Gettin’ Scrappy
The end of 2024 was rough. It felt like my dreams were dissolving, like I was trying to carry fine sand without a bucket. I had taken a chance on an amazing start-up with people I adored in 2023. By 2024, we were told the end of its current form was near. The reality was that I was going to be losing my job. Anyone who has been through job loss knows how demoralizing this is. If job loss isn’t enough, the reality is that we are living in strange times. At this moment in time, AI is king. As I shared in my post on Compassion for the Job Seeker, even if you hate it, it’s almost impossible to find a job without it.
Surviving Not Thriving
During this time, I was surviving but most certainly not thriving. The simplest way to explain it is a scarcity mindset. This led me to a feeling of needing to sit at my desk for every waking hour to look for work. It was unhealthy, to say the least. In effect, it felt like when I was working 12-hour days. Except now, I wasn’t getting a paycheck. I had a safety net and a little bit of savings. But I couldn’t help but feel like a squirrel. My normal go-tos of yoga classes or meeting a friend for a cocktail seemed indulgent without a steady income.
Reddit Had The Answer
So I asked myself – how can I get away from my screen without spending money? And could I potentially find a way to make a little money?
A rabbit hole on ReddIt had the answer…
I’d drive for DoorDash.
This required that I take a big gulp of my own pride. Many times I said out loud…
“I’m a middle-aged woman with advanced degrees and certifications. And I’m a fucking Door Dash driver.”
I’m Not Alone
I know I’m not alone. I’ve met others who have shared with me that they do DoorDash or Uber or the like with a hint of shame in their voice. Why???
Because as a society, we tend to look down on people who don’t have ‘real’ jobs. We pass judgement without fully understanding the circumstances of others. I hope to do my part in changing that by sharing my story, so here goes…
DoorDashing
There’s a lot I’ve enjoyed about DoorDashing…
- I made a little much-needed cash. It paid my phone bill. It paid for me to put gas in my car. It paid for other miscellaneous expenses.
- I met some nice people. There was the guy who ordered frozen yogurt for his dogs. The cash tippers because cash is still the best. The guy who tipped me with a bag of green stuff that wasn’t cash (wink, wink). And just in general, every single person who showed appreciation and said thank you.
- I got to see new neighborhoods. It’s so easy to get stuck in our little corners of the world. With DoorDash, I discovered new places I never would have driven to. It was Christmas Time so I saw pretty decorations. I can confidently say I know my way around better than I ever have. I also discovered some new restaurants to try.
- It humbled me. It made me realize that I am not too good to do a minimum wage, gig economy job. It gave me empathy towards those who are consistently doing what they have to do to scrap the pieces together.
Now, here is what I DO NOT like…
- DoorDash kind of treats their drivers like shit. Like every job I’ve ever had, I take pride in my work and this was no exception. And still, I’d often get notifications that I was late, forgot to take a photo, or that there were complaints made against me, even though my rating was 5 stars.
- No Delivery Instructions. People please! If you live in a place where the address is not clearly marked, that is difficult to get into, or otherwise, leave delivery instructions. And when doing so, be kind. There is no need to be condescending. Because one day it may be you on the other side of the DoorDash app.
- Leave at Door orders. I take my food seriously. And some of the orders I’ve delivered have been quite expensive. I’d really feel better if I handed it to you. And in our disconnected society, it’s still nice to have human connection. Remember, the person delivering your feed is a human. In most cases, it feels like you can at least have the decency to open your door, take your food, and say thank you.
- No or low tippers. Things are tough for a lot of us right now. I get that. But…If you can’t afford to tip your driver who is delivering food to you and providing this service, then you might want to think about picking up your own McDonalds order. While you may not agree with the tipping culture in the US, it is deeply ingrained and does allow companies like DoorDash to not pay drivers a living wage. This is kind of why number 3 is on the list, because shameful non-tippers don’t have to look the person in the eye who is hoping for a few bucks. They don’t see the HUMAN.
Grateful
All in all, I’ve been grateful to be living in a time where something like DoorDash is an option. At the moment, I have work, but I may still do DoorDash from time to time to get out of the house and to make some extra cash.
And most importantly, it’s a reminder that I’m never too good to get scrappy.
Watch this short video to dive deeper into Gettin’ Scrappy
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