Have you ever left a task and thought, “Wow, that was so therapeutic”? We often hear from Taskers that tasks, and in particular tasks for repeat Clients, can become almost like therapy sessions—often extending longer than the task time with chats about life, love, loss, and everything in between. That was certainly the case with one of Tasker Derrick G.’s long-standing Clients—an elderly woman who had recently lost her husband.
Read on to discover Derrick’s path to tasking, and how tasking has given him the gift of making positive impacts on others’ lives, but also given him back the gift of time.
What brought you to TaskRabbit?
Before joining TaskRabbit I was an actor who did odd jobs in woodworking to pay the bills between acting gigs. I was interested in the gig economy because of the variety of task categories, and the flexibility it provides, so I could task around my acting schedule.
What is your best tasking memory?
I was working for a repeat Client—an elderly woman—and the task was to build storage boxes from IKEA. While I was building boxes she told me stories about her many years in San Francisco, and how life is now that her husband has passed, with her main company being her big dog. I loved hearing her fascinating history, and she seemed extremely grateful just to have someone to talk to, let alone help her out. I truly felt appreciated. I’ll never forget that task and I’ll never question a simple task, like changing a light bulb, because you never know who’s at the other end and what they are going through.
What types of challenges has TaskRabbit allowed you to overcome?
Working with TaskRabbit has allowed me to stop worrying about finding work for the next day or week. Acting comes in floods and droughts, and in the past, it was always so challenging to be working (acting) and looking for work (contracting) at the same time. TaskRabbit allows me to do this seamlessly.
How has TaskRabbit impacted your life?
TaskRabbit has given me back a sense of enjoying my free time. I used to be constantly hustling to try to find work. Now when I’m not working…I’m not working. It’s awesome.
What was the most rewarding thing about your transition to tasking?
Community. I love helping people with my skills, feeling appreciated, and being able to set my rates at my own standards of what my time is worth. The reviews I receive are just an added bonus. I smile when I read a review saying that I made a difference in someone’s life. It’s truly fun and rewarding to make a perfect stranger’s day!
Derrick’s attitude toward making a positive impact in his community is truly a noble outlook, and we love seeing that positive energy reflected back at him in his 99% positive reviews! We also echo his sentiments in building a relationship with and gaining the trust of his repeat Client. No matter who you are, everyone can relate to needing a friendly ear, and lending one too.
