A Personal Take on Grocery Delivery Services
On August 25, 2024, I posted a video to my Jonathan Shops YouTube channel. This channel was repurposed from one my daughters and I used to share about our little family; I left a couple of videos up for nostalgia. Today, those girls are grown, and the oldest made me a grandpa last year. I’m currently writing to you from Arizona, right outside of Phoenix, as everyone in the house is asleep—except me. I usually start working around 3:30 a.m. The quiet helps me focus. Today is September 1, 2o24.
The video is my somewhat bipolar-ish attempt to explain to shoppers that the open market has been asking for better service in grocery delivery for years. I haven’t seen anyone do anything about it. I noticed this quickly when my career in shopping began in March 2023. I’m an observational guy, even about myself sometimes (thanks, Eckhart Tolle). I knew better service was needed. But I also knew none of you would take me seriously unless I shopped a billion orders. That, and your ratings, are your trophies. So I spent 18 months—three of them off because I became a grandpa—and completed over 5,490 orders. The numbers are actually impressive and provable; I believe I averaged 335 per month.
But that is absolutely irrelevant.
I’m a professional marketing and sales guy who decided to try out this shopping thing for a while. I’m a licensed real estate broker in California, but I’m not active. I’m also a landman—a title known to farmers and oil companies as someone reliable for pursuing real estate interests. I’ve held positions of trust in commercial escrow with authorization to initiate 8-figure wires. I don’t mind telling an attorney where to shove it. I’ve been a respected member of children’s charity organizations and have served on the board for recovery services, helping those reintegrate into society or deal with addictions. I like to feel part of the community and contribute where and when I can. If I’ve learned anything in business, it’s that you have to give in order to receive.
Twenty-five years of amazing business experiences, including the time I was on Pawn Stars with a turtle shell guitar. I’ve grown up since then—though not by much. I used to contribute to The Huffington Post, sharing about losing custody and being bipolar. I even wrote a poem years ago. It’s not bad. I’m an open book about this stuff. It’s called emotional intelligence, and guys, women dig it.
I’m also a Native American, member of the federally recognized Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe. And, by way of miraculous and divine intervention, I am also an alcoholic; recently celebrating nine years of sobriety. I’m not boasting, I’m just trying to say I’ve been around the block a few times. I am not ashamed for attending support groups for those with severe mental health issues, seeing firsthand the variety of gifts some of us have been giving. A gift because once you remove fear of being judged, you’re able to keep the door cracked open to the past, just in case you need to share a direct experience with someone struggling.
It’s real work. My alcoholism and mental health conditions require me to put in extra effort. I cannot think myself through my problems. Solutions, at the end of the day, require the feet to move and the hands to work. AI cannot fix your problems here. Fortunately, I have always surrounded myself with people I admired to be like. One of them was a black guy named Terrance. He taught me how to tie a double-windsor, perfectly. At around 18 years old, I actually had a desire to be black because I thought he was so cool. How he handled his demeanor and how he dated a different woman, respectfully, was beyond my teenage brain. But I wanted to be like him.
When it came to sobriety, the same thing. People I admire, even the celebrities that have maintained good representation of the notion, without paid advertising mind you, are the ones I feel carry the message that I would like to do one day. And I am not going to lie, I love alcohol. Even my mom says I’m so much funnier when I’m drunk. But I can’t. I mean, I can, it’s my choice, but I can’t imagine what would happen. I just know that one means blackout. And I’ve been in some pretty dangerous situations. Once, I got beat up, tasered, and pepper-sprayed. And I still feel like I deserved it.
Mental health, including yours, is important to me. I feel like some shoppers have declined in spirit or personality, and I can’t imagine sitting more than doing. I want to try and help you build something else. It can be whatever you want or whatever interests you. If you build tiny cars in tiny bottles, I don’t think that could be scaled but maybe. Maybe there is a market. I don’t know. What I’m saying is you need to start working in areas that give you feedback and you can build upon it. The feedback of your success as a shopper is not helpful for growth, and that’s why you seem stuck - or even declining in health, income, and attitude. I don’t want you to go that path. I think there is a better one.
I can help in branding, systems, and methods. I am a good communicator and an excellent writer (for the amount I get to practice). I do not have a college education, however, I have been immersed in multiple business models including named CEO* of a professional employer organization. Yet, today, I remain independent and building my own businesses as it is important for me to expand offerings I am talented in. Photography has led to videography, and weddings, and content creation. If I can combine some of this stuff for you guys, so you can see what I mean when it comes to educating yourself on your local grocery store initiatives, like promos and such, then you can build trust that you are an expert… yes, EXPERT… in professional grocery shopping. I believe, based on the current business models of popular grocery delivery apps, that you can make more pursuing this independently.
And app developers have recognized. That’s why systems are popping up in the app stores. You should be aware of the data collection portion and any terms and conditions that may affect the customers you serve. And the costs to the customer. My method doesn’t use the apps, but it’s just one model. There are tons of models you can focus on. Mine is the professional and personal approach, for families and households with large orders once-a-week, that need time and attention and accuracy - not speed. I dive a bit deeper in understanding their dietary and nutrition habits and goals, and they can log into my RayBan Metas to see what I’m seeing at the store. My entire trunk space is insulated (though I am currently working on securing the lid better) with cold packs when needed.
Relationships, my friends, are where your successes will be; and for some, it is going to be your biggest challenges. Your grocery stores suffer when bad shops happen. These customers are theirs, they do not belong to any app. Get that in your head first, and regardless of the tip amount or what weight you have to temporarily carry, you are providing an honorable service on behalf of the grocery store for one of their customers. I can assure you that the average produce worker lifts 10X more weight in a day than you do. Part of my job is to recognize those that are supporting me in my business, even if they don’t know it. My education on how to pick certain fruit or what to look for in root vegetables is an easily searched topic, but I find more value in asking the produce guy. And if he’s just subbing from the meat department and not familiar, we learn together. That’s how you build relationships.
Heavy items or pushing in some carts is how I get exercise in. My buddy Mitch told me once that I should just get my heart rate up for 45 minutes a day, at a minimum. He trains college athletes so I value his simple advice. How I do it can be anything really. Personally, I like to push in some carts. You’ll notice quite quickly how these parking lots are not flat at all, and it’s a drainage thing. Everything slumps towards the drains.
But really. Are you taking care of your body? Seriously. What are you eating? Have you gained weight since shopping? Can you incorporate more steps and less sitting? I don’t know. You need to look into it. Without maintaining your own body, you risk your future ability to work. I used to drink and smoke and all that too, and I still think it's cool, but as I’ve aged (grandpa here) it becomes more important to stay on a healthier path. Don’t get me wrong, I just put down an entire Hot-n-Ready Little Caesars for dinner last night. It’s just things to consider. Sitting in your car for hours on end cannot be healthy.
So, with your shopper permission, I’d like to be a voice of reason and logic in this business. I’ve noticed on popular discussion boards like Reddit, aka r/InstacartShoppers, that new shoppers are being discouraged. I, personally, think the shopper has one hell of an opportunity to start pursuing other interests as their new and primary source of income. A notary is one off the top of my head. I’ll write about it one day. (Edit: I did.)
-Jonathan
*CEO stood for Cultural Evangelist Officer, and it was awarded to me by real CEO of the PEO (professional employer organization) to make sure we were always a little goofy and having fun. And that’s what I intend to do.
