about that, the privilege of or the stability having money and how that is helpful to you, being able to experience Jamaica the way you you are experiencing it, and that there are people in Jamaica who couldn't afford, maybe, to send their kids to the, you know, to school that is charging or for transportation and all those things. Yes,

Tiffany Grant 36:27

and that is a super important point, and I'm glad that you brought it up, because that is one thing that enraged me when I was visiting here, was how much the locals get paid. So people are spending 1000s and 1000s and 1000s to stay in Jamaica on these resorts and things. And meanwhile, the people that are doing the work are not getting paid nearly, not even remotely close to that. And so that is one thing that I have been very vocal about, honestly, because it is, in my opinion, injustice. And I'll also add that all that school that I was talking about that's a public school, that's not even private school. And on top of that, food is expensive here as well, especially in the grill where I live, is very expensive. And if it wasn't for the resources that the land provides. Luckily, Jamaica is full of natural resources when it comes to fruit trees and herbs and, you know, the fish and you know all of that stuff. If it wasn't for that, people would be priced out of eating and so that is part of my mission here as well, but that's a whole nother topic. However, I tell people that are from the states you know, or are from other countries, that if you want a life that's remotely close to what you were getting up there, you would have to make foreign money. You would have to for a couple of reasons, like I said here, the pay is not great, which there should be change around that, but the pay is not great. But then also, in their laws, they favor Jamaican citizens for any job. So even if you came down here wanting to work, it would be kind of hard to get a job. It has to be a unique skill that another Jamaican does not have. So that's why I tell people that are interested in doing this, that it's best like, for instance, I've been, you know, doing this online digital nomad thing, so that works for me. But if you don't have that, you would really have to consider what you would be doing here.

Jamila Souffrant 38:42

Let's talk a bit about, like how you're able to stay and like the visa required to stay for a long time, and how the process was, and what to think about when you you're looking into that. Yeah. So

Tiffany Grant 38:54

here in Jamaica, you get a 90 day visa. So if you're coming from the US, I can only speak from a US perspective. So you can get a 90 day visa. However, with me, since I go in and out so often, every time I come in, they kind of re stamp it. So like I was up there in July, I was up there in September, and so I've never hit that 90 days straight. Now I will say this last time I came back, I got a little nervous because, you know, they started asking more questions and so on and so forth. Because, see, I am getting citizenship by descent. I'm like, let me back up a little bit. I'm getting citizenship by descent. However, I didn't have my dad's birth certificate for a long time. So I started that process back in April, March, or whatever. And so because I don't have his birth certificate, I can't file for citizenship. Now I do, but before I couldn't. And so being able to go in and out, and you can stay the equivalent of six months. In days without having an issue. So because I was in and out, sometimes I'll be in the States for a couple of weeks, I'll come back. You know, it didn't really add up to that six months worth of days, but when I came in this last time, I was sweating because they were asking a ton of questions, and they did stamp me until January, but I plan on getting our citizenship actually next week.

Jamila Souffrant 40:24

So basically, because you were coming in and out, they could have said you had to stay in Jamaica, that you couldn't come back in. What was the nervousness about?

Tiffany Grant 40:33

So when I came in the last time, I was nervous that I would get deported because I wasn't sure where I was in the six month frame, you know now it worked out, where they did stamp me until January, so I still had time. But that's where the nervousness came from, because I've heard stories where you fly in and you're gonna get deported back out, like the Jamaica deports people, just like the US deports people. So that's where the nervousness came from, and

Jamila Souffrant 41:04

is it because they want you, if you're applying for a visa, to stay here, they want you to spend more time in the country, or they don't want you traveling back and forth. So

Tiffany Grant 41:12

I run into expats and stuff all the time, or people that come here for extended stays. Most people stay six months at a time, you know, because that's the limit. So that's just the legal limit that you can stay if you're not, if you don't have permanent residency or citizenship, got it,

Jamila Souffrant 41:28

got it, got it. So it's more about overextending that like staying longer than that time exactly, okay? And I think I see, I find all this interesting. And if someone's like, thinking about moving somewhere, and if you you have the ability to travel back, what that looks like. Do you still have to pay taxes in the United States because you're still a United States citizen and you're making money from here or from the people here?

Tiffany Grant 41:50

Correct? Yes. So since my company is still technically based in the US and I'm a US citizen, so regardless if I have my own business or not, once you're a US citizen, you have to pay taxes anyway. So, yeah, that's one thing about being an expat that people don't talk about and having a dual citizenship, is that you still are tied to the US tax wise. So and

Jamila Souffrant 42:13

you plan to keep your dual citizenship for now, for the United States, once you get Jamila, okay, and even with the descendant I'm I'm, I don't know that. I knew that you just, if you had a parent born here, you could apply for citizenship. I was told I need to break because I was born in Jamaica and I'm, I was told, like, I should just, like, get I don't think I have my citizenship anymore. I don't know. Maybe I do. I don't know the rules. So maybe I do. Someone can correct me. But I was told I need to go get, like, my official Jamaican citizenship back, and then also probably file for my kids just to have it and all that stuff. Yeah,

Tiffany Grant 42:46

so the law here is, if your grandparent or your parent was born in Jamaica, then you can file for citizenship by descent. So like, for instance, I had my grandma's birth certificate. However, they still needed to see the lineage, so I still needed my dad's anyway. So to give you an example, if somebody's listening, they're like, oh well, my grandparent is from Jamaica. Then as long as you have your grandparents birth certificate, your parents birth certificate, and yours, then you can still file for citizenship. Does

Jamila Souffrant 43:20

your parent need to be if your grandparent is, but your parent wasn't born in Jamaica, can you still file it?

Tiffany Grant 43:25

Yep, as long as it has to be a grandparent or a parent

Jamila Souffrant 43:29

Got it, got it, so in terms of making money now. So do you find, I mean, we're more for the most part, until the time changes, like are on the same time schedule, except for, like, the daylight savings. Yeah, daylight savings. But in terms of your business, has it been any disruption? How are you making? Are you making most of your money through coaching? Do you find that you need less to live on so you can make a lot less in Jamaica but still live well? What is the finances looking like for you now that you're in Jamaica,

Tiffany Grant 44:01

right? So it's like the finance mix. So I still do speaking, so that's why I go back and forth. So sometimes companies hire me to come up and speak, and then I come back. So that's one. The blog is my second biggest revenue stream. I would say, Well, hold on, let me back up. Maybe we do I have. I still have my house in the States, and so I rent that out Airbnb as well. So I do rent that out. So I will say that's the second most profitable thing I have. The blog is the third, the podcast is probably like the fourth, and then social media is like fifth. So I have all these buckets within money, talk umbrella where I make money, so that way it's comfortable for us. And then also renting out the Airbnb also helps.

Jamila Souffrant 44:50

Right? What advice do you have for anyone who is considering that they want to move from, you know, the states to somewhere else? Jamila. Or another country island that they should be thinking about. Also want to think about doing this in a way that is pouring into the country they're going into, and not just like for arbitrage of prices. And because I just feel like, you know, like the local people there, sometimes they're not getting the standard of living that they need, you know, and then there are people who are just coming there and kind of reaping the benefits of the land, and then the locals there, the indigenous people there, are not able to live well, so I want to be considerate of that too. But like, what are all the things or advice? I know that's a lot, but that you can give to someone who's considering all of this.

Tiffany Grant 45:33

Now, listen, you are speaking my language, because this is what I these are the soap boxes I live on to that point I feel when you're first thinking about this, think about how you can pour into the local community first. Like, think about, like, don't think about it in a selfish way where it's like, oh, well, I'm gonna just live there and I'm just gonna run my business. I'm not gonna, you know, pour into a community. I'm not gonna give back. I'm not gonna, don't do that. And also don't come with that American attitude that we have, like, that we're better than everybody. Like, there's a lot of stuff that goes, you know, gets talked about about Americans all over. But anyway, don't come with that. Come with the attitude that, okay, I want to move here, but I want to be a local like I want to experience what the locals experience, and I want to be the change that I want to see with that. So I would say this first, then also I would say, know, your numbers is really important. So whether you decide on moving, whatever it is that you're deciding quitting corporate, you know, whatever, knowing your numbers helps you to make better decisions. And so that is what has helped me throughout all of these different journeys that I've been on, is knowing my numbers. And so I always tell people that, like, make sure you know how much you need to survive, and then also how much you need to thrive. And then you can kind of work backwards from that. The third thing I would think about is, of course, the visas, you know, all the regulations and stuff, legal stuff, because you don't want to get somewhere, and then you didn't read up, or you didn't learn about it enough. And then you have to go right back anyway. So I will say that's the third thing, and then maybe fourth, ensure that you build that community first. I keep going back to that, but community is so important, and especially in places like these, like where it's not as individualistic as the US, I think it's important to build that before you come to all great points. Okay, I

Jamila Souffrant 47:41

do have something else that just came up. It's not as serious, but I just when I went to Jamaica. Well, you know, I've been to Jamaica a lot of times, but I've driven in Jamaica a couple times, and it is not for the week. Okay? So I am, I think, an excellent driver. I think I am like, I'm not overconfident, so I don't drive crazy or do stupid things, but I'm very confident in my driving skills here in New York, you know, New York driving, okay, Jamaica. So it's funny, because if I were to even consider it, I mean, there's a lot of things I feel like, you know, in another world, if I was just a single person, by myself, without any responsibilities, kids, husband, like, I definitely see myself living or spending extended times in Jamaica. But you know, life now, if I were to move there, one of the things that I feel like would deter me, which I feel like it's not good enough reason, is driving there because it like driving on the opposite for me, opposite side of the road. Everything's opposite, and how aggressive and like the overtaking. So basically, in Jamaica, which I'm sure every island is kind of like this, maybe, is that you can go into the oncoming traffic lane to take over and go in front of the person in front of you. And sometimes that is done on what feels like a one lane road, but it's meant for two lanes. And there's a lot of road issues. I mean, I know they have high with the highway now and all that, but tell me about driving, because that, I think, adds to the being able to be independent and get around and have a sustainable life in the countries that you're going Yeah,

Tiffany Grant 49:10

so this is another soapbox I live on, because the roads definitely need to get fixed here. Like, I don't know where all this money is going, but it needs to go to the communities. However, that's another day I will say I don't drive here, not yet. I'm not in a rush to drive here because of everything that you said. But also, cars are expensive here. So, you know, think about it. They have to import all the cars. And so cars are expensive, not only to buy, but also, you know the insurance, you know all of that, the different things that they have here. However, I do hire drivers. So I hire drivers, and for me, that feels good, because I'm also feeding back into the community again. So this goes back to my my other point. So for me, I'm in no rush. To drive as long as God gives me the ability to pay other people to drive. For me, I am more than happy to pay that, and especially because it goes right into the hands of the locals, right, right. See, I

Jamila Souffrant 50:12

think here there's another, what I would have perceived as a problem that, if you're fortunate enough, can be solved with money. I forgot what the saying is. But if it's, if it's a problem that can be solved with money, then it's not a problem. And most problems can be solved with money. It's just being able to get the money to solve that problem. So in that case, that is a solution. In case someone is afraid to drive. I'll also add,

Tiffany Grant 50:35

don't get me wrong, the public transportation here is good too. But you know, there's taxis that run all day, every day, all hours, at a night. You know, there's, there's transportation here. So don't get me wrong, and it's affordable, very affordable. The taxis, for instance, I live on the West End. From the west end to town is 200 Jamaican dollars, which is like $1 you know us. So you know there's really affordable transportation and bike taxis. My son did a bike taxi the other day. He's like, Can I ride on the bike again? Was he by himself? He was because his driver couldn't get him from school. So he got one of his friends to do it, and it ended up being a bike and so it was a new experience for him, but he loved it. So there's different modes of transportation here, don't get me wrong. So there are other ways that you can do it, but I would say, don't let transportation be a deterrent, because you'll be able to get around. Yeah,

Jamila Souffrant 51:28

you'll figure it out. You figure it out. And that's just in general. I think sometimes we have these ideas and something trips us up about something that you know scares us and but it's all solvable. All the problems are things you think will be roadblocks or solvable problems, if you're creative, if you talk to enough people, if you open your mind about it. So I really hope that this inspires someone not necessarily to just move to Jamaica, but to maybe, but to think about their life and possibilities. Could you have imagined five years ago that you'd be living in Jamaica, not

Tiffany Grant 52:01

at all like, not even by a long shot, it wasn't even on the radar five years ago, right?

Jamila Souffrant 52:07

Which is I love see. I love that. I just feel like, who knows where your life can lead you once you start the journey, once you once you follow the next steps and are inspired and courageous enough to go after what you want in

Tiffany Grant 52:19

life. And I do want to add, because I am a woman of faith, right? And I feel like, not. I feel like I know that my faith is bigger than my fear. So if I feel fearful of something, I'm like, Hmm, maybe that's something I should pursue. Because, you know, if I'm given, if that's something that's given to me, I know that there will always be a way. You know, it's been like that my entire life. So I'm like, why would I not believe that now? So I will say that was a huge, huge, huge, huge thing. When I was told Tiffany go, I just went and I said, I will figure it out as I go. And everything has been working out. So,

Jamila Souffrant 53:03

beautiful story, Tiffany, can you please tell everyone where they can find more about your blog, podcast, all your work, where to contact you? Yeah,

Tiffany Grant 53:10

so my website is money. Talk with t.com that's where you would find the blog. Wherever you're listening to this podcast, money talk with Tiff. You can search for mine, and then I'm all over social media. I am. I have a little addiction with social media. So everywhere you are, it's at money talk with T and that's where you'll find me. And

Jamila Souffrant 53:30

I will make sure to add all of that in the episode show notes. Thank you so much for coming on and sharing your amazing story and journey. Tiffany, yes, thank

Tiffany Grant 53:39

you so much for having me, it was a pleasure. This was fun. Don't

Jamila Souffrant 53:42

forget, you can get the episode show notes for this episode by going to journey to launch.com or click the description of wherever you're listening to this. And you can still grab your jump start guide for free to help you on your journey to financial freedom by going to journey to launch com slash jump start. You if you want to support me and the podcast and love the free content and information that you get here, here are four ways that you can support me in the show. One, make sure you're subscribed to the podcast wherever you listen, whether that's Apple podcast, that purple app on your phone, your Android device, YouTube, Spotify wherever it is that you happen to listen, just subscribe so you are not missing an episode. And if you're happening to listen to this in Apple podcasts, rate review and subscribe there. I appreciate and read every single review. Number two, follow me on my social media accounts. I'm at journey to launch on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and I love, love, love interacting with journeyers. There three, support and check out the sponsors of this show. If you hear something that interests you, sponsors are the main ways we keep the podcast lights on here, so show them some love for supporting your girl. Four, and last but not least, share this episode, this podcast, with a friend or family member or co worker so that we can. Spread the message of Journey to launch. All right, that's it until next week. Keep on journeying. Journeyers. You.

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