Carry On Friends: The Caribbean American Experience

Carry On Friends
  • 4.9 (80)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Biweekly

Carry On Friends has an unmistakable Caribbean-American essence. Hosted by the dynamic and engaging Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown, the podcast takes listeners on a global journey, deeply rooted in Caribbean culture. It serves as a melting pot of inspiring stories, light-hearted anecdotes, and stimulating perspectives that provoke thought and initiate conversations. The podcast invites guests who enrich the narrative with their unique experiences and insights into Caribbean culture and identity. With an array of topics covered - from lifestyle and wellness to travel, entertainment, career, and entrepreneurship - it encapsulates the diverse facets of the Caribbean American experience. Catering to an international audience, Carry On Friends effectively bridges cultural gaps, uniting listeners under a shared love and appreciation for Caribbean culture.

  1. Caribbean Languages Are Not "Broken English"

    2d ago

    Caribbean Languages Are Not "Broken English"

    Send us Fan Mail Is Jamaican Patois really "broken English"? How did Caribbean languages develop, and why do debates about language continue to spark strong reactions throughout the region and the diaspora? In this crossover episode from Breadfruit Media sister show, Strictly Facts, Dr. Alexandria Miller speaks with linguist Dr. Joseph T. Farquharson about the history, structure, and future of Caribbean languages. Together they unpack common misconceptions, explore African linguistic influences, and discuss what language recognition means for cultural identity and belonging. Key Takeaways Caribbean languages are complete linguistic systems, not failed versions of European languages.African languages played a significant role in shaping Caribbean grammar and speech patterns.Migration and music helped preserve and globalize Caribbean languages.The Cassidy-JLU writing system provides a standardized approach to writing Jamaican.Language recognition is connected to identity, education, cultural preservation, and access.Mentioned in This Episode Carry On Friends episode with Dr. Kari-Lee GrantCarry On Friends episode with O'Neil MaddenCOFMG Insights Paper - Jamaican New Testament Strictly Facts PodcastSubscribe to the Newsletter Support How to Support Carry On Friends Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store. Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube A Breadfruit Media Production

    1h 13m
  2. You’re Not Either Or, You’re Both And: Lens 6 Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM)

    May 26

    You’re Not Either Or, You’re Both And: Lens 6 Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM)

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when a first generation is told “you’re not Jamaican” in one but never fully seen as American either?  In this episode, I explore Lens 6 of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM): "You're Not Either Or, You're Both And".  Through stories from podcast guests, family experiences, and  observations over more than a decade of podcasting, I unpack the emotional complexity of Caribbean identity in the diaspora for first generation Caribbean Americans.  This conversation explores what it means to navigate layered identities when your heritage, upbringing, geography, and community experiences don’t always align neatly. From being called a “Yankee” by family members to reconnecting with culture later in adulthood, this episode validates the experiences of people who have spent years trying to prove they are “Caribbean enough.” The episode also explores: Why some immigrant parents distanced their children from cultureThe role of fear, assimilation, and survival in shaping identityWhy accents and language don’t determine belongingThe emotional impact of cultural gatekeepingHow Caribbean identity evolves across generationsAt the heart of this episode is a reminder: you do not have to choose between identities. You can be Caribbean and American. Jamaican and Canadian. Guyanese and Brooklyn-born. Identity is layered, lived, and evolving. Resources Mentioned Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM)Previous Lens Episodes:Lens 1: Where You Start Shapes the JourneyLens 2: Where You Live + What You Seek = How You Connect Lens 3: Cultural Anchors Keep Us RootedLens 4: Your Identity Will ShiftLens 5: Culture Influences How We Show Up At WorkSubscribe to the Newsletter Support How to Support Carry On Friends Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store. Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube A Breadfruit Media Production

    25 min
  3. Voice Note Stories: The Last Party

    May 12

    Voice Note Stories: The Last Party

    Send us Fan Mail A school party should be simple: put on your outfit, meet your friends, dance for a few hours, go home. If you grew up Caribbean American, you already know it’s never that simple. Permission is a process, timing is everything, and one wrong tone can turn a “maybe” into an automatic no. This is a special crossover episode from my audio storytelling series Voice Note Stories which is built around a true story from my senior year of high school. What follows is peak Caribbean parenting and lifelong lessons about respect and consequences. Sometimes the most memorable moments aren't the parties themselves, but the dramatic exits.  Voice Note Stories captures Caribbean cultural experiences through brief, authentic storytelling. If this brought back memories, follow, share with a friend who gets it, and leave a review so more listeners can find Carry On Friends and Voice Note Stories.  Subscribe to the Newsletter Support How to Support Carry On Friends Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store. Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube A Breadfruit Media Production

    16 min
  4. More Than a Patty: Building the Juici Patties Brand in the US with Purpose & Pride

    Apr 28

    More Than a Patty: Building the Juici Patties Brand in the US with Purpose & Pride

    Send us Fan Mail A Jamaican patty can take you back in one bite, to lunch money days or some other memory. Franklyn is a Jamaican entrepreneur helping grow to Juici Patties franchises in the United States. We talk about why that nostalgia comes with real responsibility when you’re carrying a beloved Jamaican brand into cities like New York and markets across the country.  Franklyn shares his journey from Jamaica to school in Tennessee, finishing his degree in Florida, working in software engineering, and then stepping fully into franchise ownership. From there, we dig into the business side of Caribbean food. He explains why consistency is everything, why one average patty can hurt the whole brand, and how a viral moment only matters if the product can back it up.  Is it possible to normalize the Caribbean Food category the way Italian and Mexican food have been normalized without losing culture or ownership? Franklin addresses that concern head-on, then closes with what he hopes successful Jamaican brands can do for Jamaica itself through investment, development, and long-term economic lift.  If you care about Jamaican patties, Caribbean American identity, or how to scale a food brand without selling out, press play, follow, and share this with a friend then leave a review and tell us your go-to patty and drink pairing. Subscribe to the Newsletter Support How to Support Carry On Friends Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store. Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube A Breadfruit Media Production

    24 min
  5. Prep and Ting: Food, Culture and Intentional Living

    Apr 14

    Prep and Ting: Food, Culture and Intentional Living

    Send us Fan Mail Aria Collins is Grenadian-born, Brooklyn-raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina. After moving south and losing easy access to Caribbean food, she started rethinking her relationship with food, health, and culture. She turned that journey into Prep and Ting, a Caribbean-centered approach to meal prep and intentional eating. In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to crave the food you grew up on when you can’t just run to the Jamaican spot or grab a roti. We dig into the cultural habits around food that Caribbean people carry like cleaning your plate, Sunday cooking rituals, how we prepare meals and how being intentional about those habits can change how you feel in your body without giving up the food you love. We also get Aria's personal experience with Lens 1 and Lens 2 of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model.  Connect with Aria: Instagram: @prepandting Website: www.prepandting.com Subscribe to the Newsletter Support How to Support Carry On Friends Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store. Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube A Breadfruit Media Production

    1h 2m
  6. Burnout, Perimenopause, and Ambition: Caribbean Women Navigating Work and Life (Part 2)

    Mar 31

    Burnout, Perimenopause, and Ambition: Caribbean Women Navigating Work and Life (Part 2)

    Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of this conversation, Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown continues her discussion with organizational psychologist Dr. Kerriann Peart about what Caribbean women experience in professional spaces. This episode explores topics we rarely talk about openly, including how perimenopause, burnout, and ambition culture intersect with work and identity. Together they discuss: Why Caribbean women often push themselves to the point of burnoutThe hidden impact of perimenopause on professional lifeCultural expectations around ambition and hard workHow to recalibrate ambition at different stages of lifeWhy learning to regulate yourself is essential for longevity in your careerThis conversation continues the discussion started in Part 1, where they explored Caribbean identity in corporate spaces and the challenges of navigating workplace culture. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, start there.Also listen to episode covering Lens 5 of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model on How Culture Impacts how we show up at work.  Audio | Video | BlogConnect with Dr. Kerriann Peart: Website | LinkedIn Subscribe to the Newsletter Support How to Support Carry On Friends Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store. Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube A Breadfruit Media Production

    33 min
  7. Caribbean at Work: Identity, Burnout, and Navigating Corporate Culture (Part 1)

    Mar 17

    Caribbean at Work: Identity, Burnout, and Navigating Corporate Culture (Part 1)

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when Caribbean cultural identity meets corporate expectations? In this powerful conversation, Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown sits down with organizational psychologist Dr. Kerriann Peart to unpack the challenges Caribbean people - women especially, face in professional spaces. From cultural misunderstandings and workplace microaggressions to burnout, “boreout,” and the pressure to fit into corporate norms, this discussion explores how identity, authenticity, and professional well-being intersect. They also discuss how Caribbean cultural values such as integrity, excellence, and community shape how we show up at work, sometimes in ways that clash with corporate culture. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation that dives deep into navigating professional life without losing yourself. Mek sure you come back for Part 2. In the mean time check out: Resources Mentioned Lens 5: Culture Influences How We Show Up at Work: Audio | Video | Blog Connect with Dr. Kerriann Peart: Website | LinkedIn Subscribe to the Newsletter Support How to Support Carry On Friends Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store. Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube A Breadfruit Media Production

    38 min
  8. Culture Influences How We Show Up at Work: Lens 5 Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM)

    Mar 3

    Culture Influences How We Show Up at Work: Lens 5 Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM)

    Send us Fan Mail You were taught to work hard and let your work speak for itself. But what happens when that formula stops working? In this episode, let's explore Lens 5 of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model and how cultural identity shapes how we show up at work. In This Episode We Discuss: Why Caribbean work ethic is both strength and pressureThe myth of meritocracy in corporate AmericaCultural mismatches between Caribbean values and U.S. workplace norms Resources Mentioned Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM)Previous Lens Episodes:Lens 1: Where You Start Shapes the JourneyLens 2: Where You Live + What You Seek = How You Connect Lens 3: Cultural Anchors Keep Us RootedLens 4: Your Identity Will ShiftIf this episode resonated with you: Share your workplace story in the commentsSend this to another Caribbean professionalFollow to Carry On Friends for more conversations on identity, culture, and growthFollow @carryonfriends on socialSubscribe to the Newsletter Support How to Support Carry On Friends Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store. Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube A Breadfruit Media Production

    36 min
See All (304)

Trailers

4.9
out of 5
80 Ratings

About

Carry On Friends has an unmistakable Caribbean-American essence. Hosted by the dynamic and engaging Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown, the podcast takes listeners on a global journey, deeply rooted in Caribbean culture. It serves as a melting pot of inspiring stories, light-hearted anecdotes, and stimulating perspectives that provoke thought and initiate conversations. The podcast invites guests who enrich the narrative with their unique experiences and insights into Caribbean culture and identity. With an array of topics covered - from lifestyle and wellness to travel, entertainment, career, and entrepreneurship - it encapsulates the diverse facets of the Caribbean American experience. Catering to an international audience, Carry On Friends effectively bridges cultural gaps, uniting listeners under a shared love and appreciation for Caribbean culture.

Information

More From Carry On Friends

You Might Also Like